Page 80 of Cosmic Power

A frown creased his brows. “We are the fae. Zvetari Lo Van did not tell you about us? About how he came to be in your world?”

“There are rumours, legends about the OGs. But I didn’t really believe it, no. I’ve never heard of the fae before though. That’s new. I’m not sure anyone has actually. At least, no one I know.”

He clenched his teeth, annoyance flaring on his face. Zamorra got the distinct impression he didn’t like the fact that she didn’t know who he was, who the fae were.

“The fae are the strongest beings in all of existence,” he growled, jaw locked. “We have conquered thousands of planets. Murdered millions. Enslaved millions more; who now serve and do everything we command them to. They quake in our presence, shrivel and beg for mercy. We are—”

“Real badasses. I get it,” she said, rolling her eyes.

He blinked in front of her, teleporting a hair’s breadth away from her. She gasped in shock, eyes going wide. “Faxon was correct. You are a disrespectful little one,” he whispered darkly, rage simmering around him.

“You have to earn my respect. It can’t be taken,” she spat, not letting her fear consume her, despite the evil presence looming over her.

He chuckled softly. “We’re going to get very well acquainted, you and I. You’re going to tell me everything I want to know about your world. The societies in place. The armies, weaponry—and anything else vital to the defence of your planet.”

“I’m not telling you shit,” she gritted out between clenched teeth.

A dark smirk graced his lips. He pulled a dagger from his back, the hilt glittering gold and reeking of wealth and luxury. Zamorra had no idea what the currency system here was, but she’d bet that dagger was worth more than everything she owned three times over.

He pressed the blade into her forearm, making her hiss in pain as he cut into her skin, spilling her blood. He brought the knife to his mouth and ran his tongue over the steel, licking her blood. His eyes glowed and a set of wicked sharp fangs descended from his gums.

“Hmm, you taste different too. Interesting. Very interesting.” He dragged the tip of the blade down the side of her face; starting from the middle of her forehead, curving it around her eyes, over her cheek and down to her chin. With a bit of pressure, he forced her to tilt her head back. “Here’s how it’s going to go. I’m going to ask you questions. And every time you don’t answer me, I’m going to cut you.”

She swallowed, eyes darting down to the knife pressing under her chin.

“If you still decide not to speak, I’ll have to get more creative.” He raised a hand and clenched his fist.

Pain burst in her chest, making her cry out in a mixture of agony and shock. A tight pressure gripped her heart, like someone was squeezing it in the palm of their hand. She choked, struggling to breathe. Her body shook as the pressure increased, the pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

He unclenched his fist and the concussion of air around her heart disappeared, making her gasp for breath.

“What the fuck was that?” she rasped, writhing as the pain still throbbed in her chest.

“A little taste of what to expect should you decide to remain silent.”

Fuck. She didn’t like the sound or feel of that at all.

He took a step back, raising the gold dagger in the air. “Shall we begin?”

* * *

“Argh! You fucking, fuckity, fuck, fuck!”Zamorra screamed as the Gold King carved into her thigh with a squelch. He sliced back and forth like he was cutting into a thanksgiving turkey, blood drenching her leg and spilling onto the floor. She balled her fists and clenched her jaw, trying to ride through the pain shooting through her body.

“Tell me what I want to know. How does your world operate? Who is the dominant species? The mages? The demons?”

The fact that the dominant species on Earth was actually the humans, not the supernaturals, made a laugh rumble from her chest. She wondered what he would think about that. Not that she planned to tell him.

He arched a brow. “Something funny?”

“Yes,” she panted, her chest rising and falling in quick breaths. “You’ve got a piece of food stuck in your teeth and it’s really undermining this badass, torturous persona you’ve got going on. I mean, I’m hearing your questions but all I can do is focus on that green thing in your mouth. It’s quite distracting.”

Anger flashed on his face for a second before he rammed the knife into her shoulder, down to the hilt. She cried out, throwing her head back. He twisted the blade in a circle once, twice, three times, before yanking it out just to stab her in the other shoulder, repeating the process. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to block out the white-hot pain searing her insides.

The Gold King stepped back, leaving the knife deep in her shoulder. “This clearly isn’t working,” he sighed, hands on his hips.

“I agree,” she groaned, sweat dripping down her face. “So why don’t we just call it quits, huh? Go our separate ways? I’ll go home and you can go deal with that shit stuck in your teeth.”

“I have a better idea.” He raised a hand, palm facing her. A strong pressure of air smacked into her, smothering her face and making it impossible for her to breathe. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. She tried to suck in air but nothing happened. It was as if the air was under his command and instead of it going into her lungs, it suffocated her with unrelenting force. Her body thrashed, the lack of oxygen making her face turn purple.

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