Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats 1)

Jaxton needed to think of another way to get free.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could use inside this room. Apart from his chair and a few cabinets, the room was pure steel. The drains in the floor only confirmed his suspicions about the purpose of this room—he reckoned that he wasn’t the first person to be interrogated here.

As he’d done with the man who’d visited him earlier, he eyed his interrogator for anything he could use. But the man was clever enough to be dressed in simple attire, without weapons.

His current interrogator noticed Jaxton’s scrutiny, walked over, and smashed his fist into Jaxton’s cheek.

Jaxton forced himself not to react to the pain and calmly spat out the blood from his mouth before testing his newly loose tooth with his tongue. The interrogator watched him, and Jaxton could tell the man was sizing up Jaxton’s current state, to see how much more he could take.

A few seconds later, the interrogator finally spoke up. “Which first-born group do you work for? Or did the first-born slut simply offer her body in exchange for your protection?”

So this one is going to bring Kiarra into it. Jaxton knew the man was trying to get a rise out of him, but Jaxton prevented himself from doing something daft, like telling the man to go fuck himself, and decided to shift the focus by using his own game of provocation.

Jaxton lifted the corner of his mouth in a half-smile. “Sorry to disappoint, mate, but women aren’t my thing.” He gave the interrogator a deliberate look. “But you and I, now there’s something I can see.”

The interrogator’s face crinkled in disdain. “Enough. As much as I enjoy beating the shit out of you, I have something that’ll break your silence.” The man walked over to one of the cabinets in the room and pulled out a laptop. After fiddling with some keys, he walked back to Jaxton’s side. “I think you’re protecting the girl, and I can prove it.”

The interrogator turned the laptop around and showed him a picture of Kiarra lying on top of a table, unconscious. Her hair was in the new cut, and her cheeks were fuller than when he’d taken her from the Cascade F-block two weeks ago, meaning that this picture was recent.

Had they really captured her? The first feelings of unease gripped his belly, but Jaxton kept outwardly calm. He needed to bluff and determine if Kiarra really was in danger. “Are surveillance photos of a sleeping woman supposed to mean something to me?”

The man said nothing, but clicked to the next photo, which showed Kiarra with a split lip and a dark bruise across her cheek.

Jaxton bit the inside of his mouth to keep his temper in check. While it was possible they’d captured Kiarra, he wasn’t about to believe them just yet; these days any bloody idiot with a computer could mess with a picture and make it look realistic.

Even if the image were doctored, just seeing a beat-up version of Kiarra didn’t sit well with him. Only because of years of training did Jaxton keep his voice calm. “I barely know her. Maybe she had it coming.”

The interrogator continued to

watch Jaxton’s face for any signs of emotion, but Jaxton kept his mask in place. Think of Kiarra. You can’t help her if you’re dead. Once he was free, he could teach this bastard a lesson, but not before.

Another click, and this time the photo showed Kiarra unconscious with her top ripped down the front. The torn material barely concealed her breasts. Jaxton bit the inside of his mouth hard enough to draw blood, and clenched his fists behind his back. If he found out that these pictures were real, he was going to kill whoever had abused her.

The interrogator gave the picture an appreciative look. “She’s a hot little thing, isn’t she? Once I’m done with you, maybe I’ll tie her up and tease her to frustration.” The interrogator leaned down and looked him dead in the eye. “It won’t be long before I’ll have that bitch begging for my cock.”

Jaxton was perilously close to losing his cool. If anyone had molested her, so help him, everyone in this facility was going to fucking pay—one way or another.

The interrogator kept his eyes trained on Jaxton’s face as he clicked again, this time showing Kiarra still unconscious, but naked from the waist up. Jaxton couldn’t tamp down his growl.

Those were Kiarra’s breasts, and they were meant for him and only him.

Jaxton tugged at his hands, but the rope held firm. He looked around the room again. The interrogator had forgotten to shut the cabinet door when he’d retrieved the laptop, and inside were trays of medical instruments. If he could find a way to stun his interrogator and get to the open cabinet, Jaxton might have a chance of getting out of here and finding Kiarra.

Jaxton focused back on his interrogator and the man gave a cool smile. “So you do care for her.” He leaned in a little closer. “Then I’m going to make this perfectly clear: For each session you refuse to answer my questions, I will bring the little first-born bitch to this room and have fun with her, right in front of you. Piss me off enough and I’m going to fuck her till she can’t walk, then bring in some of the other guards and pass her around.” The man grabbed Jaxton’s hair and yanked his head back. “Should I get her right now and prove my point?”

No fucking way in hell. Jaxton growled louder this time, his control gone as he strained against his bonds. He didn’t notice that the lights started to flicker or that the laptop sparked and went dark. “You touch her and I will fucking tear you apart.” He pulled at his bonds again, but this time they started to stretch. “I will fucking kill you.”

The man eyed the lights, but focused back on Jaxton. “Empty threats, Ward.” The man stepped away and headed for the door. “I’m going to get her right now and prove to you that I don’t bluff. I bet the first-born whore will spread her legs for me if I threaten your life.”

“No!” Jaxton shouted, causing more lights to flicker and sparks to fly. This bastard didn’t deserve to be in the same room as Kiarra, let alone touch her. Jaxton gave a final tug and the ties around his arms gave way.

His feet were still bound, but Jaxton lunged for the bastard and shouted, “You will not fucking lay a hand on her.”

Sparks had started to fly again, and the man covered his ears right before Jaxton slugged the man’s jaw. They both went down, but Jaxton kept his position on top and took hold of the man’s shoulders. He banged the man’s head against the ground. “Where is she?”

The man stared at him wide-eyed. Jaxton barely noticed the blood running from the inside of the man’s ears before he slammed him against the floor again. “Where?”

“Wh-what are you?”