Page 19 of Heartless Enemy

“Hello,sir,” I said, letting mockery drip from my words.

Shock and disbelief joined the pain in his eyes as he stared up at me. But because of the current still ricocheting through his muscles, stare at me was all he could do.

I strolled over to his desk and began rooting through the drawers until I found a stash of equipment from the constables’ department. Wright had almost stopped twitching, so I shot another lightning bolt at him. A groan of pain tore from his chest as his body started spasming again. I pulled out a pair of stiff handcuffs from the drawer before shoving it closed with my hip and then turning back to the shaking captain.

“You know, you really shouldn’t have hit me.” I strode back to his jerking body and crouched down over him. “I have been wondering exactly which sound you would make if I rammed a blade through your chest ever since you made me grovel at your feet. I hadn’t planned to kill you today. But that slap just…” I drew a hand through the air. “Sent me right over the edge.”

Grabbing his twitching arms, I brought them together and then locked his wrists in the handcuffs, leaving him unable to touch his hands together and summon magic.

Then I sat down on his desk chair and crossed my legs while I waited for the lightning to stop pulsing through his body.

When he at last stopped shaking, he sucked in a deep breath and then scrambled to his feet. He swayed a little as he straightened. His gaze flicked towards the door, but he seemed to think better of it. Instead, he dragged his wide eyes back to me.

I drew the stolen kitchen knife and twirled it in my hand while shooting him a pointed look. “Aren’t you going to beg?”

“You can’t be serious,” Wright blurted out. “If you do anything to me, you will be executed for high treason.”

“Is that really how you want to start this negotiation?”

“What negotiation?”

“The one where I might let you live.Ifyou grovel prettily enough.”

His eyes were wide as fucking dinner plates as he stared back at me. “You’re insane.”

“All the more reason for you to follow my orders.”

He just continued staring back at me. Several different emotions seemed to be fighting for precedence behind his eyes. Rage. Disbelief. Fear.

Shifting my grip on the knife, I brushed my palms together.

Flames exploded through the air as I hurled a fireball right next to his head. It struck the closet, making the wood catch fire. A whooshing sound swept through the room as the clothes inside the closet went up in flames as well. Then I shot a lightning bolt into the floor right next to his feet.

“I said,beg,” I snapped.

Wright whipped around to stare at the burning closet in utter shock before his gaze darted down to the black scorch mark from the lightning bolt. But when he turned back, the emotion that won out behind his eyes was fear.

Dropping to his knees, he held up his shackled hands. “Please.”

I summoned a water blast and threw it at the closet. Steam hissed as it put out the flames, leaving the charred wood soaked instead.

“Please what?” I demanded as I stalked up to Wright.

“Please don’t kill me.” Panic pulsed in his eyes as he looked up at me and licked his lips. “I’m sorry for slapping you. And for making you grovel and do demeaning tasks.”

“You should be.”

“It will never happen again. I will never bother you again.”

I just raised my eyebrows expectantly.

“I’ll reinstate you to Senior Constable,” he added, almost tripping over the words in his hurry to get them out.

“Will you now?”

“Yes. Please. I’ll do anything you want.”

A wicked smirk curved my lips. “So what you’re saying is that you will bemycreature now?”

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