Chapter 17 · Poison & Bait

"Get. Up."

Cain’s voice didn't just hit me—it rattled my teeth. Low. Dangerous. He didn't offer a hand. He just clamped his palm against the back of my neck and hauled me upward.

I gasped, lungs still searing from the black lightning that had just ripped through my veins. My legs were jelly. I couldn't even stand, let alone fight him. He slammed me back against the dungeon’s stone wall. The impact knocked the last of the air out of me.

"Who was it?" he snarled.

His face was inches from mine. I could smell the metallic tang of blood and ozone—the scent of his rage.

"Who the hell was talking to you in the dark?"

"I don't... I don't know," I choked out. I shoved at his chest, but it was like trying to move a mountain. His muscles were locked. I could feel his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my palms.

"Liar."

He leaned in, crushing me against the wall. The heat radiating off him was suffocating. My head started to spin.

"You heard a voice. You reacted. Now tell me who's playing games in my palace, or I'll give you a reason to actually scream.