Lex gave a curt nod before drawing on Sasori again, her sharp inhalation was the only sign that he had drawn significantly more power than last time. Once again, the magic pooled in his hand before shooting to the prone Mage and diving for his open orifices.
The Earth Mage’s screams resounded through the room again as he pleaded with phantom beings. Alois lounged against the back wall, looking completely bored with the whole spectacle. I attempted to mirror his posture but couldn’t fully relax. Maybe because I knew, before we were done here tonight, that my power would be called upon.
It always was.
On and on it went for what felt like hours. Lex would zap the Mage with his power, the Mage would scream and cry before coming out of the vision. Alois would question him, the Mage would meet the questions with stony or sobbing silence, and Lex would increase the intensity of his attacks. The cycle continued until blood was dripping from the Mage’s ears, eyes, and nose, small puddles forming under his head.
I snuck a glance at Lex and noticed that his face was turning a shade of white, and his hands were shaking as he channeled.
He’s overdrawing.
“That’s enough,” I snapped, and Lex instantly dropped his hold on his Pain Magic. Alois shot me a look. “He’ll burn himself out. You have other methods of extracting information, and this is clearly not working as you planned.”
Alois simply rolled his eyes as he searched the tool racks once more. “Lex, stay in case you are needed again. Sit in that chair over there”—he gestured to the corner of the room—“until we’re finished. In case you pass out or whatever General d’Alvey is afraid of happening.”
Lex shot me a grateful nod before stumbling to the chair and sitting down hard. His Bonded murmured in hushed voices to him as they swept his hair back from his forehead. His skin was pale and sweaty, and I saw a few tears track down his cheeks before he dashed them away and pushed his Vessels off as well, his stony mask back in place.
Alois pushed away from the wall, a multitude of tools in his hands. I blanched when I saw what he was carrying.
We haven’t use those since . . .I couldn’t even complete the thought. I snuck a quick glance at Lex and was unsurprised to see the stricken look on his face as he rubbed a spot on his sternum, hard.
“So, Earth Mage, do you have a name?” Alois said as he approached the table, laying his tools out in a row on the small table nearby.
The Mage said nothing.
“Hmm. That’s disappointing. Because calling you ‘traitor’ while I do this just doesn’tfeelright, you know?” Alois paused for a moment, and when the Mage didn’t say anything, he simply shrugged his shoulders. “Did you know that the last time I used these tools was almost two decades ago? No, probably not. See, when I used these instruments, I was trying to create somethingnew. A super-Mage, if you will. Someone who could go against the gods themselves and win. And when I did those little experiments, I simply gave each body a number.” He picked up a scalpel and spun it in his hands. “I think I’ll give you the next number in the series. How does 257 sound? Fantastic, I thought you’d like it.”
Alois made quick work of cutting open the Mage’s clothing to reveal bare flesh underneath. “Most people in my position, really anywho get off on the sounds of screams and flesh rendering from bone, would opt for the . . . how do I say this? Wow factor, perhaps? They’d bring out the nail pullers.” He tapped the Mage’s fingers and Alois chuckled at the flinch.
“Or the spiked crown.” He touched the Mage’s forehead.
“Or the hammers, to break bones of various sizes.” He tapped the Mage’s foot, calf, and femur in quick succession.
“They’d bring out a dull knife and hot iron to addthisto their collection jars.” He tightly grabbed the Mage’s dick, and the prisoner hissed in pain. Alois released him just as quickly. “And you have quite a large trophy, don’t you think, General?”
I startled, not anticipating Alois to address me yet. Generally, when he got like this, he stayed in his own world until the work was completed and we had our answers, or the person was dead.
“Sure, Lord d’Refan. If you’re into that sort of thing.”
Alois smiled at me, and I swore I saw darkness swirling in his eyes, but he blinked, and it was gone.
Trick of the light.
“Luckily for you, 257, I’m not into that sort of thing. Lex, would you like me to make you a real-flesh dildo?” He manically spun to Lex, and the Mage jumped in his chair.
“No, thank you, Lord. I have plenty here.” He gestured shakily to Ilyas and Alois shrugged.
“Guess you get to keep it”—he bopped the Earth Mage’s cock—“not that you’ll really need it anymore.”
Alois spun the scalpel in his hands and leaned on top of the Earth Mage’s body so he could see what he was holding.
“No, I think there’s more pain and torment in the little cuts.” He made a small slice on the prisoner’s sternum and the Mage let out a hiss of pain.
“Oh, come now,” Alois tutted, “that was nothing, 257. We still havesomuch more to do together! Did you know that I was only ever successful in my experiments a dozen times?”
Alois made a humming noise in the back of his throat.
“So sad, yes, I know. But one of them is sitting in that corner over there. That beautiful pain you felt in your mind?” He tapped the prisoner’s skull again. “That Mage also has command over pleasure. Interesting, right? Somehow, he survived the experiments and graspedtwopowers. Only a boy,too, his balls hadn’t even dropped yet. Isn’t that right, Lex?” Alois never removed his gaze from the Earth Mage and Lex eked out a strained sound of agreement.
