Page 78 of Hateful Prince

As entertaining as a devolving Caspian was, I needed to get us back on track so we could return to our mate. “Brian, are ye the Ripper?”

“Wh-what? No! Of course not.”

Caspian crossed his arms. “Hmm. I’m not convinced. How do we know he’s telling the truth?”

I stared at him. “Because of the tattoo.”

“But he technically lied about the penis thing. You said it only hurt when he lied, not that he couldn’t lie. We need to see what that looks like to be sure.”

“I never pegged you for a sadist,” Tor said.

“You’ve never pegged me at all,” Caspian said with a saucy wink.

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Brian, what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” I asked, training my focus on the wretch sitting in front of me.

“I lied about my qualifications so I could get this job.” The moment the last word was out, Brian began seizing. Foamy spittle trailed out of his mouth as he convulsed on the spot.

“That’s what it looks like when he lies.”

When he came back to himself, he was panting, exhausted, and trembling.

Cas snatched his dagger from where I’d placed it and approached our suspect. “Take two. The truth this time, if you please.”

Sweat and what looked like a hint of blood dotted Brian’s brow. He was debating lying again but was still in such pain that he couldn’t quite bring himself to try. “I... I’ve been spying on Merri.”

Tor’s fingers gripped Brian’s head harder, dragging another whimper from the man. “Spying how?”

“W-watching her. In her room, while she showers... you know.”

“Ah, you’re a Peeping Tom,” Caspian said.

Tor glared at me from over his head. “You said he was innocent.”

“I said I thought he was innocent of the crime we were accusing him of. Not that he was innocent in general.”

“Can we kill him now?”

“For spying on Merri? While reprehensible, I’m not sure it’s a killing offense.”

Tor growled. “What if he did it to Dahlia?”

“I didn’t! I-I swear!”

Now Caspain was glowering. “Why not? Our mate is fucking gorgeous. You would be so lucky to lay eyes on her.”

“He’s not the Ripper. He’s a perverted bastard, but not a serial killer.” I stared Tor down. “We cannae kill him.”

“I could take his eyes. It would be a just punishment, and Dahlia doesn’t have a set in her collection yet.”

“What’s she gonna do with a pair of dried-up eyeballs, you daft twit?” Cas slid his finger over the blade in his hand and winced when he cut himself. “Ouch, that’s sharp.”

“No eyes. Yet. We send him away, and if we ever see him again, you can string them up and use them to decorate for Christmas if you want.”

My dragon had been surprisingly quiet during this entire exchange, and I wondered what he was plotting. He usually had plenty to say about my choices. And if anything, usually he was the one opting for violence over more sane courses of action. It was a little off-putting to find myself the voice of reason in the crowd. Either I was growing, or the company I kept was questionable. Either way, it definitely said something about the lot of us; I just wasn’t sure it was anything good.

“Our mate’s wishes were clear,” my dragon said, answering my unvoiced question.