Page 76 of Nyte

“He’s a human. You’re a vampyre. If you were forced to choose a side, which would you choose?”

“I used to be a human…” The little boy’s voice was so meek, so small. Cy’s heart ached to hear it, to see his face stretched in pain.

“But you’re not anymore. Lord Garrison gave you a new life. A better life. You should be thankful for that.”

Fury formed in Cy’s heart. Yes, Wren had a new life. A life in which he’d never grow up, never develop into the man he might have become. He’d become an adult, stuck forever in the body of a child. What madness would develop?

“It’s okay, Wren,” Cy said, though it hurt his throat to speak. “Don’t be afraid.”

As if hastened and emboldened by Cy’s words, Wren stuttered, “I would choose...my new life. I would choose the vampyres.”

“That’s a good boy.” Thorne placed a hand on his head, ruffling his soft gold curls. “But I’m sure you’ve noticed that even though your special new life gives you strengths and abilities you didn’t have before, you can still feel pain. You can still hurt, can’t you?”

“Hunger hurts, my Lord,” Wren admitted.

“Yes, hunger pangs are dreadful. You must be hurting right now, mustn’t you?”

“Only a little, my Lord.”

“Mmm, I wonder. If I had my man run a blade through your eye, would that hurt? What do you think, little Wren?”

Horror washed over Wren’s face. “My Lord?”

“You wouldn’t die. Not like that. You’re a vampyre now. Shall we try?” Thorne waved a hand, and Merick strode from his place beside Cy, heading toward the trembling child.

“No, please!” Wren gasped, pulling away and covering his face with his hands. “Please!”

“Or what about your fingers? We could cut them off one by one or flay them of all their skin. What unsightly little appendages they’d be! Come now. Give Lord Merick your hand.”

Merick had Wren by the back of the neck, shoving him to his knees with a fist tangled in his soft curls. Tears streamed down his cheeks. “Please! Please! Stop!”

“What did Cypress tell you about the Veritas? Did he tell you who his vampyre allies were? Tell us, and we’ll let you go. Give you something to eat. Did he disclose any information to you? What did he tell you?”

“Stop it!” Cy growled but was ignored. “He doesn’t know anything!”

“I’m not afraid to kill him, slayer! Kill him for good this time! You know as well as I how susceptible vampyres can be.” Thorne’s eyes were on Wren, but his voice called out to Cy, daring him. “I’ll do it! But first, I’ll make sure he hurts. I’ll unleash every agony on him right before your eyes.”

Wren cried out, his face contorted in agony as Merick grappled with him, pressing the tip of his knife under the boy’s nailbed. “Stop, please!” he screamed. “I don’t want to die! Cypress, please!” He looked to Cy as he had in the pets’ quarters, when he’d just been a little human boy looking for a friend, looking for some comfort.

Cy’s heart couldn’t take losing him again. Not when he’d finally seen him again, alive and sweet-faced and innocent. Even with those crimson eyes, this was still Wren. Little Wren who he’d taught to read and juggle. As blood began to pool around the fresh cut and Wren began to squirm, Cy’s heart made the decision for him. He couldn’t stop himself.

“Dahlia De Rais!”

All movement stopped as Thorne and Merick stared at him. “What did you say?”

A lone tear fell from Cy’s eye as he repeated himself, hating every word. “Dahlia De Rais. She came to my rooms. She told me she’s a part of the Veritas.”

“Hold him,” Thorne said to Merick, nodding his head at Wren. He stepped closer to Cy then, his eyes narrowed. “What else?”

Cy could give up the vampyre even though he abhorred doing it, but he wouldn’t give up his human allies. Perhaps Thorne would be satisfied enough to have found the traitor in his midst and would leave the rest of the Veritas alone. Either way, it had to be enough. Cy would give no more.

“She gave me her blood, told me she was on my side. That’s it. She’s sided with the Veritas, and she wanted me to know.”

“What are her plans?” Thorne whispered silkily, leaning ever nearer. “Surely she had purpose in visiting you. What does the Veritas plan to do?”

“She wanted me to help her stage a revolt, unite the humans of New Avalon for an attack.”

Thorne’s eyes glittered at the admission. “An attack? How perfectly marvelous.”

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