Page 15 of A Touch of Brimstone

“Murder of an innocent human? Isn’t that the very thing that you all sentenced others to the Perils for?” Dominic offered.

Kane growled. “You said the Perils is nonfunctional, that it had a global spell cast on it that won’t allow even you to use the same spell on another confinement. The most ruthless and cruel of our kind who can’t be subdued or imprisoned with basic magic are free, and you’re asking us to let you handle it. Three days. Your handling isn’t efficient enough. Don’t you dare lecture us. We will do what is necessary to protect ourselves and right this.”

Dominic’s lip lifted into a cruel smile. “And I’ll do what I need to punish you for that. Perhaps we’ll return to our old ways, the ones you all perceived as too barbaric. Torture then murder—a seemingly appropriate penalty for killing an innocent.” His eyes darkened in warning.

Is this some type of murder cult? Why is murder Plan A for these people?

Screw this, I was out. Inching back slowly, I hoped I’d be undetected while they discussed murder in the casual manner of sociopaths.

“If she’s so innocent, then why is her heart beating a mile a minute? It wasn’t before,” said another man who could only be described as silver. Grayish-silver hair despite appearing to be in his early thirties, fierce platinum eyes, and a sinewy lean body that put me in mind of a greyhound. His eyes possessed Lance’s predatory keenness.

“Do you think it has anything to do with you all casually discussing murdering me?” I huffed.

He looked unconvinced. Eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head. The black t-shirt stretched over lean, taut muscles. “Are you a witch?”

“No.”

He licked his lips but not in a seductive way. Rather, in the manner I’d seen predators do before pouncing on some poor unsuspecting prey. I swallowed and squared my shoulders, refusing to be intimidated, especially by a lip lick. How weak was that?

“Were you responsible for the destruction of the Perils?”

That I couldn’t answer with complete certainty. None of this was coincidence. Me finding the book, the pages biting me, the spell I must’ve unintentionally evoked, or the indelible markings on my finger. I took his question to mean did I actively and knowingly do it. And I absolutely did not have anything to do with that. I was a passive participant and therefore not responsible.

“No.”

I wondered if the next question would be about the sigil Callum showed us. It was shock that kept me rooted in place when I was faced with a man one second and a massive wolf with bared teeth lunging at me the next, allowing me just enough time to shriek and try to ward off the attack with my arms. Out of reflex my eyes closed. When I managed to pry them open, there was a flash of movement from my left and then a thud. Dominic’s scarred companion was straddling the wolf, one hand around the wolf’s throat, the other holding a knife at the jugular.

“Anand, let him live.” The “for now” was laden in Dominic’s voice as he scanned the room. “Leave me with Luna. If she is to be questioned, it will be by me.”

I wanted no part of his or any of their questioning. Based on every spy thriller movie and book, I was very aware of the “questioning process.” Images of brutal interrogations rushed to my mind. I definitely wasn’t going to be interrogated by a man who had just implied he murdered guards for attempting to stop him from coming to this hostile freak show and casually suggested returning to the old ways of torture and murder.

To hell with this. I darted for the door at full speed, pushing myself as fast as I could go. Anyone in my way would be plowed over. Finding a safe place was my only goal.

Within inches of the door, an arm encircled my waist and jerked me into a hard chest that felt like slamming into a brick wall. Kane’s deep throaty laugh taunted me. Thrashing my head back, my only goal was to hit something: nose, cheek, chin. I didn’t care. The impact was bound to stun. Once his grip loosened, I pounded the heel of my foot into his toes. Grabbing my phone out of my back pocket as I spun to face him, I smashed it into his face.

I bolted.

I hadn’t made it a foot before I was yanked back and slammed into the wall. His face inches from mine, coolness from his body enveloped me as he held me immobilized with an iron grip. Making it painfully obvious that the success of my initial escape attempt was because I had the element of surprise and he’d underestimated the human woman. Fangs were displayed as he inched toward me. I twisted and jerked my head, refusing to give him an easy target.

In a swift, practiced sweeping movement, Kane had me pressed against his chest, my arms bound to the side by his body and my head turned, exposing my neck.

A shallow ragged breath escaped when I felt sharp fangs press into my neck. They grazed against my skin. His enjoyment from my fear was apparent. He taunted me with it. Fangs pressing hard enough for pain but not enough to puncture the skin. Then they did. Pain made tears well in my eye as they sank deeper.

The hold on me eased and I tore away from him, pressing my fingers to the pierced skin. I pulled back blood but the puncture wasn’t deep. He was just playing with me. Finding a thrill in the terror he invoked. Sick bastard.

Dominic held a sword to the back of Kane’s neck.

What are you doing? That’s not how you sword—or whatever. I knew nothing about swordsmanship but I figured wielding one was similar to swinging a bat. There had to be distance between the sword and the target to allow for momentum to drive in the blade. But maybe he didn’t need that. Malicious intent dwelled in Dominic’s eyes. Unfettered violence showed in his refined movement as he held the sword steady, gliding around to face the vampire. If looks could kill, Kane would have been eviscerated.

“Make no mistake, Kane. They”—Dominic’s gaze flicked toward the others—“may not have believed you deserve to be in the Perils, but I do. This will be just as satisfying.”

Kane’s eyes slid to me. His expression contained the disgust of looking at something that needed to be wiped off his shoe. He was a fickle one: one minute he wanted to keep me like a trophy, the next I was crud on the bottom of his shoe.

“She was seen by both our seers. Whatever her involvement, she is a threat. One that must be remedied.”

“You only confirm how much you should be in the Perils. You’ve convinced them you’re not a monster, but I believe no such thing.”

“Then this must be as if you are looking in a mirror. Monster to monster.” The hostility between them intensified, thick violence lingering in the air. They pinned each other with merciless glares.

---