Daemon Azure's lips twitched in annoyance. The sheer, unrefined rage coming through the communication talisman from Aiden Thorne was grating.
For a moment, he considered the profound satisfaction of simply cutting the connection and letting the brutish heir of the Thorne family wander the Labyrinth in ignorant fury.
But he couldn't. He needed allies, and Aiden, for all his flaws, was a necessary pawn.
"Calm yourself, Aiden," Daemon said, his voice a smooth, placating balm over Aiden's fiery temper.
"He is not my man. Do you truly believe I would associate with such a chaotic element? I am offering you an opportunity. The man who humiliated you, who stole your family's treasures, is here. Alone. Vulnerable."
He chose his words carefully, stoking the embers of Aiden's wounded pride. He knew that for a man like Aiden Thorne, humiliation was a far greater motivator than logic.
There was a pause on the other end, filled with the sound of heavy, angry breathing.
