Page 11 of Smoke and Blood

“No.No.Nonononononononono...”The single word coming out of Valko blended into one long, unintelligible, fearful sound.

“Valko, is it?”Iskah moved closer until the light’s arc flowed over her, causing her skin and clothing to sparkle.

“Shit, Chanin.What the fuck...why would you bring her here?”

Not responding, Chanin folded his arms and leaned against the edge of the tool table.He was interested in seeing Iskah’s interrogation technique.

Keijo stood close to Iskah but still in the dark, while Boris and Bleddyn came to stand beside him, watching the Fae Queen.

“Let me go.I’ll tell you whatever you need to know,” Valko whined.

Iskah brought her hands up and shoved her palms toward Valko.A short, intense burst of energy flowed through the room.The force of it caused the thick, heavy containment walls to groan but not buckle; however, the impact silenced Valko.

The intensity of the Fae power knocked the rogue’s head back and caused Valko to gasp for air in the chair.

The Fae female advanced on him and placed her face before Valko’s.“You want to tell me something?Tell me how you think you had the right to touch not one but two of my fairies.”

“It...it wasn’t me.Farkas.Farkas ordered it.”

One of her hands shot out and gripped his jaw.She squeezed narrow, long fingers around his lower jaw until all five of them pierced his flesh.Blood ran from the man’s mouth and down her fingers.

“Oh, trust me.This Farkas will have his day.And he better hope the Alpha gets to him before I do,” she hissed.

Valko whimpered, a pleading canine whine.

“But you took something that didn’t belong to you.”She pulled her hand away and wiped the blood onto Valko’s pant leg.

“Day pook them pack...”Valko’s words were awkward gibberish through the multiple holes in his cheeks.

“Oh...yes...they were returned.But some of their blood was missing.”She walked behind him.

Valko turned his head, trying to follow her.

“Where is it?”She stood still as she waited.

“Farkas.Farkas!He wanted to take it to the humans.”

“How?”Iskah questioned.

Chanin also wanted to know since trade negotiations were agreed upon by the council and human government.

“I don’t know—”

Iskah grabbed a fistful of Valko’s hair and yanked it from behind.She drew the man’s head back until it looked close to snapping.“If your response is, I don’t know, we no longer need you.”

In such an awkward position, Valko couldn’t answer, but he blinked rapidly to communicate his understanding.

She released him and returned to her position before him.“What was Farkas exchanging the Fae blood for?”

“Women.Human women,” Valko began to babble.“He said we shouldn’t have to wait for scraps from marked ones the council gave.Chanin would never offer any to us, so we were going to take what was ours—”

“Nothing was yours,” she snapped.

Valko bobbed his head up and down.

Chanin wanted to rip the man’s head off himself, but they needed more pertinent information to stop the dangerous transaction from happening.

“How was Farkas going to arrange this?Where?With whom?”Iskah demanded.

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