Chapter 35
Chapter
Thirty-Five
I’d never been in the interrogation room before, but thanks to Kade’s former and excessively thorough explanation, I understood Lumosia’s process pretty well. Venay used to take charge of the honorability aspect, but with her gone, it was my job tonight—and for the unforeseen future, I suspected.
The space was nearly identical to a dungeon, as you had to pass through a dingy, damp corridor to arrive, though the room itself was bright, smothered with blinding white paint and over-the-top glass windows for spectators viewing pleasure, should there be any.
In the middle of the floor were two metal chairs, shackles and cuffs attached to the arms and legs.
One chair was empty, while the other had a thrashing Draemornian constrained to it.
“I found him creeping around the borders while I was exercising one of the mares,” Kade informed us from where he lounged against a wall, his stare directed at Sebastian. “I think he followed Leighton back.”
“No way. We checked the borders when she returned,” Sebastian denied his claim, granting the chained man a lethal scowl.
“You didn’t check good enough,” the Draemornian spat, pulling at his constricted wrists.
Shit.
This was bad. Really fucking bad.
“Who exercises the horses at night?” Pia questioned, a single red brow arched.
“Me when I can’t sleep,” Kade grumbled. It was then that I noted the dark shadows under his normally luminous eyes.
“What's wrong, Lyrise? Nightmares?” Sebastian teased with a mocking pouty lip.
Before Kade could fight back, Sawyer shot into the room, panting like he had run miles to get here. He froze when he saw our captive. “The fuck?”
“We have a guest,” Kade muttered sharply. “Unwelcome, of course, but a guest all the same.”
Sawyer stepped forward, tearing his dagger out of its sheath. “So are we killing him or what?”
“We’re for sure killing him, but let's see what we can get out of him first,” Kade answered.
Our captive’s eyes flatlined with terror at the confirmation of his impending death. “I’m no use to you dead,” he growled, flexing and wriggling his ankles, though the attempt only moved the chair a few inches.
“You’re not really of any use to us either way if I’m being honest,” Sebastian bluffed, knowing the claim wasn’t entirely true nor false.
Kohen looked towards me, his face much too serious for how tipsy I still was, despite having gotten some sleep. “Are you okay to interrogate the bastard? We can always hold him here until the morning if you aren’t.”
“Why wouldn’t she be okay?” Sawyer asked, his voice conveying some form of worry. I could feel his gaze examining me, but refused to look in his direction to confirm.
“Wine,” Pia said simply, giving Sawyer a knowing look that made his jaw audibly clamp shut.
Gods. Everyone in this room knew too much about my personal life, and that included the prick in Draemornian garb thrashing before us.
“I’m fine,” I garbled while choking down the booze that bubbled into my throat. What good was waiting, anyway? I’d likely just have a throbbing headache in the morning—I could feel it inching its way into my brain already.
Ignoring my lack of reason, I got right to work, trying to disregard my mind-stuffing conversations with Sebastian, Sawyer, and Pia by focusing on the compact area of peace left in my brain.
I turned to the Draemornian, whose bald head dripped sweat from his failing escape attempts. “Tell me, did you come here alone?” I compelled the man, my gemstones twitching with the release of my magic.
His eyes fell dark as he confessed with terrorized shock displayed on his skin, making it blatantly obvious that he was stunned with his own willingness to disclose the information. “No. There was someone with me, but he fled when I got caught.”
I turned to my friends, sharing a look of understanding with Kohen, who gave me a slight nod before spinning on his heel and leaving us to search for the escapee. If anyone was going to find this asshole's accomplice, it was Kohen.
Shutting out a sudden wave of dizziness, I placed my attention back on my interrogation and carried on, the questions spilling out of me without pause. “Tell me if anyone else knows of this location besides the two of you.”
“Not yet, but they will soon when my partner returns to King Beaumont,” my victim replied through his caged teeth as he tried everything in his power to fight my order.
“Tell me how you found us,” I pressed, stepping closer to the man.
“I caught your friend leaving my king’s study. She showed me the way to you.”
My head jolted back in response to my devastation. Leighton? She wouldn’t have done that…Why would she do that?
Turning back to my friends again, this time I received a nod of comprehension from Sawyer, who left as quickly as he came to make haste searching for the traitor.
Revolving back towards my victim, I rattled off another question with the insuperable pressure of my power. “Tell me anything and everything that I might find useful before we kill you,” I spat, my anger sneaking through my words. “Don’t leave anything out.”
I didn’t know if the generality of my demand would get anything out of him, but the Draemornian instantly began sputtering damn near priceless information.
“King Beaumont’s army is getting ready, and once he discovers where you are, he will come for you. He will kill every single one of your friends and burn this land down just like he did to Caelestis. And once you are in his arms, he will make you unstoppable.”
My magic wavered, along with my footing, the wine in my blood concocting with my magic and making me lightheaded. Sebastian steadied me, holding me upright by the arm. My command slipped, releasing my target from his own admissions, evident by the sealant of his lips.
“You don’t have to keep going,” Sebastian whispered to me, splaying his empty palm on my lower spine.
“I’m fine.” I brushed him off, pointing my glare at the Draemornian. “Tell me what Beaumont is doing with the Hykahs.”
“I already told you, you stupid bitch,” the soldier spat, saliva flying through the air. “He is going to destroy this kingdom and anyone that denies him as their ruler. He will take the entire empire into his hands.”
“Tell me why he wants to turn me into one of the Hykahs,” I commanded, prolonging my investigation while we waited for Sawyer to return with part two. We had the time, might as well get as much out of the Draemornian as possible.
“Why wouldn’t he? You’re already the most powerful being on this planet. Why not make you even more powerful,” he shot back against his own freewill.
“Tell me how we kill the Hykahs.”
“I don’t know.”
“Damnit,” I muttered, my hands falling to my sides as I looked over my shoulder. “Anything to add?” I asked Sebastian, who shook his head.
I released my power, deciding to preserve my remaining energy for Leighton.
Kade kicked off the wall, marching for the Draemornian and putting the edge of his sword flat across his neck. “Give me a good reason to hold off on killing you,” he sneered, putting his face in line with the male’s chattering teeth.
“I already told you everything I know. You would have been better off with my partner. He’s closer to King Beaumont,” the man replied, finally releasing the fear he was holding on to as his entire body began to shake.
“Final answer?” Sebastian stepped forward with his own blade pointed out.
The Draemornian nodded, then bent his head back, exposing his neck to give them easier access.
Kade turned to Sebastian, pulling his blade away from the Draemornian’s flesh. “I assume that you want the honors?”
“Fuck yes,” Sebastian growled and didn't waste a single second.
My entire body recoiled as I watched the man I loved pierce his dagger through the begging male's carotid, dragging it across the artery and faultlessly shredding the pathway.
When Sebastian pulled the blade free, blood spurted in a steady stream down the front of his victim's armor. He studied the man who bled out before him, the color of the dying man's skin fading as the veil came for him.
The Draemornian’s eyes converted to a foggy white, a telltale sign that his soul was preparing to leave his body as he became close to meeting the gods.
Time seemed to pause for a moment as the man fell limp and silent.
I drew a deep breath, keeping the air locked between my teeth as I stepped back to avoid the river of blood that flowed for my feet.
Abruptly, my body flinched as the Draemornian’s head accelerated upright. He held his neck completely steady while reaching his arms out for me, trying to pull me into his grasp.
“Goddess?” he cried out, the white emptiness in his eyes searching for me. His voice imitated pure awe as tears began to stream down his pale skin. “Oh my, this can’t be real. Is this real?”
“What the hell is he talking about?” Kade asked in a panic.
“How the hell is he even talking right now?” Sebastian answered with another question, his head cocked while studying where he had stabbed the man.
“He must be seeing things beyond the veil,” Pia added.
“Stab him again,” Kade ordered.
Sebastian stepped forward and collided with the arm I held out to stop him. “Wait.”
I took a step towards the Draemornian, crouching down before him, no longer caring that I stood in a puddle of warm, fresh blood.
Though I didn’t know what drew me to him, I reached out, placing my hand in one of his outstretched palms. His body was already cooler than that of an alive mortal, but when our skin connected, a rush of power ignited every cell in my body.
Though I shouldn’t have been able to describe the feeling, the sensation seemed to be recognized by my brain, as if I had felt it a million times before.
It was as if I was transported out of my own soul and thrown into his, where I saw his life as it flashed through his memories, from the second he was born to the very moment we were in, in the span of seconds.