Page 11 of Court of Evil

It’s more of an annoyance than anything. If I’m to survive this, then I need to get free. The metal chair is welded to the floor and can hold dragon shifters, so I’m not getting out that way, and my feet are tied to the legs with barbed wire. If I try to free them, I’ll bleed out before I can escape. My hands are tied with shackles, which are the weakest part of this confinement and my only shot of getting out of here alive.

They will not kill me here. I refuse to go out this way.

“I’m not that much of a fool,” he scoffs.

“I’m in a locked cell in the middle of nowhere,” I remind him with an innocent look that probably fools no one. They have seenme face hordes of rogues, take down a dragon, and even fight a kraken, so there is no point in acting weak, but I’ll use any tools at my disposal.

“And you are one of the deadliest people alive. I won’t risk it.” He leans forward as he watches me with dark eyes. I haven’t always liked Black, but I respected him and his drive to be the best hunter there is.

What a fucking idiot I was.

“That almost sounded like a compliment,” I reply, distracting him as I snap my thumb, breaking it, and start to slide my hand free.

“Just the truth. We both know that.” He tilts his head. “I don’t suppose I can get you to rethink your stance on tonight?”

“Not really a rethinker,” I say as I get one hand free, trying to keep my movements slow and small so they don’t notice. “I’m more of a surge into action person.”

He stands and heads my way just like I want.

“Yes, well, that’s what I thought, but unfortunately, that leaves us with few options. Most would lie to save their life, but not you . . . never you. It’s one of the reasons I like you.” He stops before me, and I smirk.

“Good, then you’ll understand this,” I snap.

Reaching up, I grab the wire, ready to use it on them, when Black grips my hand and yanks it back. “Ah, that isn’t very nice. I should have known you would have a trick up your sleeve.” With his cruel eyes on me, he snaps my hand backwards. I feel the bones break and ligaments tear as he keeps pushing, and I swallow my scream before it breaks free. He grins triumphantly, dropping my ruined hand and wrapping my wire around his knuckles as he watches me.

“Cut her hair. She could be hiding something else,” he orders.

Goose pulls his knife out and walks my way. Agony races through me as my ruined hand hangs at my side, but I refuse to show weakness.

It’s just hair.

They are just bones.

It will regrow, and I will heal. Everything is survivable apart from death.

He fists my hair and yanks my head back. I meet his eyes boldly, refusing to look away as he slides the knife under the heavy locks. I feel the sharp edge of the blade across my nape and then he yanks it up, cutting through my hair in one sweep. Goose steps away, holding up the long locks, and I feel my hair barely brushing my neck now.

It’s just hair.

It’s just fucking hair.

Humiliation fills me just like he wants. He’s trying to make me less human and strip me of everything I am.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” I tell them with a wicked grin. “Even bald and burnt, I’m still stronger and a hell of a lot hotter than all of you.”

“You’re right about that. We’ll need to do better,” Black says. “And since we are here, let’s get some answers, shall we?”

I frown at that. “What answers?”

“About why you are really here,” he explains like it’s obvious.

“For the millionth time, I was recruited to join your unit,” I gurgle through my blood.

“Yes, yes, you don’t know by who. You are lying to me, Tate. You know I despise liars,” Black snaps as he wipes his hands with a stained rag, trying to remove my blood, but I know it’s useless. I’ve spilled so much in the past few hours, he will never be clean of what he has done to me.

“The only liar here is you,” I rasp. “I was recruited to be one of you, and I was. I was your friend, your teammate?—”

“You were recruited from the middle of nowhere, plucked directly by a commander. Explain that! I always had my worries about it, but you fell into line.” Black sighs as he sits heavily. “Now that you’re not, well, I might as well satisfy my curiosity.”

---