behave.” Cold fear shot through Darmik. These Emperion soldiers weren’t going to interrogate them; instead, they were going to be tortured. Darmik would survive—after all, he’d been through it before and knew what to expect. But Ellie and Vesha? He forced his face to remain expressionless. Gaverek was probably already testing him.
“ Sir,” a guard said. “The prisoner is strapped to the table.” The warden and injured guards stood behind him. The warden pushed the guard out of the way and came at Darmik, swinging his fist. Darmik ducked.
“ Enough,” Gaverek ordered. He pointed to the men Darmik had managed to overpower. “You all are demoted for your incompetence.” Turning to Darmik, he said, “Come with me.”
They walked down the hallway in silence. Once they were out of sight from everyone, Gaverek abruptly stopped. “Why are you here?” he demanded.
“ I’m not at liberty to discuss that with you.”
“ You’re not going before the emperor until I know.”
Darmik stared at his former instruct or. Was he testing him? “Have you forgotten that I outrank you? You are out of line.”
Gaverek leaned forward. “No one knows you’re here. I can make you disappear.”
“ An entire platoon of soldiers knows I’m here,” Darmik said. “And I sincerely doubt you want to be the reason our kingdoms go to war. If you injure me, I will personally see you destroyed.”
His former instruct or turned and headed down the hallway. Two soldiers stood on either side of Savenek’s door. Gaverek said, “Restrain Darmik. I want him guarded by the both of you.”
“ Sir, do you want him in a cell?” one soldier asked.
“ No,” Gaverek responded. “I want him with me. He’s going to watch his companions be interrogated.” He smiled. “You’re easy to read and predictable,” he sneered.
****
Darmik stood in a cell, his arms bound in front of him. Vesha lay strapped to the table. He’d already witnessed Savenek and Audek’s interrogations. While they hadn’t been fun to watch, Darmik had been privy to many such events in the past. He knew how to emotionally shield himself from what was happening.
Vesha was different.
He hadn’t seen a female interrogated since his time in Emperion. Although Vesha was a trained soldier and knew how to fight, she knew nothing of what she was about to face. Darmik hoped she was strong enough.
“ Let’s begin,” Gaverek said.
Darmik look ed at the situation objectively—once this was over, Neco and Ellie were the only two remaining. Then Darmik could see his uncle and hopefully save Rema.
Two soldiers released the levers, flipping the top of the table upside down. Much to Vesha’s credit, she didn’t scream. Still strapped to the table, she lay parallel three feet off the ground. A bucket was slid under her. A soldier released a different lever, tipping the table forward. Vesha’s head was submerged in the bucket filled with ice-cold water.
The trick was to remain calm. Darmik found it most effective to hold his breath, and then slowly release the air out in gradual intervals. If he panicked, breathing in water was quite painful.
Vesha balled her hands into fists, her legs twitching. She wasn ’t going to last much longer, and it had only been ten seconds. Emperion soldiers were trained to dunk a person’s head under water in thirty-second increments. Her entire body jerked. She tried lifting her head, but was unable to move since she was strapped to the table.
The table was straightened, raising her head out of the bucket, but her stomach was still parallel to the floor. Vesha’s hair dripped water onto the ground. She turned and looked at Darmik, horror showing in her eyes. She vomited, most of it splashing into the bucket.
Gaverek knelt beside her. “Tell me why you’re here,” he demanded.
Heaving in deep breaths, Vesha responded, “I…I’m accompanying Prince Darmik.”
He was thankful they ’d rehearsed these answers. He
“ Sir,” a guard said. “The prisoner is strapped to the table.” The warden and injured guards stood behind him. The warden pushed the guard out of the way and came at Darmik, swinging his fist. Darmik ducked.
“ Enough,” Gaverek ordered. He pointed to the men Darmik had managed to overpower. “You all are demoted for your incompetence.” Turning to Darmik, he said, “Come with me.”
They walked down the hallway in silence. Once they were out of sight from everyone, Gaverek abruptly stopped. “Why are you here?” he demanded.
“ I’m not at liberty to discuss that with you.”
“ You’re not going before the emperor until I know.”
Darmik stared at his former instruct or. Was he testing him? “Have you forgotten that I outrank you? You are out of line.”
Gaverek leaned forward. “No one knows you’re here. I can make you disappear.”
“ An entire platoon of soldiers knows I’m here,” Darmik said. “And I sincerely doubt you want to be the reason our kingdoms go to war. If you injure me, I will personally see you destroyed.”
His former instruct or turned and headed down the hallway. Two soldiers stood on either side of Savenek’s door. Gaverek said, “Restrain Darmik. I want him guarded by the both of you.”
“ Sir, do you want him in a cell?” one soldier asked.
“ No,” Gaverek responded. “I want him with me. He’s going to watch his companions be interrogated.” He smiled. “You’re easy to read and predictable,” he sneered.
****
Darmik stood in a cell, his arms bound in front of him. Vesha lay strapped to the table. He’d already witnessed Savenek and Audek’s interrogations. While they hadn’t been fun to watch, Darmik had been privy to many such events in the past. He knew how to emotionally shield himself from what was happening.
Vesha was different.
He hadn’t seen a female interrogated since his time in Emperion. Although Vesha was a trained soldier and knew how to fight, she knew nothing of what she was about to face. Darmik hoped she was strong enough.
“ Let’s begin,” Gaverek said.
Darmik look ed at the situation objectively—once this was over, Neco and Ellie were the only two remaining. Then Darmik could see his uncle and hopefully save Rema.
Two soldiers released the levers, flipping the top of the table upside down. Much to Vesha’s credit, she didn’t scream. Still strapped to the table, she lay parallel three feet off the ground. A bucket was slid under her. A soldier released a different lever, tipping the table forward. Vesha’s head was submerged in the bucket filled with ice-cold water.
The trick was to remain calm. Darmik found it most effective to hold his breath, and then slowly release the air out in gradual intervals. If he panicked, breathing in water was quite painful.
Vesha balled her hands into fists, her legs twitching. She wasn ’t going to last much longer, and it had only been ten seconds. Emperion soldiers were trained to dunk a person’s head under water in thirty-second increments. Her entire body jerked. She tried lifting her head, but was unable to move since she was strapped to the table.
The table was straightened, raising her head out of the bucket, but her stomach was still parallel to the floor. Vesha’s hair dripped water onto the ground. She turned and looked at Darmik, horror showing in her eyes. She vomited, most of it splashing into the bucket.
Gaverek knelt beside her. “Tell me why you’re here,” he demanded.
Heaving in deep breaths, Vesha responded, “I…I’m accompanying Prince Darmik.”
He was thankful they ’d rehearsed these answers. He
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