JUDE
“The Archmage,” Belinda Eckhardt begins, her voice weak but her eyes alert. “He and Celine walked the dark path from a very young age. Those of us who knew them back then—well, it was clear they were both natural born leaders destined for great things, but they were still relatively untested among the higher-ranking officials of the shadow magic society. They’d been seeking ways to prove their strength and loyalty when they heard about the plight of the demon prince.”
“Zorakkov,” I clarify, and she nods, continuing.
“Demonic summoning wasn’t new to them—they’d been working with lesser demons for years. So, they formulated a plan that would help the prince, knowing it would also secure their positions in the society.”
“Help him what?” Auggie asks.
Still bound to the bed next to him, Connie groans again—could be a warning, could be a howl of pain. Auggie gives him a swift knee to the ribs to shut him up.
The doctor winces. “Is that really necessary? All this violence, this brutality. It’s—”
I grip her jaw and lean in close. “Donotlecture us about the necessity of violence and brutality against a coven of witches and mages who think nothing of torturing a young girl and sacrificing countless human lives to bloody demons. The only reason I haven’t eviscerated you is that you’ve got intel I need. Every breath you take is at my discretion, and I’m not the most patient bloke, as you might’ve guessed. So if you want to keep taking those breaths, I highly suggest you—”
“Jude.” Auggie’s low warning brings me back from the brink of a complete eruption. My hands are trembling, my hold on her jaw punishing, and when I finally release it, she gasps and spits out a mouthful of blood.
She glares at me, but otherwise doesn’t complain.
Fast learner, this one.
“Please,” I say, forcing a note of calm into my voice. “Continue thisfascinatingstory. And before you think of lying to me or leaving out any of the good bits…” I give the blade embedded in her thigh another twist, making her cry out. “Wouldn’t be too hard to nick the femoral artery, would it? And if you die, doc, who would be left to tend to Connie’s soon-to-be-acquired wounds?”
The woman swallows hard, then clears her throat. When she speaks again, her voice is fainter.
“Zorakkov… He wanted to attain permanent manifestation on the earthly realm. Without the society’s intervention, he could only appear in a severely limited capacity, and never for long stretches of time. He needed a body of his own. One he could inhabit and infuse with his power and immortality—enough to break free of the magic that bound him to hell.”
“So they chose ababyfor this task?” I ask, recalling the story of Hunter Forsythe’s adoption. The man may be a grade-A degenerate now, but he wasn’t always like that. He was a child once. Innocent, until these monsters got their hands on him.
“Zorakkov is a demon of immense power,” she says. “We needed time to mold the perfect human vessel—one strong enough to contain him indefinitely without burning out. The Forsythes knew it would require years—decades, even—to complete the necessary procedures and enhancements. A baby was the only option.”
I glance at Auggie, thinking back to what Rook told us about demonic manifestation. They usually need multiple vessels, he’d said, because human bodies are too weak to contain them. They also require a coven of dark witches to help them make the transfer each time without getting trapped in the void between realms, but there’s always a risk of getting enslaved by a traitorous coven.
One super-strong human vessel would certainly solve that problem.
“What kind of procedures and enhancements, specifically?” I ask.
The doctor shrugs. “Initially, it was a combination of mental preparation, education about the cause and the magic, and physical training. The child needed to be fully indoctrinated into the society. To learn and appreciate the grave importance of his mission.”
“I bet,” I say.
“Phase two,” she continues. “That’s the more intensive phase. Everything from growth hormones to musculoskeletal enhancements to immunity boosters… Age-defying treatments, transfusions, constant monitoring for signs of illness or weakness… There are too many to list, really. Most of them are experimental in nature.”
“Experimental medical procedures,” I say. “Right. That’s whenyouentered the ring, I presume?”
“I was the best candidate for the job. I was a respected society member and a hospital employee with access to everything we needed—equipment, blood for transfusions, tissue samples, bone for grafting, medications. I knew what to do and how to forge the insurance claims, and I believed in what we were working to accomplish. No one else could be trusted with something so crucial to the cause.”
Disgust churns in my gut. “Your people adopted a child with the express purpose of turning him into a demonic vessel, subjecting him to mental and physical tortures, experiments…That’syour cause. You know, I’ve met some bottom feeders in my day, doctor, but—”
“Oh, no. You’ve got it all wrong.” She shakes her head, clearly ready to defend the Archmage with her dying breath. “It’s a great honor to become a vessel—especially one for a demon prince. Hunter was happy to do it.”
“At two years old?” I laugh. “Yes, babies areexemplaryat giving informed consent.”
“I meant as he got old enough to understand what his sacrifice would mean for his family, for the society at large. He fully consented to the medical procedures, and he was an adult by then. Nineteen.”
I scoff. “Do you hear yourself? It’s a wonder they let people like you breed.”
She lowers her gaze. “Lennon and Celine… they’re good people. You have to know that.”
