“Where are you, brother?” She waved her hand over her scrying mirror so that they could speak.
She gasped at the sight of her immaculate Masakage, filthy and bleeding. “What happened?”
There was a locked, metal gag around his mouth that kept him from speaking. He jerked his head to the left.
On the wall next to him, he’d used her native alphabet to write the location in his own blood.
Clever boy. Even so, it infuriated her that he’d been put in this position.
How dare they!
“On my way. Hold tight.”
And with that, she sealed the door to her shop and gathered a quick travel pack as fast as she could.
Masakage needed her, and she would never disappoint him or Xaydin. They were the only family she had, and she was loyal to both of them.
No one would tear down her brothers!
“Hit him again. Harder!”
Both Ronan and Rob turned to stare at her with horrified expressions.
That only made Gisela angrier. “Oh, for the gods’ sakes.” She grabbed a stick from the floor of the stable where they’d secured Garyn in his human form so that they could torture him.
When she went to hit him, Ronan caught the stick and gave her a stunned scowl. “Princess Bloodlust, he’s had enough. Anymore and we’ll kill him.”
“Fine with me.” She held her hand out. “Let me have my stick.”
Scratching at the tip of his nose, Ronan turned back toward Garyn and refused to give her the stick. “If I were you, I think I’d answer everything she wants to know. Not sure how long we can hold her back. She’s pretty spry.”
“And terribly pissed off,” Rob added. “She scares even me.”
Ronan nodded in agreement.
Garyn tried again to fight against the ropes that held him. They’d both learned that trolls were better at knot tying than Marauders, and that said a lot, given that all Marauders were sailors and pirates.
“I’ve told you everything.”
“Where’s Masakage?” Gisela growled.
“If I tell you, you’ll kill me.”
She shoved at him. “If you don’t tell me, I can guarantee that outcome. The only hope you have is if you help us find him.”
“Then you better summon anaþaswereand make a contract because that’s the only way I’ll trust any of you.”
She reached up and pressed her thumbnail into the corner of his eye socket. “Did you know that you can pop your eye out? It’s quite painful and you can still see with only one eye.” She pressed harder.
He screamed. “Stop her!”
Ronan crossed his arms over his chest. “Honestly, I’d rather she gouge out your eye than one of ours. ’Cause no offense, that looks really painful.” He turned his back to them. “I can’t watch. I saw a soldier lose an eye in battle. It’s disgusting.”
Rob nodded. “Been made to poke out a few. You never quite forget that pop.” He shivered in obvious revulsion.
Gisela pursed her lips. “Really? I find it rather satisfying. Not the feel so much as the sound. It’s rather like uncorking a bottle.”
Garyn screamed even more.
