Page 19 of Alien Devil's Wrath
“They were beautiful, you see. Intelligent. Rare.” My tone went flat, clinical. “Everything that made them special also made them perfect subjects for someone who enjoyed sophisticated cruelty.”
“He tortured them.”
“For entertainment. To show dinner guests how exotic his collection was. Not just pretty creatures in cages, but thinkingbeings who could truly suffer.” I flexed my bandaged hand, remembering. “He especially enjoyed my distress when I tried to intervene. That was almost as entertaining as their pain.”
Zarek’s breathing had changed, his grip on my hand becoming protective rather than gentle. The iron-grey traceries on his arms stood out sharp in the dim light.
“I tried reasoning with him at first. Begging. Even offered to take punishments in their places.” I looked up at Zarek, my smile sharp. “But he enjoyed watching me break almost as much as watching them die.”
“So you decided to put him down.”
“Like the rabid animal he was.” My voice carried genuine satisfaction at the memory. “I’d been studying the plants in his gardens, you see. Learning which ones produced the most useful compounds. There was this lovely vine that grew near the water features. Its sap looked like liquid silver, and just a few drops caused complete nervous system paralysis.”
I traced patterns on his palm while I spoke, remembering the planning, the anticipation.
“I mixed it into his wine during one of his dinner parties. Had to sit there making polite conversation while I watched him drink poison, sip by careful sip. The paralysis started in his fingers, exactly as intended, and spread inward from there.”
“But he survived.”
“The concentration wasn’t sufficient for his body mass.” Genuine regret colored my voice. Not for the attempt, but for the miscalculation. “He convulsed for hours, lost all control of his bodily functions, probably experienced exquisite agony. But his physician had access to advanced medical support, and by morning he was stable enough to have me arrested.”
I looked up at Zarek, meeting his gaze directly.
“My only regret is the flawed methodology. I had one opportunity, and I wasted it on insufficient preparation.”
He was quiet for a long moment, studying my face in the dim light. When he spoke, his voice was rough.
“That’s why you want off this rock.”
“Exactly. He’s still out there, still breathing, still collecting beautiful things to break. That’s unacceptable.”
Understanding flickered across his features. “You’re not seeking freedom. You’re finishing an interrupted experiment.”
“Precisely.” I smiled at him, pleased that he understood so easily. “I learned so much during my first attempt. About dosages, about timing, about the importance of multiple contingency plans. The next application will be much more successful.”
The silence stretched between us, heavy and electric. We were both killers, both driven by unfinished business that had nothing to do with justice and everything to do with settling scores.
His thumb continued tracing across my knuckles, the gesture absent but possessive.
He spoke with finality. “Once we are clear of this world, you’ll need transportation. Contacts. Resources for a proper hunt.”
The offer hung in the air between us, more generous than I’d dared hope for.
“Are you volunteering to provide support?” I asked, tilting my head to study his face.
His answer was simple, devastating in its certainty.
“I’m volunteering to watch you work.”
The words settled deep in my chest, dark and wonderful and exactly what I’d been craving without knowing it. Someone who understood that some experiments were worth completing, no matter how long they took.
Someone who wouldn’t try to talk me out of necessary research, or my necessary vengeance, but would stand witness to it instead.
ZAREK
We sat in the quiet alcove for another moment, her hand still in mine, the weight of our shared understanding settling between us. But the practical reality of our situation couldn’t be ignored forever.
“We should keep moving,” she said finally, though she made no effort to pull away. “The patrols will notice their missing squad soon.”
