Page 135 of Anchor

I wanted to shout at him to focus on Taland, but then I was supposed to still be under the influence of his spell, so I rested Seth’s head on my knee, raised my hand, and pulled my sleeve up to show him the bracelet around my wrist.

“I found this in the Vault at Headquarters. Taland and I think it’s an anchor of the Laetus.”

If I’d have cut his head off this moment, Radock wouldn’t even bleed. And Seth wasn’t moving anymore, either. And Kaid—he’d sat up and was looking at my bracelet with his mouth wide open.

“I promise you,” I told Radock. “It works just as well as you saw. And Iwillkill Seth and then Kaid and then you if you don’t tell me where Taland is.”Please, please believe me…“I’ll kill you all.”

Radock came closer, eyes wide open, lips parted, hands to his sides slightly shaking.

“You’re still Mud.”

“And so is Taland. He can use this, too,” I said, and my words brought him back to life.

“By the goddess,” he whispered.

“He’ll show you himself if you tell me where he is right now. I’ll go get him and he’ll show you himself.” Tears in my eyes because I wasthatdesperate for him to believe me.

“Let me see,” he said, eyes on the bracelet.

“No,” I said without hesitation. “Don’t take another step closer, Radock. You can’t get to me in time.” I made a point of sticking my fingers even deeper in Seth’s mouth, but I couldn’t even feel it if I touched his tongue or his teeth or if my skin was wet with his saliva—I didn’t fucking care.

Radock stopped. He raised his hands as if in surrender. “Calm down, Rosabel.”

Laughter burst out of me suddenly, the bitter kind. “You want me tocalm downnow?!” Was he serious? “Tell me where the hell Taland is, damn it! Tell me—I won’t ask again!” This I screamed at the top of my lungs and fuck, it felt so good. My magic raged and I could have sworn that colorful smoke was coming out of my fingers, only slightly, only for show.

“You are…not who I thought you were,” Radock said, and I knew he was stalling, trying to win time, because he hoped thatKaid, who was sitting on the floor to my side, would jump me when I was distracted.

So, I looked Kaid in the eyes for a moment, and said, “I will kill you first.”

He flinched because he, at least, believed me.

“I’m an IDD agent, Radock. I know how to fucking fight, and this bracelet is going to guarantee that I win. Don’t test me—I am all out of patience. Tell me where Taland is, and I will leave. Don’t, and I will kill you, then leave. I’ll find Taland myself eventually.”

He shook his head and he smiled, Radock, like he washappyto hear those words coming out of my lips.

“My, my,” he finally said. “You hear that, boys?”

It was all I could do not to blast them another time, just to get that smug smile off his face.

Seth made to raise his hand, casually, probably to grab mine. So, I pushed my nails into the inside of his cheek until he hissed. “Stay.”

“The Devil has him,” Radock said, and for a second I paused. For a second, I was confused—what the hell is the Devil?!

But then I remembered that I knew that name. I’d heard that name before—plenty of times. The Devil was the Iridian inmate who basically ran the Tomb Penitentiary. He was the guy in charge of every prisoner, could do whatever he pleased inside those walls—and most importantly, he was the guy who’d helped Taland escape from prison.

Fuck,I’d completely forgotten about him.

“Where?” I asked because my panic and paranoia and fear had to wait—I still had to make it out of here alive.

“In his lair in Silver Spring.” Radock took a step closer.

“Why?” Even though I thought I knew the answer already…

“Because Taland didn’t deliver what he promised to the Devil in exchange for breaking him out of prison.”

Every inch of my skin rose in goose bumps. I couldn’t even breathe for a moment, and the feelings got the best of me whether I liked it or not. So, I let Seth go and I stood up and I moved back while he cursed and wiped his mouth and stood up together with Kaid, their eyes never leaving me.

Shit, shit, shit.

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