I slid into a seat, moving it so I was out of Hellen’s slapping range. She and Father fell on the food like ravenous beasts. Hellen tore a leg off the thing, ripping into it with her teeth. Father shredded the meat along one side with his claws, spearing a morsel with each finger and sucking them off.

I wrinkled my nose.

“Well, son? Are you eating, or are you reporting?” Meat flew out of Father’s mouth as he spoke, hitting the table in front of me.

I swallowed. “I have come to the conclusion, based on yesterday’s … research … that we must allow the humans to achieve the first three of their four tasks.”

Hellen scoffed, spluttering half-chewed fat across the table. “We must let them win?” She turned to Father, gesticulating wildly with the leg bone. “I told you he was too soft for this! He has no stomach for torture.”

Father ignored her. “Continue, Junior.”

I wanted to smirk at Hellen, but I kept a straight face, turning myself in Father’s direction without looking him in the eyes.

“We must let them think they’re winning. We must make them suffer, for those first three tasks, but ultimately come out the other side of them successful. The more tasks they complete, the more misery we can harvest from them while they’re striving to complete them … and that’s the immediate need, is it not?”

I turned back to Hellen, failing to keep my face impassive any longer. “The very pressing need to feed the Pit Demons human misery, that is your biggest concern, is it not, Hellen?”

“It is the most unrelenting concern for all of us, Junior,” Father interjected sternly while Hellen tore the entire hindquarter off the goat and bit into it ferociously. “And … you are certain you are able to harvest live misery?”

“Yes, Junior,” Hellen added around a mouthful of goat. “How can you prove you’ve done anything of value while mincing around up in the Human Realm?”

The Soul Token in my pocket weighed like lead on me. I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. The thought of producing the glowing, pink thing … of bringing a piece of Jemma Bliss’s soul anywhere near my Father … or, even worse, my sister … filled me with dread.

But it was the only proof that I was progressing in my plans.

I stuffed a shaking hand into my pocket. The thing was warm, and it pulsed gently in my palm as I pulled it out, resting my fist on the table.

I willed my fingers to uncurl.