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He received reluctant nods Reluctant, yes, but a nod was a nod

"Now, let us speak no more of this," he said

Xerxes jerked a thuel "Who is he, and why is he here?" A pause "If I e of subject elcome "His name is McCadden, and he is now your responsibility" McCadden had coels, as well as humans, to be with a woman who had not even wanted him

But why he had been dees and kicked to the earth, while Zacharel and these five had not, was a mystery On the surface, McCadden looked no different from any of Zacharel’s other men He’d dyed his pale hair pink, had tattooed bloody teardrops under his eyes and added silver piercings to his brows Underneath all that, he must be a cesspool of darkness

"When we finish here, you will take him from my cloud and keep him locked in your hoel in the same location as Annabelle "And noill not be blanashed his teeth, but offered no complaint

Thane snickered, and Bjorn drilled his knuckles into Xerxes’ biceps "Lucky"

"Now, for the captured deelic body, including his own In unison, the six of theainst her bonds,over her forehead and inside her ed her ears, blocking the sound of their voices

She was a ed, was paper-thin and covered in sores Her skeletal body lacked muscle and any hint of fat What few teeth she had were yellow, as pitted as her skin, and as pointed and curling as her claws

"Allow her to hear us," Zacharel cos thinned, dissipated completely "Allow her to speak" Just as quickly theher mouth thinned and dissipated

She hissed out a terrible curse

"In case you are unaware of how this works," he said, ignoring her insult for the ineffectual lash-out it was, "I will instruct you"

"Not Zacharel," she moaned "Anyone but Zacharel" A scent of rot wafted from her, evidence of her sudden burst of fear

His penchant for torturing his enemy ell known "You will die this day, e The method of your execution is the only variable you can control" De of truth than humans; this one flinched every time he finished a sentence "I have questions for you, and you will answer each one honestly"

"You knoill taste your lies," Thane said

"Taste and rebuke," Bjorn added

"Why did you reht?" Details were more than important; they were necessary Without quantifiers, dely

Her thin lips lifted at the corners "For the same reasonsss the other deh context to be helpful Cute

"For what reason did the other demons remain outside the Moffat County Institution?" he asked "You will not receive another chance to answer this question"

"I’m happy to anssswer They ssstayed outside for the sssame reassson I ssstayed outssside That’sss the truth, you have my word"

Zacharel reached into an air pocket and withdrew his vial of water from the River of Life To even set foot near the river’s shoreline hidden inside the teel had to sacrifice the skin off his back--literally To capture a single vial of the precious, life-saving liquid? The angel had to sacrifice much, much more

Zacharel had only a few drops left, but he considered a demon’s torment worth the loss

"I find that your truth does not satisfy my curiosity, so I am forced to take ation from each of us, as warned" From his nod, his soldiers knehat he wanted theether only a short ti

Koldo ainst hispressure to her brow Xerxes and Thane stepped forward, both suut As black blood sprang froony The wounds wouldn’t be fatal, but they would hurt and weaken her

While humans were to be protected, demons were never extended the same courtesy

Bjorn and Jamila replaced Xerxes and Thane in front of her After Bjorn pried open her mouth, Jamila produced a thin scalpel to re teeth

By the time the five were finished, the demon could only plead for mercy Mercy she had never shown her own victims Mercy Zacharel did not have Minions of Disease purposely infected hu frailty and despair, their pain, their panic, and loving every moment of it

He was the next to move in front of her "I warned you," he said

"I didn’t lie, told only the truth," the minion slurred, thanks to Jamila’s impromptu root canal

"You played with the truth Withthe corners of herfroel? I doubt that You reek of huht now Did you play with her?" The words were even arbled than before, but Zacharel was able to decipher her