Page 61 of Owned

But first, I needed him to talk tome.

“Come on,” I urged. “You have more information stuffed in that pumpkin head of yours…”

“Meetings,” he gasped, the word forced out as if I’d punched it from his lungs. “There are meetings. Some of us—we’re supposed to report—”

I rolled my eyes. “I know that much. Anyone can guess that you little rats have been scurrying around under our noses.” I stepped closer until I could see the sweat bead on his brow and the thud of his pulse in his throat. The smoke of my magic caressed his acne scarred cheek. “Tell me something useful.WhichSages are going to be at this meeting—”

A twist of my wrist tightened the tendrils of magic that wrapped his torso, and he let out a thin whine. A little more pressure and a rib would break.

Maybe two.

“Give me something good,” I hissed. “Something worth my mercy.”

His head fell back against the bricks.

“A council! They’re planning a council meeting. Someone’s trying to take control—”

Oh, really…

“That’sbetter.” I let him see the satisfaction on my face and loosened the grip of my magic on his ribs— Just enough to let him breathe again. “Now, was that so hard?”

“I had to!” he blurted out.

I grabbed hold of his chin and forced him to look at me. “What?”

His eyes rolled in their sockets as he fought to keep from meeting my gaze. “Everyone—they’re all talking about what happened at the Catacombs,” He babbled out. “They think—” He stopped himself, but not fast enough.

“They think what?” I hissed.

“They think… they think Lucian’s lost his mind.”

“And you thought they were right?” My voice was ice, and he flinched and tried to pull away as my fingers dug into his jaw.

“No!” he choked on the words. “No! But—but if they were—”

“You’d play both sides.” I finished for him, voice dripping with disdain.

He flinched, but didn’t deny it.

I released my hold on his face and stepped back.

“Here’s what’s going to happen.” I smiled at him, sharp and cutting. “You’re going tokeepplaying both sides. And when this council meeting happens—”

“You want me to find out who’s behind it,” he said, gasping as my magic tightened around his torso and pushed him higher up the wall.

Finally, he was catching on.

“And if any of them are foolish enough to show their faces at this meeting with the Sages,” I continued, letting the edge of my threat linger on every word, “I want their names.” He nodded desperately, mind working furiously behind those dull eyes. “You remember what happens if you don’t come through for me?”

“Yes.” A trembling reply.

“Good.”

I flexed my hand and my magic retreated—though a little reluctantly. The wretch let out a yelp as he dropped to the ground like a sack of wet shit. He writhed and groaned on the filthy pavement before he pulled himself together enough to sit up.

He pushed his greasy hair out of his eyes with a grimy hand. “I’ll do it,” he choked out. “I’ll find out everything—”

“You’d better.” I turned on my heel and walked away.

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