Page 65 of Sacrifice

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t have horns.”

Jesper ran a hand over the knubs on his head. “They’re cute though, right?” He gave her a wink.

Eve goggled at him.

“Always something,” said Michaels. He rolled his eyes at his DC. “Miss Areli, I’m going to need you to come with me to the station.”

“Not a chance.” Eve lurched about, trying to free herself from whatever was binding her. The veil had fallen all the way to the ground now, and her legs were stuck together, too. “What have you done to me?” she spat.

“Just a precaution,” said Michaels. “This way, you won’t hurt yourself.”

“Or us,” added Thorne.

“Right,” Michaels rubbed at the back of his head as if examining something there, “Much as I enjoyed our revealing conversation earlier, I’m not in a big hurry to repeat the experience.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Eve growled.

Michaels ignored her and addressed her father instead. “Apologies for the inconvenience, sir. We’ll be on our way. Eve’s going to help us with our enquires.”

“No, I am not.” Eve wanted to lash out at him, but the ability to independently move her limbs seemed to have abandoned her.

“She’s a good girl,” said Eve’s father.

“Dad, don’t listen to them.”

“Always so helpful.”

“Dad!”

Michaels came to Eve’s side and linked arms with her. Then her legs were moving, taking her with them. Thorne opened the door, and she growled at him.

“What are you? Some kind of devil?”

“I’d have thought you’d be better at recognizing them by now,” he said huffily, “and frankly, I’m insulted.” She stared at him, and momentarily, the image of a young man in a dark coat and sturdy boots flicked on and off, revealing, just for a second, the man’s naked torso and the bestial form of muscular furry legs and hooves.

Michaels strode for the door, and Eve travelled with him without choice or intention. “You can’t do this. Let me go.”

They stepped out of the back door and into the garden. The well-tended lawn was covered in dew as they walked her across the grass.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere safe,” muttered Michaels.

DC Thorne went ahead, towards the back wall, which was covered in ivy, and opened a door that she had never seen before. On the other side was a dark alleyway.

“Lucien won’t let you get away with this,” Eve spat. Where was he? She delved around in her mind, trying to find him, but whatever surrounded her also cut her off from him. All the sensations she’d been basking in stopped at the shimmering veil. It was cool, like water flowing constantly around her. “What is this? What have you done to me?”

Michaels ignored her and pushed her into the shadows.

Thirty-Four

The wallsof the interview room closed in on Eve as Michaels gazed at her from the other side of the table. The man sitting beside him had extended the glamour of disguise to smooth away the knubs on his forehead now. He looked entirely human, and Eve was beginning to doubt she’d ever seen them.

But they had walked through a perfectly solid brick wall and stepped out into the alley next to the police station. Since then, they had behaved like the police officers they purported to be.

“This is bullshit,” she said for what felt like the hundredth time. “I haven’t done anything wrong. You’ve got no grounds to arrest me.” The quintessence rolled around her chest, unable to escape. There was no path through the veil Michaels had cast over her, nothing to connect to. Every person she’d seen since they’d left her house had looked grey and ordinary. No auras. No colors. No thoughts.

She rubbed her fingertips together, smearing what remained of the ink they’d used to take her prints.

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