Page 90 of Jagged Souls

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“Put your hands on the floor,” Antonio says, his tone flat, like he’s giving instructions over a fucking intercom.

As Eduardo heals him, Rudy spreads his arms out on the floor. Compliant because he knows there’s no way we can fight our way free. Even if he shifts into his shadows, he can’t get out of the ward. If he tries to break it, as I suspect he’s already tried, Antonio will kill the next girl, hacking her into pieces until he stops.

“Rudy,” I rasp, my heart racing, knowing the pain he’s about to suffer.

There is only one way to contain a witch.

Most use metal gloves or a witch’s chain to bind them.

But these fuckingassholesare going to cut off his hands.

They’re not going to just take his magic; they’re going to take his ability to talk.

His chance of reasoning with them. Of soothing their bursts of anger as they torture us.

Then they’re going to kill me over and over again to destroy any soul dolls Khalid tries to make of me, and I don’t want him blaming himself.

I’m an assassin.

A Black.

A Shadow.

I am strong enough to take it.

I will not be the reason Rudy breaks in this place.

“Rudy,” I say again, clearing my throat and squatting down inside the cage.

He looks at me, his face pale.

Reaching out, I touch his arm. “It’s okay,” I say as I look into his tear-stained eyes, letting him see I mean it. “You did the right thing.”

He shakes his head, so much guilt in his eyes.Varius would’ve held out. He would’ve listened to that their cries because he’d sacrifice everyone to save me.

But Rudy…

Sweet, beautiful Rudy can’t bear to see anything suffer.

Eduardo picks up his machete and walks over to us. The ward’s about to come down. Then they’ll separate us, torture us. I squeeze Rudy’s arm as tears clog my throat.

“It wasn’t your fault. Okay? They are the only ones to blame.”

He swallows hard as he gives the briefest nods, but he doesn’t look like he believes me.“I tried to kill myself…”My throat tightening at the idea of him losing himself in here, I squeeze his arm again.

The shimmer in the air disappears. The electrical buzz on our skin, so faint it’s only felt in its absence, vanishes as the ward comes down.

“Don’t give up in here, Rudy. You stay alive. We’re both getting –” I swallow down a string of profanity as Eduardo hacks off Rudy’s fingers, leaving only the thumb on his left hand. I try to tell myself this is a good thing, that they’re doing this because they want him alive and able to take care of himself, but the twisting knot in my stomach just grows.

Tightens.

Becomes a fucking tumor as Eduardo raises the machete again.

He lets it linger in the air this time.

Drawing out the anticipation.

The torturous wait.