front of Ishida. My Basilisk hissed in my mind, his head rising from his coil as he readied himself to strike. Ishida knew I wasn’t on his side of this war, so I shucked off the role of dedicated Councilman and embraced the rebel I truly was, ready to challenge him on all the Council’s shit. “Oh. You mean stealing blood and gods know what else from shifters under your rule? Killing innocents? Locking up women and taking away their rights for some sick, twisted breeding program? What exactly is your end goal there, hmm? What if it had been your daughter? What if it had been Ahmya?” Rage filled the space between us, sizzling hot and angry.
“Don’t you dare speak her name!” Ishida screeched, the brittle sound echoing off the concrete slabs. “Don’t you ever speak her name,” he repeated, this time quieter and unhinged as he began to pace the length of my cell. “You just had to get involved with her.” His face twisted like the mere thought of Nix was acid on this tongue. “That Phoenix is the downfall of us all! I won’t allow it. No, no, no. I’ll make her pay for what she’s done. What you’ve all done,” Ishida ranted madly. “And I’ll start with you.” He jabbed a finger at me, refusing to reach into the cell where I was ready and waiting for him. I’d have broken his bones if it meant having a chance to get out of this cage. “Or more correctly,” Ishida singsonged, cackling to himself, “I’ll start with your father.”
I struggled forward, begging my muscles to adjust as they stretched, and grabbed the bars, growling menacingly. The sound vibrated up my chest and rolled through the room. “What have you done?”
“What I should have done years ago. I’m eliminating the problems. You see, the Council has decided on a particular war maneuver after much debate.” Ishida lifted the gas can, letting it dangle precariously from the tips of his fingers. “Seems the Council is finally ready to take the threat of your mate seriously. That’s what she is to you, is she not? The Phoenix?” His face contorted into a disfigured scowl. “No need to answer, the question was rhetorical since I already know the answer. You’ve played your part well, but your hand has been dealt, and I’m afraid to inform you that you’ve lost.” Ishida began to hum “The Gambler” under his breath as though he didn’t realize he was doing it. He shook the can and then upended it, spilling the foul smelling liquid across the concrete floor and making sure to splash some in my cell. I jumped back before it could touch my legs, my muscles screaming against the movement.
My Basilisk hissed wildly, unhappy to show any weakness in front of the man threatening our lives.
“I knew the moment we took you into custody that your father’s loyalties had started to waver. It’s inspiring, really, what a father will do for his child.” Ishida’s fingers tapped a staccato rhythm on the gas can as he went about his work, sloshing the liquid across the entire basement floor while he muttered more to himself than to me. “What he’ll give up to keep her safe. What he’ll fight for, and the choices he’ll make to ensure she doesn’t want for a thing in this world and has every opportunity at her fingertips.” Ishida’s eyes glazed as he spoke about his relationship with Ahmya, becoming lost to his madness before he snapped back to attention and returned to his point.
“Your father can’t stay, and neither can you. You both must die. I locked him up with a ward he will never escape, and I’ll do the same to you.” His menacing stare hardened and sharpened, and I knew if Ishida could have, he would have murdered me with a single look, just as I longed to do to him. I tried time and time again to catch his direct line of sight as he rambled, but he always looked just past me or focused on a spot to the side of my eyes, too cautious not to accidentally slip into the snare of my death gaze. “This entire place will burn, burn, burn. It’ll take you and your precious father with it. Such a shame. The loss of two Councilmen. Two snakes. One stone. Tragic.” He splashed more gasoline then returned to my cell, holding out a hand that began to glow. His eyes