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“Our royal did a job for a demon hunter. Look to your own kind for answers.”

“Whoever hired ya was most definitely not one my kind,” I said, smiling at him. “Someone intentionally kept me busy for the last seven years—too busy to investigate what was going on. As I said, I have a lot of questions.”

“Which we don’t have to answer,” he insisted.

Conn ran forward, barked once, and then morphed into a very large version of himself. He wore a silver mantle as well. On his head sat a golden crown that seemed alive.

“Answer her or you will answer to me,” he growled.

All nine men dropped to one knee before him. “Forgive us, lord.”

“For what?” Conn demanded. “I’ve heard nothing but cowardly denials. We saw your royal in the signature. Speak the truth.”

A female demoness appeared in front of the kneeling men. “No need to hurt them, my king. I compelled them to say nothing. They are only doing as I bade them do.”

“Is that her?” I asked Conn.

“Yes,” he answered in his demon voice.

I turned to call over my shoulder. “Rasmus, come here please.”

His footsteps shuffled on the floor as he made himself walk to where we stood. There was reluctance in every step. I don’t know who he was more afraid of, but he reeked of fear. Even I could smell his adrenalin spike.

“Remove yer compulsion from this man,” I ordered.

“But I didn’t...”

I held up a sparking hand. “We saw yer signature. It was behind his ear. I broke it but didn’t dispel it completely. Remove it before I get testy.”

Huffing at being bossed around, she stomped down the steps to our level. Keeping an eye on Conn, the pretty brunette royal went to Rasmus and grabbed his ear. She spoke a command. Moments later, he yelped and backed away.

“Who paid ya to put it there?” I asked.

The demoness looked at me and smirked. “Ask your husband. He knows the answer.”

I held up a ringless hand with sparking fingers. “Ya’re not keeping up, yer highness. I have no husband—not anymore.”

Her eyes widened at the news. I got right to the point. “Did Jack Derringer pay you to put a compulsion on this human?”

“Jack’s a good employer,” she said with a smile. “He’s paid us to do a lot of things for him and his kind.”

Grinding my teeth together was all that kept me from screaming. My ex-husband was a demon hunter who paid demons to do him favors. How long had that been going on?

I turned to Rasmus. “Ya heard her tell us a truth about Jack just now. Do ya feel any need to defend him?”

Rasmus rubbed his ear. “No, but I have a right to be confused. I worked as a hunter for years. Why would he pay off the demons we kept trying to kill?”

I rolled my eyes before turning back to the demon princess or queen or whatever they called their female royals. “Where are the missing demon hunters?”

“We don’t have them.”

“Who does?”

She looked at Conn and swallowed hard. “I am under a compulsion not to reveal her identity.”

Conn stepped toward the female. The demoness lowered her gaze. “Mercy, my lord. I was only doing as the future queen ordered.”

He lifted her chin with a single sharp talon of his clawed hand that could easily and efficiently slice her head off. The Dagda blessed Conn with the ability to subdue all demons. But this wasn’t about subjugation or putting fear into her. Headless regeneration took many centuries. That’s why she trembled where she stood. Conn would behead her for no other reason than to make sure his power was never questioned.