Page 53 of Reluctant Rebel

“I’m not destroying it. I’m simply moving it,” Z disclosed. He faced Estha, telling her quietly, “Shut up. Or I’ll kill you slowly.”

Estha shut up and began to shake. She looked at Jinx with pleading eyes, and Jinx did her best to wriggle out of the mystical bonds that kept her prisoner. But it was no use.Fucking shadow demons,she thought angrily, glaring at the man.

Z, noting the direction of her ire, offered, “You’re probably wondering how I convinced our shadow demon friend here to help me.”

“Not really,” Jinx said flatly.

Z chuckled. “You’re a mouthy little bitch.”

“Come closer. I’ll show you how mouthy I can be.”With my teeth, she added silently.

Z clucked his tongue. “So feisty. Come on. Ask me how I have so many preternatural creatures willing to help me.”

Z was a typical narcissist. He revelled in the admiration and adoration of others. Jinx knew his actions were motivated solely by his own ego. In his mind, he was the centre of the universe, and everyone else was merely a pawn in his grand scheme. Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of monologuing. “No.”

Z stiffened, his face going blank. He bent down, leaning in close to her face. “I said,ask me.”

Jinx noticed a tick above his left eye, and she couldn’t help grinning. She was getting to him. “And I said no. I’m bored. You’re boring. I have no desire to listen to anything you have to say.”

“What did you just say?” Z hissed.

Jinx looked him square in the eyes and enunciated clearly. “I saidyou are boring.”

Z's face contorted with rage. He reached out and grabbed Jinx by her hair, yanking her to her feet. “You will show me respect, you insolent little brat,” he seethed through gritted teeth. “I’m going to be King! No, a God!”

But Jinx remained unfazed, staring back at him with unflinching defiance. “Make me,” she challenged.

Z's grip tightened on her hair as he brought his face closer, their noses almost touching. “I could end you right now, you know,” he hissed.

Jinx smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Then why don’t you?”

“Because I’m going to use you to inflict as much pain as possible.” Z's grip released as he stepped back, and he straightened his shirt with a huff of frustration. He paced the cave, clearly trying to regain control of his emotions.

Jinx’s scalp stung, but it was nothing she couldn’t deal with. At least she wasn’t on the ground anymore. She much preferred being on her feet.

Z halted his pacing with a sudden, decisive stop. His gaze locked onto the still-quivering shifter, whose fear was palpable in the room, and he spoke with an icy detachment. “Perran, snap Estha’s neck.”

Jinx’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the scene unfold, unable to tear her eyes away. A morbid mix of horror and fascination rooted her to the spot. In a single, swift movement, Z’s lackey seized Estha’s head with both hands. The twist was brutal and the sound of bone breaking echoed like a thunderclap in the space. Estha’s eyes went wide for a split second before the life drained from them, her body collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Jinx half-expected Estha to rise, to shift into her panther form and flee, but she remained a lifeless heap on the floor. The reality of what had just happened sank in, making her feel sick. “Why did you do that? What does Zagan have over you?” She tossed the questions at the demon.

Perran remained still, unblinking and staring straight ahead. Z laughed, kicking Estha’s body as he passed and patting Perran on the head like a dog. “He did it because I told him to. Like I said, this was a demonstration. As for what I have over him …” Z knocked on Perran’s temple. “I have his mind.”

“What are you talking about?” Jinx asked with a shake of her head.

“Did your mother ever tell you any bedtime stories?” Z asked randomly. He looked at Perran. “Take out the trash,” he ordered. As the demon moved to obey, dragging the dead shifter by the arm, Z focused on Jinx once more. “My mother used to tell me grand tales of unique gifts passed down through bloodlines, eachstory more illuminating than the last. She spoke of prophetic dreams, impenetrable armour, and the ability to shift into anything.”

“Are you talking about the legacies of the royal line of Cerberus?” Jinx asked, wondering why he was telling her stories about his dead mother.

Z lifted his chin. “I am, yes. But not just mine. Did you knoweverysupernatural line has its own legacies?”

“I know dragons have some weird vision thing. Does that count?” Jinx said, trying to keep him busy. She was sure she could feel the shadowy ropes around her wrists loosening.

Z looked pleased. “Yes. Exactly like that. You see, all of us have the potential to be more than we were born to be. But my father and those that came before him decided to gate-keep the information. My mother discovered the secret—and so many more. She gave me what my traitorous father chose not to.”

“That doesn’t sound like King Maliq. He was an amazing king. Everyone says so,” Jinx pointed out, unobtrusively twisting her wrists and creating a new pocket of space between her skin and the bindings.

“Everyone is wrong!” Z shouted, getting in Jinx’s face. “My father gave his love selectively. Hekilledmy mother!”

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