Page 52 of All Hallows Masque

His voice was ragged and strained, but humour flowed as he said, “Apologies, mademoiselle. Why were you singing that true masterpiece of a song?”

“I can’t stand the silence,” I admitted in a rasp. “I thought I was alone.”

“Never,” he promised fiercely. And then when I only sobbed, he launched into the rest of the chorus. “Never gonna run around and desert you.”

I laughed so hard it hurt, and I was crying too, but it felt good. It feltvitalto hear his voice, to know he was here with me. “Pain.”

“Yes, darling?”

“You’re a god-awful singer,” I said, hiccupping on a sob.

“Well, yeah, but it’s rude to point it out. You’re supposed to feed the delusion and tell me I have the most beautiful voice you’ve ever heard and I should go on Pop Idol.”

“Uh. What’s Pop Idol?”

“You’re joking…” He paused. “Right?”

“Never heard of it,” I croaked, wiping my face and relieved when my hands stopped shaking.

“I am deeply, mortally offended that you never—”

The deep groaning cry of the door cut through his words and we both fell deathly silent. I froze, only my breaths movingwithin the iron maiden until I heardhervoice, and then my hands began to shake violently.

“That should be enough to make you amenable to talking and knock some sense into you. Sorry, Pain,” Cruelty simpered with faux sympathy. “I know that was a poor choice of words.”

They were straight from the gravelly, abusive voice that had haunted us for hours, or days, or however long we’d been trapped in here. I couldn’t see him across the room, couldn’t hear him, but I could have sworn Ifelthim flinch.

“Shut your fucking mouth,” I snarled at the bitch who locked us up here, my jaguar rattling the bars of her cage. I couldn’t shift in such a cramped, claustrophobic space, but that didn’t stop my fingernails pricking with sharp pain as claws grew, my gums burning as my canines lengthened. That was new. “Say one more word to him and I’ll shred you to pieces.”

“Ooh, wearefeeling protective, aren’t we?” Clipped footsteps brought her forward, and then her flawless face was all I could see, not a pore or blemish on her. But, oh those eyes were full of ugliness, and her sneer was repulsive. Just like Nightmare, Cruelty covered a malignant soul with beauty. “I wonder, is that feeling mutual?”

“What—” I began, but the tremble in my hands moved into my body, and I went lightheaded as a closer, louder scrape of metal on metal came. And then the door to my coffin swung open.

I was weak and terrified of what she’d do with all that power I sensed throbbing under the surface, the dark magic she’d attacked me with, that I couldstillfeel bruising my back. Weak and terrified butready.The moment the door to the iron maiden swung wide enough, I shoved my shoulder into it, ramming the heavy iron into Cruelty. It rebounded off her head, but I was already lifting my hands to catch it, pushing it far enough for me to slip free.

Fuck. My feet slid on the floor, my legs wobbly and nowhere near strong enough to hold me for a fight. I backed up, keeping her in my line of sight, and ignoring Pain’s horrified gasp.

Cruelty wiped blood from her split lip with her thumb, a brutal smile hooking one side of her mouth higher than the other. With that wild look in her eye and blood on her face, she looked the embodiment of cruelty in its entirety.

This was a woman who would peel the skin from my bones and make sure I was alive for every second of torture. She’d find every weakness and exploit it without question. Right now my weakness was Pain, but she was focused on me and I had to keep it that way.

Like he’d decided the same, only in reverse, Pain blurted, “Amenable to talking aboutwhat?”

Cruelty’s smile deepened until she flashed me a sharp canine, assessing me as I assessed her. I had a split second to shift, and I knew I’d lose valuable moments changing forms, but I needed claws and teeth and killer instincts right now. I dropped to my knees and submerged myself in the deep pool of shifting magic, and wondered how I’d ever been so afraid of my jaguar when it was strength and power and ruthlessness. When it would keep me alive.

I hated Poppy for hurting Virgil, and resented her for what she’d done, but … I didn’t resent this form. Not any longer.

I shook out the aches in my body, flexing my paws to unsheathe my claws, and I struck—too late.

Dark, pulsing power arced through the dim room and drove into my shoulder with enough force to slam me into the wall. An animal cry of hurt ripped from me and made Pain gasp. Wait … would my pain give him power? Would he feel it as magic every time she hurt me? Could we use that?

“Poor dear,” Cruelty cooed, dripping with faux sympathy as she aimed a look at the horrific iron maiden that containedPain. God, those things were straight from a nightmare. Like a sarcophagus made of dark, cold metal. Far colder than any normal iron ought to be. Unease trickled down the back of my neck, making my fur stand on end. Had these been built to contain death gods? How long had she been planning this?

Were they meant for us, or for Death?

“And here I’d been thinking your time together might put you in a better mood. I promised you an hour together, didn’t I? I always keep my promises.”

I hauled myself back to my feet, choking back another whimpering cry when bright, shattering pain came from my shoulder, deep in the joint. Fuck, it was going to hurt to fight her. But like hell would I lay down and let her win. And I could endure it if it gave Pain strength.

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