“Are we?” I raised my brows. “If that’s the case, we may as well just kill you. You know, might as well fully commit or some shit.”

Ash forced the Revenant’s attention back to him. “And guess what, fucker?” His smile was pure smoke and ice. “We know how to kill you.”

Nektas neared the bars. “I’m more than willing to open a vein.”

“He’s helpful like that,” I said as Ash released the Revenant’s hair and stood.

Unease skittered across Callum’s features, tightening the skin at the corners of his eyes and mouth.

“Or we can return you to Dalos before we’ve actually violated anything,” I said. “But to do that, you’re going to need to answer some questions.”

Callum said nothing as his glare locked on me.

“Why were you at Wayfair?” I asked.

“Why are you still alive?” he replied.

Ash slammed his booted foot down on Callum’s hand. The crack of several bones made me wince as the Revenant shouted. “For each question you refuse, another bone gets broken.” A lock of hair fell against his cheek. “Understand?”

Callum clamped his mouth shut.

Ash tsked softly under his breath. “Let me ask you again.” He ground his boot down. Blood drained from Callum’s face. “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Callum rasped.

“Thank you.” Ash lifted his boot, and his eyes met mine. “Go ahead.”

“Why do I find you so…hot right now?” I asked.

“Fucking Fates,” Rhain muttered from the hall.

Ash winked, and that didn’t really help me behave appropriately.

I shook my head as he began circling Callum’s body. “Why were you there?”

“I wanted to visit your mother,” he said. “I find her quite interesting.”

My head tilted to the side. “Come on, now.”

The sharp crack of bone drew a shout from Callum. Ash had stomped his foot. “I…I answered her question.”

“You’re spewing bullshit.” Slowly, Ash lifted his boot. “That’s not going to fly either. Keep it up, and the femur bone will be next. That’s the most painful one to break.” Edges of his hair slid across his jaw. “It’s my favorite.”

Callum’s lifeless blue eyes darted between Ash and me. “You two…are perfect for each other.”

My smile was more genuine. “Aren’t we, though?”

Sweat beaded Callum’s upper lip as he shuddered. “I visit Carsodonia whenever I…I can.” His stare fixed on the ceiling. “It’s where I’m from.”

“I know where you’re from, jackass.” I sat beside him. “That doesn’t explain why you were at Wayfair.”

Callum’s gaze darted to where Ash had stopped. He stood by his hip and thigh. “Kolis didn’t…ask me to go.”

“Okay…” I waited for more of an answer.

“You’d better keep talking,” Attes advised. “Nyktos is eyeing that bone of yours.”

“You’re a traitor.” Callum lifted his head. “A fucking—”

I snapped my fingers in Callum’s face. “Focus.”

“I already told you the truth,” he spat. “The former Queen makes for an enjoyable companion.”

Ash lifted his boot.

“She does! She requires no idle chit-chat when with her,” he said in a rush. “I can just walk the gardens or sit with her in fucking silence.”

I held up a hand, stopping Ash. “You could do that by yourself.”

“And where would I stay? It’s not like there are many places there with spare rooms, and your inns are shit.” The faint glow of eather pulsed behind his pupils. “They were shit when I lived there.” His upper lip curled. “Besides, I wanted to see her once more.”

I lowered my hand as the sensation of cold fingers tiptoed down my spine. “Once more? What does that mean?”

His stare held mine for a moment and then flicked away. “I figured I wouldn’t be making many trips to the mortal realm for the foreseeable future.” He closed his eyes, his features tensing. “And your mother? She respects me.”

“Because she thought you were a god.”

“So?” Tension bracketed the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t think you would show up. I figured you’d be busy making…bad choices.”

Someone who sounded like Attes chuckled under his breath.

I eyed the Revenant. My foresight was silent, so I looked at Nektas, remembering how sensitive the draken’s senses were. “What do you think?”

“All I smell is the stench of pain and death,” he said. “It’s masking everything else.”

Callum wheezed out a laugh. “You make it…sound like I smell bad.”

I pressed my lips together. Part of me thought Callum was telling the truth, and that was kind of sad. “Why weren’t you by Kolis’s side?”

“He’s been…in a mood.” Callum tracked Ash as the Primal resumed his prowling. “I bet you can guess why.”

Attes had said that Kolis hadn’t shown up at Court, most likely holing up in the Sanctuary alone. But…

“It seems rather strange that you’d take a vacation while Kolis is about to lose his authority,” I pointed out.

“Seems rather strange to me that…” Callum drew in a ragged breath. “That you think Kolis will lose anything.”

Ash stepped on Callum’s broken hand.

The Revenant howled, kicking his head back. “Fuck.”

“He is going to lose everything,” I said.

Breathing heavily, Callum turned his head toward me. “I want…my sister’s soul.”

“Why?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Attes move toward the cell. “So she can be reborn and terrorized by Kolis? Held captive?” My anger rose. “Stripped of all choice and free will? Assaulted? That’s what you want? Fuck you.”

His nostrils flared as he looked away.

I had to rein in my anger. We were running out of time, and there was something I needed to know. “Why did you tell my mother how a Primal can be killed?”

“That is a very interesting question,” Attes noted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Callum answered.

“Bullshit,” I spat. “You told my mother that a Primal can be killed by someone they love. Something no mortal knew until you opened your mouth.”

Callum’s eyes closed. “I didn’t say shit.”

Spinning, Ash drove his foot down on Callum’s left thigh. The sickening crack of bone, and the Revenant’s hoarse shout, echoed through the underground lair.

“Clearly, you’re worried about Kolis finding out what you did. He’s not your problem right now, though. We are. So, do you want to rethink that answer?” I suggested.

The Revenant’s flesh was pasty and damp with sweat. “There’s…nothing to rethink.”

Callum’s other thigh snapped, followed by his right hand and left arm. By the time Rhain warned us about the time, every bone in his limbs had been shattered.

And still, the bastard kept up with the lie.

The realization that I wasn’t going to get an answer from him drove me to my feet. Rhain had started to pace nervously in the hall.

“Sera,” Ash warned softly.

“I know.” Anger rippled through me as I once more knelt by Callum’s head. “You still conscious?”

“How can I not be?” Each breath was ragged. “When…someone keeps breaking my bones.”

I gripped his chin, forcing his head toward me. Two watery blue eyes locked on mine. “I want you to listen to me, Callum. If you go near my family again, for any reason, I will kill you. Eirini be damned. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

“Thank you.” I released his jaw and unsheathed the Ancient-bone dagger.

And drove it through the center of his forehead.

He didn’t say a word or even have a chance to blink. He died for the…who knew what time today, his eyes open wide.

Wrenching the dagger free, I cleaned the blade on an unstained section of his tunic. “I hope he wakes up with a headache. Otherwise, this was a giant waste of time.”

“You think he was telling the truth about his reason for being in Lasania?” Ash asked as he released Callum’s limp body from the chains.

“Who knows?” I muttered, sheathing the dagger.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was telling the truth,” Attes said, entering the cell. “He’s not openly disrespected in Dalos, but none of the gods who frequent the Court like him. They don’t like anyone they view as being favored by Kolis.”