Page 70 of The Wickedness of Man

“Just cut to the details—I don’t care about whatever little game my son is playing.”

I tried to imagine what he could possibly have wanted to know; what I should leave out; or worse, what I might accidentally leave out that would cause problems down the line. “Well, the investigators believe she may have been Carmilla de Mornay’s latest target, but there was a complication, as I mentioned. At some point during the doctor’s appointment, Caleb Knight was charmed by the succubus?—”

Benedict spun on me, his eyes glowing a pale amber that was deepening to red, a wicked grin spreading over his face,revealing long fangs. I couldn’t help but take a small step back. The intensity radiating from him made me feel as if he was holding a knife to my neck.

“Where is he now?”

“He…” I sighed. “He stole a keycard and escaped. Harry believes he will lead us back to de Mornay—did you know about this, sir?”

“What, you think I wasn’t aware of Harrold’s idiotic scheme? The boy is an arsehole, but he’s occasionally useful.”

I paused before I answered, angry at myself for not realizing sooner. Harryalwaysrequested Caleb to get stationed on dangerous missions, and as all approval for special investigators’ missions had to be cleared through the archdiocese, I had been quite surprised by the time it came down to my signature. Mine, being theleastimportant, was largely just done as a courtesy to let me know which of my agents’ lives might be in danger, and when to have them ready. When I’d seen Caleb’s name for the first time, I had sincerely thought it might be a mistake—perhaps a forgery by Harry—but the archdiocese had confirmed it.

Now I knew why.

Harry had only been allowed to take Caleb in first place because it had served whatever plans the archbishop himself was laying out. I fought the intense pull of anger in my gut.

“What have you done, Benedict?” I asked quietly. “What have you done to Caleb?”

The glass in his hand shattered on the stone by the time Benedict crossed the room to me and slammed me backward into one of his tables by my neck. Gagging, I blinked up at him, my glasses askew. I couldn’t see him well without the lenses, but I could still make out the bright red glow of his furious eyes. He squeezed my neck until I thought it might pop, then released me just as fast. I sputtered and fell to the floor, landing hard on mybad leg. Before I could even catch my breath, Benedict yanked me up by the arm and threw me onto the sofa. I landed with a cry, shaking from head to toe as I found my glasses still hooked around one ear and reattached them.

“Do you really think I would allow that little pissant to takeCaleb Knightout on a mission that would put him in jeopardy?” He pointed to his own horned head. “All of these years, I have been cultivating this child, watching him grow and ripen for this very moment! Do you really think I would let Harrold ruin it now?”

I gasped and clutched my throat, shook my head. “…Archbishop… what do you”—I broke into a coughing fit—“want do you want… him to do? I don’t understand?—”

Benedict’s face softened into a cruel smile, contemplative. “It’s not what I want him todoso much aswhoI want him to do.”

“The girl,” I spat, glaring at him. “You wanted him to turn her into a succubus.”

“Not just a succubus, Jax—and not justturn: he will soon awaken one of the Daughters of Lilith herself.”

“A lilin?” I scoffed. “But those creatures are?—”

“Don’t forget you’re talking to a centuries’ old demon, bishop,” said Benedict. “To be clear, a demon who has tasted the power of a lilin once before, albeit many years ago.”

I gaped at him, struggling back to my feet, limping over to my cane. “You can’t possibly mean—” As I bent over to pick it up, the tablet Brother Will had given me came skittering out of the pocket I’d stuffed it in and landed, as if someone had placed it there purposely, at the archbishop’s feet.

He lifted the tablet, looked to me, and then turned it on. With bated breath, I waited for him to finish watching the videos I’d seen. Caleb’s enormous strength. Harry, trying to shoot him. Benedict studied the image in silence; replayed it. He watchedit three times before he looked up at me, a grin plastered to his lips.

“When was this taken?”

“…Early Sunday morning.” I cleared my throat with some effort. “Caleb called the monitoring line, but Harry’s group was already in the area looking for him?—”

“He’s magnificent,” said Benedict. “Better than I could have hoped… then he must have… Wait.”

“Sir?” I asked.

“This weapon,” Benedict placed the tablet on the desk and spun it around to face me, ignoring me entirely, “what is this gun Harry has?”

I took in a deep breath. “It’s some kind of prototype, I was told,” I began. “I was actually going to ask you the same thing.”

If I had intended to show you that footage, which I hadnot, damn you.

Benedict tapped the screen with one long, clawed finger. “Harrold took this on a mission to subdue Caleb, while in pursuit of the succubus Carmilla de Mornay? What else did he take with him?”

I trembled underneath the tone in his voice; I felt the words ripping out of me, almost as if against my will, and I knew he was forcing the truth out of me. “A holy water dispersal bomb. He had it planted in the air vents when they’d gone to capture?—”

The grip of Benedict’s power fell away from me. I stumbled back; sat heavily on the couch.

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