Between Gates (The Gate Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 23: Torment

Nari was strapped into the upright, metal frame, her head hanging, but the rest of her held taut by her restrictions. Her wrists ached with the tension on them, and the only relief she got was from the small platforms in the frame that let her stand on something to relieve the tension.

Amory’s face hovered in front of her. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I know my brother sent you… What do you know about his troops, their movements, and their positions? How are they holding up against the attacks of my creatures?”

Nari clamped her mouth shut, teeth clenched. She shook her head. She wouldn’t tell him anything.

He smiled. “Have it your way… Just remember, we could’ve done this the easy way…” He taunted, gesturing for the warden to bring him the knife.

Nari’s eyes lit on it; she felt her throat tighten, and she closed her eyes.

Amory dug the knife into her arm first, and she wasn’t prepared for the searing pain of the red-hot knife to slice into her skin.

Her back arched, and she struggled to breath, a scream tearing from her throat. Tears came to her eyes.

The coals from the fire where the knives were heated cast a red glow on Amory’s pale face, making him seem some sort of devil to her eyes. She looked down at her arm.

Blood streamed down it, soaking her side as it dripped from the cut on her forearm, dropping onto the floor and splattering over Amory’s shoes. “Tell me what you know, and this can stop right now!” He hissed.

She shook her head again, closing her eyes and suppressing her whimper so that she wouldn’t show him her weakness. But she couldn’t stop the tears leaking down her cheeks.

He stared at her for a moment then turned away, pulling a small, heated rod from the coals. 

Nari knew it signified. She had always liked medieval history, and even today this rod, this method of torment was known. He was going to brand her a traitor. 

She tried to focus her thoughts on all the good things in her life, but that only made the torture inflicted upon her worse. In slow, terrible sureness, her heart died piece by piece.

Amory looked at her, a sadistic smile spreading over his face. She gazed into his eyes, her tears no longer concealed, her whimpers no longer hidden as the pain became too much to bear.

“He deserted you, you know…” He whispered. “Your lover wasn’t so faithful after all.”

Nari turned her face away from him. “He was never my lover…” She whispered.

“Oh no? Your friend then… The only one you had here, and he betrayed you.” Amory spat, pressing the heated rod into her skin and smiling as her scream soared into the tiny room.

"You're running out of chances..." He whispered in her ear, casting the rod back into the coals and grabbing the reheated blade again.

A sob rose from deep within her. She let it come, her body heaving. She was exhausted, too tired to fight anymore. Chenn’s betrayal had been the last string to snap. She was broken.

But not so broken that she would give them anything. She let go as the knife sliced into her stomach in a shallow cut and then slid down her thigh, cutting deeper, the hot iron searing her skin. Amory left her face alone, but the scars on the rest of her body from this would be permanent.

Doesn’t matter. I’m going to die here. And I’ll take everything I do know about Andrew’s position to myself. She steeled herself as another scream ripped out of her.