"He didn't ask me to do anything," Finn once again cuts me off. "I volunteered. I told you, this is my choice. Let me be of service to protect those I love."
What he's not saying is to protect Eris, to protect his brothers, to protect his people. I'm not sure what will happen if he uses his magic in there, but a small, fragmented part of me knows if I can't get the demon to talk, Finn might be our only hope in getting answers to aid our cause.
I lock eyes with Thrane. "What do you want me to ask the demon?"
If thought the hallway was cold, this windowless cell is downright freezing.
I grind my back teeth, attempting to keep myself poised for this interrogation. There's only one thing Thrane wants me to unearth: the location of the portal to the underworld. And if I don't want Finn being forced to use his magic, I'll need to procure the information on my own. All we know about the portal so far is Bastian is obviously reconstructing it if all he needs is my blood to open it. The demons have worked diligently in silence for years. All they were truly missing, what Bastian and his Soul Eaters were searching for, was the heir of Enver Sol. Me. They were searching for me, and I was right under their noses.
The demon kneels in the center of the room. His ankles are chained beneath him. His head hangs and his arms are stretched wide. When the door closes behind me and Finn, I expect him to look up, but he doesn't. He barely breathes. For a moment I think he might be dead.
"Who is your friend?"
The gravelly voice claws at my mind like talons. Goosebumps ripple down my arms and it's not due to the frigid temperature.
"You wanted to speak to me," I take up my stance in front of the door, just in case I need to make a quick getaway. "So, speak."
The demon lifts his head, and his red-rimmed eyes meet mine, then dart to Finn behind me. Such darkness lies behind them. Soulless, hopeless, filled with so much anger and animosity. He's a sea of malevolence and I sense a storm brewing within him.
"I specifically said I wanted to speak to you alone."
"You should know I don't go anywhere alone these days," I retort, though goosebumps ripple up and down my arms and legs when his eyes find me. "Speak."
He flashes a toothy-grin. Despite the friendly face he's stolen, there's mayhem in his smile. "You seem to be in a hurry," hechuckles darkly. "Somewhere more important to be than down here with me?"
"Speak your piece, demon. I haven't the time for your tricks."
"My name is Vassago." He quirks a brow. "What name do you go by now, Princess?"
"You know who I am," I refuse to be lured into some game. "Why did you want to speak to me? If you don't tell me, I will walk out that door and you'll never see me again."
He laughs and the sound echoes in the circular dungeon. My skin prickles.
"We both know you won't leave until you have the information that elf wants." Myrth vanishes from his features, and he shoots up to a standing position, lurching toward me. His chains hinder him from reaching me and to my credit, I don't shrink or flinch, though my heart is galloping. "Are you not afraid?"
"I do not fear your kind."
"Liar," he whispers in a serpentine hiss. "You fear Vesper. She knows it. She senses it. She finds your fear delicious."
The mention of Vesper's name rattles me, but I do my best not to show him my weakness.
"She dreams of you. Did you know that?" Vassago taunts me, tilting his head to the side like a curious bird. "You dream of her too, do you not?"
"Where is the portal?" I steer the conversation elsewhere.
"You think I'm going to tell you?" He tosses his head back and laughs. "I will tell you what I told that elf earlier. By the time you find it, it will be too late."
I shouldn't be down here. I'm not schooled in the art of interrogation. Diplomacy and negotiation were skills I wasn't deemed worthy to learn. If I could kick Master Caius in the balls, I would.
Naked. I feel naked in here. This demon sees right through me. Somehow with one look he knows exactly what I fear andwho haunts me in my sleep. I might as well have spared him the trouble of observation and told him myself.
I take a deep breath, mulling through different strategies when he once again catches me off guard.
"Bastian speaks highly of you."
My eyes flick up to meet his. "What did you say?"
"Every day, you were all he spoke of. It was sickening." Vassago settles back down on his haunches. "I wonder if he will still hold you in such high regard now that he knows of you and theTrinkiti."
