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With only a bare lightbulb, the basement was pretty dim. It was also creepy as hell with the dank and eerie air, the old bloodstains on the floor, the thick spooky-ass shadows, and the cloying scents of must, mold, and lingering pain. Yeah, a lot of people had died down here. She doubted that any of them had died easy.
When Jolene had declared that she wanted to lead the interrogation, most of the others in the basement had tensed, waiting for an explosion from Maddox. Raini had almost snorted. They should have known better. The guy never exploded.
He’d merely stared at Jolene and asked, “Why bother questioning him when I can pluck the answers out of his mind?”
“I never said that I didn’t want you to read his mind,” Jolene had replied. “I just said I wish to lead the interrogation. I agreed that we would work together on this, and we will. Part of that includes my taking the lead.”
In Raini’s view, it was pure Prime posturing—neither wanted the other to steal the show, because they both had a responsibility to Raini.
Maddox had given Jolene a careless “fine” shrug and said, “You won’t be her Prime for much longer, so I see no harm in letting you enjoy it while you can.” Ignoring the narrow-eyed look Jolene shot him, he’d then crossed to Raini and his sentinels, exuding a calm that she doubted he truly felt.
It was shortly after that that Lachlan and his brothers showed up. They’d gathered behind Jolene, along with Ciaran, her two sentinels, and Richie. All were facing the harbinger, who was now beginning to stir.
Groaning, he raised his head and blinked hard. He froze as he took in the scene. His astral self practically burst out of his body … and bounced right off the wall of the containment forcefield. He didn’t let that deter him. He repeatedly threw his astral self at the walls, relentless and determined.
That determination came to nothing.
Raini’s demon snickered, finding him weak and ridiculous. It was rather enjoying seeing him trapped and helpless. Raini would be lying if she said she didn’t get a kick out of it, too. If his dagger had adequately done its job, Raini and her demon would have been just as powerless in the face of danger, so it seemed only fair that he suffer this way. Karma truly was a bitch, which was why Raini had a fondness for it.
Finally seeming to realize that the only thing he was achieving was tiring himself out, the harbinger stopped attacking the forcefield. His astral self then slipped back into his body, and he stood upright.
Jolene smiled ever so pleasantly at him. “My granddaughter tells me that your name is Terrence Gibbs. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I’m Jolene Wallis. Behind me are several of my lair members and a few … friends. As I’m sure you can sense, we’re all quite eager to talk with you.” The word “talk” carried all kinds of painful implications.
Terrence flexed his fists. “You should let me go.”
“Hmm, I can’t say I share that opinion.”
“I have a lot of friends in high places. Friends who’d be pissed about this shit.”
Every imp in the basement began to chuckle. Yeah, it was kind of ridiculous for him to think that his warning would make a difference to them. These were creatures who’d long ago ceased caring about little things called “consequences.” That wasn’t exactly uncommon knowledge. Even Raini’s demon rolled its eyes.
“I don’t care how many friends you have or who exactly they are,” said Jolene. “Not that it matters either way. I’ll never have to meet them. Nobody knows you’re here. No one is coming for you. There won’t be a rescue or an escape. That nifty ability you have to astral project isn’t going to save you either.”
Snarling, he began throwing orbs of hellfire at the forcefield. But it didn’t falter, didn’t crack, didn’t burn. It stayed strong and steady. Raini was totally loving the look of defeat on his face. And the way he kept shivering, as if it was mighty cold in there.
When he finally gave up trying to escape, Jolene took a regal step forward, her heels scraping over the cement floor. “I’d tell you that you have two choices—talk or endure a tremendous amount of pain—but that would be a lie. You only really have one choice and that is to answer my questions, because I won’t stand for anything less.”
He glared at her, each puff of breath fogging the air within the forcefield.
“You went after one of my demons, Raini Campbell. You’ll remember hurling a dagger at her. You’ll remember why you targeted her. It’s the latter we’re interested in, because we haven’t yet figured out what sparked you to target her.”
“I ain’t telling you nothing,” he said.
