“Anything to tell us?” Aeron snarls out, and this time I do flinch, his grip loosening as he swallows and for a second his eyes are full of such torment that my body leans towards him, instinctively trying to soothe it away.
“You going to give me my brother’s safety, Devil Man?” My voice is croaky, each word painful and sharp. The grip tightens, and he bares his teeth at me.
“Again.”
I have a moment to feel the relief of not having his painful grip on my hair, but then the wet cloth is over my face and I’m drowning again.
And again.
And again.
They waterboard me for what feels like hours, my body growing weaker the longer it goes on until I feel as though I might pass out. I must admit that they’re good at this. Really fucking good. They know just when to stop, usually before I can give into the darkness that threatens the edges of my vision.
“I thought that the great Inquisitor had methods more effective than waterboarding?” Earl’s nasal voice sneers, and I try to turn my head to give him a glare. Spoiler alert; I don’t manage it.
“I usually go before that,” Knox says to my right, and I manage to look at him. His entire body is tight, a fine tremble running across his body as his fists clench at his sides.
“Knox—” Tarl starts but cuts off at the shake of Knox’s head.
“I’ll share this burden, brother,” Knox mumbles as he places a hand on Tarl’s shoulder.
Tarl’s entire body slumps, his eyes shining as he nods, and I feel sick at the thought that my refusal to speak is hurting them just as much as it’s hurting me. Maybe more so, as mine is only a physical pain, whereas theirs is etched deep into their souls.
“Tarl, Jude, get her off and hold her up,” Aeron orders, and even though I can’t see him, the anguish in his voice is clear.
The buckles release with a clank, and then I’m being heaved off the gurney, my legs wobbling under me when my feet touch the ground. Strong hands grasp my upper arms, their grip painfully hard, and the mix of cardamom and sunshine surrounds me as Jude and Tarl hold me upright.
Struggling, I lift my weary head and look at Knox, seeing Aeron off to one side and that cunt, Earl, leaning against the wall, arms crossed with a big-ass grin on his ugly face.
My gaze returns to Knox, and my chest hurts at seeing him so distraught, the pain superseding that of the near drowning. He’s staring down at his hands, his nostrils flaring as he flexes his fingers.
“It’s okay, Knox. Do what you have to,” I whisper, Rook’s tearstained face flashes before my eyes, from the day Mom died and I told him it would be alright too. Knox’s head snaps up to look at me with wide, terror-filled eyes. He gives a hard swallow, then his face goes completely blank.
“It will never be okay again, Little Bird.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“SAY SOMETHING” BY PENTATONIX
LARK
My breath whooshes out of me a second later, and I cry out, pain radiating down my arm, my exhausted lungs cramping as I struggle to draw in a breath. The boys pull me up, and every muscle protests as I try to curl in on myself, but they won’t let me. The second hit to my other bicep is just as bad as the first, and I sag in the boy's grip as both arms go dead.
“I’ve seen you hit harder than that, Knoxy. You wouldn’t be pulling your punches, would you now?” Earl questions, glee in his tone as Knox heaves just as much as I am, his knuckles white with how hard he’s clenching his fists.
“Shut the fuck up, Earl,” Aeron snaps, and I glance over to see his own hands balled up tightly, his eyes a maelstrom of emotions.
With a roar, Knox kicks my upper thigh, the intense pain shooting through me like a bolt of lightning. Tears fill my eyes, a gasp leaves my lips as my leg gives out completely, and Judemakes a sound as he continues to try to hold me upright. Seconds later, Knox brings his knee up into my other thigh, rendering me immobile as I fall to a heap on the cold concrete, my hair falling over my face as my head bows.
Tears stream down my cheeks, and my entire body is one throb of anguish as I lie there, my heart hurting as much as my limbs. I know that there’s no choice, that I’m giving them no choice but to do this, but it still hurts my soul more than I expected.
A firm hand reaches through my tangled hair, strong fingers clamping behind my ear and the upper side of my nose. A scream rips through my mouth as the most intense pain I’ve ever felt radiates through my head as I’m pulled upwards by the grip on my face. I can’t think, only follow as it pulls me upwards, my broken cries echoing around the room.
“ENOUGH!”
The sharp pain immediately stops, and I fall back down on my knees as I’m released. My entire body trembles, my exposed skin slick with sweat and water. My eyes trace a crack in the concrete, my body wanting to curl in on itself and weep. The physical blows are only part of my devastation, it’s the unseen blows to my heart and soul that hurt the worst.
Shiny, black shoes appear in my vision, then knees clad in navy blue slacks. A perfectly manicured hand appears next, stopping when I flinch. The fingers flex, as a deep, pained sigh leaves Aeron’s lips.
