Page 88 of Choosing Jenny
“Not good, Noc,” I growled, unsure just how much more agony Longshot could withstand. “How much longer—”
Another one of Longshot’s screams tore through the room, cutting me off and slamming into my chest like a blade. His body arched off the table as his hand’s muscles and tendons knitted together in one violent surge. When it stopped, Longshot sagged, drenched in sweat but still conscious. Barely.
“Well, damn,” he panted, his voice a whisper. “Is it better?”
“Less bad,” I offered, refusing to lie.
Noc’s attention was focused as his fingers spiraled in midair, constructing a thin film of skin that he wrapped around the flesh and bone he’d somehow created to replace Longshot’s hand. I saw a palm and five fingers formed, so the end result looked promising.
Noc might have finished the skin grafting if the door hadn’t slammed open.
Rasmine Vebber barged into the lab, barking orders. “Get your asses out here!”
“Fuck off, Vebber!” Noc shouted, and the regeneration of Longshot’s new skin slowed at the interruption.
“Justice wants everyone in the council chamber immediately,” Rasmine said, glaring at us from across the room. “He said he has something to show us, something we won’t like. When was the last time you received that kind of summons?”
“You’re drunk,” I muttered.
“My son is missing, of course I’m drunk,” he spat, his eyes looking wild.
“Your son?” Noc asked, surprised.
“You, focus,” I ordered the magician as I reluctantly released Longshot’s good hand. “I’ll see what Justice wants—”
“What he wants isallof us,” Rasmine ranted. “You, Longshot, Noc, all of the council. Fuckingnow, on pain of death, per Justice’s orders. My son is missing. Do you think anything but imminent death would keep me from looking for him?”
“Fine,” Noc growled, ending whatever spell he’d cast, and the skin immediately stopped growing.
Fuck.“But his hand is not done healing—”
“Butdeath,” Noc countered insistently. “Let’s go.”
There was no arguing with Justice’s threats, and we all knew it. I quickly wrapped up Longshot’s half healed hand and helped him from the table. At least he now had the shape of a hand and fingers to replace the previous stump, so it was an impressive transformation thus far.
Longshot was not steady on his feet, so I hitched his arm over my shoulder and we shuffled down the halls and through the palace as fast as we could.
When we reached the council chamber, Noc opened the door for us. The chamber had been changed once again. Along the far wall, three monitors with black screens loomed. Justice stood beneath them, flanked by guards.
The table and seating had been replaced by a massive wheel at the center of the chamber, one I was familiar with. Strapped to the contraption was a man, limbs splayed wide and bound to the spokes, his body suspended over a bed of gleaming spikes. He wore only a hood. I did not recognize his naked body, which was both a relief and a terror.
Who is he? Why is he here? What the fuck is going on? Is that Pierce? Does Justice know?Every muscle in me tensed, ready to set Longshot aside and fight. No matter how futile it would be.
Justice glowered at us from across the room. “Gentlemen, come in and close the door, then stand around the rack.”
The rest of the council was not present. I wondered if we were to wait for the others. We followed his order and stood around the naked man on the rack while I let Longshot lean against me for support and wondered what the fuck was going on.
“Are you ready to tell us what this is about yet, Ruler?” Rasmine asked anxiously. “My son is missing and—”
Justice held up a hand and Rasmine immediately shut up. Then he indicated the person strapped to the torture device in the middle of the room. “The man before you was disguised as a palace servant. He delivered my soup this afternoon. It smelled off. Tell them why my soup didn’t smell right,” he demanded of the man.
“Poison.” His voice quivered beneath the hood.
“That’s right. And did you do this of your own accord?”
“No. I was hired, Ruler.” The man’s body visibly trembled. “I’m sorry, Ruler—”
“Shut your traitorous mouth, boy,” Justice snapped, before he looked to us, his gaze shrewd. “My enemies hired this assassin to kill me. Someone got him a palace uniform, helped him breech my security, and tried to poison me. Those with access to do such a thing include every member of this council. I know it was one of you who betrayed me. I do not take such an offense lightly.”
