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Skye had to disconnect further so he focused on the tablecloth on the table in his grandmother’s kitchen and then on the plate she set before him with the warm breakfast she’d prepared. She spoke of her plans for the day and Skye listened and the cell, the shouting vampire and Coven DuCane disappeared.
Dante was second-guessing his decision to have Draco Graves visit the prisoner. Graves had a presence that few could stand against, either mentally or physically, and he assumed that Skye would crumble within minutes of the man entering his cell, but that hadn't been the case.
Dante watched the action from the monitor located on the main desk of the sub-basement. The camera in Skye’s cell gave him a clear picture of everything. Graves came on hard and fast and it was difficult to observe but he held himself back and waited to see how Skye reacted. He wasn’t hurting him but still Dante felt himself flinch with each shout and every time he touched him Dante had to hold himself back from rushing to Skye’s defense.
Skye didn’t react, he remained seated with his eyes closed even when Graves pushed him off the bed he did not react. He lay there on the floor with his eyes still closed and then Graves picked him up and sat him back on the bed.
Graves took a bucket, filled it with cold water, and dumped it over Skye, soaking him to the bone. He made threats, but Skye did not speak; the scene was becoming unbearable. He wasn't learning anything new, and Skye's deceit or motives were still a mystery.
Dante was about to end it when Graves made a dark statement. “You have no idea of the darkness that I can bring down upon you.” Graves gritted out with clenched teeth. There was silence for about two seconds and then Skye lifted his eyes up to connect with Graves holding his gaze without faulter.
"You have no idea where I've been and what I've seen. I doubt your darkness will impress me." The words were not cocky or sarcastic, just flat and lifeless. Dante had enough and headed inside. When he arrived, Graves stood over Skye, not touching him but staring at him with an intensity that was about to set the place on fire.
“The human has a death wish.” Graves stated that when Dante stepped into the cell, "Give me another hour, and I will determine his guilt or innocence."
“I’ll take it from here.” Dante told him and Graves flashed a smile and stepped back and then left. Dante waited until he heard the outside door close before he turned his attention to Skye.
"Here," he said and handed him a large towel to dry off. Skye took it, dried his face and hair, and then pulled off his shirt, baring his torso to Dante's gaze. The sight struck Dante like a punch to the gut he had to stop himself from overreacting and just managed to swallow the rage that burst to the surface at the scene before him.
Words were impossible as he stared at the scar tissue that covered Skye's chest, abdomen, and upper arms. He'd barely processed what he was looking at when Skye bent forward to retrieve his shirt from the floor, and Dante got a look at his back. It was marked and torn in unconscionable ways, and some of the strikes were current, as evidenced by the fact that they were only partially healed.
Dante took a shaky breath and tried to speak. Skye did not appear concerned or upset at the condition of his body, which made it all that more shocking. This was his normal. All the ridiculous suspicions he'd harbored just a moment ago regarding Skye's feigned victimhood vanished in a flash. Dante had seen plenty in his years of fieldwork for his Coven, but he had never witnessed such long-standing evidence of brutality. People usually did not survive this level of constant harm.
“I’m sorry.” Dante needed to lead with that statement first.
“For what?” Skye dried himself off as best he could and glanced up at Dante with an innocence that broke Dante’s heart.
“For sending Graves in to question you.”
“It’s your job, it doesn’t matter. I’ve dealt with much worse than Mr. Graves.” Skye held the towel in his lap and stared down at it. His mental exhaustion was beginning to show.
"Who did that to you?" Dante spoke low and somber. Skye looked down at himself as if suddenly remembering the marks that he wore. Then, he let his gaze stray to the left.
"Adam mostly, and sometimes there would be others." He spoke of it indifferently as if it did not matter. "It's not bad; others had it much worse. Some were beaten daily, and they didn't survive for long."
“Why, why did they do it?” Dante saw no value in torturing someone non-stop.
“Entertainment, pleasure, demonstrating their heartlessness, I don’t know.”
“This is what Ezra spoke of when he said you stood there and did nothing?” That statement seemed ludicrous to him now. “What did he expect you to do? Did he not see you beaten as well?” Dante took a seat next to Skye on the edge of the bed.
“Adam didn’t perform for the lesser, as he called them, Ezra served a low level witch and Adam was a warlock. He only exhibited his power for the leadership so Ezra would not have witnessed my humiliation.” He maintained that nonchalant tone that was driving Dante crazy.
“Did you witness Ezra being abused?”
"Ezra was never beaten, and they feared his latent powers. He was abused in other ways; he did not have it easy." Skye took the towel and draped it around his shoulders as if he were suddenly feeling self-conscious about his scars.
Dante got to his feet and reached out his hand to Skye. "I'm getting you out of here; come with me." He said, and surprisingly, Skye did not balk and took his hand, ready to follow. "We're stopping at the infirmary first. I want to have your injuries looked at by a doctor."
"I'm fine. I haven't experienced a beating in over five weeks." Dante felt his nerves tighten and his rage ripple across the surface of his skin. Whoever touched his beloved would soon experience every ounce of agony they dished out.
“Humor me, sweetheart.” Dante told him and they headed past the main desk to the elevator beyond. He needed to take his beloved somewhere safe away from the prying eyes and the endless questions he wanted to give him peace and safety. He kept his hand on the small of his back as they made their way to the infirmary one floor up.
“These are vampire doctors?” Skye asked nervously.
“Yes, why?” Dante sensed there was more to the question than simple curiosity.
"They don't usually provide care for non-vampires." He said, his voice holding an edge.
