What you just saw was Izzy experiencing the rather extreme torture of her bondmate, then his death, and finally his revival. And he will continue to be tortured to death, then revived until such time as Izzy complies with our wishes. Is that understood?the voice — I recognized it as that horrid sylph, Hana — stated.
I had finished emptying my stomach and was ever-so-slowly starting to recover, so I managed to catch the reply.
“What is it you want? State your demands.” The deep voice sounded thoroughly disgusted. It was Koar, my dedicated dragon.
Izzy will submit herself to the authorities and admit she is a traitor who wishes to overthrow the existing elven government. She will tell them she has realized she cannot fight the might of the elven empire and is turning herself in for punishment.
“That’s ridiculous!” Rook’s voice, heated and furious. “She’ll be executed for treason!”
“No fucking way!” Koar roared. “Why would we hand her over to you? What do we get in return? If you give us Myel back?—”
Then we lose our leverage, now don’t we?Hana hissed.No! You will do this because you have seen what our torture does to the little whore. You will do this, because it’s what Izzy wants. Isn’t it? Tell them, slut. Tell them you’ll do it.
“I’ll do it,” I croaked, throat burning, voice raw, every muscle in my body still trembling from the ordeal I’d just gone through. I couldn’t do it again. I’d submit. I didn’t want to. I wanted to fight, but I couldn’t. There was nothing left in me to fight. If they kept torturing Myel like this, I’d soon wish for death. “Just… don’t hurt Myel.”
Yes, exactly. We’ll keep the shifter safe and sound and… mostly… unharmed. In return, Izzy turns herself in. And you’re right, she will be accused of treason and executed, but as a final kindness, we’ll give her a fighting chance. Izzy will fight Saldrea in the arena tomorrow morning. That’s the deal… take it or leave it.
Everyone gathered close, huddled around me. Vyns was behind me, supporting me. He’d been the one to turn me to my side so I wouldn’t choke on my vomit. You had to love a guy who was willing to help you at your worst, your most disgusting. Koar and Rook knelt in front of me. Safir and Zora were close by, they’d been helping search for Myel at the arena as well.
“Izzy?” Koar’s voice was as soft as I’d ever heard it. I must look quite pathetic — have truly scared him — for him to treat me so gently. “Are you sure about this?”
I nodded, tears returning. “Yes.” I didn’t want to admit I’d lost, but I had.
The big man looked up, presumably at Hana. I’d curled in on myself and didn’t really know where the sylph was, just that she was somewhere nearby.
“One condition,” Koar growled. “One of us stays with her, to ensure she isn’t mistreated.”
“Fine, whatever,” Hana said dismissively. It was one of the few times she’d spoken aloud… and I’d just figured out why. Saldrea’s plan hinged on her remaining spotless in the eyes of the public. She’d said she wouldn’t go after me personally, so she wouldn’t. Hana giving us the instructions telepathically meant no one else would have heard it. It would look like I was turning myself in and admitting I was a traitor.
Anyone with half a brain would probably be able tofigure out that the false princess was behind all of this, but there’d be no hard evidence.
I had to hand it to Saldrea; it was viciously cunning. She had me over a barrel and I’d do as she wished.
There was one thing I didn’t understand. I’d already bested Saldrea in a direct match of our magic. Why did she think she could beat me in the arena?
Then I recalled the suppression collar they’d put on Myel.
Fuck…
But I had no other choice. I’d do as these psychopaths wanted.
“I’ll accompany you to the campus authorities,” Hana said, now sounding bored.Try anything and I’ll send a command to Saldrea to continue her work with the shifter.Because, of course, she couldn’t say that out loud.
My guys helped me up, but I couldn’t even stand, I was worn out. Koar carried me as we followed Hana toward the administration buildings.
This was it.
This was how it ended for me. Before I’d ever had a chance to change things. I hadn’t even been in this world for two full weeks. That was how long it had taken the vile oppressors of this place to wear me down and get me to submit.
Who had I been kidding? I could never have won. I’d lost the moment I’d come to this world, and I was only realizing it now.
KOARTHANDRIS
Izzy trembled in my arms.I’d never seen her like this, so small and vulnerable. In a matter of scant minutes, she’d been reduced to a quivering shell of a woman. And it made my fury rise like a tidal wave… only I had no place to put that seething rage. Izzy wasn’t fighting this. She’d given up.
I wanted to fight for her, but what could I do? Barging into Saldrea’s dungeons would be a great way to get Myel killed, perhaps permanently this time. I knew exactly where Saldrea’s torture chamber was, below her residence, but I had to imagine those tunnels would be filled with guards, and that didn’t count the half-dozen who’d been stationed outside her house. With this fury burning through me, I could take them all on… but some tiny — still thinking — part of my brain told me fighting would take too long and alert those within. Meaning someone would kill Myel before I got to him.
But then, what was there to do?
