Page 79 of Feathers and Thorns

“You were a child, Soren. The actions of a grown boy, who was old enough to know better, were not your fault.”

“So, you don’t think I’m fucked up?”

Rook shook his head and pulled her close to him. “I think you were taken advantage of and didn’t know how to ask for help. You owe the world nothing, Soren.”

She sniffled and crossed her arms over her knees to hide her face. She muffled something, but Rook couldn’t understand the words.

“Speak up, little bird.”

Soren lifted her reddened eyes to repeat herself. “Sometimes, I feel like I am just as bad as he was.”

Rook was taken aback by her admission. “Why do you feel that way?”

“After Dad died, I kind of went on a rampage. We both know I am no virgin.” She laughed at this, but the sound was like a dead weight sitting in the pit of Rook’s stomach. “I wanted to take my control back. Control over my own body and what men could or could not do with it. You would think, after being sexually assaulted as a child, that I would avoid that type of contact with anyone, but it was the opposite. I wanted to take back what he had taken from me, and I thought, by being promiscuous, it would give me back a sense of control. I chose who was allowed in my bed and when. I chose how far things went and if I felt like seeing them again. I could kick them out whenever I pleased because it was my house. But, like, who does that?”

“Soren, if you’re expecting me to judge you for your previous sexual encounters, you’re wrong. Well, apart from Marshall, who I am very much in debate on hunting down. As long as everything was consensual, it is really none of my business. We all have a past; I do not judge you for how you chose to cope with your heartache.”

“So, you don’t think I’m broken?”

“I think we are all a little broken,” he replied softly. Then he folded her into his arms, and all the tears she had held packed away in that little box finally broke free.

Present Day - Anistera

Luscinia’s cheekbone shattered as Adriel dealt another excruciating blow.

“Where is she?” Adriel bellowed, spittle hitting her in the face like tiny disgusting raindrops.

She remained silent, as she had every day since he had placed her in the makeshift cell in the training hall. Adriel had turned an entire wing of soldier’s quarters into a temporary jail for any betrayers he might find. All escape routes had been filled in with stone, and windows had been bricked up within inches of the roof to allow for minimal airflow. Everything else in the small space had been stripped bare, apart from a twin-sized bed. There was a bathing room attached to each suite, to which the door had been removed. Luscinia was a proud woman, but she had not cared to relieve herself in front of the guards when the choice had been taken from her.

The floor to her cell was usually clean but was currently speckled in varying shades of red from the continuous injuries Adriel had caused since her arrival. At least once a day, he or General Corvus would try to glean information from her through various means of torture. Thankfully, Malik and Horath had only betrayed Luscinia’s whereabouts and had not given Adriel information on the hidden rebellion, which meant they were safe … for now.

On day one, they had kept their attempts pretty tame. Most of the assault had been verbal threats, finished with a few blows to her ribs. Day two, they broke two of her fingers and made a few incisions on her left thigh. Luckily for her, they were in this for the long haul and had not cut deep enough to require healing. She assumed the last thing Adriel wanted was to have her bleed out before she could give him the information he needed.

On day three, they had decided to remove all of her nails. She had made it to the eighth full avulsion before she’d passed out. When she had awoken a few hours later, she had observed how they had, indeed, removed the final two nails. At least they will grow back evenly, she had thought through a pain-induced stupor.

Day four, they had tried a different approach. All day and all night, the stationed soldiers kept poking and prodding her through the bars that had been installed between the stone. They would douse her in water and scream at her or sing songs repetitively. Every few hours, the soldiers would switch out for a fresh batch to elicit a new kind of auditory misery.

Today was day five, and Adriel was starting to become impatient.

“Look at me!” Adriel screamed as he fisted her hair, pulling her neck back sharply to make her meet his gaze. His once beautiful features looked out of place next to his blazing red scar. She couldn’t help but smile. The power of the Oculus had revealed his true self and the hideous creature that crawled beneath his perfect face.

“How many of you are there?” he growled. His straight teeth flashed in the low light that filtered in from the hallway.

Up until now, he had left her face untouched, likely to make it easier for her to relay information. Now it seemed the time for talking was done. She knew he wouldn’t kill her just yet. Given their long lives, she suspected he could torture her for eons and never get sick of hearing her screams.

He twisted a knife around in his hand then held it to her cheek. “Let’s see how quiet you are after I flay off a bit of that pretty face.”

She again stayed silent, giving him a look that said, “Do your worst.” The eye above her shattered cheekbone was beginning to swell, and it almost looked as though she were winking at him.

He spoke again, as if they were carrying on a conversation. “Have it your way then, sister,” he sneered, pressing the blade to her skin.

* * *

Present Day - Irefeld

“When you are done with your allotted time in your assigned section, you will have a ten-minute break before moving to the next. Look to the soldiers for guidance—they are your mentors now, and anything they have to say may be the difference between life and death.” Jai paused for effect before continuing his speech to the crowd before him. “Train well, and we will see you at dusk to debrief.”

At this, the crowd dispersed to different training areas that had been erected on the perimeter of the largest field. The center had been left open for group training and coordination, with the outlying areas organized for specialized abilities. Jai and Erick had agreed that it would be best to give everyone basic fighting skills then work on each person’s individual strengths. Since today was day one, everyone had to be tested.

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