My Anti-hero Fairy System-Chapter 54. The Torture

Cara grinned wickedly, holding up the humming Voltsburner. "Oh, but she can. And she will. You’re about to get a front-row seat to your worst nightmare, bitch."

Cara’s grin widened as she pressed the device closer to Lisa’s face. "Now, tell me—how long have you known I’m a fairy?"

Lisa’s jaw tightened, and she glared up at Cara in defiance. Instead of speaking, she spat at Cara’s face.

Cara wiped the spit off with a smirk. "You’ll regret that."

Without hesitation, Cara pressed the Voltsburner to Lisa’s neck. A searing burn accompanied by an electric shock sent Lisa screaming and jerking violently. The sound of her agony echoed in the room. Cara’s eyes lit up with twisted satisfaction as Lisa’s screams filled her ears.

Victor, watching the scene, looked horrified, his pale face betraying his disbelief.

Cara relented momentarily, pulling the Voltsburner away, only to press it back again moments later. Lisa’s cries and sobs grew weaker with each shock. Cara was relentless, giving Lisa only brief moments of respite before starting again.

Meanwhile, Cara had already gleaned the information she needed from Lisa’s mind—Lisa had learned about her fairy powers earlier that day from the Scott brothers. But Cara wasn’t done.

When Lisa’s body sagged, her screams reduced to pitiful sobs, Cara finally stopped. "Shut up," Cara snapped, her voice filled with rage. "You brought this on yourself. You wanted me dead. For what? I never did anything to you! And yet, you conspired with those brutes to kill me—all because I’m a fairy?"

Lisa, through her sobs, spat back with venom, "You’re an ungodly creature! This world is for humans, not abominations like you. My Reverend said so, and I stand by it."

Cara stared at her, incredulous. Man, she’s committed to this bullshit, she thought.

[She’s a fanatic through and through,] Hagrit chimed in.

There’s no saving this bitch, Cara thought, her anger simmering.

Cara let out a dry laugh. "You think your Reverend would still accept you when we’re done with you?"

Joana, who had been watching the scene with amused detachment, chimed in. "I doubt that. If the Reverend she’s talking about is who I think it is, he’d probably kill her himself."

Cara’s brow lifted in curiosity, though she already knew the answer. "Reverend Franklin Newton—do you know him?"

Joana scoffed, her lip curling. "Oh, I know the hate-spewing bastard. Our paths have crossed a few times, and every encounter was as vile as you’d expect."

Lisa remained silent, her head drooping as Cara stepped closer again. "Now, tell me—do you know what happened to me the day I died?"

Lisa hesitated before lifting her head. Cara could see the hesitation in her eyes, but curiosity seemed to win out. "Yeah," Lisa finally said. "It was just like any other day at the diner. Except... I caught you arguing with your former boss—the Latino guy, always wearing that tacky white suit. You two were fighting in the driveway, maybe because you stopped giving him pussy. That’s all I remember well, that and you dying. Honestly, I wished you’d stayed dead, because if you had, I wouldn’t be here being tortured like some damn animal."

Angry Cara pressed the Voltsburner on Lisa’s chest, whilst her mind raced. She hadn’t thought about visiting her old workplace, The Hemridge Globe.

[You’ve been too focused on other things to consider it, and maybe you wanted to get more on what you were assigned to investigate before showing face,] Hagrit reminded her.

’Fair point. But damn, Cara’s life is like peeling an onion—or one of those Russian dolls. Just when I think I’ve got a handle on things, another layer pops up.’

[It doesn’t help that you don’t have all her memories yet,] Hagrit added.

’Yeah, why is that?’ Cara asked. ’Why am I still being kept in the dark?’

[The Goddess of Light doesn’t want you to have everything. She wants you to figure it out as you go,] Hagrit explained.

Cara let out an annoyed huff. ’The Goddess is quite the trickster. Is she related to Loki, by any chance?’

Hagrit chuckled. [That’s funny.]

Cara turned her icy gaze back to Lisa and Victor, her voice sharp and commanding. "Now, tell me—who runs the Temp-V business in this town?"

Focusing on Lisa’s mind, Cara quickly realized she was clueless about the Temp-V trade. But Victor’s mind told a different story. His thoughts were fragmented and guarded, clearly trying to block her from uncovering the truth.

’Since when can humans block mind-reading? I thought only werewolves and shapeshifters had that ability?’ Cara asked internally.

[They can’t, not in the way you’re thinking. It’s because your question is too broad—it’s giving him room to hide the details,] Hagrit replied.

’Which means there are multiple people running the operation,’ Cara thought, intrigued.

Her attention snapped back to Lisa. She pressed the Voltsburner against Lisa’s skin again, watching as the woman slumped unconscious in the chair. Cara turned back to Victor, her voice low and dangerous. "You know everything, don’t you?"

Victor shook his head, his voice trembling. "I don’t know anything. I just do menial work for your stepfather, nothing more."

"Why lie to me?" Cara asked, her smirk cold. "Your mind is betraying you even as you speak. I know you work for Rudy. You’re the distributor. But I can also tell he’s not the only one pulling the strings. Now, who are your bosses?" She lowered the Voltsburner to his groin, her grip steady.

Victor’s composure cracked. "I can’t tell you," he pleaded, tears brimming in his eyes. "If I do, they’ll kill my girlfriend—and our child."

Cara stiffened at the mention of his family. For a fleeting moment, she almost felt pity, but the memory of what he and his brothers had done to her in the woods extinguished it. She hardened her resolve.

"I thought he said his entire family would be wiped out if we killed him," Joana interjected, crossing her arms. "What’s this about a child now?"

Cara smirked, glancing at Joana. "Couldn’t you tell he was lying before?"

Joana sighed, shaking her head. "Vampires aren’t like fairies. We can’t always detect lies immediately, especially when emotions are involved."

Cara ignored the explanation, her attention locked on Victor. She leaned in closer, her voice dripping with menace. "Tell me what I want to know, or think about it—now."

Victor lasted all of ten seconds before Cara pressed the Voltsburner against his groin. His scream echoed through the room as he writhed in pain, his body jerking violently.

"Okay! I’ll tell you everything!" Victor cried, his voice ragged.

Damn, that was faster than I expected, Cara thought with mild amusement.

"Go on," Cara said, her tone calm but expectant.

Victor spoke quickly, desperation spilling out. "Your stepfather uses the diner’s storage as one of the warehouses for the Temp-V business. But he’s not the main boss. Kyle Chesney is the mastermind. And... Reverend Franklin Newton. His church launders the money we make. That’s all I know, I swear."

Joana’s eyebrows shot up. "Even the Reverend? Huh."

Cara leaned back, studying Victor. "What you’ve told me is enough. In fact, I’m so happy with your cooperation, I’m going to set you free."

Victor blinked, his face a mix of shock and hope. "You mean it? You’ll let me go?"

Joana’s expression darkened. "What are you doing, Cara? He’s mine."

Ignoring her, Cara untied Victor and gestured toward the door. "You’re free to go."

Without hesitation, Victor bolted from the chair and sprinted toward the exit, not daring to look back.

Joana grabbed Cara’s wrist, her grip like iron. "What the hell are you doing? We had a deal."

Cara smirked, her voice calm and laced with mischief. "And I remember you saying the hunt is the best part. Well, there’s your prey. Hunt him."