Page 148 of Huntress

“If you refuse to cooperate, Mister Cornick will have you returned to Nest Apothecary. Further attempts at communication with Mister Cornick will be declined, and you will be fined the cost of transportation and wages for the use of our time and resources to collect and return you.”

Elsie’s mouth fell open as she listened, the expression turning into an annoyed smile. “No compromise or other options offered, interesting.”

She snatched the blindfolds from his hand, passing one to Saint before putting hers on. Saint hesitated, but tugged his into place without a fight. One of the soldiers knocked twice on the side of the box, and the back door rattled open.

“Do not attempt to touch me or help me out of the truck,” Elsie warned. She followed the scent of bleach to the back, toeing the edge of the box. “How far down is it?”

“Three feet,” a new voice answered from outside.

Elsie jumped, landing neatly. Saint did the same, landing inches from her side. She cocked her head, taking in her surroundings with her heightened fae senses. It was cold, and the shuffle of soldiers moving around echoed in a way that told her the ceilings were high and the walls around them were bare.

The overpowering scents of bleach and slowly rusting metal burned her nostrils.

“Are you planning to stand there all day, or are you going to lead us to our destination?” she questioned.

“Right, uh,” the newest voice floundered. “This way, please.”

Elsie’s gait was slow at first, using her ears to follow the sound of his shoes hitting the ground in front of her, but she gained confidence quickly, her senses quickly adapting and filling the gaps left by her eyes. Her stride evened out, and she kept track of Saint, who stayed immediately by her side, mirroring her every move in real time.

A door opened ahead, and they walked down a series of hallways, turning corners to follow long corridors. Their guide stopped, and an elevator door opened; the metallic stench coming from within was so thick she felt the tang of it on her tongue.

The space inside was tight, especially with the number of people accompanying them. The heat of their bodies crowded way too close, and she inched as close to Saint as possible without touching him. She focused on breathing in his comforting scent, wishing she could reach out and bury herself in it.

Her end of their bond was cranky and annoyed. His was drenched in fear. She sent him soothing vibes, and he seized on them, clinging to her like a drowning man.

The elevator moved, and her stomach dropped. The briefest flicker of amusement colored Saint’s thoughts, then vanished. They were in the elevator far longer than she’d anticipated, the air growing colder.

She’d have to tell Grady that at least one of his theories were correct. They’d definitely continued their ideas with Harrow and built their facilities deep underground. When it opened, they were led through more corridors. Their guide stopped without warning and knocked on a door.

“Come in,” a woman’s sharp voice answered. The room they entered was the coldest one yet.

“There are two chairs behind you. Please be seated,” the woman commanded.

Elsie swept out a foot to find it, then sat down. Saint mirrored her actions, though his chair was positioned a few feet away. The soldier’s footsteps retreated, and the door closed behind them.

“Please remove your blindfolds.”

They did, and Elsie’s eyes adjusted remarkably fast, allowing her to take immediate stock of the room. Armed guards stood at attention in front of the door they’d come through, stony expressions on their faces. Across from them on a rolling stool sat Cornick. He wore his white smock with a stethoscope around his neck. Next to him, the woman wore a similar smock in a more feminine cut, and had short brown hair with a blank, focused look on her face.

A wash of fear flooded her body, then cold, seething anger flashed between them as Saint spotted Cornick. Elsie’s head swam at the violent whiplash of emotions just before he slammed their connection closed to stop her exposure to it. He gripped the seat of his chair so hard his knuckles turned white.

The room was larger than she’d imagined. A long counter sat atop cabinets along one wall. More cabinets with frosted glass doors were above them. A large wardrobe stood in the corner.

There was one other chair besides the two she and Saint were on, leaving Elsie to wonder if they were expecting a guest. A desk sat nearby, with a rolling tray holding an arrangement of hand tools. In the center of the room was an exam table, with a giant movable light hovering over it.

Surrounding that table was a myriad of monitoring equipment Elsie couldn’t fathom the uses for.

“Welcome! I hope your journey was not too strenuous?” Cornick’s falsetto voice told her he didn’t care one way or another, but they had to keep up appearances.

“It was unexpected,” Elsie said.

Saint’s knee bounced fervently, his hands constantly shifting from one tight position to another.

“I was pleased by your request to bring the demon with you, it’s excellent. I would relish the chance to study him while you’re here. With your permission, of course.” Something sinister glinted in his eyes, and it was enough to make Elsie’s skin crawl.

“No. We’re not here for him. He is not to be touched, tested, monitored, or experimented on in any way,” she hissed.

“Well, it never hurts to ask. It’s my deep regret that I did not have much time with him after his capture. They shipped him off to the capable hands of your compound’s beastmaster for training before I was aware he was even missing.” Cornick gave a dramatic sigh. “It’s done his behavior a world of good. You should have seen him beforehand.”