The King snapped his fingers, and the doors opened again. Athler stepped inside, taking the blade from his hand.
“It’s been a while since I’ve participated in one of these.” He grinned as he looked Vallie up and down, his tongue darting out, licking his cracked lips.
The King took a seat in the chair he just dragged over as he asked his first question. “Is my son alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
I didn’t answer.
Athler grabbed Vallie’s wrist and made a small cut on her forearm. The size of it wasn’t much more than the length of my fingernail, but it was deep enough to draw blood. She winced as she tried to pull her arm away.
“How did you get free?”
“Tezya got us out,” I said, debating what I could admit to in order to protect Vallie without leaving Brighta vulnerable.
“How?”
“He told the soldiers it was on your orders. No one questioned him.”
The King straightened. “One of my soldiers claimed he was compelled. Explain.”
I racked my brain for what to say. My gaze briefly flitted to Vallie who was still rooted in her spot next to Athler, forced still by the vines the King created. Athler started to raise the dagger.
“Peter, the Tennebrisian who pretended to be my maid, he had compulsion,” I blurted, praying I could get through this without hurting Vallie.
“You’re lying. Synder sent me the boy’s file from his Trials. He can shapeshift, which would explain how he infiltrated my castle for so long, but it said nothing about compulsion.”
I gave my best shrug. “I don’t know why he never showed that power during his Trials. A lot of Advenians keep parts of their abilities a secret. Maybe he knew his shapeshifting was enough to rank him a four and decided not to use it.”
“No one in their right mind would keep an entire ability a secret. Parts of their abilities I could believe, but an entire ability would never happen. You’re talking about the differences between ranks.”
“I guess not everyone puts their worth into a pointless number.”
The King narrowed his eyes, and in response, Athler cut into Vallie.
“I answered your question,” I seethed, my chains rattled, almost causing me to fall on my face again. “It’s not my fault I don’t understand the mind of someone who isn’t here.”
“I don’t want excuses, I want answers. And we cut your friend based on your attitude, not your answer, so it would be wise to behave and learn some manners. Now,” the King said as he leaned back in the chair, looking like the epitome of comfort. “What’s my son planning?”
I paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer. “He just wanted to get away from you.”
Athler added two more cuts into Vallie’s arms. This time she screamed.
“Stop! Please… I answered your question,” I started to cry.
“I don’t want lies,” the King drawled. “Athler can smell your pheromones. He can decipher when you tell the truth and that was now two lies you told us.”
The night felt like a lifetime.Vallie’s arm was as red as her hair by the time the King and Athler finished. I answered every question they asked me, but they still cut into her,claiming I was lying. I tried to steady my breathing, to calm my racing heart, but every time I didn’t tell the truth, they knew. Even when I only told half truths, they started picking up on it. I had never felt so helpless before.
“Don’t cry,” the King whispered into Vallie’s ear as he brushed her hair over her shoulder. She was still trapped by his vines and every time she struggled against them, they tightened. “I’m done hurting you,for now.”
That only made her sob more.
The King looked at Athler like he was expecting something.
Athler smirked, and I could do nothing but watch as he crossed the room, finding a clean blade and a goblet. He cut his arm and filled the glass with his own blood before passing it off to the King.
