Page 26 of Savage Hunt

Venna unfastened the buttons on my jumpsuit and pulled my tank top up to unveil the swirling sun tattoo. She sliced tiny but painful cuts all around it as if releasing her anger for the amulet. “I will get this out of you one way or another.”

“Good luck.” No matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn’t simply cut it from me.

Her irises blackened, flesh paled, and features twisted into a grotesque version of the stunning woman as the demonic side took over. “I don’t need luck, little girl. I have power, and you’ll feel the brunt of it one day soon.” She brought the dagger down into my abdomen below the Infernal Sol tattoo.

A scream ripped my throat apart as blood gurgled out of the wound. The color drained from Fane’s face while panic rushed out of him, so acute it squeezed my chest.

Venna yanked the knife out and tossed it aside before strolling toward the door. She yanked it open, poking her head out to speak to someone.

“Tate!” Fane pressed his hands over the wound, but the blood flowed through his fingers.

“It’s okay,” I murmured. This wasn’t the first time she’d given me a deadly wound. It was just the first time Fane witnessed it.

An old male witch with pale, leathered skin and a bald head slithered in, his black cloak floating around him as if he were a wraith come to steal my life instead of save it. Venna had used him plenty of times when her torture sessions went a little too far.

She flicked her hand in my direction. “Do your thing, Kaspin.”

The witch’s gaze burned violet as he leaned over me on the opposite side of Fane and held his hands above my body. He uttered an incantation under his breath that wrapped power around me. Electric tingles crackled and popped as the energy sank in, and my flesh knit back together.

Healing wasn’t easy, and it took an extremely powerful mage to work that kind of magic. Mending a broken bone or closing a little cut wasn’t the same as repairing a deadly stab wound in the abdomen.

I gritted through the pain and burning it always brought, my nails digging into the metal table. Fane rested his hand over my forehead, but he knew better than to push his energy into me now. It could interfere with Kaspin’s spell and make things worse.

Venna was wise to keep a witch on hand. She had almost no control when it came to torture, probably even less with me.

Finally, my blood stopped spilling out, and the hole in my stomach and thigh closed. He didn’t bother with the shallow cuts and gashes. They would heal on their own soon enough.

“Thank you, Kaspin.”

“Of course, your majesty.” He spun and left in a swirl of black. Venna closed the door and browsed through a cabinet, probably looking for more poisons or torture devices.

Fane ran his hand over my cheek. “I fucking hate this,” he snarled. “When I get out of here, I’m going to strap Venna to a table and rain every bit of torture onto her that she did to you.”

“Don’t leave me out of all the fun.”

Venna clapped. “Perfect.” She took a long, thin poker out of the cabinet and strolled over. “We should try hanging you from the chains instead of the table. That way, I can get your front and your back.” Her words and the evil grin pulling at her mouth sent ice through my veins.

This would be a long session.

Chapter

Nine

Banging on my cell door jolted me awake, and I cursed as fireworks whipped through my aching, bruised body. What the hell was going on now? The guards didn’t bring me back from Venna’s torture session that long ago. She couldn’t be ready for more.

What was I talking about? Of course that psycho demon princess would be ready for more. Instead of ruling Vlehull, she was busy inflicting pain and torment on me.

“Prisoner 487331, get up!”

I rolled toward the door as Tajeed and Vankis loomed in the hallway. “Back so soon?”

Vankis grinned and licked his lips with a forked tongue. None of the dux demons in Heldrok bothered with a glamour. “Too bad this isn’t a torture call. I love your screams. So cute and painful.”

“I’m glad my pain entertains you.”

Tajeed slammed his fist above the hole in the bars. “Put your hands here. Let’s go. I don’t have all night.”

With a groan, I stood and shuffled toward the door, pushing my hands through the gap so the guard could cuff me. “Where are you taking me?”

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