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“Why?” He was conjuring a ball of aether in and out of existence, tossing the opalescent sphere between his hands. Damn, and here I’d felt special that I’d finally gained enough power to do that; it was nothing more than child’s play to this bastard. “You’ve got her soul, don’t you? I assume that’s why you’re following her around. The only life you should really be concerned about is your own.”
I wasn’t about to explain myself to this asshole. I tried not to look at him as he paced around the room, tossing that little ball back and forth. He was dressed in a fitted black suit, his shoes sleek, shining leather that tapped on the floor.
“Personally, I hope she wants you both dead.”
I hung my head down, clenching my jaw. It was bait, it was just fucking bait.
“It’s so much fun to kill the stubborn ones. I get to see how long it takes for you to cry.”
Nope. Don’t say a word, Zane. Mouth shut. Not worth it.
“Now that I know you’re soft for your little mortal woman, I have a feeling it won’t take you long at all.”
He’d paced closer —veryclose. Close enough that I knew it was just more bait, dangling tantalizingly in front of my face.
I took it anyway. Like a complete idiot.
I spent the next hour in even more pain, and it was my own damn fault. Squashed between the floor and his shoe was significantly worse than just being chained. He’d even pulled up a chair to make himself comfortable.
“You know, buddy, at this point I’ve just accepted that I’m not going to beat you in a fight,” I muttered, my mouth a little difficult to use considering I had a shoe pressed against my cheek. “Maybe you could remove the foot? Hm? It seems intentionally condescending.”
He laughed. It wasn’t a pleasant sound — it got a little too deep in my bones, and echoed off the stone walls. “I’m pretty damn comfortable with you as a footrest, actually. Can’t say I’m eager to move.”
He had music playing on an old gramophone in the corner, but the occasional snapping of his fingers wasn’t in tune with it. He was operating on some other timeline, some other reality, and it was frankly unnerving.
“You got a name?” I said. “I mean, since we’re just going to sit here and get to know each other...I figured...introduction might be nice.” I really should have shut up, but my energy was building up and my nerves with it. With every moment that passed without Juniper, I grew more restless. I had to distract myself. “So...uh...I’m Zane.”
Not even so much as a grunt in return. Alright, Captain Unpleasant. If you were going to torture someone, at least have the decency to have a little conversation. Take me to dinner first. I prefer to be courted properly prior to torture.
“Have you been here long? Odd place, Abelaum. A little Hellish, isn’t it?”Snap, snap, snapwent his fingers. I rolled my eyes. “Where’s that witch of yours? I mean, I’m assuming she’s yours. I don’t think a witchling could have summoned a lovely being like you…” There was a shift, and although I couldn’t see, I couldfeelhis glare on me. “You two have made a deal, eh? Lucky you, getting a witch’s soul. I’ve heard they’re sweet as Heaven —"
His shoe pressed a little harder — hard enough to make my bones protest. “You know nothing of witches, hellion. You talk too much.”
“I’ve been told that before. It’s a personal fault, I’ll admit. How old are you anyway? I’ve heard rumors some of you royal types have been around since before humans — is that true? Personally, I think the claim is bullshit, but —”
He stiffened suddenly, and for a moment, I thought I’dreallypissed him off. Moving rapidly, he unlocked me from the manacles and hauled me to my feet, my body tingling everywhere he touched me.
Then, keeping a tight hold on my arm, he forced us to teleport.
I’d never liked teleporting; it made me queasy. Dismantling one’s heavy physical body, throwing one’s spiritual form through space, then hurriedly reassembling a physical form again? Highly unpleasant. But teleporting with someone else, dragged along with them, reached a whole new level of awful.
By the time we stopped, and my physical body was back together again, I doubled over and gagged.
“Let him go, Callum. They won’t harm us.”
The voice came from a tall, blurry figure nearby. My eyes didn’t want to focus, so I squeezed them shut for a moment. The sugary-sweet scent of magic rushed in my nose, but it wasn’t just the witch nearby.
Honeysuckle and pine. The scent of a wolf.
It was Juniper who touched me, without a doubt. The relief that rushed over me at the feeling of her hands on my back was so profound it made me laugh. She was alive. I could feel her mind’s pulsing uncertainty and worry. I could smell her sweet scent and feel her soft skin.
I leaned into her. Her arms tightened around me.
“What the fuck did you do to him?” Her voice was vicious. “You said he wouldn’t be hurt, Everly!”
“He’s fine.” I could hear the eyeroll in the Archdemon’s words. “He’s just being dramatic.”
I was being dramatic, yes. But I’d gotten Juniper to be all soft over me as a result, and that was immensely satisfying. The vicious little thing actuallycared. If we lived, I’d be sure to tease her about it for the rest of eternity.
