Baring my teeth, I took three heavy steps forward, entering the building through the broken door.
“You know what I don’t like?” I growled. “When people lie by omission.”
“Excuse me?” he said, taking a hesitant step back, eyes locked on the gun.
“You heard me. I can tell when people lie to me, but only if the question is direct. If they leave things out, then I can’t tell.” I continued on, moving with unbroken strides toward him. “Did you try to get us killed?”
“Of course I didn’t. That’s ridiculous,” he said a little breathlessly.
Lie.
I cocked the pistol. “Wrong answer,” I said, pulling the trigger. The bullet whizzed past his ear, close enough the hair flipped up.
He let out a scream of shock, and clapped a hand to his ear, jerking away.
“You’re working with Virgil Tacitus, aren’t you?”
Sloan shook his head, eyes wide. “What? Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lie.
I curled my free hand into a fist and slammed it into the pretty man’s face. His nose shattered under my knuckles, and he cried out, falling backward as blood spurted from his nostrils.
“Last chance,” I said. “The next thing that hits your face is gonna be a bullet. What the fuck is going on?”
Sloan held a hand to his nose, tears of pain streamed down his cheeks, he heaved a shaking sob, and slumped back.
“How did Virgil Tacitus know to scry and watch over his brother?” I said. “And before you open your mouth, remember I can tell when you lie.”
“You cannot hurt me. I am blessed by one of the great old gods.”
“Even if that was true,” I said, pushing the gun closer to his face, “this has enough enchantments that I could probably blow Lucifer’s dick off if I wanted. Nowtalk.”
Fear and worry crossed the man’s face. Finally, he hung his head and spoke.
“After you came here asking about the Freedman family, I informed him of your search.”
“Why?” I pressed the gun to his head.
“He is a hopeful disciple of Sucellus. Trying to curry favor with the lord.”
True.
“Excuse me?” I frowned. “Virgil wants to be a follower of Sucellus?”
“More than that. He wants to bethefollower. He’s offered himself as the greatest of his followers, in exchange for the power, money, and influence Sucellus can give him. He will use his returned fortunes to spread the gospel of Sucellus, to help create more and more adherents, and increase the lord’s power throughout the world.”
True.
“I told him that if he wanted these gifts from Sucellus that he’d have to make a great sacrifice. The Freedman family.”
“But they were your greatest adherents,” I said. “Why would?—”
“They’ve lost their fervor,” Sloan said, his eyes growing fiery. “They do the bare minimum. They give small sacrifices, low tithes, and they forget him. My Lord Sucellus wantstruefollowers, and Virgil Tacitusisa true follower.”
True.
Shaking my head with disgust, I said, “Sucellus doesn’t know anything about this, does he? This is all on you, isn’t it?”
