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Sable fixed his blue eyes on Perry, blinking a few times, staring quietly. Scenting Perry’s temper. “You know why we’re here, don’t you? I warned Cinder. I told him what I wanted. He refused me. Unfortunately, the price of that transgression falls on your shoulders. ”
Perry looked to the ceiling, keeping his breath steady. He wanted, more than anything, to endure what would come next without begging. Even when his father beat him as a boy, he’d never begged. He wasn’t going to start now.
“I can’t hurt Cinder physically,” Sable said. “That would be counterproductive. But I can make him understand that until he concedes, he’ll suffer—through you. ”
He turned his attention to the table; his hand hovered over pliers before he picked up the mallet. He tested the weight of the tool in his hand.
Perry could tell it was substantial.
“I’m thinking bruises. They’re showy. Not very messy, and—”
“Get on with it,” Perry snapped.
Sable slammed the mallet down on his arm. It struck Perry’s bicep, over his Markings. Bursts of red exploded before his eyes. A sound slipped out of him, like he was lifting a huge weight. He held on, waiting as the pain began to fade.
“There has to be an alternative to this,” Hess said.
“He’s our leverage, Hess, as you said. Our only means of breaking down the boy. And the alternative is that we die. How does that sound to you?”
Hess glanced at the door behind him and fell silent.
“Relax,” said Sable. “I hit him harder than I intended. ” He looked back at Perry. “You know I’m being merciful, don’t you? I could find the girl he likes—what’s her name?” he asked Kirra.
“Willow. ”
“I could have Willow on this table instead. You wouldn’t choose that, would you?”
Perry shook his head. His throat had gone dry, and his arm had its own heartbeat. “There is one thing you should know,” he said.
Sable’s eyes narrowed. “And what is that?”
“I don’t bruise easily. ”
It was a stupid thing to say, but it gave him some small feeling of control over the situation. And the look on Sable’s face, surprised, incensed, was worth it.
“Let’s find out,” he said, tightly. And the mallet came down again.
This one was easier to endure than the first strike. Every one that followed became easier still as Perry retreated into his mind. His father had prepared him for this, and he felt a strange sense of gratitude. A euphoric closeness to times past, which had been terrible, but which had included Vale and Liv. They’d made him good at finding quiet, even peacefulness, in the face of pain.
When Sable came to Perry’s hands, tears pricked at his eyes. They hurt the worst, maybe because they had been smashed so many times before.
Hess turned green and left first. Kirra followed soon after with the dark-haired guard.
Only the men posted at the door stayed, too afraid of Sable to leave.
23
ARIA
Something terrible was happening to Perry.
Aria felt it.
“Sable! Hess!” she yelled again. “Where are you?” She pounded on the heavy steel door, screams ripping through her throat. “I’ll kill you!”
“Aria, stop. ” Roar came up behind her. He wrapped her up, pinning her arms.
“Don’t touch me!” She struggled against him. “Let go! You did this!” She didn’t want to turn on him, but she couldn’t hold back. “You did this, Roar!”
