Page 17 of War Of Fire and Fortune
I lost track of what she did after that. Cutting, burning, twisting bone. On and on it went, until I couldn't tell where one pain ended and another began. My world became a maze of agony I couldn’t escape, each new torment blurring into the next.
Was I even still whole? I couldn't be sure.
I was gasping, hanging limply by my chains as Valla circled me like a hungry cat. Each labored breath sent waves of anguish through my battered body. She trailed her long, polished nails along the sensitive edges of my wings, sending involuntary shudders through me.
"Such beautiful feathers," she murmured, her touch almost gentle. "I wonder how long it would take them to grow back if I plucked them from your back?"
I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. But inside, terror churned in my gut. I closed my eyes, trying to center myself. My wings were everything to me. If she was going for them, maybe this would be my end. Would Kade come back and find me dead?
"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Valla snapped, grabbing my chin roughly.
I forced my eyes open, meeting her gaze with as much defiance as I could muster, and then I gathered the blood in my mouth and spit in her face. She didn’t scream, but her expression went slack. Her eerily calm was even more terrifying than her laughter.
Valla took a few steps away from me, and my heart leapt into my throat as I heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed. The soft, metallic song of steel sliding against leather sent a chill down my spine. I knew that sound intimately from years on the battlefield, but never had it filled me with such dread.
The blade glinted in the dim light as she taunted me, leaving small nicks and cuts along my already battered body.
"You there," she called out, and I startled at the realization that we weren't alone. How had I not noticed another presence? "Hold his wing out for me."
Rough hands grabbed my left wing, stretching it painfully. I thrashed weakly, desperate to break free, but my strength was long gone.
I roared, but it was too late.
The blade came down with sickening force. I heard the crunch of bone, the tearing of flesh and sinew. Pain exploded through me, white-hot and all-consuming. My scream echoed off the cell walls as tears streamed down my face.
"One down," Valla said. "One to go."
As the soldier stretched out my remaining wing, I sobbed. The second cut was just as agonizing as the first. My body convulsed, trembling uncontrollably as shock set in. Valla had finally succeeded. She had shattered me completely.
Her fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head up. "Watch," she hissed, her breath hot against my face.
Through blurred vision, I saw her drag my severed wings across the floor, leaving a trail of blood and feathers. My stomach lurched as she positioned them directly in front of me.
"Enjoy the show," she sneered, stepping back.
Flames erupted from her hands, engulfing my wings. The fire danced, consuming what had once been part of me. I couldn't look away. I remained silent, lost in the flames. Those wings had carried me through my entire life. Now they were nothing but kindling for Valla's cruel entertainment.
As the flames raged, I felt a piece of my soul burn away too. The loss was more than physical—it was the death of freedom, of hope. I'd never soar again if they didn’t grow back, never feel the wind beneath my feathers. Would they grow back? She hadn’ dug them out of my back, so maybe there was a chance. Or would I be wingless like Maeve?
Valla crouched before me as the fire died down, leaving only smoldering embers and ash. She scooped a handful of the gray powder, letting it sift through her fingers.
"Pity, they were beautiful," she crooned as she tossed the ash at me. It stuck to the blood smeared across my body. I could feel myself slipping away, darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision.
Luana . . .
I tried to focus on her face. My thoughts were fragmented, scattering like leaves in the wind.Luana. Home. My promise.
My body was shutting down, tremors wracking my frame. The darkness was winning, pulling me under. Why be hopeful about my wings when I was going to die here?
As consciousness faded, my last thoughts weren't of my physical agony. It was the crushing weight of failing Emelyn and breaking my promise to my mate.
I’m so sorry.
Then, mercifully, darkness finally claimed me.
Chapter Nine
Shay
