Read Online Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series by Tiffany Shand - Free Book Online

she could feel Declan Laroux trying to pull free from her control. He was an Elemental which made him a bit more resilient than some Magickind, but not from her. He must hate us, she said. He’s trying really hard to get away.
    “What do you know about the Thorn?” Her eyes glowed silver as she stared into Declan’s dark ones. Energy pulsed from her into Laroux, vibrating through the air. Cate grabbed hold of Jason’s hand as she did so to anchor herself. She expected to be instantly hit by a wave of dizziness or pounding inside her head but there was nothing. Yes, I did it! she thought triumphantly.
    Declan looked away; at first she thought he was trying to resist her, but then he started to shake and put his head in his hands. This is all my fault, he thought.
    “What’s all your fault? Tell me what you know about the Thorn coven.” Her patience was starting to grow thin.
    “I – I work for them or at least for people who know them. They distribute different drugs and other illegals around the city, potions and spells that are outlawed,” Declan finally answered.
    Jason tensed. “The Pandora drug?”
    Declan nodded.
    “We’re going to need names and everything else you can tell us,” she said. “You knew about Bethany, who she really was, didn’t you? You must have suspected it?”
    Declan shook his head. “I never met most of the coven members or the High Priestess, much less those in her inner circle,” he said grimly. “I swear I didn’t know who Beth really was. Fuck, this is all my fault! I led her straight to Cerys.”
    “After you’ve told us everything you know, you can then take us to the people you usually deal with.”
    “I can’t do that!” Declan protested. “If they saw you two or I brought strangers with me they’d know I betrayed them right away. I ain’t gonna put me or Cerys in danger.”
    Cate sighed. This was taking too long even with the compulsion forcing him to talk, and they needed to find Bethany before she fled the city, if she hadn’t already. She asked Jason, “Did that chip Steve gave us have a telepathic memory bank on it?”
    Jason nodded. “Yeah, with all the information we need to remember about our aliases. Why?”
    “Because I have all the information I took from Cerys on my chip, I could take on his memories and give them to you.”
    His brow creased into a frown. “Now you want to use your powers to that extent? I thought you were trying to be careful.”
    “I am, but this is taking way too long. We need to find things out before those drugs can harm anyone else.” She turned back to face Declan. “I’m sorry I had to compel you...”
    “But you weren’t exactly being cooperative,” Jason interrupted.
    She gave him a quick glare, despite the fact it was true. “But I’d like to have your permission to use my Touch on you and –”
    Declan’s eyes went wide with fear. “You want to kill me?”
    “No, not a killing Touch. If I lay my hand on you, I’ll be able to see into your mind, access your memories, and learn everything you know about the Thorn and your dealings with them.”
    “No way!”
    “Please, this could not only get you away from the Thorn, but Cerys too. I decided to let her off with a caution because she’s cooperated with us so far, but if you don’t help we can charge you as an accessory to practising forbidden magic.”
    “And then there’s the dealing illegal and controlled substances to add to the charges and we can probably find a couple more to put on the list,” Jason added. “So think about it, Laroux. Either you start working with us or you’ll end up in prison and there’ll be no one around to protect Cerys from the Thorn.”
    “They wouldn’t –?”
    “They’ve already used her to conjure dark magic. If they think you’ve betrayed them, they’ll go after the people you care about,” Jason went on. “That’s how people like them work.”
    “But if they find out I helped you, they’ll come after