Page 46 of A Trial of Fate

I tried to hold back my sickening reaction to his poisonous words. “Are these so-calledcomplimentsmeant to comfort or impress me? Sorry to break it to you, but neither is happening.” Rattling of new tools or weapons echoed behind me, and my back stiffened. “What do you have planned for me today?”

“Sadly, this will be the end of our endeavor.” He sounded genuinely disheartened, and it made me want to vomit. “I asked the captain if I could keep you as a pet, but he declined.”

If I had been granted anything to eat or drink in these weeks, that comment would have sent the contents of my stomach soaring across the room. “A…pet?”

“Oh, yes. I find your hybrid nature fascinating, and since youare part animal, the termpetseemed fitting.”

Rage bubbled inside me. Was this allheand the hunters thought we were? Animals? I clenched my fists at the belittling insult. These human trash heaps were nothing more than a speck of mud on the bottom of my foot, and my opinion of them dropped even lower than I thought possible.

I despised these creatures.

The mage moved around to face me. “This,” he said as he held up a long whip with frayed straps of leather tipped with jagged shards of iron, “this is your final test.”

My eyes widened as panic set in—my animal supplied me with a flush of power to try and escape, even though it was pointless. This would be one hell of a finale.

He narrowed his slanted eyes that shimmered with a spark of amusement. “Interesting…” he said as he stroked his chin. “I haven’t seen this look from you before. You have the right to be afraid, you know. I have cataloged every injury you have sustained while in my care, and this will be your end.”

Did he just say…care? “Didn’t know I meant that much to you,” I growled.

“Oh, yes. And that magic flowing in your blood…” I held my breath as his magnanimous smile widened and he stroked my cheek with his gangly finger. “I can feel your power. I taste it in your blood.”

I jerked my face to the side and glared at the mage with everything I had, my amber eyes glowing with my inner power. “Do. Not. Touch. Me,” I snarled with a burning vengeance.

He bit his lip as his head tilted, his ominous eyes scanning over my exposed chest and venturing farther down my naked body. I could feel his magic flare, and he ignored my command, stepping closer to grab ahold of my breast. His touch was worse than the carving knives digging into my flesh. I could see his desire flash in his eyes as he pinched my nipple, making it hard. I bucked against his touch, which felt like hot needles on my skin.

“Such a waste,” he purred, moving one hand lower. “This has never been touched, has it?” I sucked in a breath as his grotesque fingers traced over my stomach.

He pocketed his whip and caressed himself through the outside of his robes. “Look at what you made me do… Little Pet.” His eyes rolled back inside his head as he stroked himself while his other hand returned to fondling my breast.

My animal raged, urging me to do something to stop this.

Please, no… Please.I begged. I prayed with all my soul. I would rather his blades cut into me than endure this. I jerked my body to the side, catching him by surprise, and threw my head forward, colliding with his oh-so-delicate small nose. He immediately released me as blood gushed from his nostril while he hollered in pain.

“And here I thought you enjoyed suffering?” I taunted. “Oh wait, is it only the suffering and torment of others then? My mistake,” I growled, forcing my bravery to the surface as I braced for what I knew was soon to come.

Suddenly, a horn boomed against the rocks in the underground fortress.

“Gods above be damned!” the mage cursed through his clenched hand, stomping around toward my backside. His whip dangled and chimed against the stone floor as he readied himself behind me. “If I had more time, I would at least give you one final blessing before your life was over, but perhaps this is for the best. You will pay for this insult.”

I tried to brace myself for what was next, but I knew this was going to be his best work yet. I could hear the whip rise, and the mage inhaled a deep breath before grunting and bringing the leather-tipped iron points across my back.

Pain—sheer, unruly, mind-numbing agony—streaked across my backside. Blood poured down my legs as the lashing beat down against my skin. I could feel the iron tips scrape against the bones of my spine and chip at my ribs while they tore away pieces of flesh.

I didn’t even know the mage’s name, but I didn’t dare ask it now. Like Tiny and Thorn, I would give him a nickname that embodied the dark, twisted, unnatural state of this being.

I clenched my eyes shut, trying to focus on anything but the pain. The erratic rhythm of his limited strikes left me in a constant cage of suffering. I didn’t know what else I had left—what else I could cling to in order to survive. The natural rhythm of the trickling waters was somehow dormant against the thrumming beat of suffering radiating throughout my body. My legs gave way as I hung lifeless from my wrists, bound in iron chains between the wooden posts.

You must be strong just a little longer, Spitfire. I will find you…

The singular ray of hope in my heart reached out and clung to the memory of the voice from my dreams. It kept me from shattering to pieces and giving up the will to live. Those words combined with my animal’s fighting spirit fluttering inside my chest became life rafts in a never-ending sea of death.

The lashings didn’t stop until the floor was drenched with my blood, and the mage could no longer hold his weapon steady. The sound of my blood dripping to the floor echoed from all sides of the silent room.

“My masterpiece…” he whispered to himself.

His whip held pieces of my flesh, revealing my ribs through the open bleeding wounds on my back. I drifted in and out of consciousness. My animal fought for me to continue breathing, but I didn’t understand why. Death was calling for me. The pull to give in and stop fighting for breath was so strong. A promise of a peaceful afterlife.

Fucking hell, any afterlife would be better than this.

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