Page 55 of Unholy Fate

Fucker. He was right though.

I found Aziz sprawled on the lounge couch, drink in hand, a picture of debauchery and indolence. “Ian wants us to handle something,” I said, dropping into the seat across from him.

He sipped his drink, eyeing me skeptically over the glass. “What kind of ‘something’?”

“Evelyn’s uncle. He abused her as a kid. Ian wants us to...take care of him.” Oh what pleasure that would give me.

Aziz sat up, his playful demeanor evaporating. “That’s heavy, man. Are we sure about this? Killing her uncle, it could turn her against us.”

I rubbed my jaw, considering. It was a risk. “Possible. But Ian thinks she needs this to move on.”

A bitter chuckle escaped Aziz’s lips. “And what if Ian’s leading us off course? Shouldn’t we talk to her first?” He drained his glass and set it aside. “I don’t like going in blind.”

“Fair point.” I leaned back. The plush cushions did little to ease the tension in my shoulders. “Let’s go talk to her. Now. Get her take before we make a move.”

Aziz gritted his teeth. “Let’s hope she’s ready for this conversation.”

Aziz and I materialized in Evelyn’s room. She was at her desk, lost in thought, a small frown creasing her brow. She jumped when she noticed us, her hand flying to her chest. “What are you doing here?”

I stepped forward. “We know about your uncle. Ian told us.”

Her face hardened, those gorgeous eyes blazing with rage. “He had no right to tell you that!”

“Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? How wrong it is for you to know?” She waved her clenched fists at us.

Aziz raised his hands, placating. “We’re not here to make it worse. We’re here to help you.”

She laughed, the sound harsh and broken. “Help me? How? By dredging up the worst parts of my life? By making me relive his filthy hands on me?”

Tears streamed down her face now, but she made no move to wipe them away.

My heart ached for her. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but I didn’t dare. “Evelyn, listen to me. What he did to you, it wasn’t your fault. And he deserves to pay for it.”

She shook her head, golden hair falling forward to hide her face, wrapping her arms around herself. “I can’t. I can’t face him. I’m not strong enough.”

Aziz moved closer, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re stronger than you know. And you won’t be facing him alone. We’ll be with you, every step of the way.”

Evelyn looked between us, her expression torn. There was so much pain in her eyes, so much fear. But there was something else too: a burning ember of rage and righteousness, trapped behind years of guilt and self-loathing.

Finally, she curled her lip and then clenched her jaw. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

Thanks to information services on the world wide web, we tracked her uncle down to a dingy apartment. The stench of rot and filth hit us before we even knocked on the door. He answered it himself, bleary-eyed and hungover, wearing nothing but a stained bathrobe. The look of arrogance on his face vanished the moment he saw us.

Neff tried to slam the door in our faces, but it was too late. We were already inside, our demonic strength easily overpoweringhis feeble attempts at escape. Aziz gripped him by the back of his neck while I bound him with chains imbued with our hellfire. He screamed as the magical restraints seared into his skin, his cries music to my ears.

A chill ran through me as Aziz and I materialized Neff into my apartment near the convent. The bastard struggled against his chains, eyes wide with fear. Part of me wanted to rip him apart right then. But this was for Evelyn. She needed to face him.

We returned to Evelyn, and I held out my hand. “It’s time.”

She took my hand. I pulled her through space into my apartment. She froze when she saw her uncle, chained and helpless before her. Tears streamed down her face as painful memories surfaced.

“You hurt me,” Evelyn said, her whole body trembling. “You destroyed so much of who I was.”

“Evelyn, I—I didn’t mean to—” Neff stammered pathetically. “Forgive me, please. I have problems. I need help. You can’t hold this against someone who’s sick inside.”

“Don’t you dare ask me to forgive you!” Evelyn yelled, years of anguish pouring out. She leaned forward, slamming her palms into his chest, viciously, the chains held him in place, but his head still rocked back from the impact of her strike. “You ruined my life, and they let you get away with it!”

She sobbed, but it definitely had rage behind it, which made me incredibly happy to see. Let it all out, little nun. “You made me feel worthless. Like I didn’t matter.”

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