Page 120 of Shifter King

"Your mother wanted her to break her mind. If she didn't, then she was going to have her killed and her body dumped in the river."

"But she said—"

"I'm sorry, are you saying that your mother doesn't lie?" WroOth feigned shock, then glared at him. "Let's assume she did. Why weren't you there for her?"

Gabrice dropped onto the bed, thrusting his hands back in his hair as he stared at the woven rugs. "My mother sent Choe away with two travelers. I was—I was trying to get her back. But I couldn't find her. I couldn't find her anywhere! And when I came back, Eskiatlo was gone. My mother told me what happened."

"And you believed her?" Ludicrous.

"She was gone. Everyone saw it. They saw her drop Eskiatlo into the river."

"And an eagle ripped into her back, yes?" WroOth rolled his eyes, scoffing. "It's good that your people chose to follow bloodlines rather than merit when it comes to choosing their leaders. Eskiatlo lives. You can thank Amelia for that. And for the fact that your daughter lives too. Choe. Little girl about so big with a rather memorable birthmark right here."

"Choe? You've seen my daughter." Gabrice stared at him in shot, his eyes still bloodshot. "She's all right?"

"She's fine. She's with her mother. Also thanks to Amelia, you dim-witted wine sack."

He bolted up. "I have to see them again. I have to see Eskiatlo. I have to explain. I can!"

WroOth swatted him with the fan once more. "First things first. You will do exactly as I tell you. Second, that only guarantees I will plead your case to my brother after Amelia is rescued and that I will tell Eskiatlo of what you have done. Then she will decide if you are worth her time. Otherwise, you will be satisfied with the knowledge that she is alive and well as is your daughter. If you want to prove you are worthy of them both, you're going to listen now."

Gabrice nodded, his eyes for once bright and eager. "Of course. What do you need me to do?"

RELENTLESS

Naatos ripped against the bindings. The chains and ropes cracked and snapped, groaned and screeched. There was no comfort. No calm. No peace.

She'd struggled and screamed, fought to breathe and to even use words. Then she vanished again. Again and again.

His head spun. The heat engulfed him, brimming, bursting, boiling.

Where was she?

Sound pounded dully in his ears, his own blood drowning out almost everything but his pulse.

He swung the chain around. It clattered against the wall. The timepiece lay in pieces on the floor near one of the chairs, bent and battered. Why were they still in here?

He lurched forward, twisting his fingers into claws and then gouging at the wall. Why had he been chained down? He had to find Amelia.

There was no trace of her left. Someone had taken her. They had taken her. Creatures. Monsters. They'd taken her. Taken her and tortured her. They'd burned her mind and broken her bones.

His veskaro. The one person he was supposed to protect above all others.

And he'd failed.

Again and again and again.

He drove his head back. Something hard struck it.

The rage blossomed even stronger. Turning, he lashed out at it. Darkness crushed in on him again. The cold tang of metal and bile coated his tongue.

Roaring, he flung himself against the metal. He had to get out. Had to get to her.

* * *

The dinwithin the back room had become almost unbearable so AaQar and QueQoa slept and ate in the rock shelter above the entrance despite the rain that poured down after midnight. Somewhere after the tenth hour, Naatos had gotten free of most of the ropes. A couple of the chains and their fasteners gave him trouble. They wouldn't last much longer.

At least that was AaQar's best guess. He hadn't seen the room since he slipped in halfway through the night to remove the torch so that there wasn't as much chance of his brother setting something on fire. Like himself.