The darkness near my feet shifted—became something that was big and powerful, and whose eyes promised death. With almost loving care, he gripped the littlest toe on my left foot. Knowing what was coming, I began to struggle, but I was tied down far too well, both physically and magically. All I could do was send heat surging down to my foot and hope it was enough. My skin began to glow so fiercely, it cast an orange light across the shadows and lent Hunt’s gaze a bloody glow.

It didn’t help.

Either Hunt didn’t feel the heat or he simply didn’t care, because he gripped my toe tighter and simply forced it backward.

Pain ripped through me, and I screamed.

Hunt sucked in a deep breath, then sighed, the sound almost orgasmic. Bastard, I thought dazedly. Sick, dead bastard.

Fingers gripped my chin and forced my head sideways. Frederick’s skeletal features came into view. “Tell me the name of the witch who gave you that charm, or would you rather Hunt break another toe?”

Hunt’s fingers moved to my next toe; they were trembling slightly, but whether that was anticipation or desire I had no idea—and no real wish to find out.

I reached again for the mother; this time, the wash of her heat was stronger, and the invisible wall between us seemed to shudder. Time. I just needed goddamn time!

And that meant I had to keep them talking—keep them from doing whatever it was they intended doing. “Like he isn’t going to anyway.”

“Oh, trust me, he intends a whole lot more than merely breaking toes.” He lightly patted my arm, as if to comfort me.

It was only then that I realized I was naked. Fuck, fuck, fuck . . .

I closed my eyes and tried to control the wash of panic. I could get through this. I could survive it.

And it wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before. No one, man or woman, could live through as many decades as I had without being violated in some way. Not even those of us who weren’t human.

“The name, Emberly,” Frederick said.

“Call Hunt off and you might have a deal.”

“You are in no position to make any sort of deal, I’m afraid.” He slid his bony fingers down my arm and then across to my stomach, letting them rest just above my pubic bone. “You are, however, in a perfect position to fuck. And while that is something Hunt wants so very much, I rather suspect you do not.”

I couldn’t help glancing down at Hunt. His eyes glowed in anticipation.

“Answering all your questions isn’t going to stop him doing that,” I said, “and we both know it.”

“Perhaps not. But the only way you will know for sure is to answer the question.”