Page 16 of War Of Fire and Fortune
The harsh scrape of metal on metal shattered my thoughts. My eyes snapped open as the dungeon door groaned on its hinges. I didn't need to look to know who it was. Valla's presence sent ice crawling down my spine.
Time seemed to slow as she sauntered toward my cell, each click of her heels echoing ominously. Her fingers trailed along the iron bars, a mocking caress that made my skin crawl.
"Well, well," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Look who's all healed up and ready for more fun." She didn’t know about Kade helping me. I assumed she thought I was healing on my own.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. My heart pounded as a single thought consumed me: would this be the day she finally finished what she'd started? I could hear my own ragged breathing, see the anticipation glittering in Valla's eyes. Then, with a resounding clang that made me flinch, she unlocked my cell door.
"You look good, perfectly breakable again," Valla said, her eyes roving over me like a predator sizing up its prey.
I lifted my chin defiantly, determined not to show weakness. Her smirk only widened. Her fist suddenly connecting with my gut. The air rushed from my lungs as I folded forward.
Valla leaned in close, her breath hot against my ear. "I think I'm going to use you as my workout dummy today," she whispered. "And when you're nothing but a bloody, bruised mess, I'll finish you off and leave you to rot in this cell."
My stomach churned at her words, but it was her next threat that made my blood run cold.
"Then, I'm going to cut off your ears and send them to your dear Peacebringer of a sister."
Rage exploded through me. I lunged forward and snarled, straining against my chains.
Valla giggled, a sound that chilled me to my core. "There it is . . . that light that's still inside you." Her eyes gleamed with malice. "I'm going to extinguish it."
Another punch landed, then another. My hands, pinned above my head, were useless to block the onslaught. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as her fists connected again and again.
Is this how I would die?I wondered, my thoughts hazy with pain. Not in battle, but chained and helpless?
Kicks joined the punches, each impact sending shockwaves of agony through my battered body. I lost track of time, lost in a haze of pain and the desperate need to endure.
Then, I heard it. The distinctive crack of a whip being unfurled.
Please, not again . . .
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The whip sang its vicious song, each lash biting deep into my flesh. I clenched my jaw, determined not to give Valla the satisfaction of hearing me scream. Fire blazed across my back, my chest, my arms—anywhere her cruel instrument could reach.
"So stubborn," Valla taunted, her breath ragged from exertion. "Let's see how long that lasts."
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The world narrowed to nothing but pain and the rhythmic snap of the leather against my skin. My ears rang, drowning out everything but the sound of my own labored breathing. I retreated into myself, desperately searching for something—anything—to cling to.
Luana's face swam before my mind's eye.Hold on, I told myself.For her. For home.
"Well, you’re being a bore." Valla's voice cut through the fog. "Time for something new, I think."
I forced my eyes open, watching warily as she set aside the bloodied whip. What new torment did she have planned?
"Tell me, Ace," she purred, producing a wicked-looking knife. "How attached are you to your fingers?" She must’ve enjoyed the slight drop of my mask because her laugh was cruel. “I think I’ll start with the rest of you first, you know, like a warmup.”
The knife glinted as she approached. I tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. The first cut was shallow, teasing. Then deeper. And deeper.
