Page 78 of Blackwood

Celeste doesn’t flinch. She begins to slither with the patience of a predator. Moving up his trembling chest and around his neck. His eyes roll as he tries to suck in a breath. Every inch ofhim straining away from the cool, coiling body now brushing his jaw.

“Let’s see what my girl finds.”

Celeste reaches his neck and pauses, her smooth body coiled like a necklace of nightmares. Her head tilts back toward Sabine like she’s asking permission.

I glance over, confused as hell. “Uh…”

Sabine just nods once. Celeste sticks her fangs deep into the flesh of Carlos’s neck. He lets out a scream through the gag, jerking in the chair like he’s been electrocuted.

“Shit!” I jump back, eyes wide. “Please tell me that thing didn’t just take my revenge from me.”

Sabine steps closer, admiring her little pet. “No, chérie. There’s no venom in Celeste. But you were right.”

She leans down and lifts the snake off of him.

“His soul is pure evil.”

“Great,” I mutter, brushing invisible dust off my jeans. “Now that we got that out of the way.” I step forward and yank the gag down from Carlos’s mouth.

“You bitch,” he spits immediately, face red and furious. “Fucking psycho slut—”

“Wow,” I cut him off, my tone almost bored. “That is no way to talk to someone who literally has your life in her fucking hands. But okay.” I motion toward the snake curling up Sabine’s arm. “If you’d rather talk to Celeste.”

“No, no!” Carlos panics, eyes flicking to the serpent like she’s about to strike again.

“Then let’s try this again.” I crouch, voice dropping. “Where is Vince?”

He scoffs. “How the fuck should I know? You and your brother got me locked up, remember?”

The second he saysbrother,rage ignites in my chest. The blade slides into his thigh before I even register the motion.Carlos screams, body bucking, and blood seeps fast down his pants.

“See, I just don’t believe you, Carlos.” I twist the handle slightly, just enough to make him scream again. “That’s the thing about liars. They always forget the details.”

“I haven’t talked to Vince since I got in, I swear,” he sobs. “I don’t even know where he is.”

I stare at him a beat longer, the copper tang of blood already coating the air. He looks pathetic. Broken. But pathetic doesn’t mean honest.

I glance sideways at Sabine. “Got any snakes that can tell if a man is lyin’?”

“No snakes like that here, sorry honey.”

“Hmm. Okay, Carlos. Next question. Since you don’t know where Vince is, answer me this, did you do it?”

“Did I do what, bitch?” he says and spits at the floor.

Wrong answer.

I rip the blade out of his thigh with one clean pull. His scream bounces off the cabin walls. I move it up and slice a thin, slow line straight down his chest. Blood blossoms immediately.

His scream turns to whimpering. I press the tip of the blade to his crotch, not hard, but enough to make the threat clear.

“Call me a bitch again,” I whisper, smiling sweetly, “and your pathetic excuse for a cock goesbye-bye. You understand?”

“Please! No!” he cries, panic flooding his voice. “Please!”

“Then answer the fucking question.” My voice cracks like a whip. “Did you do it, Carlos?”

He gulps, voice lower now. Careful. He’s learning. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”