Across The Divide by Stacey Marie Brown Read Free Book Online Page B

like an endless tunnel of doom, where at any moment a trap door would open and plummet us to the dungeon below. Every square tile was either safe or a snare. And Sprig’s mouth was the trigger.
     

     
    Rapava deposited me back in my room. At the sound of the lock on my door clicking, barring me in, I ran to the table by my cot, setting the cage down.
    My fingers fumbled at the latch, my eyes studying the room for any hidden surveillance.
    “Oh god, Sprig. I’m so sorry,” I whispered as I lifted the cover off the crate. He sat in the corner, his fingers wrapped around his tail, stroking the end, soothing himself.
    I would have taken a thousand needles to the heart than see the hurt and pain etched on his face.
    “Sprig, I had to say those things. I didn’t mean any of it,” I whispered hoarsely.
    He stayed silent.
    “Please, talk to me,” I pleaded. “Tell me you’re not talking to me. I don’t care. Something.”
    “ Obviously , I’m not talking to you,” he huffed. “Thought by not talking it was evident.”
    I let out a relieved chuckle. “I’ve been worried about you.” He shifted, peering over his shoulder at me. “I hate that you’re here, but damn it’s good to see you. I’ve missed you like crazy.”
    “Like how crazy?”
    I grinned. “Like honey-dipped-in-sugar-rolled-in-honey-and-fried-in-honey kind of crazy.”
    Sprig’s eyes widened, fully turning to me. “Fried honey?” He licked his lips. “Sounds crazy good.”
    I nodded. “I missed you that much.”
    A smile lighted his eyes. “I missed you too, Bhean .”
    I felt the impulse from both of us to reach out for each other. I wanted nothing more than to hug the little bugger. “We need to be careful, Sprig. Delaney told me the cameras don’t work in the rooms, but we need to be careful. I need to keep you protected. Rapava can’t know the truth of our friendship, okay? If he does, he will separate us. I can’t handle it. Not again.”
    Sprig nodded. He still clung to his tail like a security blanket.
    “Are you okay? They haven’t hurt you, have they?” I asked. A cold fury roared through me at the thought of someone hurting him. I clenched my teeth.
    “They took Pam from me.” His expression filled with sorrow.
    “Buddy, I’m sorry.” Pam was a tiny stuffed goat I had bought Daniel as a funny birthday present, teasing him about his Capricorn sign. Sprig found it when we were investigating Daniel’s apartment and claimed the goat as his own. It became his companion and security. Pam, the goat, had been through a lot with us. It reminded me how I felt seeing my boots again. It was an anchor, a connection and comfort.
    “If they’ve done anything to her,” he huffed, “I swear I will go apeshit.” His eyebrow lifted up and down.
    I snickered. “Good to see you haven’t lost your bad puns.”
    “Bad as in badass, right?”
    “Right.”
    “So, do you know where the Viking is?” Sprig asked.
    “No.” I shook my head. “But most likely Vadik has him.” My lids squeezed shut with images of Ryker being tortured and beaten. Like Rapava, Vadik had no limit as to what he would do to get what he wanted.
    Vadik wanted the stone. For some reason though, I felt it was more than that. He seemed to want Ryker almost as much.
    “After I passed out, did you see or hear anything else?”
    Sprig wobbled his head back and forth. “No. They knocked me out right after you. Woke up here.”
    “Yeah,” I sighed.
    I didn’t doubt they had been treating him like a walking pincushion as well. We both seemed to be the foundation for all experiments here.
    “Lots of needles and no honey. It’s inhumane.”
    “The lack of honey, not the needles?” I winked.
    “Well, yeah, of course.” He stomped his foot. “It’s cruel. I’d like to file a complaint.”
    “Yeah. Me too,” I snorted. “Let me know how it goes for you.”
    “We need to do something, Bhean . I can’t live in these conditions. They don’t even let me