Page 148 of To Catch A Rogue
There was another thrust over his shoulder, and he set that to the duke’s lips too. Malloryn’s right arm clutched at his shoulder, his fingers clenching in Charlie’s shirt like a child’s.
"We’ve got you," Charlie told him, again and again. "You’re safe now."
Malloryn finally broke away, pushing at the flask. "Where’s Ava?" he asked. "Have you freed her yet?"
"Where is she?"
"Cellar."
Charlie turned and looked at Kincaid and Lark. He couldn’t leave Malloryn, not like this. Though the duke had slaked some of his thirst, the blackness overwhelming his irises hadn’t faded. He was still dangerous.
"We’ve got her," Lark said, grabbing Kincaid’s hand. "Come on. There’s nothing we can do here. Let’s go rescue Ava."
The pair of them dashed away as Charlie leaned in and hauled Malloryn into his arms. Blood welled, and the duke thrashed weakly as Charlie dragged his mauled body off the iron spikes in the bottom of the machine.
He couldn’t let himself dwell on what it would have been like to be trapped in there for weeks. The duke was almost as tall as he was, and had been in prime fighting condition the last time he’d seen him, but starvation and blood loss had stripped any remaining softness from Malloryn’s bulk. His cheekbones were all sharp edges, his eyes black with rage.
"Set me down," Malloryn rasped, determined to be dignified despite the horrendous pain he must be in.
Charlie eased him onto his feet, and the duke leaned heavily upon him.
"’Ere," Blade said, swinging his coat off and draping it over Malloryn’s shoulders. He offered his own flask. "You’ll need more blood."
"The others?"
"At Balfour’s palace. They’re distracting him. We needed the time to get you out safely," Charlie replied. "How are you feeling?"
"You fucking traitors!" Jelena screamed as several of the Black Wolves lifted her by her arms and legs.
"Better," Malloryn spat, his black eyes locking upon her.
"Perhaps a taste of your own medicine, Jelena," Nikolai said coldly, holding the sarcophagus lid open. "Put her in."
Kicking and screaming, she writhed like a cut cat as they hauled her inside the Iron Maiden and strapped her down with the manacles that had recently trapped the duke.
The lid swung shut, Jelena alternating between begging for mercy and promising them all a gruesome death the second she got free.
Despite everything, bile rose in Charlie’s throat. It was one thing to offer a clean death, quite another to allow her to suffer in this monstrosity as she’d made others suffer.
He took a step forward, but Blade grabbed him by the shoulder.
"’E needs vengeance, lad," Blade murmured. "Let ’im be."
"Wait."
The hoarse word came from Malloryn’s throat.
Nikolai tilted his head. "You wish to do honors,da?"
Malloryn bared his bloodied teeth, and staggered toward the machine. He grabbed the crank. "I’d like nothing better."
And then he hauled it all the way down.
Chapter 28
They questioned Obsidian for hours as Sergey's body was taken to his room to be cleansed and washed for his last rites.
This was the dangerous part, for he was trapped by a pair of angry courtiers determined to get to the bottom of Sergey's death, with only Lord Barrons to speak for him.
