Page 238 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“You will answer some questions for me now,” he states casually as he circles around me, his hands behind his back.

Against my will, I find myself saying, “Yes.”

What the…

Panic takes hold of me.

I’ve never heard of Cerenios having the ability to control someone. But this… I can’t move, can barely think as he plops himself in front of me and pins me with his gaze.

“How did you destroy the greed demon?”

“With charity,” I reply automatically.

He narrows his eyes at me.

“And how did you know about charity?”

“From the books on sin demons.”

“Those books are only found in very particular collections in Aperion. Where did you procure a copy?”

I clamp my mouth shut, biting hard on my lip until I taste blood. Still, as if under a spell, I am compelled to answer.

“From General Leotar’s library.”

“Ah. There it is,” he murmurs in satisfaction.

My eyes widen in fear. Anything I say is going to damn me at this point. Somehow, I must break free of his control.

Since my body is immobile, I focus my energy on the surroundings, dropping the temperature until his breath comes out as a fog.

He appears surprised by this, but he barely chuckles to himself.

I add a little more strength to the cold weather until the floor becomes glazed with ice. My limbs, too, start getting frosty, and instead of combating the cold as I would have usually done, I let it envelop me, sending my body into an overdrive of sensation.

The first crack appears.

I move my arm, the pain of frostbite jolting me out of whatever mind control he’s using.

“Commander Azerius was right. You are not a mere level five, are you?” he asks curiously.

Gritting my teeth against the pain spreading through my body, I force my other limbs to move.

By the time I am relatively free of his control, though, it’s too late.

He grabs me by the throat and lifts me in the air.

“Nice try.” He tsks. “But I am not done with you yet.”

“Damn you, you sanctimonious pig.”

“Now, now, Minerva.” He clicks his tongue against his teeth in derision. “Who taught you such unseemly words?”

“Leave. Me. Alone! This is against the law!” I cry out. “If you want to investigate me, do it formally, you coward,” I spit at him. “But wait, then you wouldn’t be able to use your mind control on me. Because it’s forbidden.”

He smiles at my threat, tightening his hold.

“Ah, but who would believe your word over mine?” He chuckles.

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