It was hard saying goodbye to Elbar, as there was no celebration, hardly any time for hugs, and Scarlen wondered if they’d ever meet again. She hoped so, just not in prison.
They stood at the door of Green Block Two and wished each other well as Dionne slipped one of Temple’s food bars into Elbar’s hand.
‘For when you miss us.’ Dionne chuckled, then sniffed back her emotions.
Elbar tapped the Rings binding her magick. ‘These I won’t miss.’
They all shared a warm smile before Elbar was led away, each person in the block wishing it were them.
In some strange way, it was a good morning, and the atmosphere in Green Block Two had lifted as they were ushered to the shower chamber to get ready for their day.
Passing the pillory yard on the way to breakfast swiped them of the little joy they had, as Mr Jontson was pacing by the platform, his black cropped hair in need of a wash, his grey eyes deathly.
Gazes met the ground to avoid any confrontation, as the inmates knew his bad moods were taken out on them.
Jontson was obviously having a bad day, his firm snarl showing all not to eyeball him, not that it mattered. Without warning, he jabbed his lightning rod into the nearest inmate, causing the others to stop walking as the lad fell to his hands and knees, stunned briefly before Kane started to hurry everyone towards the opened side door towards the canteen.
Scarlen lowered her gaze as she passed the poor prisoner still on the ground, hoping she wasn’t next, knowing everyone would be thinking the same.
Jontson wasn’t finished with his bad mood. He grabbed Wynter by her jaw, forcing her to meet his glare. ‘What did you say about me, girl?’
Wynter tried to shake her head, but his grip was tight. ‘Nothing, sir.’
Too late. He let go and pressed his baton to her waist, and Wynter dropped at once, first held by the power, then the tremble of the after-effects, then he jabbed her again, and urine leaked into her bottoms, adding shame to her shock.
Scarlen went to leave the line to ask permission to take Wynter away, but Bear run out from the corridor, where Amber were heading to breakfast, and pounced on the guard, slamming him to the ground, each loaded punch taking Jontson closer towards death until Binnow stopped Bear with her lightning rod, not once but twice, as the first seemed to pass right through him without acknowledgement.
‘Pillory,’ Binnow yelled, and Kane and Lackly quickly dragged Bear to the platform, securing him in place as fast as possible, the worry of him beating on them obvious in their eyes.
Binnow’s face was somewhat distorted as she rammed her baton into Bear’s back. The inmates watching from outside and in the corridor froze as the lightning seized him completelybefore he dropped in the pillory, saliva slipping down his chin. Then she did it again, and again, and again. Her wicked gaze was on the other prisoners. ‘You think you can do what you like here?’
No one replied. All attention was on Bear.
Binnow’s baton was running low, but still she used it on Bear as she gauged the reactions. The fear in the air feeding her. ‘You are nothing,’ she told them all. ‘And most of you will die here.’ As if to prove her point, she struck more lightning into Bear, who was semi-conscious, hanging by the pillory alone, eyes closed, mouth gaping, breath as shaky as his weakened limbs.
Scarlen’s breath was taken with his, and her heart nowhere to be found, and with little thought for herself, she ran forward, landing on her knees, hands begging, head dipped but eyes on Binnow. ‘Please. Please stop. You’re killing him.’
One side of Binnow’s mouth curved upwards, and she lightly touched Bear’s back with her baton. ‘What, like this?’
He juddered, hissing, before his body fell limp once more.
Kane cleared his throat. A feeble attempt for the torture to end, but his power in the yard was as weak as Bear’s, but before Binnow could question his interruption, Scarlen got up and threw her arms around Bear, clutching him with all her might.
Some gasps came from the inmates, even Kane, but Scarlen could only concentrate on holding Bear.Don’t die. Please don’t die.
‘Move,’ he growled, barely.
They both knew the next blast of lightning would go through her as well if she was touching him, but she couldn’t let him go. She just couldn’t.
‘Are we done here?’ came the harsh voice of Mr Lackly. His way of ending the punishment.
Binnow almost smiled. ‘Yes. Mr Kane was about to take Vyer and Smithson to the wheel.’
Kane immediately released Bear from the pillory, needing Lackly’s help, as the deadweight of Bear was too much for one man to carry.
Scarlen noticed Raven had arrived and scooped up Wynter, carrying her towards Green Block Two with Miss Harnish, and the other lad who was on the floor had also been taken away, by who, she wasn’t sure, but Dionne’s eyes were wide with worry, staring only at her, a plea in them not to cause any more trouble.
Scarlen followed as Bear was draped between the two male guards, his legs dragging all the way to the wheel, where Kane tried to prop him. Scarlen placed in front.
