I scowl at him, and he matches my glare with one sharp enough to make my racing heart stumble.
Focus.
Ellie’s just as good at incanting as I am. There’s no way his friend could’ve taken her against her will, especially without me noticing, no matter how distracted I was. For all I know, they just went to The Duck to give us privacy.
But why did Emmrich run?
It must have been his job to distract me. Maybe his friend knocked Ellie out before she could react? He wouldn’t have been able to get far, so Emmrich running in the opposite direction would’ve given him more time to flee. But why would they want to kidnap Ellie? Because of her father?
Caeo’s missing, too.
Well, he isn’t home, at least. That’s hardly missing. But I haven’t seen him in almost a week, when he met us for lunch after making me late for class.
“You know, and you’re gonna tell me.” I seize Emmrich’s arm as my roots release him. “Or I’ll fuck you up in ways you can’t imagine.” I hoist him to his feet and bind him with thick,thorny vines, ensnaring his entire torso in seconds.
“You’ll find I have quite the imagination.”
His smile’s back.Dammit.I shove him down the street.
The sun hasn’t even set, and this night can’t get any worse.
* * *
I slowly open the door to my mom’s house, peeking inside while keeping a tight grip on Emmrich’s arm, lest the bastard try to run off again. It was the best place I could think to bring him since my mom’s usually out this time of night.
Sure enough, the place is empty—except for George, her latest benefactor, snoring loudly in his chair. If not for his nasal thundering, I wouldn’t have seen him. He’s just as plain and gray as everything else.
I shove Emmrich inside, forcing him into a smaller room off the main one. Mine.
Candles burst to life as we enter. I don’t even have to look; it’s instinct at this point. It’s almost completely bare in here, just battered old furniture shoved into a clamshell of a space. There’s nowhere to sit other than the bed, so I push Emmrich toward it before leaning against the wall, facing him.
I’m barely holding on. Life was bad enough having to wrangle Caeo and Ellie’s relationship, and now this? I should just mind my own business and let all their problems float away. But Caeo’s the only real family I’ve got. We met when he stole the only girlfriend I ever had—sure, I was five—but she disappeared and he stuck around. Despite all the headaches he’s brought me, he’s always been there—the only person I can count on.
I can’t ignore this.
“Time to talk. Where’s Ellie and your friend?”
Sitting on the bed, Emmrich leans his back against the wall, as if it’s comfortable. It’s not—the bed’s too deep. There were pillows for that very reason, but I’d taken them with me to the dorms, along with everything else I cared about. I hadn’t planned on ever coming back here.
“Why should I tell you anything?”
“Because I can dothis.” With a thought, the vines constrict, creaking as they dig into his ribs.
Emmrich stiffens, but keeps his face casual except for a slight twitch in his lips. “If you kill me, you’ll learn nothing, and you don’t have it in you to torture me.”
I raise my hand as flames form around it. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
Dammit.He’s right. As much as I enjoy incanting, I’d always hoped I’d make it through life in the Order without ever seeing an actual battle.
He bends his right leg, resting his ankle on his left knee. “Perhaps you could fuck me for information. Not sure that would get me to talk, but if you can get me begging for your cock in my mouth, maybe I would.”
My brain freezes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“Careful. Do you really wanna wake your father and explain why I’m tied up in your bed?”
