Page 36 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

“Don’t hurt me,” he begged, his voice trembling with fear.

“Don’t make me.” He had something I wanted—answers. And he would either give them willingly or suffer unimaginable pain at my hands.

I crashed through his circle of pitiful men like they were bowling pins, knocking them down. Their screams were drowned out by the sound of my raging heart. I easily caught him up and held him with one hand, his arms and legs flailing. “Marsha,” he squeaked.

I doubted the witch could hear him, and even if she did, I didn’t care. I had learned something. Her magic wasn’t as strong as everybody thought it was. Not only that, Serenity had the power to rejuvenate the Aeternum Stone, and Simon had made the deadly mistake of declaring war on me.

“I want answers, Simon, and I want them now.”

My grip tightened on his throat. His eyes bulged from his head and sweat streaked down his face.

“Anything, your grace, anything. Just, please, don’t kill me.”

I dropped him to the ground in a heap and circled him slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. “Who gave the order for the hit on Crescent Manor?”

Simon squirmed like a worm trying to escape, his lips trembling as he spoke. “I…I don’t know.”

“Don’t know?Do you think I won’t use compulsion on you? I will find out everything you know. And if I discover that you’re lying to me, I’ll cut out your black heart with my teeth…slowly.” I let the threat hang in the air as I leaned in closer.

His eyes begged for mercy. I could smell the fear emanating from him, mixed with the stench of stale sweat and betrayal. “It wasn’t us. I swear. We wouldn’t dare betray you, my king.” His words meant nothing to me. I knew Simon would sell his own mother to get a pretty piece of coin, and Serenity was priceless.

“Talk, Simon.” I edged closer.

He cowered against the wall, his hands shaking in front of his face. “I’ve heard things…”

“What things?”

“There’s been talk about plots…revenge…angels. But angels…they’re just a myth.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Humans were so naïve to think that vampires, wolf shifters, dark Fae, and other supernatural creatures were just myths, when here we were, lurking in the shadows, ruling over them like gods.

I grabbed his hair and lifted him clean off the floor, his feet dangling in the air. “Whatkindof angels?” The question tore from my throat, my lips curling back to bare my teeth, revealing the true monster that I was.

He writhed in my grasp, his body drooping, as if all the fight had left him and he wasaccepting of his fate. “There have been rumors of a fallen angel among us…” His voice trailed off as he saw my fangs descend.

But before I could strike, he forced out a bombshell. “It’s the girl…Serenity! They say she’s the fallen angel.”

“You’re trying my patience, Simon.” I brought my head closer and tilted my neck, baring my fangs as if I were about to feed on him.

“Wait, wait! I know somebody…they might know who ordered the hit. I swear it wasn’t me.” He burst into tears. “I swear it wasn’t. Please forgive me. I’ll do anything…just…Please don’t kill me.”

I shook him hard. “Tell me who it is. I need answers. If you lie to me, I’ll know.”

Through rattling teeth, he blurted, “Her stepfather—Freddie Evans. He’s the one who sold her to me, to pay off his debt.”

A wave of rage surged through me. Her stepfather was supposed to protect her, not sell her to cover his own fucking hide. Before I paid Freddie Evans a visit, I rapidly but thoroughly searched Simon’s mind. His lips parted in a silent gasp, his gaze growing distant and unfocused as I sifted through his memories, plucking out essential details.

The snake hadn’t been lying to me.

So I would let him live…for now. I didn’t want his damn witch casting a spell on the Aeternum Stone. I tossed him aside, sobbing and crying, curled up in a ball.

Dimitri was waiting for me at the stairs. His chin was just as bloody as mine. Simon’s men had had their throats ripped out and were scattered like drained husks. Dan’s girl was still in the corner sobbing as Petar approached her.

“No. Leave her be,” I ordered.

The naked girl looked at me as if she couldn’t believe I had protected her. But I had no intention of going to war with King Nico and Costin, and yet another dead girl would sign my death warrant.

Petar stopped immediately. No one disobeyed me unless they wanted to end up like one of the bloody corpses piled in the room.

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