Page 119 of Vipers and Vendettas
I grab him by his throat and pick him up like a doll, shaking him.
‘You’ve betrayed us for the last time!’
Robertson’s mouth opens as he tries in vain to breathe. He claws ineffectually at my arm, and I grin at his suffering.
‘Shit! Maddox, let him go! He might know something.’
Daemon has a point. I drop the turncoat butler with a grunt, and he falls to the ground, coughing and wheezing.
‘Where is our mate!’ Daemon shouts, kicking him hard in the ribs.
‘Mercy,’ Robertson yells. ‘Mercy!’
‘You deserve no mercy,’ Krase thunders. ‘You gave us none.’
I lean over him. ‘Tell us where Jules is.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispers. ‘Tamadrielle took her when the hellhound appeared.’
‘Where?’
He sits up with great effort. ‘I have a key …’
‘Three times you’ve led enemies through our gates,’ I snarl.
‘Tamadrielle had my family. I had to do what he wanted. But … they’re dead.’ He closes his eyes. ‘I hoped they weren’t, but I suppose I knew it, really.’
I look up to see Iron walking around the edge of the fountain, helping Axel, who’s leaning on him heavily.
‘Robertson only stunned him. He’ll be fine in a few minutes.’
I turn back to Robertson to find his eyes open and vacant.
Iron sinks to the ground beside the body and takes something from Robertson’s pocket. He shows it to us. ‘This isn’t a link key, but it is a way to get past the border spells that are likely around Tamadrielle’s home. We just have to find where that is.’
Krase clears his throat. ‘I know where Jules is,’ he says.
My eyes narrow. ‘How?’
‘I put a tracker on her last week. I thought she might try to leave us again, and I didn’t want it to be another three months until we found her.’
‘Won’t the fae find it?’ I ask, deciding to deal with his clandestine activities where Jules is concerned after we get her back.
‘It’s not a conjure; it’s a piece of tech that Paris gave me.’
I raise a brow, but don’t say anything. Finding Jules is our first priority.
‘What now?’ Daemon asks.
‘Call your brother and tell him to come now,’ I say. ‘We’ll go to war with the Ten if we have to, but we’re getting Jules back.’
* * *
Jules
This time, I don’t stand when Toramun comes, but he doesn’t do anything but throw a sack dress at me.
‘The kitchens?’ I scoff. ‘Really?’
