Page 54 of The Arbiter

My boots echo as they scuff the narrow spiral staircase leading down to the basement. When I make it through the door, I close it and bolt it shut to prevent any from following me. I swiftly run to the door leading outside, cautiously opening it to check that the coast is clear. When I see no one, I make a run for it.

I trek down the hill leading to the road where I know Marilith waits for me. I let out a sigh of relief when I see her black SUV parked on the side of the road, the engine idling.

When I get to the SUV, one of her Lupin men hops out from the passenger side and opens my door for me. I nod my head at him and slide in. The Lupin closes the door and hops back in.

My mistress sits in one of her many black, skin-tight dresses that show off her sexy curves. Her legs are crossed, and her foot is tapping in aggravation as she files her nails to a lethal point.

“What do you have to report?” she asks immediately.

I wring my hands together in my lap, anxiety flooding my body once again. “The Factory was lost. The Arbiter and the Rites have freed all those we captured, but I managed to wipe everything before leaving.”

She stops filing her nails and sets down the file before picking up her wine glass and sipping it gingerly. “And the others?”

“Not to worry, Mistress Marilith,” I assure her quickly. “The other facilities are still running at full function and are undiscovered by her or the Rites. Security has been increased in all locations as well.”

A sultry smile grows across her blood red lips, my shoulders losing some tension at that. Her smiling is always a good sign.

“Very good, my pet,” she says with a purr, lifting her hand and tracing her knuckle down my cheek. “It’s a shame Saul had to be thrown under the bus. He could’ve been valuable. Oh well. As long as everything else is still running, then our plans have not been derailed yet. He will be most pleased by this news.”

She withdraws her hand, and I almost whimper from the loss of contact. Instead, I hold it in and ask, “What do we do about this new Arbiter? She’s more powerful than Cassia and far more determined to stay truly balanced unlike all the ones before her. She won’t bend easily.”

Marilith sets down her glass and picks up her file once more, holding it in front of my face with her thumb pressed against the side.

“Simple. If she refuses to bend,” she says, beginning to push the side of the file until the metal snaps beneath her thumb, “then we will just have to break her.”

“How will we do that?”

Marilith tosses the broken file and looks out the window toward the rising sun with a wicked smile.

“By going after the ones she loves most. I already have one within my grasp, and it won’t be long before we have the rest.”

TO BE CONTINUED…