Chapter 411: Oath sap has a price.

Zyra and Hunter walked through the cold stone corridors of Flotus Prison, a place where only the highest-profile prisoners were kept under heavy lockdown in the capital. Since the grand elder took charge of things, the prison was becoming crowded, every other hour. Most of the new arrivals were tied to Trinity and the Johnson clan, and her allies that aided her in doing evil.

Zyra glanced sideways at Hunter. The guy hadn’t slept in what felt like forever, yet somehow, he looked... almost fresher than she did, and she’d actually gotten a decent night’s rest! She bumped her shoulder playfully into his arm.

"I’m really glad the contamination is completely gone," Zyra said with a soft smile. "You look so much better now."

Hunter chuckled, casting her a sly side-glance. "Are you trying to say I’m drop dead handsome?"

Zyra pouted, her cheeks puffing up slightly. "What? Am I not allowed to compliment my own man? And it’s drop dead gorgeous."

Hunter leaned down close to her ear, his voice dropping into a smooth murmur. "You’re the only one allowed to. You can call me handsome, gorgeous, beautiful." He run a hand through his golden locks. "I am a rather handsome beast, aren’t I? Name one man alive, human or Somnivore, more good looking than me? When those King beasts surrendered to you, at the arena, it was my beauty they were in awe of. Beauty should change her name to Second Beauty because I am incomparable."

[I can’t watch this.] Beauty chimed, in Zyra’s mind. [He has no shame.]

Zyra smiled to herself. She was so relieved that despite the dark, ugly answers he might receive today, Hunter wasn’t crushed by the situation. He was taking everything in a stride and even finding a way to put a positive spin on things.

An absurd positive spin, but it was all good as long as he was fine.

The prison guard leading them paused in front of a large, solitary confinement cell and unlocked the iron door with a loud clang.

The second the door swung open, a screeching voice burst out from inside: "I already told you low-borns three times! I don’t want to eat your filthy food. I am the Divine Soul maiden. Do you know what that is?"

Zyra chuckled, stepping inside with her hands behind her back. "Well, it’s a good thing we didn’t bring any snacks then, mother empress of the earth."

Trinity, who was curled up on the floor facing the blank stone wall, froze. She scrambled frantically, spinning around on her knees to face them.

Hunter let out a small laugh. "You can go right back to your hunger strike, Trinity, but first_ you’re going to answer our questions."

Trinity snickered, dusting off her ragged clothes and crossing her arms with a smug grin. "Ha! I knew you two would come crawling back!"

"Great! Glad we’re on the same page," Zyra said cheerfully. In her mind, she commanded the system: Beauty, give me the Oath Sap.

[Yes host]

A small, bottle materialized right in Zyra’s palm out of thin air.

Trinity’s eyes went wider than saucers. "What on earth... What are you?! Some kind of freak?! A witch!? No.....probably an alien. There have been lots of those running around on earth since the beginning of time. So, what are you, freak?"

Zyra rolled her eyes. "You have quiet the imagination. I am all human. Now shut up, unless you are giving us what we seek."

Trinity suddenly burst into loud, cackling laughter like a total mental patient, her face twisting into madness. "Don’t bother! I’m going to bite my tongue off right now. You won’t force a single word out of me. I already sent word to Sabrina about your new knowledge on your background. She must have bitten her tongue by now."

Zyra clenched her jaw. Even in prison, Trinity’s influence still stretched beyond the walls. The grand elder still had a lot more purging to do.

Trinity glared mockingly at Hunter, her eyes glinting with pure poison. "Why do you think your mother did it, huh? She knew you’d come crawling to her for answers! She wants those lingering questions to torment your soul every single day until you go crazy and kill yourself."

Hunter just nodded casually, totally unfazed. "Ah, what a sweet, loving mother she is. But I have no plans to kill myself. I have a honeymoon to go for and a great grandchild to give my grandfather. I have a wife who loves me, and a Beast city to govern with her. My mother bit her tongue for no reason, as I had zero plans to see her, let alone talk to her."

Zyra turned to Hunter. "Hunter, pry her mouth open. Stop wasting time."

"No! Stay away from me!" Trinity screamed, flailing her hands wildly like a cornered beast. Seeing Hunter step closer, she panicked, stuck her tongue out as far as it could go, and chomped down with all her strength!

Zyra and Hunter just stood there, arms crossed, watching her with bored expressions like they were spectating a terribly acted, low-budget live drama.

Zyra tilted her head. "Come on, bite harder! You barely made a dent!"

Trinity stopped midway, her teeth buried in her tongue, her face turning red. Realizing her desperate threat was a complete failure, she let out a loud, defeated wail. "Ugh! You people are monsters!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"Man," Hunter chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are hardcore like Sabrina... unfortunately for you, your execution needs work."

Trinity scrambled onto her knees, her arrogance completely vanishing as she clutched her hands together, begging Zyra. "Please! I beg you, don’t use that truth-telling liquid on me! Every single time that fool Achilles used it on me, I felt like my brain was exploding! I am losing my mind!"

Suddenly, a crisp notification chimed inside Zyra’s head.

[Host, she’s actually telling the truth. Oath Sap carries severe side effects like permanent madness and severe memory loss when overused. It is not something to play with like juice.]

Zyra chuckled softly under her breath. Who said I was playing?

She looked down at Trinity with icy, unbothered eyes. She didn’t care what happened to this woman’s mind after everything she had pulled.

Zyra gave Hunter a quick nod. Hunter stepped forward smoothly, grabbing Trinity’s jaw and forcing her mouth wide open despite her squealing.

Zyra didn’t even bother measuring drops_ she tilted the bottle and poured the entire contents straight down Trinity’s throat!

Trinity gagged wildly, twisting her neck as the liquid splashed. A few drops trickled down her chin, but she swallowed almost the entire bottle down in one big gulp.

Her eyes rolled back, and the interrogation was officially ready to begin!

"Let’s test it first," Hunter said softly, his voice echoing in the stone cell. "What is your full name?"

Trinity’s jaw twitched, her lips moving entirely on their own, completely stripped of her free will. "Trinity... Pemberton... Johnson," she blurted out in a dull, monotone voice.

Hunter nodded the second the name Pemberton left her lips. He couldn’t help but let out a quiet, amused chuckle.

Trinity hated that middle name with every fiber of her being. She thought it sounded hideous, old, and ridiculous, and she never, ever used it under normal circumstances.

Now that she was ripe, it was time for plucking.