Page 57 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

An unholy scream erupted from Sylvie’s mouth. Head thrown back, she wailed into the sky before bending over, hands clasped over the hole in her chest. The scream went on and on, repeating without relenting.

Vander’s jaw was taut while Parsnip’s lips were parted in horror. Peaches buried his face in Lucroy’s chest while the vampire stood statue still, his hands clasped over his beloved’s ears. The sprites flew away, fast and furious. And Erasmus, he just stood there, hands still stuffed in his pants’ pockets, shoulders loose and posture at ease. His eyes retained that ethereal green glow.

Following Lucroy’s example, I slapped my hands over my ears, not that it helped much. Sylvie’s scream tore through my brain. My jaw clamped tight, teeth grinding while I prayed to the goddess for the sound to stop.

“Enough,” Erasmus finally said, his eyes fading back to human green. Sylvie’s screams trailed off into intermittent whimpers. At some point, her corpse had fallen to the ground leaving her on hands and knees.

Erasmus crouched down in front of her, much like he’d done before bringing her consciousness back.

“You said I couldn’t do anything more to you. I believe I just proved that I can and will. I can make you relive the pain of your death again and again and again. Since I’m not immortal, I can’t do it for eternity, but I can maintain it as long as I’m alive. I don’t even have to be nearby. I can be on the other side of the world, and it wouldn’t matter.” Placing the tip of his finger under Sylvie’s chin, Erasmus lifted her head so he could stare into her eyes. “And that’s just a taste of what I can do. I assure you, Sylvie Tabitha Danube, I can do far worse. I can rip apart your soul until there is nothing left. You will cease to exist. Or I can send your soul to a place where it will be tormented for eternity. The choice is yours.”

Erasmus removed his hand, allowing Sylvie’s head to drop. Standing, he shoved his hands back into his pockets.

“Now, I believe there are some questions my associates would like to ask. It would be infinitely easier on them if you wouldstand, Sylvie Tabitha Danube.”

Sylvie stood. Her legs were shaky, but she managed. I honestly didn’t think she had another choice.

“Will you answer their questions honestly?” Before she could answer, Erasmus held up a halting finger and added, “Fair warning, I will know if you are lying.”

Hatred, pure, hot, and all-consuming glared through Sylvie’s eyes. Through gritted teeth, Sylvie agreed. “I will answer.”

“Excellent.” Erasmus’s gaze scanned our group. “Not sure who’s up first, but she’s all yours.”

I immediately looked to Ray. His slightly inclined gesture let me know the floor was mine.

Stepping forward, Sylvie’s hatred found a new target in me.Yeah, right back at you,I thought while pushing my own disgust into my gaze. Whatever miniscule sympathy I’d felt earlier dissipated when I stared into her cruel eyes.

I started out with the obvious. “You performed a transportation spell with the direct aim of capturing me, a pixie, to sell for profit. Is that correct?”

“Obviously,” Sylvie spat.

“And you got someone extra, someone not expected.”

“Lucroy Moony’s second.”

“Yes, Leon. At first you were upset but soon figured out you could potentially profit from his capture. You contacted someone to see if Leon was worth more dead or alive.” Those words felt like ash on my tongue. “Who did you contact?”

Sylvie’s lips twisted into a sneer. Fresh blood no longer leaked to the surface. Now the dried substance cracked and flaked with her skin’s movement.

“I don’t know.” Her grin was monstrous with its joy.

My wings snapped open, and I flew to her eyelevel. “You do know.”

Sylvie’s laugh was more cackled glee than joy. “Oh, but I don’t. All I have are code names and server contacts. I don’t know for certain who’s on the other end. I don’t know who pays my bills or who is in charge.” Sylvie’s hate-filled eyes traveled to Erasmus, focusing on the necromancer. “He knows I’m telling the truth. You’ve done all this for nothing,” she spat.

I turned, hoping Sylvie was lying. One glance at Erasmus’s face along with an abbreviated head shake let me know she wasn’t.

Furious, I spun and began pixie pacing. Hands gripped into tight fists, my brain fought for calm. There had to be more we could get from her. I knew Hamish was still working on her computer. He might still be able to track the IP address but there was no guarantee. Frustration threatened to consume me. I needed to calm the fuck down and think. I needed to—

“If you’ll allow me.” Ray’s frosty voice cleared a path through my mental cloud.

“Go for it.” I waved a hand in Sylvie’s general direction.

“Thank you, Agent Frost.” Ray didn’t bother moving from Wendall’s side. He remained at Sylvie’s back when he asked, “How many pixies have you captured and sold?”

I braced myself for the answer, but a collective pixie gasp filled the air when Sylvie casually answered, “Seven.”

Seven. Seven pixies.Even if she considered me one of them, that left six unaccounted ones out there. I grasped the fabric over my chest, the ache in my heart nearly unbearable.

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