Chapter 10
The bars in front of the door to Treycore’s cell rose up into the ceiling. Treycore grabbed the handle for the pull-up door and opened it, stepping out into the main hallway of his cell block.
The other immortals stepped out of their cells and started toward the main auditorium.
After the fight, a siren had sounded that indicated they had to return to their rooms. Since Treycore could hardly move on his own, some of the guards had escorted him, giving him a rough time, adding to his injuries before throwing him into his cell.
Considering how much time had passed, he figured that must have been their designated sleep time—not that he got much sleep.
His body ached from the injuries he’d sustained in the battle to win Kid. For the most part, his wounds had healed up nicely. But it wasn’t his own body he was concerned about. He needed to find Kid and make sure he was all right, that he was still alive. It wasn’t an unfamiliar horror to live with. He had been dreading that very thing in all the time when he and Kid had been at the Embassy, where no one would let him know about what had happened to Kid, where it was like they were eager to keep any information from him.
The fucking bastards.
Treycore only knew one thing: Aerysn was a dead higherling. He would beat his fucking ass…kill the fucker for whatever he’d done to his Kid.
Treycore followed the crowd back to the main auditorium. When he reached the ledge of the hallway of the higher level he was on, he looked down, searching for Aerysn, but just as much looking for his Kid.
Please fucking be alive, Kid.
Aerysn sat on the other side of the auditorium, on a bench beside a table, with a cluster of guys, leaning back, his wings stretched out as he laughed.
Treycore imagined he was boasting about all the vile things he’d done to Kid…how he defiled him, how he ignored his screams and pleas.
Treycore leapt from the ledge and glided down into the auditorium. He tackled Aerysn, shoving him off the bench, onto the stone floor.
“You,” he said as he landed on top of him. “You’re going to fucking die.”
Aerysn’s expression filled with sheer terror. It pleased Treycore to see that despite his abilities, he still could fear. Treycore laid into him, getting in what blows he could before Aerysn had a chance to use his extraordinary abilities against him. With a punch that had the back of Aerysn’s head slamming against the floor, he could tell Aerysn was disoriented enough that he had the upper hand.
Today, you fucking die, higherling.
He raised his hands over his head and locked them together, preparing to bash them down into Aerysn’s skull with a force that would send him into the oblivion.
To his eternal end.
He felt hands wrap around his forearms.
“No!” he cried out as he was pulled off Aerysn’s limp body. He was right there, ready to be taken to his end.
“Let me go, you dumb shits!” he shouted, turning either way to the immortals restraining him. He turned his attention back to Aerysn, who shook his head as he struggled to find his bearings. “Where is he? Where the fuck is Kid?”
“Treycore!” a familiar voice came from his side, and he turned, searching frantically, not paying any attention to the immortals still holding him.
On the other side of the auditorium, near the main entrance they’d been led through when they first arrived at the Nest, Kid limped out. He looked pretty banged up, with his arms and legs in splints. He used a cane as he started into the room.
Tears rushed to Treycore’s eyes, partly because of how much it pained him to see Kid hurt and partly because he felt so fucking lucky that Kid was even still alive. As Treycore glanced Kid over, he couldn’t help but imagine all the possible ways Aerysn could have raped him, given him those injuries.
“You sick fuck!” he cried out.
His rage overtook him, and he pulled his arms free, throwing himself back down on top of Aerysn.
Aerysn was clearly still too disoriented to react quickly. This was his fucking chance.
But the immortals around him seized him once again and pried him off the bastard higherling. Rand pushed through the immortals who had congregated around the scene Treycore had created. His face was scrunched up in a disapproving expression.
“Let me the fuck go,” Treycore demanded. As he tried to pull away from his captors, Aerysn seized the opportunity, hopping to his feet and sprinting across the room to Kid.
“Treycore, I’m fine,” Kid said, and Treycore could tell he wasn’t, but he was trying to set him at ease.
