CHAPTER 27
HAL
Earlier that night
Overdramatic screams echo from the fae we currently have strapped to a chair in our basement. Az hasn’t even started removing appendages yet, so there’s no reason he should be carrying on like this.
Come on, man.
Have some self-respect.
Colt is helping Az with the information gathering while Rook and I watch silently from the sidelines. If the fae manages to escape, he could still do some damage to Az or Colt. Having four of us here covers our asses and ensures we all make it out of here unscathed.
Aside from the fae, of course.
Az pulls the knife out of the unfortunate fae we captured this afternoon. He carelessly wipes it on the fae’s leather pants before tucking the serrated blade into its sheath at his waist.
Putting his hands on the arms of the chair the fae is strapped to, Az leans in and snarls, “I’ll give you one last chance to tell us where your basecamp is.”
Now, I’ve known Az for pretty much my whole life. But even I can admit that he’s a scary dude. He’s huge, tatted up, and any supernatural with a functioning brain can feel the dominance pouring off him like crazy, especially when he’s worked up. I would not want to be in the fae’s position with a supremely pissed-off Az looming over them.
The previously cowering fae, however, decides now is the right time to grow a pair and spits at Az.
My eyebrows are at my hairline because that’s a hell of choice to make when you’re chained to a chair with a knife-wielding, angry guy towering over you.
Az blinks at the fae for a moment before slowly swiping the gross glob of saliva off his cheek. A terrifying smile crosses his face the moment before he whips out his blade and slices off one of the fae’s thumbs.
The fae shrieks like a little girl as blood sprays from the wound. He howls and screams and cries like Az just ripped out his heart or something.
I snort at how over-the-top the guy is.
Colt turns his head from where he’s messing with our interrogation tools to give me a dirty look. I hold up my hands in surrender but don’t manage to wipe the amused grin off my face. He rolls his eyes and goes back to figuring out what he’d like to poke the fae with next.
I get why Remy didn’t want to be here. There’s really not much to do for anyone other than Az and sometimes Colt. I wish Colt would cut the kid some slack. Remy has always been there when we needed him. It’s not a crime to have a life outside of our valor and flight.
Colt has his photography and volunteering. Remy has stunting. Rook has his technology. And I have my ADV and track riding.
The only one of us who is barely a person outside of valor duties is Az, and look at how well that’s worked out for him. He’s going to lose the best thing that ever happened to him because he hasn’t figured out how to be Az instead of Azrael Akar, valor alpha, flight leader, and bearer of the sole responsibility to keep our people alive.
Truth be told, I don’t think we’re going to win the fight against the fae. Not with how small our valor is. And we’re the largest valor in the world, but we still struggle to keep our people safe.
But what can we do? Roll over and accept the wholesale slaughter of our people?
Like hell are we doing that.
So we keep fighting, keep trying, and keep persisting because there’s no other choice.
At times, it’s even fun. Like now, watching Az slice the fae bastard into tiny pieces as he lets out the most theatrical screams. I can guarantee he’s killed my kind before, so I feel no remorse watching him suffer and eventually die.
My phone buzzing snaps me out of my thoughts.
Colt gives me another dirty look, and I throw my hands up in exasperation. “My phone’s on silent. The only people, other than you guys, who can get through right now are Remy and Lark, so chill.”
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything. Colt does, however, anxiously watch me as I pull the device out of my pocket.
When I see who it is, I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. Hitting accept, I say, “Wild girl! It’s good to hear from you. Whatcha up to?”
“Hal?” she rasps, her voice sounding small and afraid.
