Page 241 of Gift from the Source
He delivers that little comment with a punch right to Donald’s cheek. The sound of his eye socket breaking is just as loud as the piercing wail that leaves him.
Together, we pounce.
We easily fall into a rhythm with our swings. The guys follow my lead as in my mind I count off the times of everything she named.
I saw every time. I relived every time.
I’ve memorized every time.
The assaults have haunted my dreams anytime I haven’t slept near her.
Every broken bone. Every black eye. Every bloody nose.
He receives the same as he gave her.
The blood dripping from my knuckles fuels the darkness rising inside of me. I embrace it.
I have the luxury of doing that now because she owns it.
If I go too far, she’ll guide me back.
Tillman shoves a healing vial down his throat when his groans go quiet for too long. As soon as he startles awake, I pull the contents back out of his stomach.
We do that repeatedly so he can experience what it’s like to be held down and have something taken from your body unwillingly.
Corentin snatches the air out of his lungs and holds it until he turns blue in the face. I tell him there were six separate times he had his hands around her throat.
He strangles him to the brink of death exactly that many times.
His head sways around uncontrollably as Corentin finally lets him take a deep breath. He even pushes a little air into him to get him back on tract.
Once he’s cognitive enough to know what’s going on, Tillman kicks him and the chair he’s strapped in right into the grave behind him.
None of us strip him of his clothes like he did her. We won’t expose her to that shit, but I do wrap his entire body in a block of ice so he can experience the way it feels to have the cold seep into his bones.
I melt the ice around his body and Draken’s flame surrounds him.
As many times as he dunked her in that pool, let her sink, then pulled her up by the hair on her scalp, Draken and I recreate the sensation.
I crash my water element on top of him as his fire rapidly heats him up. The fucking pig squeals from the constant pins and needles shooting through his body.
The tortured sound does nothing but spur us on.
Tillman fills the hole so fast as we drop Donald on his ass one final time, he shoots out of it and his body slams back on a table. Vines seize him to hold him in place.
Light burns a handprint over his heart.
Claws dig into his hip.
Shadows puncture fifty-four holes across his arms and legs.
Apart from Trex, his fake Nexus brothers may have already met their demise, but he’ll reap what they sowed.
His limp and broken body lies on the table, unmoving.
I nod to Tillman to untie him and bring him down from the table, and I pass Corentin two healing vials. At this point, they wouldn’t save him, but they’ll keep him alive for another moment.
Turning, my eyes lock onto my Primary’s.
