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It is a fool’s errand to expect anything other than treachery.
Will I be a fool tricked by a mortal’s flashing eyelashes and her sweet lips on my cock?
You are the one heading down to experiment with your brothers. Fool.
I barely keep the growl within my throat.
“Should we have brought some food with us?” she asks from behind me. She had to let go of me as we began to head down the stairs since they are so narrow. “How often do you feed them?”
“Why?” I growl, turning on her in the darkness. Her arms are outstretched to the walls, and her face is startled, momentarily afraid at my loud question. And then she reaches out blindly in the darkness for me, smacking me lightly on the wing.
“Sheesh, don’t scare me like that. You know I can’t see a damn thing down here. Why do I want to know if you feed them?” she asks. “Uh, cause they’re people. Or, well, you know what I mean. Because it’s the humane thing to do.”
“We aren’t human,” I growl, turning around and continuing to head down.
“Humane doesn’t have to mean— It’s not right to starve any living creature.”
“I feed them once a day.”
“How often do you eat?” she asks.
“Twice a day.”
She makes a disgruntled noise. “Well, see? They should eat as often as you do. And there’s no reason for them to live in such filth and darkness.”
She does not know what she asks. Thing and Remus can be vicious at feeding times. I intentionally did not bring food with us. Though perhaps my point will be better proven if I brought some bear meat, so she can see them descend and fight over it like the animals they are.
Finally, we arrive at the bottom floor. I take the bullwhip in one hand as I begin releasing the bars with the other.
And then I open the door to hell.
Chapter Thirty-Six
HANNAH
I know Abaddon is reluctant to come down here, and I can’t explain to him why I feel certain this is something we have to at least try. By try, I mean really try, and find a way to succeed.
In my other life, I used to volunteer at animal shelters, and we dealt with some really mean, really ugly dogs. But I’ve never been one to care too much about a creature’s exterior. None of us can help the body we’re born with.
It’s the spirit inside that counts.
So I yank the bullwhip out of Abaddon’s hands and throw it behind us as he hits a switch and the lights flicker to life.
I study the corner I didn’t see notice time until it was too late. Immediately, I see what I assumed was a boulder on my first cursory visit. This time, I detect the quick flash of red blinking eyes.
Thing is awake, and aware, as he likely was before. Romulus and Remus are chained where I last saw them, but they intimidate me.
I will tackle one creature at a time. The fur Abaddon tossed me from upstairs is a large piece, and it covers me well as I hold it around myself like a large, puffy bath towel.
I hum a gentle tune as I enter the room and get down on my knees on the filthy floor in front of Thing, doing my best to ignore the stench.
“Not so close,” Abaddon hisses from beside me.
I wave him away. I have my own process. And if I lose a hand, well, then I guess that’ll be part of the learning process, won’t it? I suspect Abaddon will leap into action before he lets that happen, but I refuse to assume these creatures are killing machines.
How can they be anything else if they are never given a chance?
So I inch a little further toward Thing and hold out a hand, palm up so he can get familiar with my scent.
“Hi there.” I allow my voice to be gentle. “Abaddon here thinks you’ll hurt me, but I’m wondering if there’s a better way. Maybe today we’ll start with just getting to know each other. What do you think, buddy?”
Thing raises his head slowly and blinks his bright-red eyes. His shoulders shift as he rises from his haunches.
I make myself breathe calmly as first one set of human-looking arms lift from the darkness, then another, then the third pair. With the bottom pair, he uses his hardened knuckles like an ape might, coming a little nearer.
He’s filthy from head to toe and the claws of each pair of hands have grown out, almost to the point of piercing knives at the end of each hand.
When Thing gets close enough for the chains on his wrists to stretch taut and pull from where they’re attached to the wall, he hisses, and I see that he has sharp fangs.
I tamp down my fear and take another calming breath. I allow myself to smile. “You’re quite fearsome, aren’t you? You and your brothers? That’s okay. I’d like to get to know you, anyway.”
