Page 377 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

I glare at Ivor as he looks at us all before focusing on me, completely oblivious to my rising temper.

“King. He’s more powerful than we expected and more dangerous, too. If he’s not stopped soon, your world won’t just be destroyed, but many other realms will fall with it.”

Soren gives us all a serious look. “Basically, you’re our only hope.”

“So… no pressure?” Jax scoffs, shaking his head. “Fine. We get it. But a fucking heads up would’ve been nice.”

Ivor gives him a look of pity. It only pisses me off more. “I’m afraid time is not on our side.”

Axel’s eyes grow wide. “Says the fucking people who placed us in some twisted nightmare games.”

“It wasn’t—”

I sigh, cutting off Ivor’s reply. “Just take us to Kiarra and Luka, and we’ll figure this out.”

“Well…” Ivor and Soren share another worried look.

“What? You said they were safe.” I take a step forward, ready to rip their throats out and burn this place down if they lied to us.

Ivor looks straight at me, wincing when he sees the look on my face. “They are, but they seem to be… struggling a bit.”

CHAPTER 20

LUKA

“No.” Fear strikes through my chest as I watch Jax being tortured by Cillian instead of me.

Jax’s scream bellows out around me, pushing me forward.

I make it a couple of feet in front of the table before an invisible barrier stops me from going any further. I move around it, trying to find a way in as Jax’s screams grow louder but the barrier encases both Cillian and Jax, leaving me no way to get to him.

Not ready to give up, I clench my fists and punch as hard as I can at the barrier. I punch and kick and throw my whole body weight into it again and again, but no matter how hard I try, it won’t budge.

The energy in the room shifts as the scene changes to Jax on his back with Cillian carving symbols into him. The same symbolized scars I have on my back now.

I can still remember the sharp burn from each cut as it sliced through my skin, but I would take it again and again if it meant Jax wasn’t the one on that table.

Jax’s cries soon turn to whimpers as the pain becomes too much. I swallow hard, remembering my voice was raw for days afterward .

My chest gets tighter and tighter the more Jax cries. The more I hear his pain mirror my own.

“Stop. Stop it. Please, just…stop…” I squeeze my eyes shut, blindly thumping the barrier as I beg anyone to make this stop.

But no one listens to my pleas, and Cillian doesn’t stop torturing Jax.

I can’t watch it anymore. I can’t watch my brother being tortured while I’m helpless to do anything but watch.

My knees hit the floor as I dip my head, leaning against the barrier for support.

I hear Jax’s screams pick up again and feel nothing but weak and useless. I drown in the agony, letting it consume me whole.

“This is how he felt.” I pause, hearing my voice. Turning around, I look for the source but no one’s there.

“Who felt what?” I ask.

“Jax. Our brother.”

“Our?” The room around me disappears, bringing me to another one full of darkness. A light flickers on just as… I walk up to me.

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