Page 113 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Where was it? Where was his—

Rion wrapped his hands around the chains and yanked hard enough to drag his body upward and simultaneously knock his captors off balance.

Arianna.

Rion slammed his fist into the warrior’s jaw on his right. He yanked a small knife from its sheath at the male’s waist and threw it into his companion’s throat. The male collapsed, gripping the blade as he choked on his own blood. Rion struck the one below him again. Again. Again. He wrapped the chain around his fist, slamming it against the male’s face over and over until he no longer drew breath.

Rion fell back, blood drenching his hand. He gasped for breath, reaching for something that was no longer there.

The bond. The bond. The bond.

Did that mean Arianna was—he couldn’t even think the word, not without choking on it. The image of an open chest with the heart ripped out haunted him, only this time it was Arianna’s face twisted in agony.

Rion vomited all over the floor.

His mind spun, his world with it. Arianna was gone. She was gone. She was—his fists clenched. No. She couldn’t be. Vairik needed her right? Was this just another glamour meant to throw him off?

Rion gripped his tunic right over the empty void in his chest. He couldn’t breathe. He needed her for that. He needed the comfort of the light she’d brought into his life. Without her—

His vision blurred, but Rion blinked away the tears before they could fall.An illusion, he told himself. This was all just an illusion. Arianna wasn’t gone. She wasn’t—Rion’s body shook against his will and he clenched his fists, fighting back the emotions pulsing through his body.

He sat there for several moments, breathing through the pain. It wouldn’t dissipate. He’d had knives shoved through his body, magic too. He’d experienced the pain of heartbreak and betrayal, but none of it compared to this.

Don’t let him steal another piece of your soul.

Rion recalled the words of that strange voice. Is that what Vairik had done? Was he just trying to break him?

Alive, Rion tried to convince himself. Arianna was alive. She was somewhere in this castle and still needed his help. If he stayed here and wallowed in grief, he might really lose her forever.

And if she was really gone—no. He wouldn’t stop until he saw her body. He wouldn’t stop until he took her back to Levea. Breathing or not.

Rion forced his eyes open. He stared at the metal around his wrists, then tore through the pockets of the dead Fae beside him. Rion found a ring of keys. His hands trembled as he fumbled through the set, trying one after another until the latch clicked and the iron fell to the floor. Rion kicked it across the stone before unlatching the other.

His magic surged, moving in a frenzy that matched the storm raging in his chest. It tore at the stones, breaking them into pieces that floated around his body.

Rion blinked, trying to clear his head. The bracelets were gone, which meant he had no way of knowing exactly when Conall would blow this place to hell. His rune was gone too, though if he were facing Vairik, then it was irrelevant anyway.

Rion forced himself to stand. Bubbling vials of blue liquid lined the hall. Each was about the size of his torso and contained … something within. He didn’t pause to study them. He didn’t want to know.

Rion looked up and down the quiet space, counting the doors that stood between the vials.

Rion ambled toward the first door and pushed it open to find a large cylindrical chamber attached to the back wall. It stood empty with shackles inside that looked like they’d clamp around a Fae’s wrists and ankles. A mask hung to the side with a large tube attached to it.

Rion’s stomach twisted and his world tilted. He stumbled back, gripping the doorway to keep his balance as the pain continued radiating through his chest.

He needed to get himself together. Rion tried to remember what he’d been doing before his capture. The images blurred. He’d been chasing Arianna down a long corridor until—Talon.

Shit. Rion’s head snapped around and he darted back into the hall. He risked glancing at one of the objects floating in the vials and his heart skipped. It looked just like a heart. Bile rose through him again and he looked away. He’d know if it were Arianna. Some part of him would know.

Rion scented the air, hoping to find the male, but an acrid stench filled the space, blocking out everything else. Hetried again, dragging himself down the hall with his hand still clenching his chest.

Another door opened and a group of Fae emerged in deep conversation. They froze upon seeing him. Their eyes widened, but Rion was on them before they could even cry out.

He slammed his elbow into the jaw of the first, then snapped the male’s neck. Rion ripped the blades from the male’s belt and launched them at the others. Two hit their mark.

Glamours rose, trying to pierce his mind then wind tore through the space, stealing the air from around him.

Rion dove for the one wielding it and sank his teeth into the male’s throat before tearing it out. He turned to the final one. Knives clattered to the floor as the male raised his arms in surrender.

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