Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
FINN
“ I don’t know what you mean,” she says, her voice steady but her jaw tightening just enough to betray the effort it takes. Her defiance is admirable, but there’s something else there too—a flicker of confusion that makes me pause. For a moment, I wonder if she’s telling the truth. Maybe she really doesn’t know what she’s done or what she’s become.
But then my gaze drifts, betraying me. The firelight casts a warm glow across her features, highlighting the sharp lines of her jaw and the fierce determination in her eyes. Her lips are slightly parted, still tight with anger, but full in a way that stirs something low and unwelcome in my gut. The dark waves of her hair frame her face, tumbling over her shoulders and down her back, wild and untamed like the woman herself. The dress she wears clings to her every curve, the deep red fabric emphasizing her strength and vulnerability in equal measure. She’s a contradiction in every sense—primal and raw, yet poised enough to face the three of us without flinching. My fingers twitch against the edge of the table, and I force my thoughts to steady. This isn’t the time to indulge, no matter how much my body betrays me.
But gods, it’s not easy. Everything about her—her fire, her fight, the sheer audacity she carries in every breath—sets me alight in a way that’s both maddening and magnetic. She’s dangerous. Not just because of her power but because of what she makes me feel. Feelings I swore I’d buried long ago. Feelings that I can’t afford to have.
I force my gaze back to Kael. He leans back in his chair, the flickering firelight catching the sharp edge of his jaw. His tone is calm, collected—a predator in no rush to strike. “Alright," he says coolly. "Let's take it step by step and start with the obvious? Why do you hunt our kind?”
The woman stiffens, her eyes narrowing. “Your kind? You mean soul-stealing monsters who prey on the weak?”
Torin chuckles darkly, but I can see Kael’s patience thinning. “Soul-stealing monsters,” he repeats, his voice laced with dry amusement. “How poetic. But let’s not play games. You’ve been doing this a long time, haven’t you? Tracking us, fighting us, even killing us. That takes knowledge—intimate knowledge. Where did you learn it?”
She crosses her arms, defiance rolling off her in waves. “I don’t owe you answers.”
I roll the silver ring between my fingers, watching her carefully. She’s brave, I’ll give her that, but bravery has its limits. So does Kael’s restraint. “You might want to rethink that stance,” I murmur. “He’s not asking out of politeness, you know.”
Her gaze flicks to me, fire sparking in her eyes. “And I’m not answering because I don’t care.”
Torin snorts, clearly entertained. “Feisty. I like her more every second. ”
Kael raises a hand, silencing both of us. His focus remains on her, sharp and unrelenting. “You may not care now, but you will. Why not spare yourself the trouble and tell us?”
The room feels heavier, the air charged with tension. She looks between us, weighing her options. Finally, she scoffs. “You want to know why? Fine. Because your kind destroyed everything I had. My family, my home—everything. And I won’t stop until I return the favor.”
Her voice shakes, but her resolve doesn’t. It’s almost admirable, the way she stands her ground. Almost.
Torin’s grin fades, replaced by something darker. “Destroyed everything, did we? Funny, I don’t remember you.”
“That’s because I’ve never let you get close enough,” she snaps back, her voice dripping venom.
I exchange a glance with Kael, who’s still maddeningly calm, though I can see the sharp calculation behind his eyes. This isn’t just about revenge for her—it’s personal. But how personal?
What drives someone to hunt our kind so ruthlessly, with such precision and venom? I understand vendettas, better than most. A grudge like that can hollow you out, consume everything else until it’s the only thing you’re made of. I’ve seen it in others—and felt it in myself.
For a moment, my thoughts wander, unbidden, to my own past. The taste of betrayal is something I know all too well, its bitterness lingering even now. I understand the way it poisons you, the way it sharpens every edge, every instinct. It makes you stronger, yes, but it also corrodes. It leaves scars you can’t ever heal. My fingers brush over the silver ring I wear, the cool metal grounding me. I remind myself that vendettas are double-edged. They cut deep—on both sides.
Kael’s expression doesn’t shift, but I know he’s thinking the same thing I am: there’s more to her than the rage that bubbles to the surface. And we’ll uncover every piece of it, even if it means tearing her apart to get there.
“You’re not giving us much,” I say, leaning forward slightly, letting my voice curl into something playful, mocking. “What’s stopping us from taking what we need to know?”
Her hand tightens around the goblet in front of her, knuckles whitening. She doesn’t answer immediately, her lips pressed into a thin line, but I can see the defiance in her eyes, the fire she’s so desperately trying to control. It’s almost admirable.
I glance at Kael, then back to her. “Let me guess,” I say, my tone sharpening, almost a taunt. “Warlocks killed your family, didn’t they? Your parents, maybe? A tragic little story of vengeance that keeps you up at night, burning with the need to avenge them?” The words come out crueler than I intend, but it’s the only way to mask the ache that stirs in me at the thought. If it’s true… well, I understand better than anyone what that kind of rage does to a person. It twists you. Warps you. Consumes you whole.
Her eyes snap to mine, burning with fury. “You think this is funny?” she hisses, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. “You think I’d ever tell you anything?”
I shrug, leaning back in my chair with an exaggerated casualness. “Maybe not. But it’s written all over you, huntress. That rage. That pain. You wear it like armor, and it’s only a matter of time before someone finds the cracks.”
“Careful, Finn,” Kael says quietly, though there’s no mistaking the warning in his tone. “We’re here for answers, not to bait her.”
I smirk, raising my hands in mock surrender. “Just trying to understand our guest, Alpha. She’s not exactly forthcoming.”
Sable glares at me, her chest rising and falling with barely restrained fury. “I’m not staying here,” she snaps, her voice razor-sharp. “I’ve killed your kind before, and I’ll do it again. I’ll escape, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
The room goes deathly silent. Even Torin, who’d been grinning like a madman moments ago, stills. The air thickens, tension crackling like a storm about to break.
Kael leans forward slightly, his presence heavy, commanding. “Is that so?” he asks, his voice calm but laced with steel. “You’ve killed many of our kind, have you? And yet, here you are, sitting in our realm, surrounded by us. I wonder… are you really as dangerous as you think you are?”
Her jaw tightens, and for a moment, she doesn’t speak. But then her hand clenches harder around the goblet, the faintest tremor running through her fingers. “Try me,” she growls, her voice low and dangerous, and it’s enough to make even me pause.
This woman, whoever she is, is either incredibly brave—or incredibly stupid. And I can’t decide which I like more.
Before I can react, the goblet in her hand cracks with a sharp, metallic sound. A ripple of energy surges through the air, making the flames in the fireplace flicker wildly.
“Now, that’s interesting,” I say, my voice calm despite the sudden thrill coursing through me. My gaze locks on her, intrigued. “Did you mean to do that?”
Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she schools her expression. “Stay away from me.”
Torin’s grin is back, wicked and full of anticipation. “I told you she had claws.”
Kael doesn’t move, but his presence dominates the room, a quiet force that demands attention. “It seems we’ve been underestimating you,” he says evenly. “But I think it’s time we stopped guessing.”
Her chin lifts, her defiance shining bright even as fear flashes in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
Kael stands, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the hunt. “We’re going to find out just how powerful you really are.”
The tension in the room snaps taut. Sable’s breathing quickens, but she doesn’t back down. Not yet.
“Don’t touch me,” she warns, her voice shaking slightly despite the steel in her words.
Torin rises next, his eyes gleaming with something close to madness. “Oh, I won’t lay a finger on you. Unless you beg me to.”
I follow, the silver ring in my hand spinning faster now. There’s a part of me that wants to see what she’s capable of. But another part—the smarter part—wonders if we’re about to unleash something we won’t be able to control.
Her gaze shifts between us, calculating her odds. Fear churns in her gut—I can see it in the way her hands clench at her sides—but she doesn’t flinch.
This one doesn’t break easily.
And that, I think, might be her greatest mistake.