Page 98 of Hunted By Fear

I can’t smell her arousal as an emotion the way Bast can, but I can smell her physical arousal and hear the way her heart ispounding. Not to mention, I can smell both Bast and Talian all over her as if they are one being, not three.

Disgusting.

My lip curls as I look her over before turning away and letting her once again fall into step behind me. The faster we get this over with, the better.

How is she so slow? I glance back to find her almost jogging to keep up despite me slowing my stride.

It must be her short legs; she is rather small.

I should have teleported us there to save time, but that required touching her, and that’s not something I wanted to do. She smells of Bast and Talian enough that I don’t need to add my own scent.

Aerilyn almost jumps out of her skin as a low growl is ripped from deep in my chest, and I find myself annoyed at both of us.

Moving faster, she falls behind but doesn’t complain. She’s never been one to complain. Since the day I met her, she’s happily taken whatever she could and ran with it, literally.

The dungeon is, unfortunately, huge. Spanning the whole of the castle, down about one hundred stairs, and again, I should have teleported. I’m still tempted to know that we’ve reached the stairs. It’s not as if she can get lost; there’s only one way in and out, and even if she wandered the halls for a while, eventually she would find the cell she needs, and if she didn’t, well then I would intervene.

No.

That could make this take longer. Not to mention, I have no idea who else might be housed in these cells.

This isn’t for souls who are awaiting punishment; these cells hold those Lucifer personally has grievances with.

My words to Talian and Bast play back in my mind.

Yes, letting the mortal play in the dungeon might not be such a great idea.

There have to be hundreds of cells, completely unnecessary. I’ve never seen it house more than fifteen before, but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, and it’s not as if he’s short on space.

The cells line the walls the moment you hit the ground at the bottom of the stairs and go on as far as the eye can see. At the end of this hall, it curves to the right and once again runs all the way back before continuing on four more times to have six halls in total. The very end is a huge cell with more magical wards than I’ve ever seen, enough to hold even Lucifer, though I have no idea what it could be needed for, but it’s there.

It’s dark and damp; everything is carved from the obsidian that’s naturally found in the ground. Torches are placed on the wall between each cell, spelled to never burn out, but it’s hardly enough light to reach into the cell, only meant to help those walking the hall.

The bars are thick and also spelled; nothing gets out, apparently not even the divine.

Lucifer didn’t tell me where she was, just that she was down here, but she’s easy enough to find. I know her power; it’s familiar in a way that only comes from knowing someone for thousands of years.

I hate it.

I wish I could take the familiarity and rip it out of me.

My steps falter for a moment, not long enough for Aerilyn to notice, as she’s still a few feet away. I quickly regain my composure and continue down the hall as I reach out to Lucifer.

He ignores me. I’m not surprised, but I am growing more annoyed by the second.

So annoyed that I don’t even realize we’ve reached her cell until I hear Aerilyn.

“Lea!?”

She stops dead as if she’s run into some invisible force, and even in the low light of the scarce torches, I see the way the blood drains from her face.

“Aeri!” Lea is up and across the small cell in seconds, gripping the bars, her face pressed against them as if trying to get a better look.

Looking at her makes my skin crawl and my powers pulse. Only years of keeping myself in check stop me from going in there and ripping her apart.

“Aeri, by the devil, I never thought I would see you again!” Tears well in Lea’s eyes as they roam over Aerilyn as if attempting to see if she’s real. It would be a dirty trick to play, but it is possible.

After all, torture is his specialty.