Now that I’m thinking about it, he never perverted it or used it against me, in the whole time that he was spouting all the vile things, and with all the threatening behavior, he never once used that name against me.
I frown.
There is still a big part of me that is waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m waiting for him to start cursing me out, to call me names, and, quite frankly, right now it would almost be a relief. I’m comfortable with that, I know how to react, and I can close myself off.
I clear my throat, I know that I need to be thinking about work, and there are some questions that I need to ask him to do with the case.
So instead of carrying on the way that I want to, and tearing him a new one for getting into the position where he was able to be controlled, eventhough I know that it technically isn’t his fault. It makes me feel better to be angry at him for something.
Instead of any of that, I force myself to switch into work mode.
“What can you tell us about Casimir and his link to HID?” I ask.
Dimitri nods and shifts in his seat, his hands moving on the table, and it’s then that I realize that he’s chained to the table.
I mean, of course he is, why wouldn’t he be? He’s in prison, and they’re terrified of him.
“It’s okay, Neith. I deserve to be here,” he says gently, his voice rumbling and deep, a smoky quality to it that I have always loved.
I frown, but look away from the cuffs, if I don’t, I’m going to do something ridiculous like break them.
“What can you tell us about Casimir and HID?” I ask again.
“Casimir is deranged, and incredibly fucking smart. He is using HID to gather supernaturals for him so that he can experiment on them and turn them into hybrids. I don’t know what his end game is, he hasn’t cared to share that with me, and I didn’t ask,” Dimitri explains with no more prompting, which shocks the shit out of me to be honest. He continues, “I can tell you where his usual places to be are, but he knows that I’m here, and while he has taken steps to ensure that I am unable to tell you things, they haven’t quite stuck like he would have liked, he doesn’t know that, but he is a very cautious supernatural so the chance of him being in any of the places that I tell you about is pretty slim.”
“You mean you’ve managed to fight off the effects of the serum that you got shot with at the airport already?” I ask, my arms crossed over my chest, in a feeble attempt to protect myself.
His eyes widen in shock, before realization dawns and he says, “Kar found you.”
I nod, “He told me what you had told him, Coen too.” I pause as I gulp thickly, “That’s why I reached for you.”
“But you understandably do not believe me still,” Dimitri says with absolute certainty. “I don’t blame you.”
I told him when I spoke into his mind that I believed him, and I do. He showed me those memories, and I have realized that there’s no way that he could have faked them, but even so, I am cautious, and it’s because of that I don’t correct him.
I tilt my head, “Well, you haven’t screamed at me or called me a cunt yet, so you’ve at least got half a point in your favor.”
His expression darkens, and he shocks the shit out of me, making me sit up straighter as his head lowers and his eyes flash blood red. I register his power level rising, before he takes a breath, and it settles again.
His hands are in tight fists, and his head stays lowered.
His voice is dark, full of pain and death, as he replies, “It’s not enough, it will never be enough, but I am so fucking sorry for every single thing that I said to you.”
I gulp.
I don’t know how to deal with that, although I have to admit that hearing him say the words helps in a strange kind of way.
I tap on the table. He needs to get control of himself. These people need to never know what he is capable of. The fact that he could change his eyes, and I could feel the strength of his magic through all of the supposed blocks on it, means that if he really wanted to, he could probably escape this place.
Easily.
He’s only allowing them to keep him here because he has decided to be here, it’s not for any other reason.
A lot of people would freak the fuck out if they knew that.
Weirdly, it comforts me, and yes, I know that’s fucked up.
My tapping gains his attention, and he looks up. I tap out the simple message.