Page 113 of The Unbound Witch

Kirsi didn’t budge. “I’m staying with the wolf.”

Eden, Crow and Nym stepped through the door and into the mountain side cottage. When Bastian lifted an eyebrow to me, I simply moved to his side and took his hand. “Not on your life, King.”

Several seconds later, Tor’s strix form began to glow bright gold, lifting from the table on its own.

Kirsi pinched her face in disgust. “Someone cast that to show everyone else where he was.”

Torryn shifted into his human form, still glowing, still floating above the counter. Then back to the strix and back to the giant man again, his layers of clothing slashed as much as his body in bird form. My stomach turned as something snapped. And then something crunched. His fucking bones. Tor wailed and dropped from above as a man, slamming hard onto the counter.

“Fuck,” Atlas said, willing himself to breathe.

I buried myself in Bastian’s chest and he held me, though he trembled. Torryn was suffering, the moans coming from him were something from nightmares. I should’ve never opened that wall. Should have never suggested this form of torture. I couldn’t even think of what must have been going through the others’ minds as they watched his bones break, reform, and break again and again.

“How much longer?” Bastian asked, his voice cracking. “It’s hurting him, Raven. It’s hurting him.”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure he could hear it over the deafening snap of Torryn’s spine.

Atlas roared, hopping onto the counter and throwing his arm over the shifter’s broken body, apologizing through his sobs. Kirsi flew to the ceiling and floated back and forth as if she were pacing in her own way, those eyes never leaving Torryn. I stepped to the side so Bastian could join them, taking Torryn’s hand as he gripped Atlas.

I cast, doing what I could to help mend his bones or ease the pain. With power unbound, I was stronger than I once was. Maybe something would help. Though it was hard to tell beyond the screaming and the disgusting sound of a body literally breaking. Spell after spell wracked through him and we took turns trying to comfort him, and each other, as we waited.

Torryn began coughing violently.

“Turn him over,” Bastian demanded.

They rolled him on his side just as an immeasurable amount of water poured from his mouth. It flowed as the spell ran its course, until it turned to a thick, black tar. He coughed until his eyes opened, tears falling.

Atlas swiped his hair back. “You’re fine, Tor. It’s all okay now.”

“Alec?” His voice was little more than a croak, throat raw.

“No, buddy. It’s Atty. And Bash is here.”

“Right here, Tor,” Bastian said, kneeling to look into his face.

But Torryn couldn’t see them. Couldn’t see the shop or any of the chaos. His eyes were lost in another world, another time, an illusion that would cause him more emotional pain than the physical damage as he once again called his dead lover’s name.

“Alec, please. Don’t be mad.”

“Nobody’s mad, Tor,” the wolf said, laying his palm on his brother’s face. Because maybe they hadn’t really been brothers, but they’d earned that title.

Kirsi drifted down from the ceiling to rest her head on Atlas’ shoulder. “He isn’t here, Pup. He’s a million miles away. It’s another spell. I’d guess one that takes him back to one of his most painful memories.”

Atlas shook his head. “No. They wouldn’t do this to him. Not this one.”

“Please. I love you.” Torryn shook. “I’ll make it right. It was an accident.”

Atlas’ dark eyes met mine. “It was a training camp accident. Tor was assigned to Alec’s little brother. There was an accident and he died. Torryn never forgave himself.”

“Damnit.” Bastian fell all the way to his knees, leaning in until his nose was on Torryn. “I forgive you, Tor. Do you hear me? It’s Alec and I forgive you.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Torryn whispered, tears pooling on the counter as he lay on his side. “I tried to save him.”

“I know you did,” Bastian said slowly. “Everyone knows you did.”

Tor’s eyes fell closed, but sobs wracked his ruined body. Bastian cast over him, his shadows doing a full sweep as the shifter relaxed, taking several slow breaths. Another marking glowed on the king’s neck, and he too left this room, diving straight into Torryn’s mind. If not to bring him peace, then to make him severe promises of revenge.

But those seconds would be short lived as the shifter arched his back off the table, screaming as Bastian stumbled backward.