Page 132 of A Taste of Bliss

“You want to help Jordan, don’t you? That’s always what you’ve wanted?”

Jinx nods, tears starting to leak down his cheek. “Yes.”

“You’re trying to help him now, aren’t you? You want to make sure he’s safe, right?” My voice is soft and kind.

He nods again and doesn’t stop. Tears continue to fall freely as he rocks in his chair. “I’m protecting him.”

“You’re afraid of what could happen to him?”

“Yes, yes, I want to make sure he’s safe.”

“I can help you with that,” I say, reaching out across the table. “Let me help you.”

Jinx clasps my hand in his awkwardly due to the shackles, but the contact helps me focus my powers on him. “What was Jordan’s plan?”

“To take you and Voracious Maw down, so that Dead Hearts would have a better shot.”

“And how was he doing this?”

“By framing Voracious Maw for murder.”

Grim motions for me to keep going. “Anything else?” I ask, my eyes going back to Jinx.

“The hexes. We were hoping you’d both pull out of the festival. And it would make you look guilty for leaving after the dead body showed up. But then you didn’t, so he killed again.”

“Jinx, we want to help Jordan. We want to bring him in safely and get him some help. Where is he?”

Jinx shakes his head, full-on sobbing now. “I don’t know. He left me. He left me here. I don’t know—I can’t help him anymore.”

“Yes, yes, you can, you can still help.” I squeeze his hand. “Is there anything you can think of that would help us find him?” I push what I have left into him, letting him stand on the edge before falling too far into a desperate oblivion where his mind will be useless. I don’t know how I know, but if he goes over that edge, there’s no coming back.

Carefully, ever so carefully, I push a little sprig of hope towards him.

It’s enough. His eyes snap to mine, and he nods, a soft smile breaking across his face. “You can track him.” Jinx looks around at Grim’s team. “He summoned a wraith to do some of his dirty work. You can track the magical signature.”

“Great job, Bliss,” Grim says, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “Let him go now.”

I withdraw my persuasion and unclasp his hand. Jinx blinks a few times like he’s sobering up. His face scrunches in pain. He’ll have a hell of an emotional hangover now.

“Oh stars,” he swears, slumping into his seat. “What have I done?”

“Take him now,” Grim orders to someone behind me. I’m almost completely spent. Amelia helps me out of the chair and into an armchair in the living room, as Pinkie and Bell start escorting Jinx out, probably taking him to some sort of holding facility in the fae realm.

I try to meet Pisces’ eyes, but he’s staring at the floor. I wouldn’t mind seeing if he’ll help me feed later, but he won’t look at me.

A yelp sounds out as Bell is pushed into a wall and Jinx rips his way out of Pinkie’s hold. He heads straight at me, using his cuffed hands to grip me by the collar. “What the fuck did you make me do, you whore?” he yells at me, slamming me up against a wall.

“Bliss!” Grim yells out. I look up and see him running my way. Jinx is ripped off me before Grim can get to me, Pisces throwing him to the ground. I can’t seem to take my eyes off the two of them as Pisces rips into Jinx, the sounds he’s making threatening to make me sick.

“Stop, Pisces!” Pinkie yells, trying to get Pisces off Jinx, but he doesn’t stop.

Oh my stars.

He’s eating him. Literally eating him.

I stumble forward on unsteady feet, trying to push Pisces off Jinx, even though he definitely deserves it. Pisces snarls at me, whipping his head around to look at me, his siren teeth gnashing together, and his eyes so dark they almost look black. I stop myself from recoiling. I put my hand on him.

“Pisces,” I say, trying to get his attention, but he goes back to eating. Jinx’s arm is in his mouth and he’s practically chewed it off at the elbow.