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Secret met Talon’s gaze as she was dragged backwards. Gone was that soft smile he had gifted her with earlier. The blank expression on his face might have masked his emotions, but nothing could hide the murderous intent gleaming in those tawny eyes. She tried to send him a small, reassuring smile of her own to tell him not to worry, but he simply raised a brow at that.
Obviously, their nonverbal communication skills needed work.
Even with a blade pressed against her throat, she wasn’t worried…much. She could have tried to free herself, but she wanted something from him first. Their proximity was actually a welcomed opportunity for her, and she slowly moved her hand until the pads of her fingertips were pressed against his wrist.
Part of the reason she hated touching people was due to her seeker ability. Being able to scan someone’s mind was a rare gift some D’Aire had, but Secret’s ability was a little different. She couldn’t hear what someone was thinking. She could only see their memories.
The more powerful seekers could do both. They didn’t even need to be close to someone for their ability to work, but Secret required skin-to-skin contact to see someone’s memories. That was why she wore gloves so only her fingertips were bare. It helped minimize her chances of reading someone accidentally.
She would have truly been driven mad if she were constantly bombarded with other people’s thoughts, so she was glad her gift wasn’t stronger. She still didn’t like having to touch people to make her ability work. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make when the circumstances called for it. While torture would have been a far more satisfying method to get the information she wanted from the Tarin, this was easier and much more accurate.
Secret closed her eyes and ruthlessly delved into his mind to extract what she needed. Viewing his dark memories made her sick, and her stomach pitched and roiled in protest. The male was absolutely disgusting. A depraved monster who relished hurting others. She tried not to go too deep into the past, yet still flinched as she saw herself in a few of his memories.
Focusing more on recent events, she was relieved when she found what was needed. Information on the whereabouts of her other targets. The males still on her personal list of vengeance that hadn’t been crossed off yet.
Now, she knew exactly where to find them.
“Let go of her,” Talon demanded.
“Not a chance! Move back, all of you. Do what I say, or I’ll slit her throat,” the Tarin warned, pulling her back with him. “I’ll let her go once I’m safe.”
No, he wouldn’t, Secret thought.
But that was okay because he wasn’t going anywhere. The male was too stupid to realize he was already dead. He just didn’t know it yet.
“Not a smart move, Thado,” Secret commented. “Do you really think you can get away?”
“Shut your mouth. If that human is your keeper, he won’t risk losing you. I’m surprised to see you here, birdie.” The Tarin said the nickname snidely as he dragged her back a few more steps. “I’d heard you died in the pits.”
“You heard wrong,” she stated flatly. “I’m surprised you’re alive as well. I surely thought you would have bled out after I cut your balls off.”
“I still owe you for that, you winged bitch,” he growled, then he let out an evil chuckle. “Or I guess that’s no longer an accurate name since my lord hacked them off you.”
Hearing him voice her greatest shame made her snap.
In one smooth motion, she slipped the hidden blade from her forearm sheath and shoved it through his wrist. He cried out as his grip on his own weapon loosened. Catching it midair, she spun out of his hold, then slammed the knife deep into his chest, directly into his black heart.
When he hit the ground with athud, she mentally crossed him off her list.
The sound of feet pounding on the pavement made her glance up, and she saw Yumi running toward her. Yumi was a Tarin female and Secret’s closest friend. They had been held in captivity together, where it had been a daily struggle to survive.
Yumi was out of breath, and her shoulder-length black hair was in disarray as if she had just rolled out of bed. She wore an oversized, wrinkled blue shirt and leggings that added to her rumpled look, but the feral gleam in her black eyes and the faint smudge of blood on her sleeve told Secret she had already been to the courtyard.
“Did you get what you needed from him?” Yumi asked, staring down at the body on the ground.
“I did.” Since her friend was one of the few beings who knew of Secret’s seeker ability and background, the question wasn’t surprising. “I know exactly where to find them.”
“Excellent.”
She leaned over and retrieved the black blade from the male’s wrist, wiping it clean on his clothes before offering it back to Secret. She nodded in thanks, then slipped the knife back into her forearm sheath. Neither of them even considered removing the dagger buried in his heart since it was right where it belonged.
She discreetly glanced toward the blood on Yumi’s sleeve. “You saw the spider?”
“He’s dead,” Yumi confirmed.
“For fuck’s sake,” Jais muttered, reaching up to rub a hand over his face. “Do I have to remind you that this is a damn sanctuary? I swear, they don’t pay me enough to deal with this shit.”
Yumi smiled sweetly, which was always a dangerous warning. “It was their mistake for coming here.”
