Page 75 of Thanatos' Craving

Samael’s eyes widened. Well, his right eye barely moved. Azrael had done a number on the fool. His eye, split lip, and bruise on one side of his cheek made up for that.

“In fact, your crimes are so grave, I may just take your soul right here. Let Lucifer, the Destroyer, have his fun with you,” I laughed darkly.

“Brother, I’ve never heard you laugh so sadistically. I don’t know if your treasure would like that,” Hypnos chuckled.

I raised a brow within my hood, toward my brother.

“P-please, just tell me what I did. I’m sure we can come up with something. I don’t think I did anything wrong. What could I have possibly—”

I forcefully drove my scythe into the rugged stone surface, causing the entire cave to tremble. Loose rocks and massive boulders cascaded down to the ground, creating a deafening roar. The air became thick with the scent of dust and ancient stone.

“You are well aware of your transgressions,” I declared with a fervent intensity. “That is why you sought refuge in Egypt, within a den of wicked souls, both men and women, selling their very essence. What better place for a renowned warlock to hide, hmm?”

My nails elongate, morphing into sharp claws, as I extend my hand and swiftly raked them across his chest. The sensation of flesh tearing beneath my touch sent shivers down my spine.

He cried out, but I didn’t pierce his skin deeply. I needed him to be somewhat coherent.

What a pathetic warlock he is.

I tilted my head and rubbed my chin.

Maybe I will get back to my Juniper quicker than I thought.

And this pleases me.

“I suggest you come clean with your sins.” I gripped my scythe. “First being how you summoned a possessing demon and then handed it off to some female who now runs a sex trafficking ring in the disguise as a strip club.”

Samael blinked at me. “What?”

With a menacing snarl, my shadows coiled around the warlock’s neck, constricting like vipers. The air thickened with his desperate gasps for breath, his futile attempts to break free stifled by the suffocating grip. As the chains strained against his weight, his body hovered agonizingly above the ground, a helpless puppet in the clutches of my darkness. His anguished cries pierced the air, echoing with a mix of terror and excruciating pain.

“I said, who did you transfer the possessing demon to? Koozoth. The demon named Koozoth was transferred. What is the female’s name you gave him to?”

Samael’s screams died, and I forced my shadows to let go of him. He fell to the ground, taking big gulps of air.

“F-female? I-I don’t know if it was a female,” he whimpered.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. This was not faring well.

Azrael stepped forward, his leather gloves tightening as he balled his hands into fists. He nodded at the warlock and I waved at him to do his job.

To torture the bastard.

After hours, a sense of boredom began to settle. In the dimly lit room, I noticed Hypnos already dozing off in the quiet corner. The faint scent of sleep hangs in the air as I felt a hint of restlessness creeping up on me.

I kept thinking of my treasure back at the palace. If she was alright, I could have let Hypnos do this on his own. But as he snored, I think better of it. He was the softer of the two of us. He would have put the warlock to sleep and messed with his mind. I didn’t need my brother accidentally messing up the warlock’s memory.

Azrael grunted, no doubt frustrated by my command, Azrael could not kill the warlock. A ripping sound hits my ear, and I saw his facial scar that went from the side of his mouth up to the right side of his jaw rip right open, showing rows of razor-sharp teeth in his mouth.

“Enough,” I commanded, raising my scythe.

Azrael backed away, his skin forming over the bloody mess his face had made.

As I approached, Samael is bloody, broken. Most of his teeth were lying on the floor, his body bruised and maimed. This wasn’t my forte, this wasn’t what I enjoyed. I was glad to have Azrael, and I had many more errands for him to run after this little warlock’s soul was extracted from his body.

“Please–” Samael gasped. “Just end it, please end it all.”

I let out a soft chuckle, my laughter filling the air as I slowly lowered myself to the cool floor. Leaning in closer, I spoke in a hushed tone, barely audible. “All in good time,” I whispered, the words floating delicately through the room. Gently, I placed my hand on his back, feeling the warmth of his body against my palm. “Now,” I continued, my voice steady but filled with anticipation, “reveal to me the name of the woman to whom you transferred the possession demon, Koozoth. I need to know who I am dealing with.”

---