Page 105 of Capturing Sin

The demons remained silent, except for the one strapped to the table, whimpering with every exhale. Deep slashes decorated his body like someone had sharpened their knife with his flesh and bone.

My mind swapped his gaunt face for Sin’s.

More bile rushed up my throat. I lurched for the metal sink in the corner, losing whatever acid still clung to my stomach. I dry-heaved, groping for the tap and letting the water wash the evidence down the drain, before rinsing my mouth out and sucking in a ragged breath.

I turned back to face the demons, ignoring the dizziness threatening to make me stumble.

The bruised demon in the cell pulled a young female, barely older than ten by human standards, further behind her and bared her fangs at me in threat. A slim teenage male pressed closer to her other side, tears tracking down his cheeks.

They all had the same blueberry complexion and bright-yellow eyes. Both younger demons had curly emerald hair and ram-like horns, matching the male bleeding out on the table.

A family.

The hunters had kidnapped children.

It was an unspoken rule, a line even the most brainwashed cultists wouldn’t cross. On the rare occasion any were even found, hunters ended them quickly.

Thankfully, I’d never found myself in that kind of situation. Even raised in blood as I was, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. There was a world of difference between putting down a man-eating wolf and murdering an innocent pup.

“Oh god,” I whispered, meeting the mother’s enraged glare. “I’m sorry. I will end this. One way or another.”

My uncle had taken it too far.

The demon snarled, her fists throttling the bars as she blocked her kids from view. “We don’t want any part of your twisted mind games.”

I shook my head, thoughts rattling around in my skull.

How could I have let this go on for so long before? These were people.

People like Sin.

Demons that protected others. That cared about their families. Enough to get themselves captured by the enemy and tortured just to find out what happened.

My heart gave another pitiful squeeze as memories of Sin flickered through my mind.

I wrenched myself from the pity spiral before I could become any more useless.

Sin had finished the change in me that his brother had started, and determination hardened my resolve.

Nobody else would suffer while I stood idly by like a selfish coward. No matter what it cost me.

“Stay here,” I said and instantly cringed at how dumb that sounded. They were literally prisoners in a cell. “I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, whoop-de-do, a hunter is coming back for us,” the female hissed.

I gave her an awkward double thumbs-up and walked out, avoiding the puddle of bile on the floor.

There was an armoury in the basement. The thought of picking up a weapon again, coating my palms in even more blood, made my hands tremble.

But if I wasn’t armed, that family died here.

First, I had to get the keys though.

I strode towards the main living area at the front of the monstrous cabin, braced for more heckling.

“Leo,” I barked, purpose giving my voice a snap that reminded me of my father’s. “I need the keys to the armoury and cages.”

Once more, every head turned towards me.

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