Page 88 of Tortured Soul
“How?”
“Do you really want to know the specifics or just asking for the sake of it?” he asked, a small smile tilting at the corner of his lips.
I slid my tongue along my teeth, glaring at him over my menu, before ultimately deciding to focus back on what I was going to fill my stomach with.
“I guess I don’t.” The silence that followed made me grit my teeth.Come on, I can be reasonable.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”Or I did, but couldn't figure out why. “I’m just curious about this place. It seems it’s been prospering for a while, and I just wanted to know how.”
Arc leaned against the back of his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, studying me. Searching my face for something I couldn’t point out.
“It’s fine. I did say that we were partially here to ask and answer any questions the other might have.”
He paused, looking at me some more, a small smile pulling at his face. It took only a few seconds for my lips to do the same.
“Can I start?” I asked, closing the menu and pushing it to the side of the table.
He nodded. “Go ahead.”
“What can you do?” He arched a brow at my question. “I mean, I’ve obviously never met someone like you before. And Marcus said something like you ‘summoned’ him? Plus, there was that time in the alley, where the demon who attacked me just…well, vanished.”
He groaned, turning his gaze quickly from side to side. People were sitting at tables not far, enjoying their own lunch.
Arc leaned closer to me over the table, sliding his hand over mine. Oh, so my touch didn’t repulse him anymore? Good to know.
I gave him a questioning look.
“As I told you before, my father is a Prince of Hell. He’s considered to be of the Hellriser family but he’s still of Divine origin.” He spoke low enough that I knew I was the only one to hear. His thumb rubbed gentle circles over my knuckles. “It allows me to command lower demons, in some situations.”
My gasp was silent, my lips only parting in surprise.
“What do you mean,commandthem?”
He nibbled on his lower lip, narrowing his eyes in thoughts.
“It usually happens when I’m mad, or feeling something too strong. I summoned Marcus and a few others when I got mad at you for leaving the camp and doing just what I told you not to. Because I needed to assemble a team to go fetch you and your ‘friend’ quickly. I didn’t have the time to contain my power and then it was already done.
“As for the demon vanishing, I think you can guess what happened.”
My eyes left his hand holding mine to meet his gaze. Could I? I mean, I had theories, but none seem probable.
“Did you send him back to Hell?”
“No.”
I gulped. “Is he…dead?”
His eyes searched mine, his thumb stopping its caresses for a beat.
“If that scares you, know that as your mate, I can’t—”
“Kill me? Yeah, I know.”
But hurting was still on the table, as Carter had shown.
“But you did, right? Kill him? You can do that?”
I could see the hesitation on his face. He probably didn’t tell many people about that particular power of his.
“Yes. I do regret it, though.”
