The elf secured his bow across his chest. “I was not involved.”
“He had nothing to do with it,” Cassiel said. “Someone they called Commander Von took her.”
Zev bared his teeth. “Commander Von was the man Dyna met in Landcaster.”
Cassiel cursed. That was where he had heard the name. He scowled at the crossroads of four alleys veering off in different directions. The witch’s tracking spell had long faded. “He took her down one of these alleys.”
A Raider sitting against the wall cackled. Red streamed out of the fatal gash in his abdomen. “You’ll never get her back.”
Cassiel crouched in front of him. “Whereis she?”
The Raider gave him a bloody grin. “Fuck off.”
“You will tell me. One way or another.”
The man spat a clot of blood at Cassiel’s cheek. “There is nothing more you can do to me. I’m already dying.”
Cassiel wiped his face and with it the last of his morality.Esh Zayinscraped off the ground as he lifted it and pressed the burning blade to the man’s pant leg. The fire immediately caught. The Raider cried out and smacked at the flames only for them to ensnare his hands, ascending his arms. His wailing screams echoed in the alley.
“God of Urn,” Rawn murmured.
“Tell me where Dyna is, and I will end your suffering,” Cassiel said, devoid of any sympathy. He didn’t care about right or wrong anymore. He only cared about finding her.
The Raider writhed in agony. “Kill me!”
“Tell me where she is.”
“My soul!”
“Where?”
“Ferryman! BOAT!”
The fire moved up the man’s neck to his face, consuming his skin. The stench of his searing flesh and hair burned Cassiel’s eyes. He tried to ask more questions, but they were drowned out by the Raider’s shrill screams.
Zev cringed at the sound. “He will draw the Azure Guard to us.”
“Enough of this,” Rawn said. He thrust a knife into the man’s heart, killing him instantly.
“Why did you do that?” Cassiel snapped. “He was revealing where she was!”
Rawn shook his head. “He was speaking nonsense. It was senseless torture. What has overcome you?”
What had overcome him? Desperation so thick he choked on it.
The fingernails in Cassiel’s balled fists cut into his palms, needing to torture something else. After killing so many humans, it was as though he wanted to continue his murderous rampage. They took her, whoever they were. He’d make them suffer for it.
“Zev, you’ve met the commander before,” he said tightly. “Can you track his scent?”
Zev’s eyes glowed yellow, nostrils flaring. He sniffed the air in each alleyway then sank into a crouch to sniff the ground, his brows furrowing.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t smell him or Dyna.”
“I suspect a cloaking spell was used,” Rawn said. “He must have the services of a mage. However, unless the mage was present to cloak Lady Dyna, that should not have masked her scent from the ground.”
All the air left Cassiel’s lungs. “Von carried her.”
