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“That you will,” I growl, grabbing his hand and lifting it. I place it in the vice-grip before twisting the lever. His screams echoed off the stone walls as I crush his hand slowly. Listening to each bone break. And this would be just the beginning. No one wants to be down in the dungeons with me. You know you fucked up if I bring you here because once down here, you never leave. Or if they do, it’s in pieces.

Chapter

Forty-Six

AZALEA

Dustin stands beside me, holding my hand as my eyes flutter open. Relief floods me when I see the canopy over my bed, along with Dustin’s face peering down at me, and not Tanner’s.

“Finally!” Dustin exhales and his eyes glaze over as he mindlinks someone.

“Tyson? Tandi?” I blurt out.

“Downstairs. Everyone is in the ballroom. This storm is horrendous,” Abbie says, and I feel the bed dip beside me. Abbie sweeps my hair back from my face. Tyson is on her lap, his head resting against her shoulder, fast asleep.

“Why the ballroom?” I croak, sitting up. Instantly, pain rattles through my skull, and vertigo washes over me as I try to remember anything besides seeing Tandi chucked down the trapdoor.

‘Love?’I hear Kyson’s voice flit through my head, making me clutch it.

‘Sorry, I will be up soon. You have a bad concussion,’he tells me, and I nod before remembering he can’t see me.

Dustin taps my shoulder, and I look up. He holds a bottle of water out to me before passing me some pills.

“Painkillers,” he says, and I nod. He drops them into my palm, and I pop them into my mouth and he helps me tip the bottle to my lips, so I can swallow them.

‘Where are you?’I mindlink Kyson, trying to ignore how the mindlink feels like someone is drilling a hole in my head. I grit my teeth through it, and Dustin moves off the bed and wanders to my closet.

‘I’ll be there soon. But we found out some answers from Tanner,’he tells me.

‘You’re with Tanner? Where?’

‘It doesn’t matter where. I don’t want you down here. I am sending Liam back up there to sit with you. He is swapping places with Gannon for a bit, he is now on his way to me,’Kyson says when Liam interrupts the link.

‘I will be up soon, my Queen. Just need to shower quickly,’Liam tells me before he cuts the link.

‘I’ll see you soon,’Kyson assures me before he too cuts the link abruptly, and I don’t even want to know what he is doing to Tanner.

“Once you’re up to it, I will send for something to eat. You should try to eat.”

“Shouldn’t we be heading to the ballroom?” I ask.

“No, the storm is almost over. We just put those living in the east and south wings down there. The roof started leaking, and the place got flooded. And a tree fell through the servant’s quarters wall. We are unscathed here so far.”

“Yeah, it is blowing over. Though now I know you’re awake and okay, I might go down and help Clarice and check on Tandi, if you don’t mind?” Abbie tells me.

“No, of course! You didn’t have to wait with me,” I tell her, and she raises an eyebrow at me as if that were the stupidestthing I have ever said. I roll my eyes, causing me to wince at the motion, and she laughs softly. Abbie leans over and presses her lips to my head.

“More than my life,” I whisper.

“Always more,” she replies before cradling Tyson and wandering toward the door. Dustin asks Clarice to have one of the cooks bring up a snack, despite telling him I am fine and just thirsty. Only ten or fifteen minutes later, Liam walks in, freshly showered. His hair is still damp as he strolls into the room.

He pecks Dustin on the cheek, who is watching me like he is waiting for me to drop to the ground, as I pull Kyson’s robe on that Dustin got from the closet.

“Kyson said you got some information from Tanner?” Liam bites his bottom lip, and I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to answer.

“He was supplying the hunters and Vivienne with wolfsbane. We also found out the connection to the council and Ester,” Liam tells me. I sit back on the bed, and Dustin cracks his neck and yawns while tiredly stretching his arms above his head.

“What’s the connection?” I yawn before glaring at Dustin. His yawning is contagious. I just woke up, no way I should be tired. He smirks and shakes his head.