Eris's face paled as all smugness left her features. "How do you know that?"
"Unlike you, I have friends all over the place who love to gossip. Now are you going to help me?"
Eris's nostrils flared. "You know-"
Kat put her hand up. "Don't even waste your time threatening me. You do anything to irritate me and I'll make you eat that golden apple you love to throw at people. Now show me where the former Skotos Xypher is kept."
A mischievous glint came to her dark eyes. "You do like to live dangerously, don't you? But to be fair, I should warn you that he's an animal."
"Goody... now lead me to him."
Eris smirked before they vanished. When Kat could see again, she was inside a small cavern. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear the constant sound of something in motion. She wasn't sure what exactly it was.
At least not until Eris snapped her fingers and light appeared.
Kat cringed as she saw a man on the floor whose entire back was covered with bloody welts. The noise she'd heard was of a whip that was wielded by a skeleton who stood over him beating him constantly.
Growling, he rolled over and grabbed the whip only to have it disintegrate in his hand. Another one appeared in the hand of the skeleton, who continued with the lashes.
Eris made a clicking noise with her teeth. "Here, little Xypher... want to play with Cousin Eris?"
"Fuck you, bitch."
"Oooo," Eris said, wrinkling her nose, "feeling spry this morning, are we? Should I join the fun?"
"Eris," Kat said quickly. "Leave us alone."
Eris gave her a pout that any spoiled toddler would envy before she vanished.
Kat stepped forward as Xypher tried to grab the whip again, only to have the same thing happen. She could see and feel the frustration from him, the pain. Every lash cut through his body. But he didn't cry out.
Closing her eyes, she summoned as much of her powers as she could. The sfora heated on her chest as she wished the skeleton out of the chambers.
To her amazement, it worked.
Dressed only in a pair of black leather pants, Xypher lifted his head to look over his shoulder. He turned to her with an angry glare. That glare lacerated her with its hatred as he rose slowly to his feet. "Bring it on, bitch."
His anger baffled her. "Bring on what?"
"Whatever torture you've got planned. I'm ready."
She felt bad for him that he would expect nothing else from a visitor. "I'm not here to punish you."
"Sure you're not..."
"Really. I'm not."
"Then what are you here for? Fun and games?"
"Information."
He laughed cruelly. "Since I've been stuck for centuries in this hole, I find that hard to believe. I don't even know what year it is, so what information could I possibly have that would be of any use to you?"
"I was told that you're a Phobotory Skotos. I need to know if you've ever been inside the dreams of demons."
He hesitated before he answered. "What of it?"
"I need information about what scares one of them."