Page 80 of Capturing Sin

The bartender pursed her lips. “I know you’re looking for Silvanus, and as I said, I haven’t seen him in over a month. The hybrid king massacred the Riverside hunters last night. He might have freed Silvanus. Heard that nutter monarch declared an open invite to live in his kingdom too.” She shook her head with a small smile on her lips. “People are saying it’s actually safe there.”

Sin quirked a brow. Apparently as sceptical as I was that anywhere in hell could be considered “safe.”

She continued on, “I happen to…er…know one of his generals.” She waved her painted claws like it could dispel her fumbled words, bronzed cheeks turning dusky. “If you want, I could find out if Silvanus went with them?”

My curiosity had been piqued, but I kept my mouth shut. Who was I to judge if she was in a complicated situation with whoever this general was? I had enough of my own drama.

Deep furrows carved between Sin’s pale brows. “I doubt he’s gone back to hell, but I’d be grateful if you’d speak to your contact.”

Aurora huffed, pouty lips twitching. “He’s not exactly the chatty type, but I’ll see what I can do. It might take a while though, so you should check with some of the hunters that I heard escaped. I’m sure they’ll tell you anything if you ask nicely.”

A hysterical laugh bubbled up my throat, and I coughed awkwardly to prevent the mania spilling out. She didn’t realise Sin had already checked with the hunters. He even had his own captive.

Not that I was particularly useful, given I’d stayed as far as I could from the main holding cells. I couldn’t face the shame of seeing so many people slated for death, and being unable to save a single one.

Sin eyed me, before turning his considering look to Aurora. “I was there, and he wasn’t, but you’re right… Perhaps I need to question some hunters more. Thoroughly.”

She grinned, a viciousness peeking through her pretty pink eyes. “Stab one of those bastards for me, won’t you?”

Sin chuckled, attention flashing to me again. “Oh, don’t worry, I know just how to punish naughty hunters.”

Chapter 32

The door shut behind Sin, sealing me back into our borrowed home.

Apparently I was living some twisted parody of domestic bliss. With a demon.

For years, I’d longed for a real home. A safe haven to start a family and live a normal, happy life. After being raised in violence, I craved the idea of regular problems like running out of fabric softener or deciding what colour to paint a nursery room.

No more worrying about whether the blood would even wash out of my clothes, or whether my uncle would evict me from my apartment for some perceived slight.

I headed straight for the stairs, wanting this night to be over with. If I could somehow get Sin to leave me alone, maybe I’d be able to think clearly enough to form an actual plan to escape him. Yet a small part of me wondered what life would be like if I stayed.

What if Sin and I explored this unpredictable bond growing between us? Would he cook for me every night? Would I feed him right back until we burned with passion? Did he want a quiet life, too? A cosy home? A loving family?

I squashed the silly notion.

After all, it was only a matter of time until he snapped my neck, blood bond or not.

Sin shackled my wrist with his velvety tail, halting me on the bottom step. “I have a few questions for you, poison.”

I stilled, turning back to face him and willing my heart rate to steady despite the contact. I’d been expecting him to ask me about the demon he was searching for the entire ride back from the club, but only a tense silence had lingered between us.

“What do you want to know? I think I’d remember if I met someone called Silvanus,” I drawled, locking my jaw against a yawn.

A few good meals weren’t enough to counter weeks of malnourishment, and years of pushing myself past limits I shouldn’t know.

“Do you get every demon’s name before you kill them?” His voice was deathly soft, and I felt the first stirrings of unease.

I hadn’t been afraid of Sin in a long time.

The reminder of how deadly he was shouldn’t have been necessary, but apparently I’d let myself become weak since leaving active duty as a hunter-slash-genocidal-killer.

“No.” I met his silky darkness head-on. I might have sworn off violence, but I was no coward. “It’s also been over a month since I killed a demon who didn’t ask for it.”

“And who would ask to die?” Scepticism dripped from his tone like blood.

My lips peeled back into a snarl. “Fane was being tortured, so I freed him in the only way I could.”

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