Page 75 of Ravik's Mercy

He recoiled, his eyes widening, first with shock, and then with dread as he finally sensed Ravik’s presence behind him. Lorik only managed to turn halfway, his hand never reaching his blaster, before Ravik caught him by the throat. With the same frightening ease he’d shown in the forest, Ravik lifted Lorik with one hand and slammed him on the floor. Although he’d held back, the shock dazed his victim. He removed Lorik’s blaster and tossed it at me, but found no com device. He then placed the collar he’d worn around the Guldan’s neck. He fought back but Ravik backhanded him hard enough to knock out a couple of teeth, and then punched him in the gut, winding him.

Lorik doubled over, gasping for breath, but Ravik yanked his head back so that I could slap my hand on the collar to lock it.

Pulling on the collar, Ravik drew Lorik’s face to his, forcing him into a half-sitting position. “I hear you like paddling people. Let’s see what’s so fun about it.”

Ravik dragged him by the collar to the center of the room. I rushed to the counter and picked up the remote to lower one of the chains hanging from the ceiling. He punched Lorik in the gut again when he tried to free himself, and then attached the chain to the collar’s hook. I raised the chain back up so that Lorik would need to stand almost on the tip of his toes not to get strangled by the collar.

My mate picked up the paddle and gave it a twirl before looking at Lorik.

“You can’t do this,” the Guldan pleaded. “You need me to get out of here. This place only responds to digital prints and vocal commands.”

I shrugged. “We’ll just cut off your hand. Plus, you were right. Every Veredian has powers,” I said, waving my own hands before him.

“This is for torturing my mate and killing my child,” Ravik said, his voice giving me chills.

Although hesomewhatheld back so as not to instantly kill Lorik, each of Ravik’s blows broke—or likely fractured—bones. I’d never considered myself a sadistic person, but in this instance, Lorik screeches of agony sounded like the sweetest music to me. My fingers instinctively reached for my braid, only to find the jagged edges of the short, silver locks brushing against my shoulders. Chest constricting, I forced the sorrow away, and placed my hand over my stomach, letting the hatred fill me again.

Yes, I enjoyed every single shred of his pain.

After fifteen blows or so—I’d lost count—Ravik stopped and tossed the paddle to the ground. He walked up to Lorik who was wheezing and gurgling, blood trickling from his mouth. From the sound, I assumed broken ribs had perforated his lungs. If his one ‘good’ leg didn’t give out, sparing him from dying of suffocation, he’d still drown in his own blood long before the others arrived.

“I guess that was fun after all,” Ravik affirmed, inches from Lorik’s face. “I could kill you with the next blow, but that would be cruel considering you offered to grant me mercy earlier. While yours would have been to give me a swift death, mine will be to wish you a long life. Enjoy Ravik’s mercy, Ambassador.”

Equipped with the weapons I had made, Lorik’s blaster, and Hagan’s whip, we cautiously exited the room into a large hallway, followed by the rattling sound of our former captor’s breathing. A series of empty shelves lined the open space right across from the cell room. In the corner, a lift sat with its door open.

“Oh Goddess!” I exclaimed, rushing for it.

It could only go up one floor. I tapped on the console without triggering any reaction.

“What’s wrong?” Ravik asked, after I tried a few times in vain.

I placed my palm over it and pushed my power within. My heart sank as I realized Lorik had not just shut it down, he’d completely disabled it. It made sense with Ravik’s men crawling all over the top floor. I could probably figure out how to get it going again, but it would take far more time than we could spare.

“It’s dead,” I said with a heavy sigh. “We need to find that secret exit.”

He pinched his lips in frustration but gave me a stiff nod. We returned to the hallway. The left side closed on a dead end, with only a couple of doors on each side, whereas the right side stretched beyond the possible length of the hunter’s lodge above.

Desperate for clothes and water, we checked the first couple of rooms on the left: a lab with small animals and animal parts floating in various liquids, and a storage room containing animal food and restraints. I nabbed the taser wand on one of the shelves. Moving to right left side of the hallway, we entered an old office that had been stripped of any equipment. I needed some kind of computer or com device to call for help. The next room turned out to be another empty detention area, this one clearly designed to receive people, with small cots, and shared hygiene rooms.

I thought of using the sink there to clean myself up but decided to keep going. There had to be a proper shower in here… I hoped. The next door opened on a small kitchen facing a large living area. I made a beeline for the replicator on the counter. Top of the line, it contained some of the fanciest recipes available and, thank the Goddess, it was still full. I selected a couple of meals for us and activated the machine, while Ravik rummaged through the cooling unit. He pulled out a couple of cold drinks for us, opened one and extended it to me.

Despite my thirst and hunger, I forced myself not to gulp down its contents. Without a word we headed out of the kitchen while finishing our drinks. Although the food would only take four minutes to prepare, before we settled down to eat, we first needed to make sure the place was secure and, if possible, send out a distress call. The next couple of rooms proved useless, the third one finally revealing a bedroom. Although reasonably spacious and comfortable, it didn’t say Varrek to me. A lonely lab coat hung in the otherwise empty closet.

Ravik opened the door next to it, revealing a small hygiene room, complete with shower.

“Go ahead,” Ravik said, indicating the room with his head. “Be quick. I’ll go check the last couple of rooms in the meantime and come right back.”

I hesitated for a second, wondering if it was wise to split up at all. Barely thirty minutes had elapsed since Lorik’s arrival. Technically, we still had plenty of time ahead of us but we couldn’t be sure. Still, I needed to get all this blood off me, especially between my thighs. Ravik could tell I ached to get clean, but I suspected seeing me in this state was also a painful reminder of what I had endured and of what we had lost.

“Okay,” I whispered.

We exchanged a brief kiss, and I hurried into the shower. Even at the lowest setting, the raining water felt punishing on my lacerated back. Despite the pain, I welcomed the cleansing effect, both physical and mental, washing away a hurt that went beyond skin deep. As much as I wanted to linger, I quickly rinsed and stepped out of the shower, less than five minutes after I’d entered. If we survived this—whenwe survived this—I’d have plenty of time for leisure in Ravik’s pool.

Halfway through drying myself, Ravik’s voice called me out from beyond the door. Excitement, not fear, filled it. Intrigued, I stepped outside while still rubbing the towel over my hair. Fully dressed, a large grin on his face, he held up my Tuurean belt.

“Fuck yeah!”

I all but threw myself in his arms and crushed his lips with a grateful kiss. He grunted as I stupidly closed my arms around his wounded back, relieved that his own hand rested on my nape. Releasing him with a sheepish look, I stepped back and greedily took the belt from him.

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