Pyromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts 1)

She’d feel better? Was he for real? “You kidnapped me.” How could he crouch there so casually, making it sound like it was the most normal thing in the world to drug and abduct her?

He took back the glass and left it on the nightstand. “You could put it like that.”

“There’s no other damn way of putting it.” Last night, she wanted to be with him. Now she wanted to run as far away from him as she could. “What the hell do you want?”

His lips stretched into an even wider curve, but, unlike earlier, the gesture was void of amusement. “You know what I want.”

“To ask me questions.”

He rewarded her with a look of approval. “Where’s Erwan?”

“Even if I knew where he was, I wouldn’t tell.” She glared at him. “Especially not the likes of you.”

Unaffected by the insult, he studied her for a bit. “I didn’t expect you to. I won’t ask you to betray him.”

His meaning came to her in a flash. The asshole. He was using her as bait. “You think he’ll come to you if you keep me.”

That unwavering smile seemed rather smug now. “Exactly.”

“You don’t need him. Ask me what you want to know.”

He scoffed. “Do you think I trust you to tell me the truth?”

She wanted to slap the smugness off his face. She couldn’t believe how smitten she’d been with him last night. Embarrassingly, for all her life. Crossing her arms, she held his taunting gaze. “Go to hell then.”

His eyes tightened. “Careful, little witch. You don’t want to go that route with me.”

“Or what?” She gave him a flat smile. “You’ll inject me with drugs and kidnap me? Oh, wait. You’ve already done that. I guess you’re out of options, Joss.”

He fixed her with a look. “There are other things I could do to you.”

What a fool she’d been, giving him her heart and her first of everything. “You’ve already done your worst,” she said under her breath.

His words were measured, delivered in that soft, even tone that always made the world go quiet. “Not by a long shot.”

He really had no idea. He had no recollection of last night. That was probably for the best. She’d been an idiot. Joss wasn’t who she’d thought he was. He wasn’t the man she’d dreamt about. She’d rather pretend the sex never happened.

“You’re not going anywhere until Erwan shows up and answers my questions,” he said, “so you may as well just tell me where he is.”

“What do you have to do with the investigation of the fires?”

“Do you want the truth, or a sugarcoated version that won’t strip you of your belief in the safety of your world? Most people go for the second option, and those who unwisely choose the first, always regret it.”

Ignorance wasn’t a luxury she could afford. “I want the truth.”

He straightened. “As you wish.”

“Wait.” She stared up at him. “Will you have to kill me if I know the truth?”

“Kill you? No, Clelia. I won’t kill you.” He paused. “Not for knowing the truth.”

Her heart tripped over its own beat. In other words, he would kill her if he deemed it necessary.

“No one will believe you anyway,” he continued. “According to records, our organization doesn’t exist. From our side, there’s nothing to worry about, at least not from you.”

That statement hurt just a little, to know she was so unimportant that whatever she said wouldn’t be taken seriously. “Well, then there’s no reason to hold back.”

His smirk told her he didn’t buy her bravado. “I’m heading a special task force. We’ve been commissioned to investigate the arson.”

So, that was why Joss came back. “Special task force?”

“Let’s just say we’re a last resort when the police can’t solve a crime with the normal means at their disposal. We get called in when the physical laws of nature don’t explain or support the facts.”

The fires weren’t simple arson. Her fears may not have been unfounded after all. She tried hard to keep her face even. “Like in unnatural crimes, you mean?”

“The phrase we use is paranormal.”

If his task force didn’t exist on record, they didn’t operate under any law. What would he do if he found the guilty party? Eliminate that person?

“What happens when you catch your criminals?” she asked carefully.

“Our job is to solve the crime, not to make judgment. That’s reserved for people with better morals than me.”

A trickle of sweat ran down her back. “You know the rumors about my mother. You know as much as I do.”

“I have a feeling there’s more to that story. I don’t think Erwan told everything.”

“If you were called in to solve this crime, you must believe there’s paranormal activity involved.” She cleared her voice. “Do you think it’s a firestarter?”

He only looked at her, that annoying smile intact.

“It’s me you’re after,” she said. “Leave Erwan out of this.” Her grandfather didn’t deserve to be baited and hunted.