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But Niyx hesitated.

His delayed reaction lasted only a fraction of a second; enough that Alex, who knew he wasn’t Claimed, saw it, but no one else noticed, not even Aven.

Move, you idiot!Alex screamed at him, and he jolted forward in shocked response to her yelled demand.You have to do what he said or we’re both dead!

Niyx’s blazing amethyst eyes locked on hers as he walked slowly towards her.No way. I won’t hurt you.

Youhaveto, she told him.The only chance I have of getting out of here is through you, but you have to be alive to do that—and you won’t be if Aven discovers the truth. He and his guards will take you down, then we’ll both be screwed!

Aeylia—

Think, Niyx!Alex interrupted firmly, holding his eyes with her own serious ones.You know you have to do this. For both our sakes. And everyone else’s.

His throat bobbing as he swallowed, Niyx drew out a long Myrox dagger, his hand giving a single wobble before he managed to steady it. Seeing the blade, Alex’s heart pounded furiously in her chest, enough for her to hope she would pass out before having to experience what was about to come next.

He wants you to bleed, Niyx said in an emotionless voice as he geared himself up to do what they both knew he must.But I can’t go for your arms or neck or anywhere else where he’ll be able to see me bleed as well.

Alex looked at the leathery vest and pants Niyx wore as he continued to slowly approach, knowing both would help hide the wounds he shared with her, as opposed to his thinly covered arms.

That means this is going to hurt, he warned.A lot.

Stomach clenching and her pulse now raging in her ears, Alex whispered,Just do it.

I’m so sorry, kitten, Niyx whispered back, his remorseful gaze locked on hers.

… And then he plunged his dagger into her side.

A scream of agony tore from Alex’s mouth and her vision blurred, but not before she saw Niyx wince from his own pain as well as at the horror of what he’d just done.

Bolts of lightning speared all along Alex’s torso as her nerves screamed along with her vocal chords, her arms all but ripping out of their sockets as she strained to get free from her bindings and curl protectively around herself. When she finally exhausted her fight and slumped against her chains, panting and blinded with pain, Aven spoke.

“Such a beautiful sound,” he said, moving forward to run a finger under her head and tilt her chin up. “I wish to hear it again. Niyx?”

The pain of the first wound blurred into that of the second, third, fourth and fifth as Aven ordered Niyx over and over to stab Alex like one would a pincushion. Her screams echoed around the cell until her throat was raw and her voice a hoarse, nearly silent whimper. Tears streamed down her face, soaking her clothes, along with blood from where she’d bitten through her own lip from the pain. Her jaw felt broken from her attempts to grit her teeth through the agony. She was weak from blood loss and exhaustion, her ankles and wrists rubbed raw from fighting the Moxyreel—something she realised partway through her torture that she would have to try and stop doing to keep Aven from seeing Niyx’s corresponding wounds.

Just when Alex was certain she wouldn’t be able to survive any more, Aven said, “Enough.”

Niyx’s feet, all that Alex could see with her head hanging listlessly, moved away with a slight stumble—the only indication of his own pain.

“Niyx is masterful in the art of torture,” Aven said, his voice a murmured slur to Alex’s ringing ears and muddled mind. “He will have avoided all your major organs, so your injuries, while hopefully excruciating, will not prematurely kill you.” He seemed pleased by this; by the inordinate amount of suffering she was experiencing. “I’ll have someone tend to you in a few hours before you expire from blood loss so we can have another round tomorrow, starting afresh. It can be our way to celebrate the victory I shall achieve in the morning.”

Alex wasn’t sure if he said more after that. She wasn’t sure of anything other than her pain that was swiftly turning to numbness. Numbness was good. Numbness meant no more agony, no more suffering. Numbness meant no fear of what Aven planned on doing in the morning; no fear of him celebrating by torturing her again later that day… and the next… and the next.

Slumped upright against her chains in the darkened cell, Alex’s last thought before she passed out was that maybe Aven was right. If this was only the beginning of what she would suffer, then killing her just might be a mercy after all.

Thirty-One

“Wake up! You have to wake up!”

Someone was opening Alex’s mouth and then she was choking as a sweet liquid rushed down her throat.

“Swallow, Aeylia. Please, try to swallow it all.”

Hacking and spluttering, Alex had little choice but to do as she was ordered, her consciousness coming back slowly but enough to realise Niyx was slatheringlaendranectar over her wounds with one hand while holding a flask of the juice to her lips and pouring it slowly into her mouth.

The damage to her body was extreme, but like Aven had said, Niyx hadn’t hit anything important, and thelaendrabegan to take effect much more swiftly than it would have for a fatal wound—something Alex knew from experience.

“That’s it, kitten,” Niyx said as he finished smearing the flower directly on her stab marks and encouraged her to drain the remainder of the flask. “You’ll feel better in a minute.”