"No," she said.
"We traced the text she sent. It was to someone named Liam. Do you know that name?"
Vikki called her lover instead of back-up. Of course, if he was bound to her as she said he was, he'd probably blow up anyone who hurt her.
"No," she said.
"You've never heard her mention him?"
"No."
"Even in the text she sent to you this morning?"
"She knew a lot of men," Zoey said, trying hard to sound casual. "Maybe he was on the football team."
"Do you know the penalty for lying to Enforcers?"
"I'm hoping it's a quick death."
More chuckles. They were humoring her so far.
"Do you recognize this man?"
The projector in the corner lit up, casting the image of someone on the back wall. She looked at him closely. He was handsome and tall. He looked like an Incubus, though it was hard to tell by the picture. She recognized the apartment building he was leaving, though. Her stomach sank.
"No," she replied.
"This is Liam, an Incubus. We believe he has some sort of connection to Vikki."
"Never seen him before," she said. "Sorry."
They rotated in a picture of Vikki and Liam. It was a night shot, grainy, but she recognized her friend. Vikki looked happy, and the Incubatti was smiling as well. Zoey felt a pang of longing and unease. She didn't understand how they'd fry Vikki, if she had no choice what happened. Or why Vikki told her the inquiry went well. They must not have showed her their evidence.
"We believe they're soul-mated," one of the voices said. "Do you know what that is?"
"I don't really understand it," she admitted. "Something the Incubatti does that the Sucubatti doesn't."
They put up a new pic of the couple.
"Correct. A Halfling or Succubus that can withstand a full-blooded Incubus is rare. Vikki is such a Halfling. Her intended appears to be Liam. To claim her, he must initiate the rite and they must execute three stages. Did she ever say anything to you about three strikes?"
"No," Zoey lied. Strike one. Declan had said it last night. Vikki mentioned the three strikes in her diary. Her heart began to race. Declan had seemed surprised by the strength of their lovemaking. It made sense, if he was only allowed to have one soul-mate.
"The three strikes are fulfilled over three nights, non-consecutive or consecutive. The first is the binding, where the Incubus shares his soul. The second is where his mate shares hers. The third basically seals the two into one," one of the voices explained. "We are fairly confident she's been through all three, which means she's bound to an Incubatti."
"Can she undo it?" Zoey asked, beginning to sweat at their acceptance of soul-mating.
"No."
"Once the binding takes place, it can't be reversed."
"At all?" she insisted. "Even if she and Liam just decided they didn't want to be soul-mated?"
"An Incubus even an Incubatti never turns down his soul-mate. Regardless, no. It is not a matter of choice."
"It's a matter of fate," another seconded.
She cursed silently. She was in trouble, and so was Vikki. The kind of trouble the Professor couldn't help her with. Zoey gazed at Vikki's face. Even with Eric, Zoey had never been that happy. She loved seeing her friend like this.
"Pictures can be manipulated," she reasoned. "There are a lot of people who resent Vikki, even her guardian."
"Our inquiry relies on more than one kind of evidence. Pictures are taken with a grain of salt, especially those provided anonymously, like these were," one of the voices agreed.
She relaxed some at the confirmation, though a small part of her was panicking about the soul-mating. She didn't want to see Declan again, let alone spend her life with him. It wasn't like she could run away from someone who read her mind. He was a stranger, someone she'd never met before last night, no matter how comfortable she was with him.
He shared his soul. The idea made her heart flutter. No one entrusted her with something of value. She was a brute whose job was to kill. Zoey pushed him from her mind, needing to focus. The picture flipped back to that of Liam emerging from the apartment building.
"Do you recognize this location?" a voice asked.
"No," she lied.
"How about now?"
The next picture was of her leaving the building a few hours ago and Vikki's car out front. Zoey realized she was failing whatever test they were giving her.
The projector shut off. She turned to face them again, shifting when she realized one of them had stepped from behind the circular desk and stood at the edge of the spotlight. He was tall, with olive-tinted skin and blue eyes. She was surprised to see he looked like a normal Incubus. She was expecting them to have wings or something, if they were so universally feared.
"Will you consent to being read?" one of them asked.
"No," she replied. Her whole body went rigid.
"It won't hurt," the man before her said. His voice didn't float around like those of the others. "Usually, we put our hand here. No squeezing, nothing." He put his hand around his own throat. "It might tickle a little."
"Is there an appeals process?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not," the Enforcer said apologetically.
"The Sucubatti agreed to this?"
"They assured us of your complete cooperation." There was bemusement in his gaze, like that of a man who knew a secret.
"Let me rephrase. If you try, I'll kill you," she said with a sigh. "I don't like being touched. Nothing personal."
Instead of anger, interest flared in his gaze. He smiled. The power flowing off him floored her. The Professor was right about a hurricane. If he loosened the magic, she'd be flat on the ground in under a second.
He didn't. He seemed more interested in toying with her. The Enforcer circled her at a distance, taking in her body with a slow, appreciative gaze. It made her warm from the inside out, and she was grateful again to Declan. If he hadn't worn her magic out last night, she would be mewling at this man's feet.
Kill me quickly, she willed him. She was right when she told the Professor it was her last day alive. Determined to go down with her secrets, she waited.
He moved faster than anyone she'd ever seen. A blink, and he had her neck. Fire tore through her. Zoey's knife was out within a second blink and streaked towards his neck. He ducked back and released her "You were supposed to come unarmed," one of the other voices said.
"I don't really do rules," she said. She wobbled after the smash of his magic into her mind. Her nose was bleeding. She wiped it away and waited.
"Locked down," the man before her said over his shoulder before returning his gaze to her. "Good reflexes."
"Thanks. I won't miss next time," she replied.
He smiled, not at all concerned. It irked her. He turned to the head of the Enforcers.
"Let us converse."
She rolled her eyes.
Declan felt Wes's blast through the connection with Zoey. The sight of her nose bleeding made him edgier. While he knew Wes wouldn't hurt her purposely, Declan was unable to help the defensive instinct from the previous night. His brother returned to the shadows and pinned him with a look.
"Congrats, little brother," he said. "You pissed because you have her or because she nearly took off your brother's head."
"Both," Declan muttered.
"The king falls," another brother teased.
"What step of the rite?" Wes asked.
"Last night was strike one," Declan said and rubbed his face.
All of them laughed.
"It's worse on us than on them," Tommy, the biggest of his brothers, said. "She's doing just fine."
"I see that. Lying her ass off, too," Declan added.
"You won't last two months like I did," Tommy said.
"She'll be back tonight," Declan agreed. "Or I'll kill something."
"She's got spunk. She'll make a good match for you."
He had no idea. Unaccustomed to feeling out of control, he was also not used to doubting himself. He couldn't help thinking if he showed himself now, she'd be able to walk away again when he clearly couldn't. The woman was defiant and fearless. He imagined there'd be another game of chicken before she backed down.
"Mind if I mess with her?" Tommy asked. The master of psychological manipulation, the gentle giant didn't need to use his magic to combat enemies.
"Go for it," Declan said with a snort. "What I want to know is if Olivia knew about the rite when she sent Zoey here today."
"For what purpose? To distract you from whatever was behind Julius' death?" Tommy asked.
"Possibly," Declan replied. "My gut says neither of the girls we talked to today know anything about the murder."
"Then why are they here?" Wes countered.
"I wish I knew. This whole thing is making me suspicious."
"Are you sure it's not just your hormones?" Tommy teased. "You've been acting like a teenager."
"As if you don't know why!"
His brothers laughed again. Declan wiped his face and sat back. He waved Tommy towards the waiting Hunter.
The man returned from the shadows and motioned to someone else.
"Let's see if you can handle this one. He's the oldest of the Enforcers."
Zoey stared at him, not understanding what game they played with her. The Incubus could take her easily by leaking a fraction of his magic. They were like bored predators, letting their wounded prey get its shot in before they pounced.
But why play at all, if they needed the information from her?
She faced the man he called from the end position of the table. Her eyes traveled up and up. He was seven feet tall, wider than a brick wall with hands large enough to crush her head. He, too, seemed entertained. He glanced towards the figure sitting in the chair of the head Enforcer and winked.
"Hope you brought another knife," the first man said, stepping back.
She pulled the other free and lifted it in a salute.
"How do you want to die?" the giant asked in a booming voice. He began to circle her as well. She moved with him, assessing.
"Any way you please, assuming it's quick," she replied. "You?"
"Slow. Making love to a beautiful woman."
"What if I just give you a kiss before I kill you?"
He laughed, a sound much like thunder. "You are very brave for someone so small. Do you fear nothing?"
"Oh, I can think of one thing that would scare me shitless right now," she assured him. "Thank god, it's not a remote possibility and I'm not afraid to fight an Incubus."
"What could that possibly be?" He cocked his head to the side, curious.
She shook her head. The giant's magic was wrapped around her. Even if he couldn't read her mind, he was probing her.
"A person maybe?"
"Does it matter?" she challenged.
"You only showed nervousness when talking about your personal life," he observed. "I would say not an attack or any sort of event. A Cambion or a Sucubatti wouldn't touch you at that level."
She struggled to keep her features emotionless. She realized he'd been called for a different kind of attack, one that wasn't physical.
"An Incubus." He was reading her features too closely. "The one whose apartment you were leaving this morning."
"Fine. You win. I broke the rules and slept with an Incubus," she said.