Chapter 72
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
Ryker
I clasped my hands together and pushed down on the place where my finger once existed. Gritting my teeth, I focused on the pain I’d created by doing this instead of the slash of the whip against Tucker’s flesh.
Having endured as much as I had at the hands of the ophidians, Tucker was accustomed to torture and could withstand it far more than most others. He hadn’t screamed yet—something that would royally piss off the duke, especially if he was the one wielding the whip.
Sometimes the duke preferred to have others do his dirty work, but most times, he enjoyed doing it himself. He’d never allowed another to beat me; it was always him.
Tucker didn’t scream, but I knew he was suffering. I’d endured those whip blows many times throughout my life and bore the dozens upon dozens of scars to prove it. I understood what it was like not to scream as every fall of the whip drove the agony deeper.
They hadn’t captured Ellery. They’d come close, or at least that’s what I gathered from listening to them, but she was still free and fighting… which incensed Veni.
He hadn’t come for me yet, as he knew listening to this was far worse for me than anything he could ever do. That wouldn’t keep him at bay forever, especially since I was the one he really wanted to see bleed.
The duke also knew he’d never get me to break. No matter what he did to me, I’d never tell him where Ellery went, but he’d mistakenly believed Tucker might cave to his wishes. He was wrong.
Callan and Tucker were the only others here who knew the location of the second encampment, and while I didn’t worry about Tucker revealing it, I was concerned about Callan. I’d greatly disliked the minstrel when we first met, but he’d proven to be a resourceful, agile fighter.
He was loyal to Ellery, and even more so to his sister Luna. But while the lute player was far better and more adept at fighting than I ever could have imagined, he’d never withstood the torment Veni could unleash. I didn’t know if he had it in him to do so.
They hadn’t returned with the amsirah who revealed the location of the encampment; I assumed he was dead. They had no further use for him.
The other two amsirah, who remained imprisoned with us, hadn’t made a sound since their earlier beatings. They’d returned them to their cells, but I didn’t know if they were dead or unconscious.
Pressing down on the place where my missing finger once existed, my thoughts turned to Ellery. From what I’d heard, they’d arrived in time to discover her and the giant still in the camp, but the rest were gone.
Some of the duke’s men had stood outside my cell, glowering at me when they first returned to the dungeon. I’d smiled in return.
From their death stares and dirty, bloody clothing, I guessed Ellery had made them pay for daring to arrive at my old home. Oh, how I loved that woman.
If they’d managed to evacuate the encampment in time to avoid capture, she knew we’d been taken. I had no doubt she’d try to come for me, but I had to find a way to free myself before that happened; I just had no idea how I was going to do that.
She was strong, but she might also get herself killed if she tried to rise against Veni without being fully prepared. I couldn’t let that happen.
I hoped Ellery didn’t do anything reckless to get me back. She’d been doing well about keeping her more impulsive, destructive instincts leashed, but I was sure my capture had upended her world.
If our roles were reversed, I wasn’t sure I could maintain the restraint it would take for me to get her back. My first instinct would be to march on the palace and set it on fire, and I’d probably get myself captured or killed in the process.
Ellery had managed to maintain enough control to get the others to safety. She had to continue to remain rational enough to plan her next move.
And she has to stay away from the gargoyles.