The stench of fear permeated the air, so acrid it turned Drake’s stomach. Never mind that it was his own.

Above him, the single bare bulb hung from the basement’s ceiling, every now and then swinging with the vibrations of the people walking on the upper floor. Sometimes, when someone banged a door above, fine dust would drizzle down on his sweat-slick, blood-encrusted skin.

I’m fucked. That realization should have been a given when Seth’s men grabbed him, but he’d held on to the sliver of hope that maybe he’d be able to escape later. He looked again at the magic-infused manacles shackling his arms and legs to the metal table. Yeah, not very likely.

The door to the basement opened, and warm light spilled in, before a shadow blocked the view of the hall beyond. The pranagraha male closed the door, and his heavy footsteps thudded on the stairs while he descended into the basement.

Stepping into the cone of light from the lone bulb, Seth gave Drake’s shackled form a once-over, his blue eyes as cold as glacial ice.

“I see you’ve stopped struggling against the restraints. Smart.” He turned his back on the table, and the clink of metal echoed in the dank room. “Perhaps you’re ready to tell me what you did with the serum.”

Drake craned his head to see what Seth was picking up from what looked like a small tray on a sideboard along the wall. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Games.” A flash of light glinted off a blade Seth raised to slide over the thumb of his other hand. Blood pooled along the small cut. He licked it off. “Thing is, Drake, I enjoy playing. Do you?”

A shiver started deep inside him, spreading outward to rattle the manacles around his wrists. “I didn’t do anything. I swear.”

“You know me,” Seth said, facing the table again, the wicked sharp hunting knife still in his raised hand. “You know not to take me for a fool. You stole the serum. You ran away with it.” He waved the blade nonchalantly. “Probably to use it on a witch without our sanction. Was it because you’re an especially impatient idiot and didn’t want to wait your turn, or is it perhaps that you wanted that particular witch for yourself, and didn’t want to risk someone else winning the bid for her?”

Drake gritted his teeth to keep from answering, but of course Seth noticed.

“So that’s it.” Seth’s cold smile sent frost into Drake’s veins. “You covet a special witch. Tell me, have you used the serum on her already?”

“I’m not gonna tell you anything.” If he did get out of here by some miracle, it wouldn’t do to have blabbed about Lily. He could still claim her for himself.

“Oh, you’ll talk.” He lowered the knife to Drake’s exposed torso, hovering the blade over the soft flesh of his stomach. “Where to cut, where to cut…? Can’t damage you too badly yet, or I won’t get all the information out of you.” He sliced a precise line over Drake’s chest, stopping at his collarbone.

Pain fired along Drake’s nerves, and he cried out.

“Did you use the serum on a witch?”

Panting, Drake pressed his lips together, refusing to answer.

“Let’s try this again,” Seth said in a voice so calm, he might as well have been talking about fixing a flat tire.

Again and again the blade cut into Drake’s skin until the smell of blood saturated the air, his body crazed with pain from countless wounds.

“Fitting, don’t you think,” Seth said, as he wiped the hunting knife on a cloth, laid it back down on the tray and picked up a horror-inducing drill of some sort, “that you should bleed on the same table we used to drain the first witch. You should have seen it. Such potent magic, I could almost taste it on my tongue just by inhaling the air down here. Well,” he added, turning back to the table, “the last of her blood’s gone now, thanks to you.” He flicked the terrifying drill with a finger, and muttered more to himself, “We’ll need a new witch soon if we want more serum.”

When Seth moved to apply the drill to Drake’s already mangled arm, Drake yelled, “Stop! Please.”

Seth halted, raising one eyebrow. “Did you use the serum?”

“Yes.” His lips quivered, a bead of sweat ran down from his forehead.

“Was it successful?”

He nodded.

“Did you mate with her?”

“Yes. Yes, I did.”

Ice-blue eyes narrowed. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.” Seth switched on the drill and bored into bloody flesh.

Drake’s scream rended the air. “No!”

The drill stopped. Seth tilted his head. “No?”

Drake shook his head, tears streaming from the sides of his eyes. “I didn’t. She’s still available.”

“Good.” The beatific smile on Seth’s face contrasted starkly with the blood on his hands. “I see we’re getting somewhere. Tell me her name.”

“No.”

“Drake.” Seth’s tone was so gentle, almost loving. “Tell me her name, and I will pardon you for your transgression.” He petted Drake’s sweat-soaked hair, the drill casually hanging from his other hand. “You’ll even be allowed to bid on her. Who knows, maybe you’ll win?”

Heart thumping wildly against his ribs, he blinked against the tears pooling in his eyes. “Lily,” he croaked. “Lily Murray.”

“Ah, yes.” Seth’s eyes flashed with recognition. “An excellent choice. Young and strong. More fire than I’d prefer in a mate, but to each his own, hm?” He put the drill away. “Since you haven’t mated with her yet, I assume she escaped your tender care. Where is she currently hiding?”

“I—I don’t know for sure. She’s with another pranagraha. Goes by Alek. I haven’t found where he lives yet.”

A flicker of anger in Seth’s controlled aura. “You let her hook up with another male?” His eyes twitched before he caught himself. “No matter. We’ll find her. Now—” He selected an axe from the tray. “Thank you for your cooperation, Drake.”

Drake’s heart stuttered. “Wait. You said—”

The bulb’s yellowish light glinted on the sharp blade as Seth brought it smoothly down on Drake’s neck.