Knight of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor Read Free Book Online

we’re keeping him for the time being.”
    That didn’t make sense to her. If they wantedsomeone to join their ranks, wouldn’t they be kind to him? “You’re torturing him?”
    Narishka gave her a look that asked, what do you think?
    Merewyn cringed as she caught a whiff of the stench of blood, fear, sweat, and decaying remains. She pressed the back of her hand to her nose to keep from choking on it as she tried to understand the woman who seemed immune to the nastiness of this place.
    The fey Adoni continued down the stairs and into the bowels of the dungeon without any visible signs of being disturbed by the men and women who begged her for mercy as she passed their rooms.
    Merewyn only wished she was equally as cold. But the truth was each and every cry went down her spine like a lash. If she could, she’d free them all.
    This is your fate if you fail…
    And that cemented her determination. Just like them, no one would ever come to her aid. No one would care. She’d be left here alone to die. Painfully. Cruelly. There was no compassion in this world. People would only help others if they could profit by the aid, and she had nothing to offer anyone.
    It was why she had to escape this place.
    Trying her best to ignore the others, she focused on Narishka. “I thought you wanted Varian on your side.”
    “We do, and I know my son well enough to know that he won’t be bribed.”
    So they thought torture would work? Were they mad?
    Foolish question that. She’d lived here long enough to know that they didn’t think of kindness. Ever. It was all but alien to them.
    Narishka finally paused beside an old oak door that was held by thick black iron hinges. She manifested a tray of food and water, then handed it to Merewyn. “Just feed him and leave. That’s all you have to do,” she whispered.
    Narishka pulled open the door.
    Merewyn took one step inside, then froze in place. The horror of what she saw made her stomach turn. Varian was slumped over as two chains on opposite walls held him on his feet with his arms spread wide. He couldn’t even kneel to rest himself, not without the chains pulling at his arms and hurting him more.
    His long, black hair fell forward, obscuring the handsome face she’d seen in the abbey. His black armor was dented and twisted, but what disturbed her most was the blood that was pooled at his feet. As she watched, more blood dripped at sickening intervals from his downcast head to the floor below.
    What had they done to him? He was a far cry from the proud, powerful man she’d met in the tavern. He seemed more human now. Vulnerable. Yet for all the pain, she could feel his angerreaching out to her. He wanted blood for what they’d done to him. It was a sentiment she fully understood.
    And all thoughts of herself fled as she slowly approached him.
    Varian heard the soft rustle of a woman’s gait. Assuming it was his mother come to ask him again to convert, he didn’t bother looking up. Honestly, he hurt too much to breathe, never mind move. Besides, the last thing he wanted was to see his mother’s face again. At least not unless it was while he was choking the life out of her treacherous body.
    He wanted to lie down so badly that he could taste it, but the chains kept him from it. Every breath, every heartbeat made his crushed armor bite into his flesh. In spite of the bracelet, he’d discovered that he had enough magick to remove the armor, but that would have been stupid beyond stupid.
    Not to mention it would get him killed. Unfortunately, though, not until after they’d stepped up the torture to a mind-blowing level.
    He felt a gentle hand on his head an instant before it brushed the hair back from his face. It was so tender that for a moment it actually weakened him. It was the kind of caress he’d ached for all his life.
    But no one ever touched him like that.
    Prepared to spit the blood in his mouth at hismother or Morgen, he lifted his head to confront whoever dared