Page 46 of The Darkest Knight

“Just walking around, don’t want to go to sleep.”

Gwen smiled at her warmly. “Tammie go lie down. When Padriag and Liam appear, I will come and wake you. Tristan and I got plenty of rest, we’ll remain awake.”

It was true, she was exhausted. Tammie climbed to the second floor, deciding that once she found Niall, she’d sleep for a couple hours.

From the hallway, she peeked into one of the spare bedrooms. Hearing noises, she darted into the next room and found Niall on the bed. He was asleep, his head tossed from side to side. He seemed to be dreaming. She touched his shoulder. “Niall? Are you all right?”

He jerked, but did not wake. When he mumbled incoherently, she became alarmed and shook him. “Niall wake up.”

Again he jerked, but did not wake. Tammie touched his forehead, it was hot, feverish. At her touch he turned his face into her hand. She stroked his face in an attempt to sooth him.

Was he in Devina’s realm? Tammie lowered to sit on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, attempting to seek answers.

One minute he’d been in the library, the next he’d found himself in a bedroom. He’d fought against whatever force drove him there, but it was strong. When he’d been flung on the bed and held down. He continued to fight. But finally, the fatigue and lack of sleep was too much of an invincible foe and he succumbed.

Now, as expected, he was back in Devina’s dungeon. The vile woman standing in front of him holding a dagger she’d heated over the fire.

Chained to the wall he could only wait to see what creative methods of torture she’d use this time.

“I won’t heal your wounds this time, Niall,” Devina told him, holding the dagger against his stomach. He clenched his teeth at the pain. The smell of his own burning flesh made his stomach turn. Devina stepped back. “Did that hurt lover?”

As usual, he refused to speak to her. What did it matter? Many years, no matter what he did or said, because he refused to give himself to her, he’d still been tortured. She got pleasure from seeing him beaten.

“You knew that if you fucked that bitch, you’d pay. Yet you did it anyway,” Devina told him, her voice laced with venom. “I’m going to make you wish you were dead. Then I’m going to kill her.”

He’d die before allowing Devina to hurt Tamara. Rage surged, and he fought not to react. She’d enjoy it too much.

Devina continued. “First she will see you as deformed as I leave you, and she will be repelled by you. How will you deal with that?”

She went to a table and picked up a long steel rod. “I’m not sure what to do with this.” A guard stepped up and whispered to her. Devina laughed at whatever he said and studied the rod. “Broken knees are not that exciting.”

A whip got her attention; she held it up and smiled. “I do love the sound of a lashing.”

She raised the whip and swung, welts formed across his chest as the leather throngs tore into his flesh. He winced but did not cry out. Soon the pain would grow so large he’d become feverish, incoherent and not feel at all. He glared at Devina who swung again, this time she aimed for his face.

Suddenly the whip flew out of Devina’s hand.

Tamara stood in the room.

Surely this was an illusion.

Devina stumbled backward, surprised to see her there. “How are you here?” She grabbed a dagger from the table and flung it at Tamara. It bounced off an invisible protective shield.

Tamara lifted her hand and threw a fireball at Devina, sending the woman flying against a wall. The two guards present rushed toward Tamara but could not get close to her as a wall of blue fire came up from the floor blocking their path.

His chains fell off his wrists and ankles. Niall fell forward but caught himself before collapsing onto the ground.

Come.

He heard Tamara’s call and moved toward her, hesitating at the firewall.

“No!” Devina screamed tossing a knife in the air toward him, he dodged it and jumped through the fire.

Tamara grabbed his hand. “Now wake up.”

Niall jerked awake. He sprang up to see Tamara watching him from a chair next to the bed.

She didn’t say anything, but her eyes locked onto his chest.