Burn (Dark in You 1)

Knox tried not to tense. “No, I haven’t.”

His tone didn’t welcome further questioning. Harper folded her arms across her chest. “You know, it’s shitty of you to do that. Since the first day we met, you’ve done nothing but quiz me about my family, my life, and my past. I didn’t ask you many questions, because I wasn’t planning to form the bond, so I didn’t see the point in getting to know you. We’re officially anchors now. Don’t you think it’s only fair for me to get to know you too?”

Picking up his glass, he swirled it a little. “You do know me.”

“I know you’re a dominant control freak who likes to always have his way.”

“You know many of the rumors about me are true. You also know that I spent a lot of my childhood in a children’s home for strays.”

She tilted her head. “What about your parents?”

“They’re dead. Have been for a very long time.”

She frowned. “Why didn’t you stay with your lair when they died?”

“I wasn’t part of a lair then.” He’d been part of something pure evil.

Harper sensed that to probe further into his childhood would make him shut down. She wanted to hear more about his life. “What happened when you left the children’s home with the sentinels? Did you all join a lair?”

“No. We considered ourselves strays, integrated ourselves into the human world.”

“A world you more or less conquered.”

He drank a little of his wine. “I suppose you could say I’ve achieved many things.”

“Ruthlessly.”

He smiled, admitting, “Yes.”

He’d gotten where he was through his own efforts and determination. Harper could respect that. “And the fact that you were seen as a power in your own right made demons gravitate toward you.”

He nodded. “Then, before I knew it, I was the Prime of a lair. A lair which has grown over the years.”

He was so uncomfortable talking about himself that it was almost amusing. “You can relax. I’m done.” She smiled. “For now.”

His eyes narrowed, glittering with humor. “So very tenacious.”

“Why, thank you.”

Knox? It was Keenan.

Yes?

I’ve got news you’re gonna want to hear. Call the others. I’ll be twenty minutes.

“I’m guessing there was some telepathing going on,” said Harper. “I felt the echo of the conversation because our minds are connected, but I couldn’t make out the words.” It was weird.

Knox raised his brows, once again surprised. “Strange. Apparently, Keenan has information. I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.”

By the time Keenan arrived at the mansion, Larkin, Tanner, and Levi were already waiting in the living area with Knox and Harper. “Tell me,” said Knox.

Keenan flopped on the sofa next to Larkin. “You know all the missing strays? They’ve been found.”

“Found?” echoed Levi. “Alive?”

“Yes.”

Tanner leaned forward. “When?”

“A few hours ago,” replied Keenan. “They were all in a warehouse in some kind of induced coma.”

“Are they awake now?” asked Larkin.

Keenan nodded. “But it seems that they don’t remember a single moment of their capture. The last memory each of them have is of what they were doing just before they were taken.”

Harper spoke then. “Wait, who found them?”

Keenan’s smile had a cynical edge to it. “Isla.” He looked at Knox. “And you can imagine just how grateful and indebted the strays now feel toward their savior, who managed to find them when no one else could.”

“If you ask me, she was the one to take them in the first place,” said Larkin. “She’s not dumb; she knew that no Prime would wish to give up power. She knew that to get what she wanted, she’d have to include every demon in America in the voting. Finding the missing strays will certainly earn her some votes.”

Levi nodded. “I agree. Isla planned this. It’s part of her scheme to win the favor of the demon community.”

“How successful have Isla, Malden, and Dario’s campaigns been so far?” Harper asked, suspecting the sentinels would have kept a close eye on things.

“People are dubious,” replied Tanner. “But that could change when the three Primes present their cases this weekend.”

Larkin looked at Knox. “What’s the itinerary for the weekend?”

Knox took the seat beside Harper. “Malden will present his case on Friday. Isla will present hers on Saturday. And Dario will give his on Sunday. Each statement will be recorded live so that the demons outside the hotel can watch it on various big screens around the Underground.”

“What promises do you think they’ll make to the public?” Harper asked Knox.

“Plenty of very appealing ones. But I strongly doubt they would intend to keep any of those promises. Let’s hope the public see that.”

CHAPTER TEN

Glancing around the reception area, Harper saw that the Underground hotel hosting the gathering was just as ritzy and luxurious as Knox’s hotels on the Vegas strip. The only difference was that the demons didn’t have to hide their true natures here. It was simple things, like they didn’t have to pretend they were physically struggling to carry their luggage, to big things like the doormen/sentries could be in their hellhound form.