CHAPTER NINETEEN
– SEVRIN –
The genie in the bottle in this case isn’t exactly accurate.
Asra’s daughter, who we found out is also named Asra, has the ability to grant humans one wish.
When the human’s wish is granted, they get five years to live their life before they die.
The genie gains the rest of the human’s would-be life years added.
It’s the way they maintain their mortality and youth.
Well, they have a maximum of a century or two. Then they pick a human to get pregnant. When their child is an adult, their powers are transferred to them and the mother will become human and will die a normal death.
Since Asra’s mother was killed, her powers were instantly transferred to her daughter, probably jumpstarting her growth into an adult. With the guidance of Cassius she could have developed and learned to use her powers, gaining strength with each wish.
“Do you want to go in?” I ask Fosca, giving her the choice of watching through the window or being a part of putting pressure on the genie to get some answers.
Fosca waves her hand. “You guys do what you do. I’ll stay here and watch.”
“Shock,” I rumble our enforcer’s name and he steps forward.
Levan is still eying my old lady. “Why only watch? I’m sure as a medical examiner you know exactly how to inflict pain.”
“True. I’m sure I’d make it last longer instead of you chomping on limbs. Are you able to restrain yourself once you scent blood?” Fosca sends him a sugary sweet smile.
“Levan, inside. Now,” I snap, not liking the tension between those two.
“She started it,” Levan mutters under his breath as he walks past me.
“Did not,” Fosca states.
I raise my eyebrow at the childish remark and she simply shrugs. “He’s an annoying asshole who is repeatedly screwing my friend. I have no clue if it’s in a good way or if he’s...”
Levan pops his head around the doorjamb. “Oh, it’s in a good way all right. She’s not yours, she’s all mine now.”
“Like I said, annoying asshole,” Fosca growls.
I shut the door in Levan’s face and turn to Fosca.
“Levan is an annoying asshole and smells blood like the damn shark he is when he’s able to aggravate people.
I do know one thing, though. The part where you’re concerned about your friend, the dolphin shifter?
I can guarantee you have nothing to worry about. ”
She frowns and glances through the window at the man in question. “How can you be sure?”
“Mating for a great white shark shifter has a bit of a mystery to it. He never talks about having sex either, I’ve never seen him getting down and dirty with a woman either, and that’s all I know.
So, for him to acknowledge it? Damn well throw out she’s his now?
I wouldn’t worry about it and let them handle their own business. ”
“Fine,” she huffs.
I step closer and sneak my arm around her waist to pull her flush against me. She comes willingly and tips her head back, drawing me in with those pink lush lips. I take her mouth and groan when she rubs her tongue against mine.
My cock is rock hard, wanting inside her tight pussy. It’s pure torture to know now is not the time. Pulling back, I place my forehead against hers. She’s breathing hard, lust swirling in her eyes the way it’s running hot through my veins.
“Let’s get this over with so we’ll have time for other fun stuff,” I breathe.
She tugs at my denim vest. “Take your time. Remember what you told me. She might not have beheaded Holton, but she sure as hell made it possible for someone to kill him.”
“She’ll pay for his murder,” I vow and feather my lips against hers before I head into the room.
Slamming the door shut behind me, I flip the switch on the wall so Fosca is able to hear what goes on inside the walls of this room.
Grabbing a steel rod, I hold it in front of my VP. “Karev, mind heating this thing up for me?”
Karev partly shifts to let a hellhound head appear.
Opening its mouth, it releases a stream of fire, making the tip of the rod turn orange.
I give him an appreciating nod and take a step in the genie’s direction.
Without warning, I press the rod against one of her eyes.
She screams and the scent of burned skin fills the room.
“Ready to answer some questions or do you want me to take your other eye too?” I ask, knowing blinding her will dissolve her powers.
“S-stop. Y-you can’t do this,” she stutters and whimpers in pain.
There is no pity for this woman. Like Fosca mentioned before I stepped into this room; the genie might not have killed him, but she sure as fuck helped.
Anger is boiling to the surface and I let the still hot rod graze the cheek of her good eye.
“It was a simple yes or no question. Are we going to end everything here and now? Or are you going to cooperate? I know for a fact Cassius doesn’t give a shit about you.
He’s been using you ever since he murdered your mother so he could raise you as his own. ”
“Lies,” she screeches. “All lies. Y-you are the one who k-killed my mother. N-not Cassius.”
“Brainwashed,” Levan mutters. “What a surprise.”
Her head turns in his direction and she spits on the floor near his feet. “You guys are the ones who are brainwashed.”
“Take out her other eye. Kill her magic so I can tap into her brain to see what she knows. I’m sick of this bullshit. She won’t accept the truth from us anyway,” Triton states.
The genie sucks in a breath, and then stutters, “No. P-please. N-not the Triva d-descendant.”
She starts to tug at her bindings and tilts her head back in a failing attempt to peek under the blindfold.
“Then start fuckin’ talking,” I snarl.
Getting annoyed, I have to agree with Triton...taking away her magic would make it possible for him to dig through her past. She’s not going to freely give this information, and torturing her doesn’t seem to motivate her.
She shakes her head and whimpers, “I...I c-can’t. He’ll kill me.”
Leaning in, I snarl, “Then what the fuck do you think we’re gonna do? Have tea and give you a damn foot rub after I take out your other eye and Triton has sucked your brain of all the information you’re not telling us?”
She screams and trashes in the chair she’s bound to. “Noooooo. You lie. Y-you’re going to kill me anyway. I hate you. You killed my mother. I’d rather die than help you.”
I tilt the rod in my VP’s direction and he partly shifts again to turn the tip into an orange glow. Her screams shift from anger to pain followed by a purple glow surrounding her. The glow implodes and she sags against the bindings.
“Finally,” Triton murmurs and steps forward.
The woman doesn’t so much as twitch when he touches her temple. She’s human now and the pain of her eyes, along with having her power ripped from her, must have knocked her out.
Red, crackling fire bounces from Triton’s fingertips as his eyes glass over.
He hums while the woman starts to shake and moan in pain.
Without her powers she won’t be able to have a healing ability.
She’s mortal now, and it shows when Triton breaks the connection, causing her to pass out cold once again.
Triton rolls his shoulders. “As we suspected, Cassius raised her. He filled her head with lies and painted a world where we were the enemy. He used her ability to gain loyal men. She showed her powers, promised them one wish if they would work for Cassius. Obviously the fuckers didn’t know they would also be paying with their lives. ”
“Do you have a location of those humans?” Shock asks.
Triton ignores our enforcer’s question when he turns to me.
“They don’t know where your niece is, but they do know your old lady is pregnant.
Oh, and Dave along with the two medical examiners who are missing?
Dead. We need to keep Fosca close. I couldn’t get any information from the woman because he shut her out the second he became aware of Fosca’s pregnancy.
” He turns to face Shock. “I have the location of the humans. They need to be taken care of. They’re dead anyway, but as of now they are the eyes and ears of Cassius, allowing that fucker to keep one step ahead of us. ”
“Then let’s take ’em out and make sure he’s lost the advantage,” Karev snarls.
I jerk my chin in the direction of the woman still bound to the chair. “We’ll deal with this one first.”
“I’ll dump her at the hospital. She’s mortal, blind, and has lost all memory of the past few months.
Yes, in case you’re wondering...I deliberately removed her memories of us, and her time spent in this town, just to be safe.
” Triton shrugs. “I thought it be easier to dump her ass at the hospital than to get rid of a body.”
I glance around to check my brothers and they all nod. Unanimous agreement.
“Fine. We dump the woman and then we’ll take out the humans working for Cassius,” I tell them.
The door opens and Fosca’s voice fills the room. “And then we’ll use me to draw him out so we can kill him.”
“Fuck no,” I snarl.