Page 164 of The Girl Who Only Died Once

“What—”

“Why set up fire in the hallway?” Chloe pushes, still sunny, coating her voice in as much sugar as she can, in as much innocence possible. “Why take my friend and what, sit here for an hour?”

Behind him, the demon raises up two fingers.

“Two hours?” Chloe amends, before smiling again. “That’s a bit odd, don’t you think?”

In his grasp, the spirit fox relaxes somewhat, like Chloe’s smile is enough to help.

Killian paces behind her, pouring more energy into the room, until the man in front of them is the only person unaffected.

“Why the fire traps?” Chloe repeats, and the man actually makes a show of petting the spirit fox, who turns around and snaps at him. “Why tearing down everything else?”

“Wanted to see if you’d make it through,” the man says idly, as if that’s a logical thing to do at all. “And if the college came sniffing back for any survivors, then that’s just a plus.”

Any survivors.

“It’s not going to take very many more,” the man says, voice low, “not that many more bases, not that many more schools, where once they’re cleared the college will fall and fall hard. Hurt those who hurt you.”

He smiles, and the smile doesn’t meet his blue eyes.

“I know you want that just as much as I do.”

Chloe opens her mouth again, but the spirit fox snaps again, drawing all her attention down.

“I think…” Chloe starts, “I think you and I have different ideas of who needs to be hurt.”

He rolls his eyes, so casual and dismissive, before avidly watching her follow the movements of the spirit fox.

“What, you think something like this is worth pursuing like you two have?” the man says, like they’re the ones acting strange. “When you have…him?”

This time, he gestures right up at Killian, locking eyes with him.

“The good thing about having a pet Terese project is you get to compel them to tell you how to make more.”

As his plan settles in place in her mind, as everything clicks into place, it’s almost disappointing. As all the torture of the animals, of the pathway of fire, this was his plan? To get them in here and monologue about the Terese project?

As if Chloe didn’t know—and the demon most likely, as well—how long of a process it was?

“I was gonna kidnap the girl,” the man says, and Killian jerks back. “But you got her someplace safe before I could, good job.”

“You would die if you ever got your hands on her,” Killian remarks, the same icy calm settling over him as before, the fear giving way to dread giving way to conviction. “And now she’s even safer.”

This doesn’t even phase the man. “So instead, you bring your bonded to me,” he says, crooking his fingers at Chloe. “You follow her into someplace so misguided, just because she wants a creature that would be of little use to you.”

Killian eyes Chloe, who eyes him right back.

“Can he hear me?” Killian asks, turning instead to the demon behind him, who shakes his head.

So just see Killian, whatever magic he did obviously waning.

“Translate, Conner,” the man says, twisting his hand in the leash.

“He just wanted to know if you could understand his words,” the demon says, and there’s a thin veneer of disgust in his words.

“Good thing I’m not here to bargain with him,” he says, then holds the spirit fox aloft again, her legs scrambling in the air. “You want this?” he asks Chloe.

Chloe doesn’t move, obviously, but the spirit fox stares at her, the tail sparking up viciously.

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