MJ wasn’t asking a question. I nodded anyway, eyes still on the corpses. But why? What did souls have that blood-banded didn’t?
Footsteps creaked overhead. We readied our weapons and followed my shadows upstairs. As we reached the landing, theyregistered a heat signature right as the humming began. That eerie song drifted through the corridor, leading us to the end of the hall.
We fanned out and burst through the door, surrounding an infected female. She sat patiently on a bed, meeting our eyes with an expectant, lipless smile. Hairless, with black veins threading through burns that likely extended beneath her thick dress, she was clearly from the Immolation Circle—like the rest we’d found.
Her humming paused, and she tilted her head, never dropping her smile. “Did you find my mess?”
“Yes,” I replied, leveling a Soul Sword at her neck.
“Pity my followers didn’t survive.” She frowned, then perked up again. “But we have others.”
“Where? And who’swe? Lilith?” I demanded.
She tilted her head the other way, revealing an oozing soul wound that sliced up her neck and head. “Maybe. Maybe not, Ronen.”
My shadows attacked the black gunk, and I braced to ingest the disgusting substance.
“You’ll find nothing in my mind. Haven’t you been listening to us, General? We were prepared for you.”
“Who?”
She hummed her song, swaying on the bed in answer.
“What do you want?” Alexei snapped.
She paused. “We seek the depths of torture and the heights of light, and all the lies between.” Her perky grin changed, and a taunting evil curled her lip. “But we’ll start with Lucille first.”
My grip tightened on my Soul Swords.
“Why do you want Lucille?” I demanded.
The female stuck out her tongue and chomped through it. The small, black muscle dropped to the floor, and she smiled with ichor coating her razor teeth.
She was done answering questions—and I was done holding back the cold rage tightening my body. I swung without hesitation, crossing my Soul Swords. The moment her head separated from her spinal column, her soul dissolved to ash and sifted into my blades to live in torment forever.
“Lucille? The recruit who was placed with the Tormentors? Why would they want her?” MJ asked. “Because she’s servicing the king?”
“Watch your words,” I warned.
“Strategically, it’s a good plan.”
I didn’t know whether Alexei meant gaining the king’s favor through sex or using Lucille to get to the king, but I had a feeling it was the latter.
“You’re saying the rumors aren’t true? You would know,” MJ said, fishing for information.
I wiped my blades on the white coverlet, clenching my jaw. Of course everyone thought the hellion fucked the king to obtain her place. They even whispered rumors about us—only they made sure to do it behind my back. If I caught the words coming from their mouths, I’d consider taking their lives, or just demoting them to the Bowels. But I never corrected Alexei or MJ’s assumptions, knowing that if I did, there would be more questions.
I left the room without a word, descended the stairs, and entered the room of death and gore. I wish I could have MJ burn them to recycle, but we didn’t know enough about the demon infection. We couldn’t risk that they’d recycle as a demon soul, or something worse.After sliding my swords against their necks, I had MJ scorch the floor, burning away the blood.
We met up with the rest of my Dreads. Xavier and Alessandro reported interrogating an infected before killing it, but they gathered no intel.
I nodded. “Continue searching and report back to MJ.”
They dipped their heads and left.
“And what will you and Alexei be doing?” MJ inquired, crossing her arms.
Alexei raised a brow, as curious as MJ.
