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“He tortured me for a long time.” My hand went to my chest where Karn had attached the Verity stone while feasting on my soul. “There was this mystical stone…” My throat bobbed at the horrible memories I had to relive for hours.
A hand touched my shoulder, and I had to force myself not to pull away. “I’m so sorry you went through all of that alone,” Hawk whispered, pain wrapping each of his words. “I should have been there.”
No, he shouldn’t have. Hawk wasn’t ready for any of that no matter how much training he’d had.
“Karn’s dead,” Coltrane announced, her mouth tight and eyes accusing. “My sources aren’t clear on who killed him, but I know he’s been dead for over a month.”
My shoulders turned to granite beneath my dirty, blood-stained shirt, and I returned her stare. “He was publicly torturing me at a party when explosions went off.”
Hawk cursed and stood from his chair. “That bastard.” He jammed his fingers into his blond hair and paced the left side of the captain’s office, his steps so violent the small throwing knives tact to a wall jingled.
“I was held prisoner after that, but no one paid me much attention.” I angled back to Coltrane. “That’s how I escaped. The demons were preoccupied with the empty ruling seat in Vlehull.”
Thankfully, the demons in Ruin’s lab had made my escape story a little more plausible by injuring me and tearing my clothes. Getting further roughed up by the demons who ambushed Roxie and Hawk was a bonus. Coltrane wouldn’t believe the lies spewing from my mouth if I returned in perfect shape.
But why was she so damn skeptical in the first place? What reason did I have to lie, besides the obvious, which she didn’t know about.
Or did she?
Coltrane wrapped her hand around her coffee mug. “A royal named Venna has taken the position. There is now a princess of Vlehull.” She studied the beige coffee before taking a sip. “I don’t have much intel on her.”
I had a few tidbits, like she wanted my head on a stake for killing her sister, and she wanted to torture Fane for slaughtering Karn.
“I escaped through the door in Bonaventure Cemetery, hitched a ride, and stumbled on Hawk and Roxie on my way here.” My head tilted toward Hawk as he still paced. “Was it just me, or was something wrong with those dux demons?”
He stopped and touched the cut on his temple, grimacing. “It wasn’t just you. They seemed crazed. Definitely not in their right minds. Why would a bunch of dux demons attack us unprovoked?”
The captain hummed. “Unfortunately, this is not the first instance of dux demons attacking humans or ravens in recent weeks. I’ve spoken to Lord Ruin Bacchus, and he claims not to be involved or know anything about rogue demons.”
“He wouldn’t lie about that.” My spine went rigid at the misstep, and I fumbled for a save. “I mean, right? From what I’ve read, he prefers peace in Savannah between humans and nightworlders.”
Coltrane nodded. “It’s possible another rival demon wants to cause trouble.”
As a powerful lord, Ruin had a ton of enemies and plenty of them probably longed to take Savannah. I shifted in my seat and twisted my snarled locks to one side, considering all the possible reasons for sending demons after humans and ravens.
“Why did they mark you with a tattoo?”
Coltrane’s cool voice yanked my attention back to her, her gaze focused on the ebony swirls inked on my neck.
How the hell would I explain this and the other one on my stomach?
I resisted the urge to cover the mark from Fane. “I don’t know why they did it.”
“Does it have mystical properties?” she asked, leaning forward to get a better look. “It must.”
My mouth turned desert dry, and I had a hard time swallowing. “I’ve never felt anything magical in them.”
Her brow arched. “Them?”
I lifted my shirt to reveal the churning black sun tattoo. Hawk peered over my shoulder, his eyes widening at the elaborate markings.
“Did it hurt?” he reached out to touch it, but I dropped the shirt before he could.
“I don’t remember.” A headache pounded against my skull, and I rubbed my temples. “Maybe they just wanted to make me look more like them?” The flimsy reason even sounded lame to my ears. “I can’t think of anything worse than being one of them.”
Hawk rested his hand on my shoulder again. “You’re not a nightworlder. You’re one of us.”
My smile felt like it would shatter at any moment. “Thanks.”
