Page 101 of A Dagger in the Ivy

“Climb,” Torbin demands.

The man clambers up the ladder, grunting in pain.

When Torbin reaches the top of the ladder, he jumps onto the ground and calls to his lackeys. “Bring him to the hook.”

“Wait.” The man’s eyes dart around him as Torbin’s men grab his arms. “I did what you said. What are you doing to me? I obeyed you!”

But Torbin isn’t listening.

His soldiers scurry to fetch the gruesome instrument, a twisted contraption of chains and wood designed for unspeakable cruelty. My heart hammers in my chest as they drag the defeated man forward, his eyes wide with terror.

Torbin’s cruel smirk sends shivers down my spine, and I feel sick to my stomach as I realize the extent of his depravity. The man’s screams slice through the air as they jam the hook into his back. He flails, his face contorted in agony, but no matter what he does, he can’t get free of the spike in his back. The hook is connected to chains, which are attached tothe wood. It resembles a hangman’s post, the chains lifting the struggling man high above the ground with merciless force.

I turn away, unable to bear the sight of his agony, but the sounds of his suffering echo in my ears like a haunting melody. The carnoraxis shriek, and the men pound their spears into the ground.

And then, suddenly, it’s quiet, and my curiosity drives me to open my eyes and turn to Torbin.

Torbin stands before the man, holding a vial with a wicked smile, his voice dripping with dark promise as he addresses the gathered crowd. “Tonight marks the dawn of a new age, an age where only the strong will survive, and the weak will be crushed beneath our feet. You were strong enough to defeat your opponent, but now I offer you true power. This potion… It will grant you strength beyond your wildest dreams, the power to rip apart any who stand in your way.”

I look at the vial. It’s not the same dark liquid that Torbin drank. This liquid has an orange tint to it.

Torbin pauses, his gaze penetrating as he leans closer to the man. “But with this power comes a price. It strips you of your empathy, your capacity for love, eating away at your soul until all that remains is darkness. Unless you learn to control it.” His voice softens to a sinister whisper. “Master it, and you will be unstoppable. Fail, and you will be consumed by the very power you sought to wield.”

Torbin steps back, holding out the vial. “Drink, and embrace your destiny. For once this transformation begins, there is no turning back. You will become the ultimate weapon in our war, a beast that even the bravest will fear.”

The man protests, squirming despite the fact that every move he makes drives the hook deeper into his back. Two guards sidle up to Torbin and grab the man’s arms to hold him still. And then, to my dismay, Torbin administers the potion, pouring it down the man’s throat with a sadistic grin.

The scene unfolds before us like a nightmare brought to life, a twisted concoction of dread and desperation. Dante and I are held captive, compelled to watch the dark ritual. We’re trapped, unable tointervene, forced to witness this horror unfold.

The man’s protests stop, his throat gurgling as the elixir takes hold. He goes limp, and for a moment, I think he’s dead, but then a grotesque transformation begins to unfold before my eyes. His body contorts and twists in unimaginable ways, bones cracking and flesh tearing as he writhes in agony. The man’s anguished cries fill the pit, drowning out all other sound as he is consumed by the darkness within him. His skin pales to a greyish pallor and shrivels as his eyes bulge and take on a yellowish hue. His jaw extends and his bones seem to stretch as he hangs on the hook, and his hands become claws.

I feel a wave of revulsion wash over me, bile rising in my throat as I bear witness to the monstrous fate that awaits those who dare to oppose Torbin. I hold back a sob of despair, my gaze catching Dante, whose light is fading from his eyes. We are trapped. Imprisoned in a nightmare from which there is no escape.

CHapter

Thirty-Seven

Dante and I stand trapped in the suffocating darkness at the edge of the pit. His presence beside me serves as motivation to break free. Even if I didn’t care about my fate, I can’t subject him to his brother’s malevolence.

I swallow back my tears and reach for his fingers again. I have to heal him enough so we have a shot at getting out of here.

Torbin stands near the hooked man, ordering him to be lowered. He appears to be busy as they retrieve a collar for the new carnoraxis, and I take the opportunity to check Dante.

“Hey.” I nudge him, still pouring my healing energy into him. “Can you move?”

Dante sways a bit but looks up and me and nods.

“We need to get out of here.”

He slowly scans the area around us. “You have a plan?”

“I was hoping you would.” I squeeze his fingers, trying to push as much healing power into him as I can.

Torbin turns around, his gaze traveling over us for a moment before he returns to his project. The whip is back in his hand, and he snaps it near the new carnoraxis, commanding it to obey him.

“Celeste, I have an idea. I see our weapons.”

My brow scrunches. “Okay. And?”

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