Page 32 of Beauty At Stake
Star had redecorated. The Devil's office had new furniture, including an ebony desk carved with vines and slightly brighter décor. Instead of the atmosphere of doom it previously oozed, the room now felt more like something you'd find in an English manor. There were thick rugs on the floor, a fireplace laid with logs waiting to be lit, and even a few photographs on the desk.
One of them was of me.
I looked from the framed photo of me to Star. He must have remembered it at the same time because he was already reaching for it. Subtly, he turned it over. Luckily, neither of my husbands noticed, but the image was burned into my brain. I knew exactly when the picture had been taken. I'd been on a mission in St. Louis, hunting down drug dealers. It was a shot ofme just outside a building we had searched. But the important bit was the time, not the place—it was before I met Star. I knew he'd been watching us back then, but I didn't think he kept the surveillance photos. And framed one.
Star kept his cool, of course. He went around his desk to a wooden panel and pressed his palm to the wood, that was all. The panel opened, revealing a dark passage. As soon as the King of Hell entered the tunnel, lights came on overhead.
“No torches?” Killian asked as we followed Star.
“This isn'tPhantom of the Opera.” Star strode on, not even glancing back.
Kill snorted, then started singing “Music of the Night.” He had a good voice and the acoustics of the tunnel improved it. Noticing that instantly, Killian belted out the next line.
Star stopped and turned to look at Kill. “And this is not your bathroom!”
“Aw, come on.” Killian waved at the ceiling. “I've never sounded better.”
“That's hardly an endorsement.” Star turned and resumed walking.
The King's Guard and I chuckled. Even Raza's lips twitched.
“Everyone's a critic,” Killian drawled.
The only one not amused was our Demon prisoner, who started to tremble. When Star entered a doorway, the Demon's fight-or-flight response finally kicked in, surpassing his reasoning. He jerked back, then spun to knock into me.
My husbands handled it in seconds, grabbing the Demon and spinning him about to march him into the torture chamber. I mean, the interrogation room. At least, that's all I would be doing in the room. Whether Star made use of all the toys he had hanging on the walls after I left was his business.
That wasn't something I should joke about. I knew firsthand that Star was capable of torture. I mean, all Demons were born for it. It's sort of their reason for existence. But knowing that and seeing the evidence of it were two different things. It had shaken me at the time. I hadn't realized how opposed I was to torture until I'd been confronted by it. But that was a while back. Maybe my tastes had changed. I like asparagus now, and I didn't five years ago.
“It's not me!” the Demon, still struggling, shrieked. “I was just following orders!”
Star turned and waved my husbands to a wooden chair in the center of the room. It had lots of leather straps attached it. Kill and Raza started to take the Demon to the chair, but he screamed and fought even harder.
“Seren, for fuck's sake, will you do something about that?” Star waved at the Demon.
“Oh. Yeah, sure thing.” I went to stand before the terrified Demon. “All right, that's enough of that.”
Even with him squirming, it wasn't difficult to star-cross him. I flung my hand at the Demon, and lavender sparkles went flying all over his face, but enough landed in his eyes to set the enchantment. In seconds, he was mine to do with as I pleased. Bwahahaha!
But seriously, star-crossing—my version of fairy-striking—made my victim obey me implicitly. Anyone under my spell could not do anything, even use the bathroom, without my direct command. Yeah, that was a fun learning curve.
“Sit down.” I pointed at the chair. I had to be specific in my commands.
The Demon sat down on the wooden chair. We didn't bother to strap him in. The chair and even the torture tools had become moot as soon as I crossed him.
“That's better.” Star leaned against a worktable and crossed his arms.
“Hey, you're the one who brought us in here.” I waved at the room. “You know this was unnecessary. You frightened him for no reason.”
“Oh, I had a reason.”
“Yeah, cuz it was funny as fuck,” Sal said. “And the asshole deserved it.”
Star lifted a brow at her.
“Tell me I'm wrong.”
His lips twitched.
