Page 67 of Blood Magic

“Kait,” Joe murmured, and I knew from his voice that not only was there more, there was worse.

I think that was the moment I began to harden. Remy had said I was a stone-cold killer, and in a way, I was. But I was also emotional and soft and hotblooded, and my heart was big. But the awfulness of the world was getting to me, and I couldn’t funnel it off to my wolf, because she was free and wasn’t going to let me.

I forced Jennifer to her knees and held her there as I made myself put my reluctant stare back on the screen.

Axton appeared, and though his voice was mild, his eyes held only rage. “Ms. Silver. You’re such a warrior. Such a sweet, sweet warrior. And you may not realize this, but you’re alone. The world is full of darkness, and you are not strong enough to be its light. My message to you is clear, is it not?” He leaned forward. “You cannot take anything from me, Kaitlyn, because I will slowly twist you up in ways you cannot imagine. This is just the beginning. I cannot make Kaloni live again, but you will bring me back my whore.”

Abruptly the image cut from him to Detective Rick Moreno. He was standing at the edge of a crowd, talking with other police officers on the street. Dressed in his familiar suit, his gun beneath his jacket, his badge clipped to his belt. He gestured as he spoke, intent upon dealing with whatever crime he stood in the middle of.

The video cut away to show another video, this one a somewhat fuzzy closeup of the detective leaving his house and getting into his car. Another of him walking into the police station. And still another of him leading his wife from the car to his house. He put his arm around her shoulders and glanced down at her, his lips moving as he spoke to her.

And though the threat was huge and horrible and in my face, I relaxed a little. Axton didn’t have Rick—he was simply threatening to take him.

As though he knew what I’d be thinking at that exact moment, Axton’s image once again appeared on the screen. “Your partner is quite beautiful, Kait. I hope you get the chance, someday, to see him again.”

I closed my eyes in a long, slow blink, because I knew. I knew.

The next time the detective appeared on the screen, he hung by his wrists against a filthy brick wall, and blood ran in rivers down his naked body.

“If you want him back,” Jennifer said, looking up at me. “You’ll return my master’s slave. Now you may leave. The human you came for is waiting for you in the hall. This was fun. I hope we can do it again soon.”

And it was only the mad joy in her eyes that kept me from breaking down into screams of pain and tears of terror. I punched her in the face, though she was simply a device used by the master, and by the time Joe pulled me away—almost immediately—she lay crumpled on the floor. Axton’s constant feedings would have made her physically stronger even as they’d slowly warped her mind. I didn’t know if she was dead, and I didn’t care.

Stone cold.

With Joe at my back, I ran from the room, intent upon only two things.

I would see if there was any way in hell I could find a spark inside Bastien and Farrow and somehow save their lives.

And I would find my detective.