Page 99 of Cosmic Power

“Better to be safe than sorry.” He held his body tight, ready for action, no matter what she said.

She shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Focusing back on Faxon, she stretched out her legs and crossed them at the ankles. “Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, getting you to talk. So—”

“I have nothing to say,” Faxon cut in smoothly, his gaze unwavering.

“Now, I’m sure that’s not true. I think you have plenty to say. Plenty of information to share.”

“Not to you,” he sneered.

“Naw, don’t tell me you’re still angry about that little tussle we had?”

Luther tensed, his whole body going rigid. “Tussle?” he growled. “He hurt you?”

“Mmm, more like the other way round. Right, Faxon?” she winked.

The fae scowled at her, making her laugh.

“Oh, come on. You gotta admit, it’s kinda funny. I bet you’ve never had your ass handed to you by a woman before.”

He gave her a frosty look, his hands tightening into fists like he wanted desperately to wrap them around her throat. “What do you want?” he gritted out.

“I told you, silly. To talk. Your roommates over there haven’t been very forthcoming with information, and I assume you won’t be, either. But hey, it’s worth a shot, right? So answer me this. Why are you guys going around killing and enslaving entire worlds?”

His brows creased in a deep frown. “Because we can.” He said it like it was the most obvious answer in the world, like she should know it already.

“Because. You. Can?” she repeated, dumbfounded. “Are you serious? And what the hell gives you the right to do that? To invade people’s homes and murder millions of innocent beings like they’re nothing?”

“Nobodygivesyou that right. Youtakeit,” he smiled sadistically, flashing a set of small fangs. “When you’re as strong as we are, everything is yours for the taking—including this precious little world.”

“Well, ain’t that just too damn bad. Because you can’t have it. We’re not going to let you.”

“You can’t stop us,” he laughed, leaning against the bars with his forearms. “Others far bigger and far stronger have tried and failed.”

“Yeah, well, I bet none of them had our pizzazz. So, what exactly is the plan here? What should we expect from your people?”

Scoffing, he pushed off the bars. “Why would I tell you anything?”

“Why not?” she shrugged, jumping to her feet. She took a step towards the cell, but Luther gripped her by the back of her shirt tightly, holding her still, not letting her get any closer. A sigh left her lips, but she didn’t fight him. She knew there would be no point. “If you and your fae posse are as badass as you claim, it shouldn’t matter what you tell me. You’ll win either way, right?”

She was playing at that renowned fae ego, hoping if she said the right things, he would talk and tell her what she wanted to hear. One thing that was abundantly obvious about the fae was their level of arrogance. They’d never met a foe they couldn’t defeat, and that gave them the deluded impression they were unbeatable.

He gave a lopsided grin. “I know what you’re trying to do, and I don’t care. You’re right. It doesn’t matter what information I give you; we’ll win no matter what because we’re stronger, faster and better than you will ever be.”

See? Arrogance.

Zamorra barely refrained from rolling her eyes at such a predictable statement.

“When my King arrives, he’s going to decimate this entire planet. Burn it to the ground with dragon fire and rebuild on top of the ashes. Anyone who stands in his way will be killed, and those left alive will be enslaved to serve us until the day they die. We will have no mercy. No kindness. No compassion. We will rip through this world with unrelenting force until all that remains is blood and ruins.”

* * *

Luther watchedthe fae with critical eyes, Faxon’s dark, malicious words playing through his mind on repeat. He observed him closely, looking for any indication he was going to attack. He didn’t trust the creature one bit. Even though the room was Warded and he was locked away securely in a small cell, Luther didn’t let his guard down, keeping a tight grip on the back of Zamorra’s shirt.

After losing her twice, he wasn’t willing to take any risks when it came to her safety. That included letting her anywhere near those sadistic fae assholes.

From the moment they returned he’d been glued to her shadow, refusing to give her even a modicum of space. The fact that she’d been kidnapped—not once, but twice—made it impossible for him to leave her alone. At least for right now. Perhaps when the danger eased he could, but the idea of her being hurt or taken again made him want to lock her in a Warded room for her safety. Even having Zamorra in the same room as the fae caused his anxiety levels to spike.

He expected her to baulk at his overprotectiveness, at his insistence on being so close to her all the time. Yet she remained cool, calm and collected.

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