Chapter 37

Not again.

“Please no,” she whispered.

But the man didn’t even balk at her whispered words. He just came for her. His first hit was clean, right to her temple. Her vision blurred and wavered. Everything swam. The second knocked into her stomach, and the air whooshed out of her lungs.

She coughed and sputtered, spitting blood on the

“Rahllins,” a man said, stepping in the room and momentarily halting the beating.

“You dare interrupt!”

“It’s just that the delivery to Black House was interrupted.”

Black House. Maya swallowed down blood, just thinking about the name of the haunted mansion. What could possibly be delivered there?

Clare growled. “You stay here and work on the interrogation. I’ll deal with them.”

Clare stormed from the room, ignoring Fordham’s shouts of protest. The weasel-faced man stepped inside. For a moment, Maya thought he might be better than having Clare, the vicious snake, but she was wrong.

“Now, why did the Society send you?” he asked, dragging over a stool and sta