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Chapter Six
Screams echoed intothe night. Henry laid in wretched silence unable to move further than the restraints would allow. Hours had passed noted by the decay of the sunlight into darkness. His untreated injuries ached, and his tongue burned with a desperate thirst. But his focus remained not on himself but the haunting sobs which seemed to surround him. Pain lanced through him with every agonizing cry.
The first one pierced his soul. He fought against his restraints until blood coated his hands and ankles, but to no avail, he could not come to her aid. There was no mercy granted from his captors.
Henry would kill him. Rip him apart with his bare hands in retribution for the torment he inflicted upon Ruby.
Shrouded in darkness, Henry rose to sit on the edge of the bed. The tremor in his hands worsened.
Another heart-wrenching scream drove him to his feet.
“Leave her, you bastards!” Henry shouted profanities and vows of vengeance until his voice grew hoarse. He swayed at the effort. Fear and fury combined, feeding the depleted reserves barely keeping him upright.
Her screams faded into a haunting silence. Henry panicked. Had they finally killed her?
His shouts renewed with intensity. Fresh blood warmed his hands as he pulled against his bonds.
No response met his frenzied calls. He failed her. Relinquished to the hands of the enemy, she suffered because of his inability to protect her.
Henry collapsed onto the narrow cot. While his body embraced the reprieve, his mind suffered from the torment. His cracked lips parted in a pained gasp when he relaxed against the bed. Whatever fight remained bled out of him and onto the cold stone floor. His consciousness followed, surrendered to the blissful embrace of nothingness.
For the briefest moment, Henry’s pain vanished. His heart remained heavy, but his physical form held none of the turmoil it bore previously. A dream. Lovely and serene, it surrounded him with peace. He stood in the field beyond the castle walls. In the distance, Ruby rode her mare through the open green meadow. Hair unbound and a smile upon her lips.
Crispin stood beside him, watching his queen gallop through the field like a goddess bound in sunshine and radiance.
Ivy appeared behind him. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her fingers sliding over his doublet. Just as they reached his belt, a storm rose over the horizon.
Lightning flashed overhead. Ruby and Crispin disappeared. A crack of thunder split the stillness. Ivy vanished. Henry spun around as the sky opened and rain poured from the heavens.
The scene faded into a haze and plunged into darkness. Pain slammed into him with the force of a destrier’s kick. He gasped and clutched his chest.
Cool liquid coated his face, filling his nose and mouth. He coughed and sputtered attempting to escape the onslaught.Water. His body relished the refreshment, but his lips burned at the contact. He rolled away to escape the sensation of drowning. What little spit he had dribbled to the floor as he hung off the bed.
When he opened his eyes, a pair of boots filled his vision. He blinked to clear his sight. Well-tailored leather.
A hand gripped his neck forcing him back. It grasped his jaw and pried it open before pouring water from a pitcher into his open mouth. Henry struggled against the hold, even though he wished to quench his thirst, there was too much.
He wrenched free and turned away again, his body heaving at the assault.
“Enough!” he sputtered, spitting on the floor.
Relief filled him at the sound of retreating footsteps. Henry waited for the sound of the door closing, but it never came.
A soft glow filled the room.
Henry glanced up, lifting his hand to block the brightness of the lantern. His eyes adjusted and hatred congealed in the pit of his stomach.
“You killed her.” He glowered at his captor hidden in the shadows. “Now you have come to finish me off. Do it. Take your blade to my throat and end my suffering.”
