Chapter Twenty Three: "Treasure Hunt"

Aradia Smith.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, Adam." I approach him and show him the edge of the knife blade. "Where is it?"

He sighs and looks me straight in the eye.

"I don't know," he breathes heavily, "and even if I knew I would never tell you."

"Wrong answer."

With a swift movement I punched him on the cheek. His face rushes to the left with force and slowly he reunites his angry gaze with mine. And although I hate to say it, what comes next I did not expect: he spits on my dress the blood that was trapped in his dirty mouth.

"Oh, buddy," I say through clenched teeth and gripping his blond hair, "that wasn't very smart. It is also a very expensive dress."

The damn angel in front of me is Alex's brother. I don't even know how we managed to catch it so easily. When we had him tied up and gagged, we put him in Aaron's truck and brought him to the pain room (I put names to everything, that's more fun).

I like to compare it to the torture rooms in horror movies. Although we all know that mine is the best. It has enough space for at least thirty people, we have all kinds of artifacts that harm any species with which we come across and with which we need to get information.

This time the lucky one to enter here is Adam. Away from his house, away from his family, away from his beloved Sara, it will be easier for him to talk. And I hope he does it quickly because I don't have much patience.

With violence I strike more blows trying to make each one more painful than the last until my knuckles start to bleed. He, although he does not say it, appreciates the stoppage of blows, and my knuckles too. I sigh and calmly head back to the horror table, that's what I like to call it, laying the stabbing weapon on the flat surface and cleaning my hands in the process.

"Adam, I would like to be your friend," I say, putting my gaze on him.

"Oh, yeah?" He laughs out loud.

I frown.

"What do you think is funny little angel?"

"That you don't have any friends, my dear," he says after a few seconds.

Now it's my turn to laugh and when I do I have all of his attention on me. I approach him and observe the frown and confusion on his face, making it seem funnier what I'm going to say to him.

"Ask little Alex," I whisper just inches from his face and look into his eyes with intensity.

"What about Alex?" He asks confused.

"Karla would die of embarrassment if she finds out about everything Alex and I have done in her bed," I say, pacing around him, enjoying Adam's reaction. "God. She's so in love with that guy. ”I shake my head. "That kind of guy doesn't really suit me. I like them rougher, meaner, wilder, although your brother does all that in bed. ”I wink at him.

Adam looks at me in disgust and I watch him clench his teeth when he speaks again.

"You disgust me, Aradia." He tries to free himself from the chains that cover his limbs all in vain. "Free Karla, we don't want you. Whenever you appear, you hurt those around you."

"And you don't think that's the reason for everything I'm doing?" "I go back to him." Everything I do is to show what I am capable of. Of all the evil that I can be.

"It doesn't make sense." He frowns. "You know how powerful you are, that's why we keep you away from Karla."

"Sweetheart, you've never been in control of my appearances," I say and see the surprise my words have caused him. "I've always been in control. I've always been able to show up, the thing is... -I let out a tired sigh - you know what? I am not going to give you this information, you are not worth knowing.

I am about to get out of there when his voice resounds in my ears.

"Wait!"

I smile and turn to see a tear fall and slide down his cheek.

"Don't do this to us, please" he begins to sob so I roll my eyes and stop being interested in whatever he is going to say but curiosity killed the cat so I end up listened to him -. All we want is for her to have a normal life, we don't want to involve her in this world. That's why we protect her from you, from Henry, and from everyone who loves her. We just want her to be normal.

"See? That's your problem, Adam. In this body lives two different persons, but all of you only care of one. For you there is only her, when the reality is very different."

His crying becomes more audible and a part of me tells me that it is enough, that it is no longer worth it, that he will not tell me what I want to know that easy. But I know that part is from Karla, so I quickly dismiss it and say the following without any emotion in it:

"I hope that when I return you have a good speech prepared, because darling, I have a whole team wanting to try that angelic body of yours." And I leave, slamming the door.