Somehow his promise wasn’t too reassuring, what with me being tied up to a chair with no clue where I was or why I’d been taken.
“I remember you.” My gaze narrowed. “From the hospital.”
His lips lifted into a tilted smile. “Ah, I guess I made an impression.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I seethed. “I just remember every detail of the day I got my sister back.”
“What a happy reunion that must have been.” The overeager smile was still there as he circled me. “I should properly introduce myself. The name’s Aleander.”
The wrath demon continued to stand by the door, arms crossed and silent. For whatever reason, they wanted something from me. “I’m sure you still have questions about your sister’s capture. Why Aurora went after Acacia. Why she was so quick to confess her crimes.”
“Guilty conscience?” I shrugged, not sure where this conversation was going.
“Do the Wellses strike you as people with guilt on their minds?” Aleander asked, condescension coating his words. “And here I was thinking you’d impress me today.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” I glared at him, the pain in my wrists turning to numbness from pushing against the binding so much.
“You can make it up to me.” The tilted smile returned along with my unease, nausea clawing at my gut.
“What do you want?”
“It’s really quite simple. Mrs. Wells and her husband have answers we need. Answers that could alter the course of supernatural history.”What the hell is he talking about?“You will help me get them.”
“I don’t know how you think I can help.”
“It seems as though Agent Holt needs a little reminder of what his job is.”
Panic scratched at me again, shredding at my insides until I was a tangled jumble of anxiety and fear.
“Where is he?” I pleaded, pulling at the restraints that only seemed to cinch tighter around my wrists, cutting off my circulation. “Where’s Saros?”
“I’ve been giving him a little time out to think. It’s taking a bit ofconvincing.” He shrugged, and my mind quivered over what that really meant. “But if he’s not willing to dive into their memories, I’m hoping you’ll consider doing it yourself.”
“What—”
“I saw your littledisplayat the Moonlit Masquerade.”Holy Mother Goddess above.“It seems as though you have a veryuniqueskill set. I did have a few questions, though. Do you have to actually fuck someone to steal their ability? Would a simple blow job suffice? I’m sure there are worse ways to borrow another’s power. How long do you have access to an ability once you take it?”
My mind raced, body instinctively recoiling at his questions, mortified that he’d been watching. He’d seen.
When I didn’t answer him, Aleander continued, “Maybe that’s a little too personal, but I’m sure headquarters would covet someone with your ability.”
How stupid was I?Saros had warned me. That’s why he’d been so afraid to be with me. And he’d had every right to be afraid.
I was fucking terrified.
“However, there’s no need to mention it to them so long as I get the answers I need from the Wellses. Whether they come from Agent Holt or yourself, I couldn’t care less.”
“I need to see him. Now.”
My heart rioted in my ribs, thumping against it like a prisoner wanting release. The room was feeling smaller with each passing moment, filling my head with dizzying heat.
“Of course.” Aleander nodded to the wrath demon, who pressed a blank space on the wall. The door opened after a few seconds. “I’ll have Festus bring him in.”
When the wrath demon returned, he was dragging Saros with him. He looked like he could barely stand, his face bloodied.
“Goddess above,” I gasped, body trembling at the sight. “Unbind him.”
But he did no such thing. Instead, Festus stood there holding him upright by the wrist cuffs like a puppeteer supporting his marionette.
