Page 27 of Capturing Sin

Lavender skin stretched over bones, missing in numerous places to leave small craters of bluish fluid like some horrifying lunar landscape. Thin trails of blood overflowed, pooling underneath the body of a demon that should have died long ago. At least by human standards.

“Shit, Fane, what did that psycho do this time?” I hurried over, swiping up the gauze and antiseptic from the med kit under the counter as I went.

Fane hissed out a laugh, shaking his emaciated chest. “The usual.” He shrugged, scraping a bony elbow spine against the metal table. “A little poky-stabby action and stealing too much blood and flesh.”

“She doesn’t need to hurt you,” I snarled, squeezing the gauze in my hand as I struggled to get my rage back under control. I wanted to protect humanity too, but not like this. “I’m sorry.”

Watery eyes met mine, filled with acceptance. “Liliana…free me.”

A strangled sob lodged in my throat. First Eve, and now him too.

I shook my head. “They’ll catch us.”

They might not have cameras in here—the hunters wanted the general human population finding evidence of demonkind about as much as they wanted the beings here in our realm—but I still couldn’t sneak a demon out past the layers of guards and security.

There wasn’t a single moment of the day or night where a group of hunters weren’t crawling all over this prison they called their headquarters.

“That’s not what I meant.”

His words punched through me.

“No. Don’t give up. I… I’ll find a way.” I grimaced at the desperation in my voice.

After the demon with sunshine eyes had saved my life, I’d begun questioning whether they really were all monsters like I’d been taught.

Fane was one of the good ones.

He might feed on souls for power, but the elderly demon had explained that most of his subtype enjoyed animal souls, consuming more than just the meat when they hunted. He’d actually answered when I’d asked questions, despite the fact I was clearly with the people who hurt him. The demon had been patient and honest, telling me snippets about hell and his kind.

He didn’t sugar-coat the bad stuff, but he helped me realise how little I knew about demonkind and how much was hunter propaganda, beaten into me from a tender age.

“There’s no coming back from this.” Dark blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, as if emphasising his point. “Save me, Doc. Let me join my family in the afterlife.”

I stared at his abused body one more time, taking in every scar and cut and bruise, fortifying my nerve.

How could I deny him this? When there was no hope for any other escape. He was right. His body had taken on so much damage even a demon couldn’t heal from it. Cara was balancing his life on a razor’s edge, tending to the wounds she inflicted just enough to stop him from actually dying. I’d been trying my best to fix him, but I wasn’t exactly a doctor despite his nickname for me.

Since the incident, the thought of spilling blood turned my stomach, but there was anaesthetic in the fridge. Enough to kill an elephant.

It would probably take twice as much to end a demon.

“Okay.” I swallowed thickly, my voice coming out choked. “If you’re sure about this. I’ll do it.”

Tears pooled in tired eyes. “Thank you. You’ve been the only bright spark in this darkness.”

His praise sliced through me.

I was a fucking monster, actually, but it felt like a dick move to argue with the man I was about to euthanise.

Unable to hold his relieved gaze, I grabbed the vials from the fridge and swiped up a fresh needle from the equipment drawer.

My hands shook as I filled the syringe to capacity.

I wavered, hovering the needle over Fane’s inner elbow. Countless track marks already bruised his lavender skin. The malnourishment and torture at my colleague’s hands meant he’d not been able to heal even these slight injuries.

“Do it,” he rasped.

My hands steadied as I slid the needle in and plunged liquid death into his vein.

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