“Really? How do you know that?”
“I told you—”
“No one knows the place like you guys,” Solomon finished for him. “I remember.”
He turned back the other way. “Where does this go?”
“Back to the gates. The way you came in, remember?”
Solomon shrugged. “Not really. I was kind of out of it. Let’s go see though. Maybe it will jog my memories.”
With the kids clustered closely around he made his way down the street, noting that once full night fell, others came out furtively. These were the truly dangerous ones. Solomon put his hand on his sword hilt and made eye contact with several of them. They passed unmolested.
“Down there,” Christoph said, pointing.
Solomon saw the gate, but what he saw in front of it was what had his full attention. It couldn’t be so easy, not after all this time.
But there she was, her back to him, studying something in the darkness beyond the broken gates.
He neared, walking quietly, wanting this moment to go on. Finally, he was close enough to speak, expecting his voice to hitch.
“Dark out there.” He winced. Of all the stupid things to say…
Then she was running, and he was meeting her, and Dunfield lit up in his mind like it was paradise.
Chapter 46
Thaddeus’s head was spinning, and he kept fading in and out of consciousness, but the screams kept bringing him back. He didn’t know where they were coming from. They were high-pitched and sounded like a soul in agony.
“I can relate,” he muttered, and then laughed, blood spitting from his cracked lips.
His laugh turned into a groan as sharp blades scraped up and down inside his throat. How long was it since he had a drink? Water, wine, anything? Something to ease the terrible dryness.
He shifted as much as his chains would allow, trying to ease some of the pressure in his shoulders. It didn’t help. There was only so much movement you could do when suspended from your wrists, with your feet, one of which was still sending shock waves of pain through him, barely touching the floor.
Strangely, he was finding the pain from his foot was the least of his worries. He must be getting used to losing body parts, he thought, and tried to stifle another giggle that threatened to follow.
That wasn’t a good sign, him laughing. He was hung in a dark cell like a bird about to be plucked. He’d been sliced open and allowed to bleed, losing enough of his vital fluids that he was barely aware of anything. And now he was listening to some other poor sod get the same treatment.
A woman from the sounds of it. He would have said Melanie if he hadn’t seen her right before they took him. Her eyes open, staring accusingly at him, yet with no light in them. The cold, vacant eyes of a corpse. That’s all she was now.
“Sorry,” he whispered, and meant it.
He wasn’t sorry that they’d tried what they had. He was sorry that Malachi had slipped away from her and they got caught. He still didn’t know how that could have happened without her knowing. Not that it mattered.
There was a clanging from the door to his cell and it creaked open, the flare of a torch stabbing into his eyes. He turned his head as far as he could, knowing what was coming.
Footsteps approached. He refused to look. It was an act that infuriated Malachi every time he came, but it was a small gesture of defiance, no matter how much he paid for it.
This time, it felt like a hook passed through his cheek as his head was turned against his will. He screwed his eyes tightly shut, feeling like a petulant child. If I can’t see you, you can’t see me.
“Open them, or I’ll do it. And this time, I’ll make it so that you can never close your eyes again.”
Malachi’s voice was calm, which was when he was at his most dangerous. Thaddeus had learned over the last couple of days precisely how surgical Malachi could be in his work and was under no illusions that the man was idly threatening him.
He opened his eyes.
“Better,” Malachi said. “Now, where were we?”
“You were going to go to hell,” Thaddeus answered.
Malachi laughed, then closed his own eyes for a second. The screams, which had ceased for a couple of minutes, resumed, louder and more desperate.
“Do you think I need to be in the same room to hurt her?” Malachi asked. His eyes opened, and the screams died down.
Thaddeus tried to shrug, an impossible act given his position. Instead, he answered.
“What do I care?”
“You don’t know…” Malachi smiled, closed his eyes and an especially loud scream rang out. “It’s her, you know.”
“You lie. She’s dead. I saw it. You killed her because she made you her toy.”
“Not dead. What you saw was what happens when a mind is shut down, that’s all. I gave it back to her.”
“Sure you did.”
“Suit yourself. I have nothing but time. Tell me, what exactly did you think you were doing? Did you think to replace me? You? A mere novice in our House?”
“At first.” Thaddeus saw no reason not to answer. It might avoid a little pain for himself, and if that really was Melanie…but no, it wasn’t. Malachi was lying.
“And then?” Malachi coaxed.
“Then it was to stop you, and whatever sick plan you have. Ruling the Greenweald is one thing, I can understand that. Ruling a shattered, broken land? Why? What’s the sense?”
“Ah, Thaddeus. You know so much less than you think you do. I wish you would have come to me. You have strength, great ability, if it’s focused right. Even now, I can feel you fighting
