Chapter 38
799 Words
_Dorian’s POV_
The cold, damp air of the cellar settled heavily around me as I walked deeper into its shadows. The torches lining the stone walls flickered weakly, casting eerie shapes along the narrow corridor. The scent of sweat, blood, and fear hung in the air. It was thick enough to choke on.
I passed rows of iron-barred cells, each one holding prisoners who had wronged my pack in one way or another. Some watched me with hollow eyes, others with barely concealed hatred. But I didn’t stop. I had only one reason for coming down here tonight.
Camilla.
The woman who had betrayed me. She sat slumped in the farthest cell, chains binding her wrists above her head. Dried blood streaked her face. Her once-pristine hair was tangled and matted. She looked up as I approached. Her eyes widened in something between fear and desperation.
"Dorian," she gasped, her voice hoarse. "Please, get me out of here. Please."
I raised a hand, silencing her. "Shut up, Camilla." My voice was cold and detached. "You don’t get to beg. You don’t get to plead. You will only speak when I ask you a question. Do you understand?"
Her lips trembled, but she nodded.
I stepped closer, my boots echoing against the stone floor. "Who was your ally?" My tone was sharp and demanding. "Who helped you? And who were you talking to on the phone?"
Camilla flinched as if struck. She glanced away, her fingers twitching in their restraints. "I… I can’t tell you," she whispered and shook her head. "You don’t understand. If I say anything, he’ll kill me."
"Who?" I pressed. I was losing my patience. "Who is he?"
She swallowed hard. Her breathing became uneven. "You have no idea what you're up against, Dorian," she said, her voice shaking. "He's powerful. More powerful than you. You can’t defeat him."
My jaw tightened. "Let me be the judge of that. Give me his name."
She shook her head again, her entire body trembling. "No. I can’t."
Anger flared inside me, hot and sharp. "You don’t have a choice, Camilla," I said, my voice low and deadly. "You are in no position to refuse me."
Her eyes burned with desperation. "You think this is about refusing you?" She let out a hollow and humorless laugh. "You have no idea what he is capable of. If I talk, I die. It’s that simple."
I clenched my fists. I could feel my nails digging into my palms. "Then you would rather starve in this cell than tell me what I need to know?"
She sucked in a shaky breath. "I would rather live."
"You think I’ll let you live if you don’t talk?" I took a step forward, towering over her. "You betrayed me, Camilla. You poisoned me, manipulated me. You turned me against my own wolf." My voice hardened. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kill you myself?"
Her head snapped up, fear flashing across her face. "Dorian, please," she whispered. "I never meant to—"
I cut her off with a bitter laugh. "You never meant to? Don’t lie to me, Camilla. You knew exactly what you were doing. You used magic to control me. You made me blind to my instincts. You made me ignore my own wolf."
Her breathing hitched. "I didn’t want to lose you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You never had me," I growled. "Whatever hold you thought you had on me was a lie. And now, you’re going to tell me who helped you. Who is he?"
Tears welled in her eyes, but I felt nothing. No sympathy. No pity.
"Please," she begged. "You don’t understand. He doesn’t just kill people, Dorian. He destroys them. Mind, body, and soul. He is a monster."
"Then give me his name so I can destroy him first," I said, my voice cold.
She let out a ragged breath and shook her head. "You can’t," she murmured. "You don’t know what you’re asking."
I exhaled sharply. The last shred of my patience was slipping away. "Fine," I said. "If you won’t talk, then you’ll rot here. No food. No water. Not until you decide to tell me what I want to know."
Her eyes widened in panic. "Dorian, no! Please!" She struggled against her chains, her voice cracking. "I swear, I can’t tell you! He’ll kill me!"
I turned away. "Then you’ll die either way."
"Dorian, wait!" she cried, desperation thick in her voice. "Please, don’t do this!"
I didn’t stop.
I didn’t look back.
As I walked away, my mind churned with unanswered questions.
Who was this enemy?
And why did even Camilla, a woman ruthless enough to use dark magic against me, fear him so much?
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