The Storm God's Sweetheart

34. Interrogation

"Liar." Seth held up a dagger for her to see. It was the dagger she'd stolen from the ship. The one she'd just lied and said that she'd sold on the black market. "No matter how many opportunities you have to tell you truth – you still won't stop lying. Did you demon friends teach you that?"

He threw the knife and Molly flinched – though it only thudded against the glass between them. "I should have never laid eyes on you. I wish we'd never met." The searing hatred in his gaze made Molly tremble.

"Seth," she looked at him pleadingly. "I really didn't try to kill you. There is a spy on the ship but it isn't me." She put her hand up against the glass between them. He turned sharply, showing her his back and Molly's lip quivered. "I can explain."

Her voice cracked and she sagged, her head dropping in defeat. "I can explain." But could she? After being caught in so many lies, perhaps it was too late to tell him the truth and for the outcome to be any different. 

Seth stormed out of the room and the glass changed – showing her reflection once more. Molly rested her head against the glass. Silent tears slid down her face.

The sound of a key in the lock made her raise her head and Seth opened the door. Molly rushed towards him. But as soon as she was in reach – Seth raised his hand and grabbed her by the shoulder. He turned her – forcing her back against the wall and stopping her from touching him.

"Don't think that I still love you." He snarled. "I am not so pathetic that I could love a woman who set me up to die." His canines lengthened and Molly shivered. His fox head still scared her the most.

"I wasn't there that night." Molly argued. "You can check the logs. I was absent and failed to call in and tell anyone. There was a disciplinary meeting afterwards and they extended my sentence as a volunteer. It will all be recorded in my file."

"You could have tampered with my mech suit on the previous night." He pointed out.

"We weren't together back then – we hadn't been together for many nights at that point. You were pushing me away." Molly reminded him. "Your mech suit worked fine, the last time I was alone with you. And I think you know that in our meetings I didn't have any time to meddle with the technology. We were very much otherwise occupied."

Seth's gaze was hard and distrusting.

"You stole the dagger." He shook his head, half laughing at the idea listening or believing anything she had to say now.

"Yes." She relented. Seth's expression froze.

"You didn't sell it. You didn't sell it for money."

"No. I stole it to use it. I stole it to kill a demon."

Seth bent his arm, moving closer – his gaze narrowing as he tried to read the truth in her eyes. They'd tested the blade, and it had indeed been used to stab a demon. It had been cleaned with soap and water – but residue had remained. The armoury used sterilisers that wouldn't have left demon-blood residue had the blood come from a battle in the underworld.

"Why?"

"He was terrorising me. Trying to make me work for him. Trying to make me sabotage the ship. He had dirt on me and my mum, which stopped us from being able to go to the authorities." Molly swallowed, her breath feeling short in her lungs.