Ashes(10)

"And that's yet another lie, which you will pay for. You went after my mate – that's a hell of a risk to take, considering she's powerful and that you'd have known exactly what I'd do to you if you were caught. Besides, most of the demon world believes that Harper's wings never came to her. I don't see why hunters would randomly target Harper unless they believed differently. Very few know the truth, and I'm quite sure that the only way hunters would hear about it was if they were told by someone."


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His Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at Knox, eyes fairly glowing with fear now.



"I can understand why you'd be so determined to hold back information. Personally, I wouldn't have any interest in spilling everything I knew to the person who was about to kill me. But you really, really should spill it all."



"I already told you, we were just being -"



"For every lie you tell, I'll hurt you that much worse."



"I can say we were hired if that's what you want to hear, but it won't be the truth."



As his cell phone chimed, Knox said, "Hold that thought." He pulled the cell out of the inside pocket of his jacket and saw "Jolene" flashing on the screen. Jolene Wallis was Harper's grandmother, a shrewd and strong Prime, and a woman who would obliterate anyone who threatened her family. He wondered if she'd heard that Harper was attacked. No one had announced anything, but Jolene had sources everywhere.



"I need to take this." Letting the hunter sweat a little would add to his demon's fun anyway. Knox moved a few feet away and answered, "Hello."



"I heard something happened in Harper's office," clipped Jolene, all business. "Is she all right? She's not answering her phone."



"She's sleeping," said Knox. "To put it briefly, she was attacked by hunters who were hired to steal her wings. They didn't succeed and she's healing well."



A hiss. "Tell me they're dead."



"One is. The other will be once he's given me the answers I want."



"I need to see her."



"Not now. Let her sleep. She needs it." Especially since she hadn't been sleeping well recently.



There was a resigned but long, suffering sigh. "Keep me updated. I want to know everything that bastard tells you. Make him pay." The line went dead.



Tucking his phone in his pocket, Knox overheard Levi speaking to the hunter. "Don't think that lying will help you. Knox wants answers, true, but he'll happily torture them out of you. This is nothing but foreplay."



It was true that Knox and his demon liked to toy with their prey. Moving back to stand before the hunter, he asked, "Where were we?"



"The more he lies, the more he'll hurt," said Levi helpfully.



"That's right." Knox sighed at the hunter. "And you lied again, as I recall it. Some people are masochistic that way. I suppose it's good for you that you appear to like pain. It'll help you get through the next few hours." Knox conjured a ball of hellfire and bounced it on his hand. "Have you ever eaten one of these?" 



The chair creaked as the hunter jerked back, looking shocked by the question.



"It's a standard punishment within our lair, isn't it, Levi?"



"It is," the reaper verified. "I've heard it hurts like a son of a bitch. It burns your tongue, mouth, throat, esophagus, lungs, stomach, and finally your intestines before it sizzles away. Of course, it hurts a hell of a lot worse when it's a high-powered, lethal orb. That will burn a person from the inside out, leaving their corpse a melting, blistering mess until it finally vaporizes."



The hunter's panicked gaze darted from Knox to the blazing orb in his hand.



Knox tilted his head. "You look surprised that anyone would use such a punishment. It's no secret that I'm cruel and ruthless." He looked at Levi. "Maybe some think I've gone soft now that I'm mated."



"You soft?" Levi snorted.



"If anything, it's made me harder," Knox told the hunter, "because my drive to protect my mate is so intense and primal. Many have already died for harming her, so it truly does confuse me that anyone would assume that they could do so and not pay with their life. And yet, you hurt her."



"It wasn't me, I just -"



"Held her down so that she couldn't defend herself while another sawed at her wings; yes, I know." His eyes bled to black for just a moment, and the hunter nervously licked his lips.