Still frozen, I couldn’t speak. Morlet touched my wrist, and my body warmed, movement gradually returning.
“What did you expect?” I said. “For me to go quietly to your torture chamber? I thought you knew me better than that.”
Morlet stood, pulling me up with him. He yanked my arms behind my back and bound them with rope. My vision blurred, and standing became difficult.
“You used too much power,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re going to pass out. Wonder what will happen to you when you’re unable to fight back.”
I wanted to punch him but instead, sank into his arms and into a dream.
***
Blackness surrounded me. Something cold and hard pressed against my body. My breathing sped up, and fear cascaded through me. Whatever contraption I was in was meant to instill fear. I had to remain calm.
But I couldn’t.
My heart thundered as if it were going to burst out of my chest. There wasn’t enough air to breathe. I wanted to scream and pound against the device I was in. But that was what Morlet wanted. When he was ready, he’d let me out of this thing.
Closing my eyes, I imagined my father reading to me. When that didn’t calm me down, I pictured walking in the forest with the towering trees. Anders’s face appeared before me.
“Kaia,” he said. “You have to be strong. You can survive this. You’re the toughest girl I know.” He smiled, filling me with confidence.
Something banged above me, and I heard people talking. Light suddenly gleamed into my eyes, making me squint. Rough hands grabbed my arms, pulling me to a sitting position. I was in a rectangular box that looked like a coffin. I jumped out and stood staring at the sadistic contraption I had just spent an hour or so in.
“Ever wonder what it would feel like to be buried alive?” Morlet asked from behind me. “Put her on the table.”
Scattered throughout the room were various instruments I’d never seen before. To my right was a wooden rack with chains attached to either side. The chains were connected to a crank. In the corner of the room was a pointy metal instrument covered in blood. My stomach twisted violently, and I lifted my hands in the air, trying to gather my power in order to protect myself.
“Oh, my dear Kaia,” Morlet purred. “I’ve taken precautions so you can’t do that in here.”
He must have cast some sort of spell on the room in order to render my power useless—which meant that he couldn’t use his magic, either. Two soldats clasped my arms, dragging me over to a flat wooden table in the center of the room.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged Morlet. “What do you want? You already know I’m the twelfth Kriger.”
One of the men lifted me, but before he could set me on the table, I twisted my body, clutched his shoulders, and slammed my knee into his stomach. He dropped me, and I kicked my leg out, knocking him over.
The other soldat wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Stop fighting,” he said, holding me tightly, “or you’ll go on the rack. Trust me, the table is a far better option than having your limbs torn off. It is the least violent contraption in this room. I suggest you start cooperating before she gets here and punishes you.”
Tears poured down the sides of my face.
The man picked me up and put me on the table, holding me in place while the other one locked my wrists and ankles to it. Morlet leaned over me, his penetrating blue eyes focused on mine. I stared back at him, challenging him to hurt me.
He rested his hand on my cheek, his thumb gently brushing away the tears. “Don’t cry, my dear Kaia.”
“Then don’t do this to me.”
“You have information we need. This is the only way.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Tell me who has been assisting you.” He removed his hand and placed it on the table next to my body.
Didn’t he want to know where my weapon was? “Why do you think someone has been helping me?” I needed to keep Anders and Vidar’s identities from Morlet.
“You never would have made it out of the capital otherwise.”
A valid point. “I’m resourceful.”
He tapped his finger against the table. “When I first saw you in the Town Square, a man was with you. I didn’t see his face, but it was clear, based upon his actions, that he is no ordinary person.”
I had to stay as close to the truth as possible. “There was a man there, but that was the first time I saw him as well.” It would be so easy to say Anders’s name. Morlet probably didn’t even know him, and if he did, it wasn’t as if he could hurt him. The assassin was hidden in the forest, far from here. However, he was my friend, and I would protect him at all cost.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. When I didn’t elucidate, Morlet leaned down, his face only inches from mine. “You’re keeping things from me,” he whispered. “You’re making the choice, not me.” He took a step back. “Just remember, I never wanted this.”
The door flew open and Skog Heks entered, wobbling over to me. The putrid smell of rotting flesh filled the air. “Where’s your weapon?” she demanded, her voice grating on my ears.
My bo staff was hidden in a cavern. As to its exact location, it was a mystery to me. Turning my head so Skog Heks could see the fury in my eyes, I spat, “Like I’d tell you.”
She chuckled. “Morlet, you said you had her wrapped around your finger. Apparently, you aren’t the only one playing with her heartstrings. And your antics aren’t nearly as effective as you think.”
Her cruel words were like a slap across my face. Was Morlet that heartless? Had he been toying with me all along in an attempt to lure me here? It made sense—after all, he’d used my father as well. Of course he’d manipulate me, make me sympathize with him.
“Raise it,” Skog Heks ordered. The soldats came forward and used the crank under the table, slowly lifting it until I was upright. “Get me the horn.”
One of the men went to the corner of the room and picked up a metal horn, filling it with water. When he was done, he came over.
“Wait,” Skog Heks said. “Morlet will do it.” She pointed at him. “Take the horn, and fill her with water until she’s ready to cooperate.”
Morlet gave a curt nod and took the horn. The evil witch snapped her brown, crooked teeth an inch from my face. “This is the part I love,” she said, her hot, rancid breath wafting over me.
“Hurting people?” I asked, panic swelling inside of me.
“No,” she replied. “Watching humans suffer. After all, you are the ones who came to our land, trying to kill us. It seems only fair that we return the favor and destroy your kind.”
Morlet lifted the horn to my mouth and tried shoving it inside. I squeezed my lips shut. He nodded to one of the soldats who pinched my nose. Desperately needing air, I gasped. It was all Morlet needed, and he thrust the end in my mouth. He pushed a lever on the side of the horn, and water poured inside me. The opening was so large that I couldn’t spit the water out. It gushed down my throat, forcing me to swallow. I started gagging, but the water didn’t stop. I was drowning.
My heart raced, and my head started pounding. Morlet tilted the contraption to get the remaining water into me. His eyes glistened, and a single tear slid down his cheek.
Once the horn was empty, he removed it. My stomach cramped; I was going to vomit.
“When I come back,” Skog Heks sneered, “I’ll ask you again. If you refuse to tell me, you’ll undergo another round of this, then I’ll throw you in the coffin for the night.” She hobbled toward the door, the two soldats trailing behind her.
Morlet stood next to me, his arms folded across his chest.
“Are you coming?” she barked.
“In a moment,” he responded, his voice cold and menacing. “I have a few of my own questions for the prisoner.”
She left the room, the door slamming shut behind her.
Morlet took a step closer to me. “Why?”
he whispered, pushing his hood back, revealing his crestfallen face. “I can’t protect you. Just tell her where your weapon is.” He reached forward and gingerly wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“Don’t touch me,” I said, my voice coated with venom. “I hate you.”
His shoulders dropped. “If you won’t tell her where it is, will you at least tell me who is helping you?”
“I thought you had Skog Heks’s power?” He nodded. “Then why is she controlling you? It should be the other way around. You have what she desires. You should be the one giving orders.”
He turned away from me. “You don’t understand,” he mumbled. “It’s not that simple.”
My throat burned. “Then know this: I will never tell you where my bo staff is.”
“She’s searching for your father right now,” he revealed. “We know he’s a guard in the mines. It’s only a matter of time until we find him. When she puts him in front of you and tears his skin off bit by bit, you’ll tell her whatever she wants to know.”
His voice revealed a deep sadness, but I didn’t care. He’d just tortured me, and he’d lied before. I couldn’t trust anything he said.
“You have one hour until we return.” He pulled his hood back on and glided from the room.
Chapter Fifteen
Someone gently patted my shoulder, rousing me awake. “Your father is safe,” a man whispered.
Relief filled me like a warm stew on a frigid day.
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to help you,” he said. “Skog Heks knows who my wife and child are.”
“I understand.” My voice was coarse and gravelly. “Thank you for telling me about my father.”
He glanced at the door. “They’re coming. Skog Heks is furious you haven’t cooperated. She’ll be more aggressive this time.” His back stiffened, and he took his post near the door.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor, and I shuddered, not wanting to endure another round of water torture.
Skog Heks stormed into the room, Morlet trailing not far behind. The witch’s eyes shot daggers of hatred at me. “I think we need to change it up a bit,” she snidely said.
Panic filled me. What form of pain would she choose to inflict upon me this time?
She clapped her hands. “Maybe I’ll gut you.”
“You can’t kill her,” Morlet said, taking an imposing step forward so they stood side-by-side. “At least, not until she links with the other Krigers.”
She looked up at him, her black, beady eyes pleading. “It may be worth it.”
“I’m not waiting another two decades to find the new Kriger.” He clasped his hands behind his back.
“If only I had my magic.” A cruel smile formed on her lips. “Oh, but you do. There are things you can do to her.” Skog Heks’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“I would love to use your magic on her,” he said. “However, this room is encased with a spell which prevents magic from being used.”
“We could take her to my secret chamber,” she suggested, making a bizarre noise with her mouth, like an animal salivating before a kill.
“No. Then she could use her own power to defend herself.” He strode through the room, briefly stopping before each contraption. “Move her to the rack,” Morlet ordered the two soldats. “That shouldn’t do too much damage as long as we don’t pull hard enough to rip her limbs from her body.” He laughed, the sound making my stomach twist. Why had I felt sympathy for this man?
The men untied me from the table. Even though my body was weak, I swung my fist, punching the man to my left. He didn’t even flinch. They dragged me over to the rack, pulling my arms up and attaching them before locking my ankles in place.
“One rotation,” Morlet said. The soldats each took hold of the rollers and turned.
My arms stretched up, my legs down. I screamed—my limbs were about to pop out of their sockets.
Skog Heks came before me. “Where is it?” she demanded. Her plump fingers grabbed my chin, squeezing hard. She smelled of decaying rats.
I spat on her face.
“Foolish human child,” she said, backhanding me across the cheek. My vision blurred. “I can’t wait to drain the life from your pathetic body.”
“Enough,” Morlet ordered. “If Kaia passes out, she can’t answer. Let me do this my way. I’ve torn enough limbs from bodies to know how far to go.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Let’s take her to the tower and bring the other Krigers up. We can force them to link powers, and then you can enter their minds. Discover where they retrieved their weapons. From that, you should be able to figure out where hers is.”
“That will work,” Morlet answered. “Since it’s easiest for the Krigers to link powers at dawn’s first light when the moons are still visible, we’ll do it then.”
Skog Heks nodded and left the room.
“Quarter turn,” he instructed the soldats.
They complied, and my body stretched farther apart. I screamed a blood-curdling sound.
“I’m sorry,” Morlet murmured. “You are going to die. You might as well live your last hours in relative comfort instead of being tortured.” He leaned in so close his breath caressed my face. “My Kaia, why do you have to be a Kriger? I wish things were different.”
“But they’re not,” I said. He reached out and touched my face with the tip of his fingers. “Don’t touch me,” I begged.
“There’s something about you.”
“I’m a Kriger who is going to kill you,” I growled.
His brows pinched together as if trying to figure something out. “What is your mother’s name?” he asked.
“I don’t have one. She died when I was born.”
Morlet shook his head. “You remind me of someone. She ended up ruining me. I can’t make the same mistake twice.” He took a step away from me. “I will kill you,” he declared, his voice steady and calm. He turned to the soldats. “Release her and follow me.”
They undid my bindings, and I crumpled to the floor, unable to stand. One of the men lifted me in his arms, and I turned my head toward his chest, willing the excruciating pain to go away.
A few minutes later, he laid me on a soft bed and left. I was in Morlet’s bedchamber. “Why am I here?” I demanded as a new fear set in. We were alone in his bedchamber, and in my condition, I was completely vulnerable.
“I couldn’t put you back in the coffin,” he admitted. “Besides, you need to rest. In a few hours, I’m taking you to the tower. Once my men have retrieved your weapon, we’ll end this once and for all.” He was a walking contradiction. I didn’t understand how he could be so evil, yet show kindness at the same time. He didn’t want to hurt me, yet he did it anyway.
Escape was impossible. Tears slid down my face—I’d never been in so much pain before. My body started shaking uncontrollably. Morlet sighed and removed his cape. What did he plan to do? If he attempted to harm me, I didn’t even have the energy to summon my power. I was at his mercy, and that scared me more than anything.
“Let me help you,” he gently said, sitting next to me.
“I don’t want your help.” This was probably another one of his lies meant to gain my trust before he stabbed me.
“You’re too stubborn for your own good.” He reached for me, and I jerked away, my vision blurring and my stomach cramping.
Morlet took hold of my tender arms.
“Leave me alone!” I wished I were somewhere else. Anywhere else. I’d rather die than have him take advantage of me or be tortured again.
“Kaia, look at me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Morlet mumbled something unintelligible, and then warmth shot through me. My eyes flew open. His brows were pinched together, and his eyes were closed as he continued muttering. My muscles relaxed, and my stomach no longer hurt. His power freely flowed from his body to mine, rejuvenating and healing me.
Beads of sweat covered his fo
rehead, and his breathing became labored. He stopped talking and released me. Swaying, he slowly stood and stumbled over to the fireplace where he knelt on the ground, his back to me.
I sat up, not a single ache in my body. “Why did you do that?” He’d just spent hours torturing me.
Morlet didn’t respond. His body shook as he pointed to the nearby chair where a small pile of clothes sat neatly folded. “You can change in there.” His head nodded toward a door.
After picking up the clothes, I opened the door and discovered a large washroom. A small bathing pool filled one side of the room, and a dressing area took up the other. I peeled off my disgusting clothes and climbed into the warm water. All the sweat, dirt, and grime washed away. I stayed in there for several minutes, relaxing in the luxurious bath.
Finally, I got out and dressed in the clothes Morlet had provided—black pants and a plain tunic. I combed my hair, wishing it were still long so I could twist it back into a bun off my face.
Rolling my shoulders back, I steeled my resolve. This was my last opportunity to escape. Back in the bedchamber, Morlet hadn’t moved an inch. Seeing him there, exposed and defeated, pulled at my heart.
Against my better judgment, I asked, “Are you all right?” Most likely, he’d depleted himself healing me.
“I’m fine. Just tired. The warmth helps.”
Squatting next to him, I had no idea what else to say. One second he was inflicting pain, and the next he was helping me. “I don’t understand you.”
A small smile spread across his face. “Neither do I.” His shoulders slumped. “Kaia, I have to kill you.”
“Then why did you bother using your magic to heal me?”
“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.” He wouldn’t look at me.
I stood and prepared to kick him so I could make a run for it. His arm shot out, and he grabbed my ankle, yanking it hard. I tumbled to the ground, stunned.
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