I tried to move my lips to reply, but I couldn’t feel them.
Adriel cleared this throat. “Headmistress, if I may. Ceyla injured a few of my men when we pulled her out of her hiding place. That alone should earn her an extra punishment.” The liar sounded almost giddy as he spoke, which urged me to fight through the numbness to speak.
“You think…you have…me beaten. Yet…the students saw…they know. I won.” I tried to laugh, but the sound came out strangled and distorted, which sounded even creepier than I’d hoped.
Wesling’s fake smile faded away, leaving a sinister sneer in its wake. “Defeating Silas will feel like a hollow victory once the pain starts. Send her back to the punishment room. I want to hear her screams from across the school. Skip the usual methods and go straight to the wood.”
If I could widen my eyes, I would have. Wesling was past brute force and on to the deadly tortures.
Dragged back down the hallway, I was strapped to a metal table, bracing for the worst torture I would likely ever feel. I finally understood why the Mielcareks had spies watching over Wesling. Torturing vampires with wood was a risky endeavor. Wooden slivers were driven into the area around the heart to weaken the body, while the fear of the wood piercing the heart tortured the mind. Some vamps had gone mad from the possibility of a slow death, never recovering from the experience.
Adriel stood over me and poked my arm with a metal spike. When I recoiled from the pain, he smiled. “Good. You have feeling back in your body. Normally, I would gag you because the screams become tedious, but Wesling wants to hear your shrieks.”
I winked at him. “You know, I could use a good torturer in my new coven. Interested?”
For a split second, he appeared to consider my offer. With a quick headshake, he dismissed his thoughts and picked up the metal tray to dangle one of the shards for me to see. “This is going to hurt like hell.”
He tapped my chest and felt around for my heartbeat. Once he was satisfied, he slowly moved the shard over my chest with his gloved hand. Seeing the shard so close to me, I tried to squirm away, but I was bound too tightly. Adriel was good at his job, but even he made mistakes.
My body shook uncontrollably when my adrenaline spiked, causing the table to rattle.
“Easy now. If you move too much, I can’t guarantee that you’ll survive.” His grin made me wonder if he actually wanted to kill me or if it was just for show.
“Just imagine what the Mielcareks will do to you if I die. Me, I’ll be gone, but you’ll have to deal with the repercussions. Killing the heir to the Sabourin Coven would certainly cost you dearly. Do you think they’ll strap you to this table and shove wood into your chest, or do you think they’ll go right for your head and kill you instantly? If I were you, I would be very, very careful, Adriel.” I smiled as I tried to slow my breathing and control my fear.
“Shut up, little one.” Adriel’s hand shook slightly as his eyes darted to my face.
“All you have to do is nick the smallest edge and I will be reduced to dust. How will you explain that to Wesling? How long do you think you can hide my death? If the Mielcarek’s were smart, they would have someone loyal to them close by who can carry out their orders. How much time would you have to run before the Mielcareks hunted you down? I almost pity you, Adriel. I certainly wouldn’t want your job right now.” I could practically hear his internal thoughts processing my questions.
“Shut up!” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared unblinkingly at my chest.
“One slip and we both die, Adriel.”
His eyes darted back to mine and he let out a breath. He finally closed his eyes and swung his arm at the tray, spilling the wood onto the floor. “This isn’t over. You stay here and I will be back with new orders. I don’t care what Wesling says, I’m removing your tongue.” He stormed out of the room, granting me a short reprieve.
Looking around, I tried to figure out how to get free of the bonds. Pulling and tugging at my arms, legs and chest, I cursed Adriel’s efficiency. I stilled when I heard the door open and swore to myself.
The bluest eyes that I couldn’t properly name peered in at me. Kayden silently slid into the room and began loosening my bindings. “We need to go. I don’t know how you managed to send Adriel running from this room, but I’m grateful for it. Adriel and his men will be busy for a while, but I’m afraid he’ll send someone back to check on you.”
Sitting up, I rubbed my sore wrists. “Where’s Adriel?”
“Putting out a fire in Wesling’s office. She really shouldn’t keep a tea warmer in there.” He shrugged innocently as he helped me off the table.
He tried to pull me out of the room, but I stopped him. “Why are you helping me?” While I was happy to be free, I needed to know if I now owed Kayden for his assistance.
He bit his lip. “I wasn’t always a coward, Ceyla. I once held power and sway over anyone I met. Being turned into a
