Standing in the corner of the room, Pheera observed the man who had the entire Order so worked up. Narvari had her father’s eyes — the resemblance between them was uncanny. They even had the same smirk. These two were definitely father and daughter. Guilt pricked at Pheera’s heart for the things she had said to Narvari and the others. But this was the only way. She would only be putting them in more danger if she got them involved. But what if Pheera uncovered damning secrets about Hellstorm? Would Narvari forgive her if she lost her father to the Order? She just got him back after all these years.

Pheera sighed. There was no way out of this.

“So,” Hellstorm interrupted her thoughts, “are you ready to take me back to Rhodine? I’ve already told you everything. Why am I still here?”

Pheleraz said, “Not everything. You haven’t been completely honest, Hellstorm. I know you’re hiding something.”

Hellstorm raised his brow. Then he laughed. “Wow, you are as paranoid as your father. Trixi, you don’t agree with this moron, do you?”

Trixan’s silence was louder and clearer than an actual reply. Even though Trixan’s expression didn’t look angry, Pheera still sensed the rage in the woman’s calm ambiance. It was unclear if Trixan was angry at Hellstorm or Pheleraz. The Elder was hard to understand.

“You can’t be serious,” said Hellstorm. He too was beginning to lose his patience. “So what are you going to do to me? Torture the so-called truth out of me?” The prospect of torture did not scare him at all. It was not shocking, after all the man must have gone through worse in Bezvar.

“That won’t be necessary,” Pheleraz said. He beckoned to Pheera to come closer and take a seat. “This is Pheera.”

“Oh of course,” said Hellstorm smiling widely. “I’ve been so dying to meet another Zoleris. It was literally all I could think about in Bezvar.”

Pheera smiled. So this was where Narvari got her sarcasm.

Ignoring Hellstorm’s sardonic jabs, Pheleraz said, “You’ve known of the Zoleris’s special ability of captivation.”

Hellstorm shrugged. “Yes. So?”

Pheleraz merely glanced at Pheera as if that alone was enough to answer Hellstorm’s question. Maybe it was.

“She’s the new captivator?” Hellstorm’s gaze fell on Pheera. “You’re going to let her captivate me?”

“She’s going to make you talk. You can’t hide anything.”

Hellstorm burst into hysterical laughter. “I guess I have been gone for too long if I am being taken lightly.”

“If you have nothing to hide, you won’t resist. Unless you’ve been lying to us all this time.”

“Come on now,” said Hellstorm. “We both know captivation isn’t only about making a person speak the truth. With this power, you Zoleris could just as easily make a person lie about anything.”

“And you think I’m going to let her make you admit to things you didn’t do.”

“It won’t be the first time your family has done that.” Staring pointedly at Pheera, he added, “It won’t be the first time you have done that. Am I right, Pheera Zoleris?”

Pheera gulped as knots tied in her stomach. She lowered her head as shame gnawed at her insides. She didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to make anyone do anything against their will. All those screams. All those people…

“Pheera.” It was only when Trixan touched her hand did she realized how much she was trembling. “You don’t have to do this, my dear.”

I don’t want to do this. “I can do this,” she whispered. Trixan’s gaze hardened but she nodded.

“Okay, I guess this is happening,” said Hellstorm. “Sooner or later, you’re going to have to take me to Rhodine. You know you can’t just keep me here forever, right?”

“I’ll take you to Rhodine when I get what I want,” said Pheleraz. “Pheera, begin. And don’t stop until he says everything. Everything.”

Pheera took Hellstorm’s hand and gazed directly into his eyes. “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “All you need to do is tell Pheleraz the truth.” It might sound like a polite request but it was far from it. It was a straight-up command and Hellstorm would have no choice but to obey.

“I only have one question for you, Hellstorm.” Pheleraz went straight to the point. “Why were you trying to summon Izenros?”

“I already told you,” Hellstorm said. “I want revenge.”

“Is it true?”

“How many times will you ask me the same thing?” Hellstorm glared at Pheleraz.

“I wasn’t asking you,” Pheleraz snapped.

Pheera’s grasp on Hellstorm’s hand tightened. “Yes,” she said. “Hellstorm wants revenge. But that’s just a small part of the truth.” She paused. “He’s hiding the underlying truth.” She didn’t know exactly what the underlying truth was, though. Her power didn’t work that way. All she knew was a feeling of what was hidden in the deepest parts of one’s heart. With captivation, she would draw it out of the person by swaying their emotions, giving their brain no choice but to comply. She just had to be careful with how she worded her commands.

Though captivation didn’t let her read a person’s mind, it still made it possible for her to know exactly what a person was feeling. And right now, the nonchalance on Hellstorm’s face was nothing but a facade. The man was filled with dread. He was afraid that his secret would be uncovered and yet he was absolutely resolved to never reveal his secret. His unwavering resolve pressed against Pheera’s mind like a mountain. This was going to be hard, she thought.

“Let him reveal it all,” Pheleraz instructed.

She sensed the heaviness of the man’s secret. It was something that he was prepared to hide no matter what. Should she really be doing this? Maybe some things were best left unknown.

“Pheera,” Pheleraz growled. “You aren’t getting cold feet now, are you?” Pheleraz whispered into her ears. “Do I have to remind you of our deal?”

“What deal?” Trixan suddenly asked. Pheera froze. She had forgotten what a sharp hearing Trixan had. “Pheera?”

“It’s nothing,” Pheera said quickly. She cleared her throat and turned her attention to Hellstorm. “Tell us exactly why you were looking for Izenros. Tell us everything.”

“I have…” Hellstorm began, “I already…” He clenched his jaws, his face paling. “No. I…” His eyes widened, probably by the explosive headache that just ripped through his head. Pheera knew this because whenever a person resisted her power and faced the painful consequence, she felt a slight rebound of the pain. With her mild headache, she knew Hellstorm was experiencing something far worse.

“The pain is only going to get worse if you keep resisting,” said Pheera. “Just tell us and you’ll be okay.” The idea of making Narvari’s dad suffer was too much to bear. Narvari was probably watching them from outside. What if she hated her forever? Pheera looked at the glass but it was impossible to see through.

“Pheera, concentrate,” Pheleraz said. “He’s strong. You need to be stronger to get him to speak.”

Pheera nodded. “Speak, Hellstorm. Revenge wasn’t the only reason you went to Izenros, right?”

Hellstorm tightly shut his mouth. His face grew paler, and his hands trembled. Finally, he shouted “No. No. It’s not.”

He exhaled loudly as if he had been saved from drowning. No matter how much he tried to hide the truth, captivation would forcefully draw it out of him.

“But I won’t tell you why,” he said. “Never.” Resolve and determination blazed in his eyes.

“Yes, you will,” Pheera said.

Stolen novel; please report.

She hadn’t met anyone so stubborn while under her captivation. Everyone just broke under her touch but not Hellstorm. Something similar had happened with Narvari when Pheera first captivated her. When she captivated a person, her hold over them would still be there for another two hours even when she wasn’t touching them. Yet, Narvari had broken free of her captivation in mere minutes.

“I — ” Hellstorm gritted his teeth and then screamed. If anyone heard him from outside, they would think he was being skinned alive. “I went to Izenros because of L…” Hellstorm forcefully stopped himself again. He banged his other hand on the table. “No. I won’t… tell you anything.” Blood oozed out of his nose.

Pheera’s hands trembled. The resistance was growing stronger, which made her rebound even more painful. She felt something warm and sticky from her nose. The smell of her blood almost made her gag.

Hellstorm’s voice grew shallow. “You need to stop this. It’s hurting you too.”

“Don’t you dare stop,” Pheleraz yelled. “Keep going. Make him talk.”

“Please tell him,” Pheera pleaded. She didn’t want this to keep going on. It wasn’t even about the pain she felt. Hearing Hellstorm scream in pain only reminded her of all those people she was forced to torture for years. “Don’t hide it.” Tears streamed down Pheera’s face. “Speak.”

“L… Lu…” Hellstorm stopped himself again. His eyes started bleeding. It wasn’t until her tears stained her white shirt that she realized it was blood. Her limbs weakened as the strength slowly drained from her body. He was too strong. “Pheleraz, you are going to kill the child,” Hellstorm shouted. “Stop this at once.”

“My dear, that’s enough” Trixan took Pheera’s hand away from Hellstorm. “Break your captivation now.”

“Don’t you dare, Pheera. You’ve already captivated him with your touch. Keep going, goddammit.”

Pheera weakly stared at her brother. He banged the table when Pheera didn’t move. “I said, keep going,” he glared at her. “Do it now, or else — ”

“Or else what?”Narvari’s enraged voice soothed Pheera. When did she come inside? Yanvirrak and Zee stood next to Narvari, all of them glaring at Pheleraz. Pheera should have been terrified by the pure malice and fury emanating from Narvari. But all she felt was relief.

“You,” said Pheleraz. “What the hell are you doing here?” His voice was unusually calm. Oh no. Pheera’s heart pounded. There was no telling what Pheleraz would do right now. He usually became extremely violent in this state.

“Pheera, get away from the psycho.” Narvari did not take her eyes off Pheleraz.

For a moment, Pheera was frozen to her spot. Thankfully, Trixan took her away and led her to Narvari and the others. “Are you okay?” Narvari asked while she wiped the blood from the Pheera’s nose.

Pheera nodded. “It’s nothing.”

“What is this?” Pheleraz said. “Have you all gone mad? You are tempering with an official investigation.”

“To hell with your investigation,” Narvari snapped. “I’m not going to let you hurt her anymore. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I warned you to stay away from her, didn’t I?” said Zee. “I should have killed you when I had the chance. Stay away from my sister.”

Pheleraz laughed mirthlessly. “I will do as I please with our sister.” He pointed at Pheera. “Get back here and do as you’re told. You know what happens when you break the deal, don’t you?”

Pheera’s heart sank. “Pheleraz, please — ”

“What deal?” Narvari asked.

“Oh, she didn’t tell you.” Pheleraz chuckled. “Hmm, I thought you two had a special relationship. It was quite easy using your name to get what I wanted, Narvari Shar. I can’t believe you care about this nobody, Pheera.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Narvari’s tone was dangerously low.

Please don’t say it. Narvari would definitely lose her mind if Pheleraz told her. “Pheleraz, don’t — ”

“Pheera Zoleris,” he ignored her, “will use her power whenever and however I see fit. If not, I’m going to take her away from here and she will never see you or Zemeron or anyone from this stupid school, ever again.”

Narvari clenched her jaw, her eyes darkening. She slowly sauntered towards Pheleraz until they were only a few feet apart. Her balled fists hook tremendously. “What did you just say?” It was a voice Pheera couldn’t quite recognize although it still sounded like Narvari’s voice.

“What the hell?” Pheleraz paled and gulped. He retreated a few steps back. “What are you?”

A great burst of literal darkness surged out of Narvari’s body and engulfed the entire room. It was as though the whole world had been suddenly plunged into a black hole. Coldness enveloped Pheera’s body, stabbing her skin like icicles. She fell to the ground, her knees completely drained of all energy. She could not move. What was happening? Everyone else in the room, even including Hellstorm, was on the ground. Narvari was the only one standing, and she was strangling Pheleraz. His dark sapphire eyes were frozen in terror.

That darkness effusing from Narvari… was she doing this? Then suddenly, a thought struck her. Is this Narvari’s elema? Why does it feel so much like demon energy?

“Narvari,” Hellstorm shouted. “Calm down.” He slowly got on his knees, but his legs caved in and he came crashing to the ground. “Little princess, you need to calm down.”

But Narvari didn’t seem to be hearing anything. Her grip on Pheleraz's neck only tightened while his limbs hung limply by his sides. He couldn’t even struggle, and all he did was choke and gasp for air.

Trixan, Yanvirrak, and Zemeron even took turns calling Narvari’s attention to stop her, but she ignored them all. It was like she had only one mission — to strangle Pheleraz to death. Narvari turned around, and for the first time, Pheera saw her eyes. Her irises had turned dark purple. Her face was the same, but there was a coldness in her purple eyes that sent a chill down Pheera’s spine.

She’s really a demon. Purple eyes… Is she a royal demon? But how? Pheera’s blood turned cold. No. She wasn’t afraid of Narvari. But she was afraid of the hate in her eyes and what she might do as a result of that hate.

Narvari seemed lost in a trance, oblivious to everything around her. Suddenly, she hurled Pheleraz across the room. Glass shattered as he broke right through. She walked gingerly towards the shattered glass. Was she going after Pheleraz? Was she going to kill him?

Pheera suddenly remembered all those times Narvari had insisted on killing her brother. She knew Narvari would do it if she didn’t stop her.

“Narvari.” The girl halted, directing her hollow gaze at Pheera. Pheera had to get her to snap out of it. If only she could touch Narvari, she might be able to get through to her. That would break Pheera’s promise but right now captivating Narvari was the only way to save her from herself. But there was one problem — Narvari’s elema was holding Pheera hostage. She couldn’t touch Narvari if she couldn’t move.

“Please, Narvari. Stop it,” she tried to use words instead. Narvari’s expression did not falter. She began to walk away again.

No. She had to do something. Anything. From the deepest part of her soul, warmth lit her up and her light elema surged out of her being, shrouding Narvari’s dark elema. Together, the light and darkness wrestled for supremacy. Pheera’s light washed over Narvari like a blanket of sunshine. With her elema touching Narvari, she felt the rage burning within Narvari like an inferno. She sensed the murderous intent emanating from her.

“Be calm, my love,” Pheera whispered. Instantly, Pheera found herself standing in front of Narvari in a vast field full of flowers. Seeing the confusion in Narvari’s eyes, Pheera took her hand. “Please come back to me,” said Pheera.

“What’s going on?” Narvari looked around frantically. “Where are we?”

She wished she had the answer to that. She had never experienced this when she captivated anyone. Then again, this was only the second time she had used her elema to captivate; the first time had been a blur and she barely remembered it.

“I just need you to calm down.” She touched Narvari’s chest.

Slowly, the rumbling in Narvari’s chest became as peaceful as a stream and her purple irises turned brown again. The light crushed the darkness until it dissipated into nothingness. The vast field of flowers disappeared and she found herself back on the floor in the interrogation room.

“Pheera.” Narvari ran to her, her eyes full of panic. She knelt beside Pheera. “What have I done? Did I do this to you?”

Pheera slowly sat up and stroked Narvari’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I promised never to captivate you anymore, but I broke my promise.”

“I don’t care about that.” Pheera melted in her touch as Narvari tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Pheera, I’m so sorry. I… You’re not safe around me.” Narvari avoided her gaze. “I told you I could be dangerous. I… I hurt you.”

“Hey, look at me. I’m okay. You didn’t hurt me. You won’t hurt me. I know it.”

Narvari clenched her jaws and then retreated from her. “No. I’m sorry.”

Pheera’s chest tightened. “Narvari.” She tried to go after her but Narvari stopped her.

“No, stay back. Stay away from me.” Her voice was harsh, and yet the vulnerability in her eyes said otherwise.

All Pheera wanted to do was run into her arms and console her. She wanted to tell her that everything would be okay.

“I’m sorry,” Narvari whispered. “As long as I’m here, you won’t be safe. No one will be.”

The words broke Pheera’s heart. “Don’t say that.”

Narvari gazed at Trixan and the others for a brief moment. Then she ran to her father.

With the mere strength of her bare hand, she broke the energy seal around Hellstorm’s neck.

“My dear, what are you doing?”

“Sorry, Trixan. But I’m taking my father away.”

Hellstorm snapped the holy chains around his hands like they were nothing but plastic. At least that confirmed that he was not a demon. Wait, so why was Narvari a demon?

“Don’t be rash,” said Trixan. “Hellstorm, speak some sense into her.”

“I think she already has enough sense, Trixi.”

“If you run they’re going to hunt down both of you. Is that what you want for her?”

Hellstorm’s eyes wavered. He looked at his daughter with so much care and tenderness that Pheera wondered what it felt like to have the love of a parent.

“I can take care of myself,” said Narvari. Casting one last look at Pheera, she said, “I’m sorry.”

Hellstorm’s black portal materialized and he disappeared through it with his daughter.

She’s gone. Pheera didn’t know she was crying until she felt Zee’s arms around her. She sobbed into his brother’s chest. “She’s gone.”

“It’s okay,” said Zee, patting her head. “I’m here. I’m always here.”

Pheera freed herself from Zee’s embrace. “I told her I didn’t care what she was,” she whispered. “Why didn’t she believe me?”

“This isn’t your fault, okay? She chose to leave.”

“Because I pushed her away. It’s what I’ve been doing since — ”

“Where are they?” Pheleraz’s enraged voice came out of nowhere. “Where the hell is Hellstorm and her demon offspring?”

Pheleraz’s body was a bloody mess as shards of glass pierced his skin. His face was haggard and bloody. He angrily turned to Trixan.

“This is all your fault. You let them go.” He glared at Trixan, yet Trixan watched him calmly. “You’ll pay dearly for this. Let’s see what the Draghein Family will do to you once they hear about this.” Then Pheleraz directed his stormy gaze at her. Pheera gulped. Zee held her arms protectively. “As for you two,” said Pheleraz, “you have no idea what’s coming.”

Pheleraz furiously stormed out of the room.

“We’ll be fine, Pheera,” Zee whispered. “Everything will be fine.”

She truly hoped so, she thought as she broke down in tears. But she knew this was merely wishful thinking. Things were only going to get worse.