Page 37 of Crowned A Traitor
“Must be nice to be above ground?” Klara asked wondering if the Torturer had a tongue.
“Don’t toy with the underlings, it’s beneath you,” Eve scolded, and the Torturers continued on their way. Their robes trailing behind them, she wondered about their true form.What manner of Creature they must be to do such a merciless job?
Klara’s hands itched to find out. Abadan had replaced Father’s supporters as soon as Malum became her domain. If you asked them whom they supported, they would claim the King. That was if their tongues hadn’t already been cut out.
“Just trying to make conversation,” Klara shrugged, and Eve rolled her eyes. Klara was stalling, knowing her small blade wouldn’t be enough to make a dent in the number of Guards in the room.
“Don’t you want to see who it is?” Abadan grew impatient, leaning forward in her throne while Klara looked to see Lilith, her gaze warning her to remain calm. Klara strolled over to the crumpled prisoner and removed the hood. As her hand made contact, Klara saw the Demon in her mind’s eye. There they were making a deal at the crossroads. The only sound in the room was the Demon’s shallow breath. Klara felt the Guards movement. They were only two feet behind her.
“This is the girl you saw?” asked the weasel Demon on Abadan’s behalf. The Crossroads Demon rose its bloodied features to gaze at Abadan. Klara glanced over the prisoner’s lashed back through the dirty robe it wore. Dipping its head, Abadan banged her fist against her armrest, ordering the prisoner to speak. The Crossroads Demon nodded, a silent yes and Klara laughed.
“You can hardly believe the word of a Crossroads Demon,” Klara said smugly.
“She altered your form, knew your name?” Abadan asked, her eyes screaming victory as Klara held her head high.
The Demon nodded once again.
“Speak up!” Klara dared the Demon to speak against her, one-touch and Klara could reveal Edisa’s secrets. Edisa’s head snapped up in an ungodly angle and opened its tongueless mouth as blood oozed out and dripped to the stone floor. Klara saw the bloodied handprints. The Demons fingernails had also been removed. Klara almost smiled, Abadan knew that without a tongue, the Demon could neither lie nor tell the truth. It would agree with whatever Abadan wanted. Abadan smirked, and Klara clasped her hands in front of her,well played.
“You have grown stronger, threatening a Crossroads Demon,” Eve said, and Klara wanted to sew her mouth shut why Abadan had never removed Eve’s tongue was a mystery. “I ran into a Crossroads Demon on my way back from the Ghouls. I don’t understand all this pageantry. If you wanted every last detail, I would have told you.”
“You would have?”
“I have no reason to deceive you.”
Abadan tossed a small pile of gems onto the floor, scattering them everywhere. A lump grew in her throat, her skin throbbing as danger surrounded her.Least they don’t know about the walkman, the weasel must have watched me threaten the Demon, Klara cursed herself for not banishing the weasel to Hell when she had the chance.
“Why were you hiding jewels in the Forest?” Abadan asked, tapping her long nail against her chin.
“Always handy to keep a few gems around, never know what trouble you might come across in the Forest.” Her answer was quick, a little too quick. Abadan twisted and rolled a small ruby between her fingers. “You blackmailed a Crossroads Demon,” Abadan frowned, and the weasel snuggled closer to the High Queen’s throne.
“Hiding gems is not a crime.” Klara laughed, “A crossroads will say whatever you wish to hear in fear of being sent to the Maze.”
“Well, we had to torture the information from this one, put up a real fight,” Abadan tossed the ruby aside, “and as you can see, there isn’t much sense left in the poor thing.” Edisa crouched into a ball humming quietly to itself.
“A Crossroads is under Father’s protection; you have cost him souls, and tortured information is often false. As the Heir, I alone hold the right to question a Crossroads,” Klara said. Abadan had broken the law, and yet a smile remained in her eyes.
“I bribed a Crossroads to act as my eyes in case the Ghouls I slaughtered had any other kin,” Klara said. “I have committed no crime.”
“And this?” Abadan motioned for an Ogre to come forward.
An Ogre by the side of the steps reached into his tattered brown overalls and pulled out her crumbled walkman, cords and plastic were everywhere where they shouldn’t be, and the Ogre dropped it at Klara’s feet. Her heart pained as her only comfort was lost.
“Human objects are strictly forbidden; we are very disappointed in this betrayal.”
Klara picked up the pieces.It was hopeless even a reassemble spell wouldn’t fix this mess.There were no words left for her to speak. Abadan had the evidence she needed to feed her Father’s paranoia. “Hypocrite,” Klara muttered, but Abadan’s ears were sharp.
“Excuse me?”
“You gorge yourselves on Human food,” before Klara could continue Eve used her magic to project a slap. They were a few feet apart, but Klara still felt the sting. There was nothing left to say.
Abadan’s hand went to Eve’s shoulder.
“I have spoken to your Father this morning and from your sudden disappearance and this secrecy he feels we should hold you until we get to the bottom of this,” Abadan said as hands gripped Klara’s arms.
“Where did you get the Human object?” Abadan asked. “I stole it from the Port market,” Klara said.
“Why didn’t you hand it over or destroy it?”
