I stood there for about thirty seconds before I remembered my own power. My Remnants had been conveniently quiet and I had no idea how to call them forward. Anytime I’d needed to use the power of the Huntress, it’d been as natural as breathing, butthat was something I was born with, not something I’d taken. Not the monster living in my mind.
“Where are they?” Alastor asked, stroking a tattooed thumb along his jawline as he waited.
I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just as I’d been ordered.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he said. “You may speak.”
“My father gave me an apple once. After my mother abandoned us. It was half rotten and smelled like the rats that sometimes?—”
“Stop!”
I smiled. “Problem?”
He stepped closer, grabbing my face.
I looked down, refusing to let him lift my chin. “I’m not allowed to move, remember?”
His smile was complete venom. “That smart mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble.”
“In case you’ve forgotten how I ended up here, I think it’s fair to say it’s far too late for that threat. Maybe you could try again. Really mean it this time.”
Alastor’s eyes narrowed, his grip on my face tightening. “You think you’re clever, don’t you? A few quips and you gained the upper hand?” He leaned in close. “Let me remind you of your position, little Huntress. You belong to me now. Your power, your mind, is mine to command.”
I met his gaze, refusing to be cowed. “And yet here we are, already having to remind the little mortal girl who’s in charge. That probably isn’t really godly of you. Don’t worry. I won’t tell the others.”
His lips curled into a snarl, revealing teeth that seemed a touch too sharp to be human. “I could break you in ways you can’t even imagine. I could strip away everything that makes you who you are until there’s nothing left but an empty shell, begging for my guidance.”
“Ooh, very scary,” I drawled, rolling my eyes. “Tell me, do you practice these speeches in the mirror? The delivery could use some work. I’m not afraid to become nothing. Feel nothing. I’ve done that before. I thrive there, just so you know.”
Alastor’s hand slid from my face to my throat, his fingers pressing against my pulse. “Perhaps you need a demonstration of how precarious your situation is.”
The binding marks on my wrists flared to life, sending searing pain up my arms. I gritted my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flinch. Truly, I hoped he would break me. End it now. But he wouldn’t. We both knew that. No matter how many times he cracked the whip, I’d always get back up. Because I refused to be broken at the hands of any man. Ever again.
The pain intensified, spreading through my body like liquid fire. My muscles seized, every nerve ending screaming in agony. But still, I held his gaze, refusing to break. “Is that all you’ve got? I’ve had worse paper cuts.”
Alastor’s eyes flashed with a mixture of fury and… was that admiration? He released my throat, taking a step back. “You truly are remarkable, aren’t you? So much fire, so much defiance. It’s almost a shame to break you.”
“Then don’t,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Let me go. Find someone else to play your twisted games with.”
“You will only speak the truth to me. Do you understand?”
“We speak the same language, so it’s fair to assume I do, but if you need verbal confirmation, yes. I fucking understand.”
He began to pace, thinking through whatever it was he wanted to ask. His strides grew quicker as he moved. “When we were in the meadow in front of that home, you had power I’ve not seen from you before. For a moment, I thought… but it couldn’t have been. But then you put yourself in that dome.”
“Was there a question there, or are we thinking out loud now?” I asked, my muscles aching from standing perfectly still.
“Where did that power come from?”
“Wow. Okay, all beauty, no brains. Let me see if I can simplify this for you.”
His Remnants surged, snatching my arms and pulling them away from each other until I wondered if they would rip me in two. The pain was bearable, but only just, racing through my nerves like wildfire.
“Be careful how you speak to me. They don’t take kindly to disrespect.”
“So you don’t control them?” I asked, genuinely curious.
His eyes narrowed. “Do you control your shadows, Huntress?”
