Page 36 of Dragon Exposed

Levi rolled his eyes as he released the vampire’s throat and instead gripped his exposed forearm.

“You’re going to talk to us, tell me everything you know, and then, if you’re lucky, we’ll put you out of your misery.”

The vampire started to whimper, and even though it didn’t look like Levi was exerting that much force on him, I could tell something was happening, something I didn’t understand.

“Pick something, and I’ll show you the best way to use it.”

It took me a second to realize he was talking to me. I hadn’t really expected to participate in the torture, even though he said he’d teach me. I almost expected that I’d just get to learn once the vampire was dead.

At length I grabbed a pile of what looked pretty similar to the small stake Levi had snapped outside of Epsilon.

“Pick up the hammer next to those too, if we’re using them on our friend here.”

I did as I was told, carrying them all over to where the vampire sat.

His eyes looked crazed, and the way he licked his lips when I approached was far more predatory than anything else.

I couldn’t afford to forget that he saw me as nothing more than food.

“What’s your name?” I was sure Levi would see it as a stupid question, a dumb place to start our interrogation, but I needed to know. If we were going to kill a man, even one that had no problem killing without regard for the bodies he dropped, I wanted to have some idea of who he was.

The bloodsucker grinned and flashed his fangs at me again. “Anything you want it to be, if you want to come close enough for me to taste.”

Levi growled, a primal, animalistic sound that didn’t sound like anything I’d ever heard from a human before.

I really had to remember that neither of the men in this room were human.

“Ted.” Levi spit out the name on a snarl, and then dug his nails into the vampire’s arm.

No, not nails. Talons.

Shit. Was I in danger of him shifting down here, in this tight, contained space? Would his dragon form even fit down here?

I tried to remember how big he was, but the longer I thought about it, the worse my fear got.

“I’m not going to talk. You’re wasting your time.”

Levi laughed and reached over to take the small stakes and hammer from me. “Your choice.”

I watched in horror as he jammed one skewer after another under Ted’s fingernails, hammering them in until the nail had completely lifted up.

The vampire gritted through his teeth, but otherwise didn’t make any noise.

Maybe this was going to be harder than I thought it would.

And then, Levi pulled out a lighter.

Even just watching five shards of wood burning down, getting closer and closer to the vampire’s skin, was enough to make me want to spill my secrets, and I wasn’t the one getting tortured.

“What is the plan with exposing dragons to the humans?” Levi’s tone was even, almost monotone, like he was bored with this whole thing.

Ted snarled. “Burn me all you want, dragon, I won’t tell you a thing.”

Levi shrugged and looked over at me. “Grab a stake, won’t you? A nice, thick one.”

It was a little weird, feeling like a torturer’s assistant, but I found a stake that looked like it could do some damage. Extending it out, I expected Levi to take it and do the work.

Instead, he shook his head at me and said, “Stand behind him, and find right below where his ribs are, the soft, fleshy part. Then, jam it upward into his body as hard as you can.”

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