“Please don't take me back to him.” She swallowed again, trying to read the expression in the bottomless eyes staring down at her. She hadn't meant to plead with him; she’d planned on finding out what his intentions were before trying to sway him one way or the other. But her fear of being brought back to Dr. Hershey after the way she had tricked him made cold sweat trickle down the back of her neck. If he got his hands on her, she had no doubt she would live to regret running away.

Kain’s gaze narrowed before he finally moved his hand from her chin. “His name, Selma. And the state of this mental hospital.”

“Promise me,” she whispered. “Promise you won’t send me back.”

“I promise.” She wasn’t sure demons could ever be trusted, but the conviction she saw in Kain’s eyes then made a sliver of the tension in her chest ease.

“His name is Marathin Hershey. Ravenswood House is in Massachusetts.”

He drew in a sharp breath, finally releasing her knee to refocus on the breakfast buffet. “I know of him. He is old. Crafty. You did well running from him.”

“So… what now?” Selma asked, looking dubiously at him.

“What now?” he repeated, still keeping his gaze on the food.

“Are you… bringing me to an auction?” she asked, hating that she couldn’t stop herself. Her life had been uncertainty for so long, she needed to know his plans, even if keeping quiet would have been the smart thing to do.

He was silent for a moment before he answered, “It is my duty.”

Anger flared in her gut, along with a sense of betrayal she had no right in feeling. He was one of them. That he’d cared for her meant nothing—his loyalty would always be lie his kind.

But since she’d been in his care, she’d felt… safe. For the first time in as long as she could remember. And yet he was going to force her into a lifetime of service?

“This may come as a shock to you, but I don’t want that,” she bit out. “I’m not a fucking broodmare!”

Her outburst was met with silence.

Fuck. She’d managed to keep her temper in check with Dr. Hershey, gauging what reaction he wanted from her. But not this time. Perhaps it was the stress of it all, the fear of being back in their clutches after a month of running.