Page 53 of The River of Hatred

“Shit, no, I don’t, it’s too far. I’m not as good at this as Lana.”

I focus on the young male and whistle quietly. “Fuck, Itha’s right. That’s deffo a Nephalem.”

“But why is he following these scumbags? How does it even know to? I don’t recognize him from Purgatory, why wasn’t he taken?”

I don’t have any of the answers Jessica wants so I just shake my head and watch as the cultists lock the youngster in a separate room, chaining him to a chair.

“What are they going to do to him?” our Nephilim murmurs, the kind heart clearly worried about the demon worshippers’ new prisoner.

“I’m not sure. It looks like they’re waiting for someone.” I don’t like this. The last time those fuckers took a prisoner it was a child they tortured to trap Arma and me. Only one of us made it out. I press my lips together tightly and shoot Itha a look.

His eyes soften before he nods. “We’ll get the boy out.”

“Let’s wait a bit.”

Surprised, I whip my head in Jessica’s direction. “For what? Them to kill him?”

She chews her bottom lip. “I guess you’re right. I just thought we might see who they’d call to deal with him, you know?”

“It’s not worth the risk,” Itha says, saving me the trouble.

“Okay. So, how are we getting down there and then getting the guy out without blowing our cover?” Jess asks.

“We climb,” I decide.

Chapter 26 – Jessica

Marseille

Icut my palm on a rusty support beam and nearly fall off the structure to my death.

“Think I can get tetanus or something now that I’m not in Hell?” I ask Sar in a whisper once we’re safely on the dusty ground. He just bops my nose.That’s not an answer, Mister.

The three of us skulk through the warehouse, careful not to run into one of the creeps around a dark corner. Thankfully, Itha memorized the layout from above, because I got turned around the moment we hit the ground level. Orientation is not my strong suit.

It’s not long until we’re standing at the entrance to where they locked up the Nephalem boy. Careful not to make the hinges squeak, we open the metal door just wide enough for us to be able to enter.

In the gloomy light from the skylights above, the young man gazes at us curiously. “Who are you?” he whispers. I think it’s funny he immediately knows we’re not one of the cultists.

“Friends,” I whisper back, holding my palms up in a show of innocence. “I’ll get those chains off you,” I say, approaching him slowly. They’re padlocked, but I can disintegrate a link or two using the ether and they’ll detach soundlessly.

“No, wait!” the boy hisses and I freeze.

“Why?” Sariel drawls, stepping to my side protectively, Itha joining right after.

“They’re going to bring their boss in to question me. It’s a demon lord insomeone’scourt. I know that much from spying on them this last year, but I don’t know who it is exactly.”

So, he knows about demons and courts and probably aboutwhathe is. Curiouser and curiouser.

Sariel leans down and removes his sunglasses. “You’re gonna get yourself killed, boy.”

The mortal on the chair rolls his eyes sassily. I kinda like him.

“You don’t scare me with those eyes. My dad’s eyes are red, imagine those glaring at you when you’re caught skipping school to hang out with the local bad boy.” The human has a shit-eating grin that's on par to the Fallen he’s talking to.

“Dad?” Itha repeats. “Your father is a demon?”

The young man tilts his head. “Yes?”

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