Page 56 of Capturing Sin

I grinned back, and it was all teeth.

Chapter 23

Late the following night, I slipped into my assigned lab, bracing for insanity. I’d been delaying this moment for as long as possible, and now I’d run out of excuses, as well as time.

At least I wasn’t the only person staying late for once. The other scientists were all here somewhere, whipped up into a tizzy about a breakthrough by one of the other lab teams, much to Martin’s aggravation. I steered clear of anything to do with them. Always had. Capturing and experimenting on mages, a human-looking minor demon breed, was more than I could stomach, even if their magic could aid the hunter cause.

To my horror, anticipation lit embers in my middle, and I fought to stomp them out as the security door clicked shut behind me. An odd warmth sat in the middle of my chest.

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Sin. The things I’d let my enemy do to me. Again.

I sucked in a ragged breath.

His cell was empty.

My heart leaped into my throat as I scanned the tiny room, but there was no sign of the demon anywhere. The glassware and equipment were exactly as I’d left them yesterday. Even the reinforced plexiglass wall that formed his cell looked untouched, apart from the gouges he’d made when I’d passed out.

So how had he escaped? And, more importantly, where the hell was the demon who’d promised to kill me?

A loud boom rattled the glassware, and I spun, expecting him to be right behind me like in a horror film.

It took my mind a moment to connect the sound to a great thundering coming from upstairs.

I frowned. Demon attacks had spiked lately, giving rise to a heightened need for security. With so few operational hunters left, it was ridiculous for them to be carrying out their sadistic battles, pitting demons against one another for sport or lethal training.

“No…” The denial slipped from my lips unbidden.

Surely he wouldn’t have.

Leo liked to pick the most ferocious demons for those match-ups. Given how I’d insulted him in the canteen, and my reaction to him taking Sin last time, a sinking feeling weighed my gut.

A shrill beep cut the noise. I leaped back, sliding instinctually into a fighting stance even as fear clutched my chest.

The door swung open.

Martin stepped inside, and a sigh of relief escaped me as I straightened.

“There you are,” Martin huffed, thick brows low. “A word, Liliana.”

Clearly, he was mad about something, but my mind was spinning out of control, wondering where Sin was.

Thumping and banging seemed to escalate from above.

I frowned, glancing at the panelled ceiling. Normally, you couldn’t hear anything down here. The labs were practically soundproof. A necessity when each was a glorified torture chamber.

Martin looked up at the next thud. His concerned gaze met mine before he seemed to dismiss the worry. “What in the blazes are those meatheads up to now?”

I cocked my head, straining to listen. “Something’s wrong.”

My uncle had mentioned the attacks on our squads were getting more frequent, more violent. The unshakeable brute had seemed…concerned.

The noises continued, punctuated by sharp retorts that could only be gunfire.

I chewed my lower lip, thoughts racing as I evaluated my options.

Where’s Sin?

“We have to go.” I strode for the door, but a moist palm clamped my wrist.

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