Page 90 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

And honestly, he wasn’t wrong. While most bloodlines were washed out, the ones that remained should be even more powerful than before. If Justine was trained properly, by someone like Mother, she would be a force to be reckoned with.

Arafel needed to know to keep his mate close by as well. While his soul bound had only a small fraction of witch blood remaining in her, there was a chance the Drude would still be interested in her. As soon as I got us out of here, I would warn him.

I sagged against the cell wall, still unwilling to leave this space since Justine went sprinting back out of the room. It was the corner closest to her, and the ache in my chest was far less pronounced when I was actively attempting to get closer to her again. Even when I needed her to stay away from me, I wanted her closer.

What a fucking paradox. This was why I hadn’t wanted a mate for so long. I was so sure that I was okay alone.

Now, I would be lost without her. And this ache, this worry, it only reassured me that the bond in my chest was true. That she was meant to be mine. And there was no way the fates were cruel enough to use this soul bound to introduce me to my best friend and my mate in the same breath that it also took them away.

It couldn’t be.

The monster in my core growled to life, checking my control and then curling back to wait. I was going to have to release him soon—something I’d never wanted to do again. Being harnessed to the monster, with no control, with no say in his reactions, was one of the most terrifying feelings I’d experienced. He was a bloodthirsty creature, made of fury and hatred. And that was how I treated him even now, laying my power between the regained half-soul that Justine had had and my own.

I wasn’t ready to accept it.

When I did, everything would change. I could get out of here on my own. I didn’t need to become that monster to save us. At least, that was what I believed. And I hoped to Hades that I was correct.

“Hello there, Fallen,” a deep voice said. Niko again. The well-dressed man kept the door open for a moment, ushering the other witch in behind him. She was pale-faced and grim, her lips a flat line as she followed Niko into the middle of the room.

He gestured with his hands to the ground then at me. “You know what to do.”

She began to draw against the concrete, her fingers leaving a charred line, slowly arching around until it was a complete circle on the ground.

I knew what it was in an instant. After all, how many times had I seen my mother draw one for an errant soul or for a demon who had lost control. Only, I had never been the one standing in the middle. I shifted, my lips parting so he could see every inch of the fangs I let slip free from my gums.

“Can I help you with something?” I kept my voice light, even as my wings fluttered in agitation behind me.

“You and I are going to have a chat, Fallen.” Niko approached the cell, hands behind his back. He rocked back on his heels as he stared into the darkened cell.

“My name is Nephesh, but then, you know that.”

The witch approached Niko again, but he didn’t look at her. “I do, and now that we are on a first-name basis, I really want to ask you a few questions. How do you feel about that?”

“I feel like I want to rip your heart from your chest and feed it to my dog, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea just yet.”

Niko blinked, his self-satisfied smile only wavering an instant. “Lucky me.”

I grunted. “What do you really want?”

“I just wanted to ask you a few questions.” Niko pressed a button on a brightly lit cell phone and then looked back to me. “But we need to rearrange you a little to get the correct response.”

Pain didn’t scare me. But the fact that these people had Justine did. I could only hope they would continue to focus on me. Niko moved to the cell door, his hand pressing against it in a series of soft beeping noises.

“I’m going to let you out, but if you can’t play nice, I’ll have Faye here put a stop to that cursed heart in your chest.”

I blinked at him as the door swung open.

“And yes, she can do that. Don’t try me.”

I moved out the door and over to the circle that she’d drawn, pausing at the edge.

“You can step over it right now,” her soft, barely audible voice sounded in my ears.

I nodded, looking into her wide eyes, surprised to find her boldly looking back at me. She might look and sound meek, but I could feel the burn of her power under that stare. He wasn’t bluffing. That much was sure.

I stepped over the line, turning to face Niko once again. Slowly crossing my arms, I waited for him to speak.

“We have some questions for you.”