He built me to admire that.
“Let’s begin with something easy,” I say. “Why Daniel?
He chuckles. “Why not Daniel? He already took the Ashthorne heir and tamed her once. She knew her place. On her knees and under him.”
My fist snaps forward, cracking against his jaw. His head whips to the side as the restraints hold him in place. His smile remains, just bloodier.
“You’re predictable,” he says, eyes glittering. “All that rage, so tightly leashed. Forher.”
I press the knife to the inside of his thigh, a place with very important arteries and very little room to be wrong.
Gideon chuckles.
“You have some nerve, boy.”
“She’s mine,” I snarl, “And you laid your hands on her.”
He laughs, a wild laugh. “That’s what this is about? Possession?”
The laugh ends when I twist his wrist. Tendons strain. Bones grind. Pain flashes in his eyes, but the bastard still smiles.
“There are so many ways to hurt one without ever breaking skin.” Gideon nods.
I lean in close, my voice low and dangerous. “You can give me what I want while you still have functioning use of all your limbs. Or we can explore every nerve ending you own.”
He spits blood at my boots. “Do your worst.”
I smile back, it’s a baring of teeth. “I intend to.” I take his little finger between my thumb and pointer finger.
“Where’s Daniel?” I ask like I’m asking about the weather.
He locks his jaw. His silence is expected. So, I break the first bone; he gives me nothing but a grunt.
“One down, nine more to go.” I shrug.
We continue this dance. I ask the same question as he endures every finger breaking. There’s a sheen layer of sweat on his forehead, but he doesn’t make much noise.
I take the blindfold in my hands.
“You taught me the body can endure anything, as long as the mind remains intact.” I slip the blindfold over his eyes. “Let’s see how that works.”
I pull it tight, making sure it’s snug, no gaps, no light.
I pick up a fillet knife, freshly sharpened. I drag the tip of the blade along his skin, no pressure, just letting the anticipation build. That’s the mistake most people make. They rush. Try to inflict as much pain as possible so they can get their answers.
But the wait…it does things to the human brain. It activates the fear centers and pain pathways, increasing the unpleasantness. Sometimes it even triggers the body’s own pain-modulating systems, amplifying the actual experience, sometimes even creating pain when there is none.
I take a step back. There’s a fine tremble going through his body as the fear center in his brain imagines the worst. As strong as his mental walls may be, pain is a strong force.
“You can’t scare me.” There’s a fine tremble in his voice.
“I’m not trying to scare you,” I say. “I’m preparing you.” I mimic his own words that he said to me.
He smirks. “I know every move you’ll make then.”
I chuckle. “That’s where you’re mistaken.”
Without warning, I slash the knife into his arm, shredding a thin slice.
