11. Vaughn
Vaughn
Happy.
Chipper.
My Penelope was all smiles as she devoured her breakfast.
After sleeping nearly fourteen hours, she awoke with a hunger. Not just for food but to see Katia. She was focused again, and just like she’d said the night before, her illness had passed and she was back to normal.
“You swear you haven’t gone in yet since she’s been awake?”
I looked down at Penelope as she kept a steady stride at my side.
“I told you I wouldn’t. I don’t lie. You know that.”
“What did The Magister say when you told him I was here?”
Again, I looked down.
“I didn’t tell him.”
Her mouth parted. “You didn’t tell him I stayed the night?”
“I was too busy watching you sleep. You snore. Not loud but softly.”
Her lips twisted. “I was tired and dead to the world. I had an excuse.”
I laughed. “You look better.”
“I feel better. Almost too much. I hate when that happens. Although, no fever this time, so that’s an improvement.”
My lids narrowed, but I stayed silent as we turned onto the hall and approached the guards stationed outside The Place of No Return. They straightened at our approach, opening the doors so we could enter.
Screams sounded in the distance, and Penelope looked down the multiple doors that ran the length of the hall.
“Is this where bad people come to die?”
“Die. Be tortured. It is for the condemned.”
I stopped outside of the door, grabbing the key from my pocket to unlock it.
“Smart,” Penelope said lowly. “I like that you’re the only one with the key. I do not want her to escape.”
“Oh.” I smiled. “She’s not going anywhere.”
I pushed open the large barrier, looking in to see Katia. She was sitting on the floor in the center of the room, her ankles and arms cuffed. She had enough room to stand but not enough room to move anywhere.
Penelope walked past me, arcing wide as she stared down the brunette who had dirt smeared over her face. Her hair was a mess, but her rage was unmistakable.
“I knew it.” Her head shook as her glare increased at my Intended. “Stupid girl.”
Penelope smiled, reaching over to grab a chair and pull it closer. She sat down, crossing her legs and sitting up straight with her hands poised in her lap. Still, she didn’t talk.
“You’re going to let me go, and you’re coming back with me.
There’s still time to save yourself.” Disgust filled her face as she glanced to me but ultimately turned back to my Intended.
“Penelope Taylor. Come over here and unlock these cuffs. I’ll take it easy on you.
We’ll explain that you were… mistaken,” she said, cutting her gaze momentarily back to me.
“He took you against your will. You can’t help that.
The lie detector test told us everything we need to know.
He took you. He raped you. You can’t help that time tricked you into believing he was the one. ”
My stare went to Penelope, confused.
“Nothing I said in that interview was the truth. And yet, nothing was a lie.” Penelope’s head tilted.
“The thing about lie detectors is, the longer you’re hooked up to one, the riskier the result.
If one stays calm on the inside and chaotic on the outside, the interviewer doesn’t know what to believe.
They get angry. They make mistakes. Their questions…
alter.” She smiled. “It’s no longer, did your captor rape you?
… It’s… were you raped? It isn’t… did he hurt you?
It’s… were you hurt? It took me a little bit to catch on, but once I did, more tears.
More hysterics. More… innocent, pitiful Penelope. ”
“Bitch.”
Katia stood, jerking against the cuffs.
“I was never releasing you. You are pitiful. And weak. You are no queen.”
Silence.
I walked deeper into the room, taking my place behind Penelope. My hands lowered to rest on her shoulders. Neither of us spoke as Katia fought against the cuffs to move forward.
“They’re going to come for me. You know that, right? They’re going to come, and when they do, they’re going to kill you all. They’ll kill you!”
“We track our men with chips as well. Which is why down here, the signal is jammed. No one will find you. Not that it matters if they did. The Order is untouchable. The Collective High Council stands with me. When they see the video of what you’ve done, they will wash their hands of you.”
“I am a Marchase. My family—”
“Are nothing. Not a Whitlock. Not a Pennington. You are a peasant, barely worthy to grace us with your presence. Me… I am a king. The Council is going to back that, too.”
I wrapped my hand around Penelope’s throat, sliding it up to angle her face to me. I lowered, pressing my lips to hers.
“You have two days. Where do you want to begin?”
“I need a prod. I have questions.”
Katia’s face hardened, but she didn’t look afraid.
Nodding, I headed for the door, opening it to see The Reeve talking to the guards not far away. “Prod.”
“Right away, Sire.”
The room was quiet as I headed back in. Penelope didn’t move. She stared ahead at Katia as the agent continued to pull against the chains.
“You’re wasting your time.” Her eyes stayed on Penelope. “I’m not telling you anything.”
Penelope continued to watch her. Study her. She followed the woman’s movements. Watched every pull of her arms. Every attempted step to the side.
“You forget I’ve monitored you for over a year. This isn’t who you are. You don’t have it in you to torture me.”
The door opened, and The Reeve entered. Penelope’s hand came out, but her face did not turn from Katia. The Reeve looked at me, and I nodded.
Katia watched our interaction, pulling even more as he handed the prod to Penelope.
Slowly, Penelope stood. She stepped in, inches from Katia’s face, but just out of her reach.
“Do you understand where you are?”
Katia’s lids narrowed, flickering as she tried to stare down Penelope.
“You’re too weak.”
Penelope’s head tilted. From stoic to amused, I watched as her face transitioned.
Click.
The sound was soft, but Katia’s reaction wasn’t. Her body jerked, her breath catching in her throat as the electrical current locked her limbs. It wasn’t long, but long enough to have Katia gasping and crying out as Penelope released the trigger.
“You will answer.”
Weak laughter left Katia.
“Or what?”
Penelope didn’t respond. Her arm drew back, and the hit was solid. Blood sprayed from Katia’s mouth as her head snapped to the side at the wand connecting to her cheek. Penelope pulled the trigger, thrusting the prod so that the current connected against her ribs.
Katia’s body stiffened, and she fell to her knees shaking through the zap. Releasing the trigger, Penelope crouched back to face Katia.
“Do you understand where you are now?”
Calm.
Deep pants left her. Katia’s lip peeled back, and she spoke between bloody, clenched teeth.
“…I understand.”
“Do you understand who I am?”
Katia smiled.
“… weak.”
Penelope showed no emotion.
Click.
Katia flinched, crying out as her body jolted.
“Do you understand who I am now?”
1 second.
2
3
Click.
“Ahhh!”
Katia swallowed in gulps of air as her body trembled. Her eyes were wide as sweat was beginning to soak into her dark hair.
“Do you understand who I am now?”
“Y-Yes.”
Katia’s voice was clipped. Slightly raspy.
“Say it. Right here. To my face. Who am I?”
A pause…
Click.
“Ahhhh!”
“Who. Am. I?”
Large gasps sounded, and Katia choked on air.
1
2
Click.
“Ahhhhh—Quee—Queen!”
Penelope circled around, for the first time meeting my eyes. My lips pulled back in approval, and she stopped behind Katia, leaning forward. Her words were barely audible.
All I could do was stare in awe. This wasn’t something Penelope was having to force. She owned her role. She was the queen.
“I never underestimated you. You, on the other hand… had no idea who stared back at you. It was never me who was weak, it was you.”
A sob left Katia, only for it to turn into a loud yell. She jerked at the cuffs, fighting against them.
Penelope circled back, taking her time.
“Who assigned you to Vaughn?”
“Fuck you.”
Katia spit, sending blood splattering at Penelope’s feet.
Click.
The seconds dragged out as Penelope pushed the wand into Katia’s shoulder.
Broken up sounds mixed with a scream, and Penelope released the trigger. She stood still as Katia tried scraping in air through the sobs.
“Who assigned you to Vaughn?”
1
2
Penelope’s arm barely moved, and Katia’s hand lifted.
“Fuck—”
Click.
“Ahhhh!”
“I—I don’t—”
Click.
Seconds passed before she let go of the trigger.
Soul wrenching sobs left her as Penelope waited.
“I….no one assigned—.”
Penelope lifted her arm, but Katia jerked back, screaming.
“Natalia Bianchi was my cousin, and you killed her!” Her glare cut up to me.
“My mother married for love, well below her title, but I am no peasant. Kill me like you killed her. I don’t care.
But know that I know what you’ve done. I know who you are!
You’re a monster. They said she loved you, and you allowed her to die in those trials.
And Penelope will die too. She will die!
I bit down hard, flexing my jaw with the need to react through the stunned surprise. Penelope didn’t pause. The wand came back, and she slammed it across Katia’s face again, sending the woman crashing to the ground.
“You think I’d let you lie to my king? Do you think me so unprepared?
A queen knows everything about her enemies.
Your father is a Marchase. … not your mother.
You have no relation to Natalia Bianchi, and to claim so is disgusting and low.
Even for you.” Penelope paused as green eyes turned round through her fear.
“I know everything about you, Katia. Let’s try this again. ”
Click.