Summary: Everyone's a captive of the Demon Wolves except for Beth, who is still in the wolves' caverns in a very vulnerable form. And Jusea's guard is ordered to torture her. Life just keeps looking better and better.
Disclaimer: Same drill. HP is Rowling's, this story is ours.
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Chapter 18
Torture Time
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"But he is so nice, and I know he doesn't like me that way, but I so wish he did. It'd be so nice, but he probably has some girl back home, but it would be great. And, oh, oh, he knows how to play Quidditch. He's his team's captain and the Keeper, and he's so fast and strong and handsom—I mean, he's really, really nice. So, um, you. Do you have a girlfriend, Stormclaw? Or a wife? Something?"
The pale grey wolf lifted his head from his paws and looked at Jusea out of heavy-lidded eyes. He shook his head, blinking, and he stretched out on his side. "Yes."
She sat up from her place against the wall. "Really? What's her name?"
"Aidan."
"That's a pretty name. What's she like?"
Stormclaw sighed. "She's...beautiful. She has the most gorgeous brindle coat, and she can change her eyes between blue and green. And her limbs are straight and clean, and her ruff is so thick." He rolled onto his stomach, looking straight at Jusea. "And she's a great torturer. She knows just the right pressure points to make a person scream." He smiled, his gaze going past Jusea into space.
"Wow, she sounds just wonderful. I wonder if there's any chance I can meet her."
"I could bring her down. Well, no, I can't."
"Why not?"
Stormclaw gave her The Look again, eyebrows perked in an expression of disbelief. "I have to stay and keep you from escaping."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot. It's too bad you can't just tell her some way. Or I could go with you, and then I couldn't escape."
Stormclaw's blue eyes widened. "You're serious."
"Of course, I am. I really want to meet her."
"Well, I could—" Stormclaw leapt to his feet, ruff bristling, his lips drawn back from his teeth, his eyes fixed on the floor.
"What's wrong?"
Stormclaw sighed and laid back down, his eyes following a sliver of shadow running over the floor. "I hate snakes."
The green snake slithered up to Jusea and touched her robes with its nose.
"Unfortunately, our queen likes them too much. If we hurt them, we're in trouble." He sat up. "Is it bothering you?"
The snake looked up at Jusea. "I-I-I don't think so. I think he's saying hi to me," she said. The snake's yellow eyes narrowed. "Um, I...I don't think he's happy." The snake flopped on the floor with what looked like a sigh. "Hm, maybe, maybe he's a she." The snake raised its head from the floor and looked at her again. "I think that's it. He's a—I mean, she's a she."
"Whatever." Stormclaw considered the snake. "If it's a problem, I can dispose of it for you."
The snake slithered onto Jusea's robes. "Ah, she's coming at me!"
Stormclaw sprang towards the snake. She looked back. The yellow eyes widened, and she shot off around Jusea. The girl froze as Stormclaw dove between her and the wall, and the snake came into view on the other side. She vanished again, and Stormclaw raced around. The second time, the snake paused long enough to look up at Jusea and shake her head before continuing.
Jusea swallowed. 'Did the snake just shake its head? Or am I a little too stressed out right now? Wait a second. Rob always told me they could morph. Did Beth?'
The snake slithered into view again. Jusea held out her hand, and the snake shot up her sleeve.
Stormclaw circled a few more times before stopping and examining the cave. "Where is it?"
"Um." Jusea could feel the snake's smooth scales pulsing against her arm. She shrugged. "Good question? I, maybe it left."
Stormclaw grumbled and padded to the entrance, and he looked out into the dimly-lit corridor. "So much for that. I hate those buggers." He sat down.
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—Can you make these babbling idiots shut up?— the queen snapped.
The king looked at her coldly. —I like these babbling idiots. They make me laugh. I don't want to kill them yet.—
The queen sighed, rolling her eyes. Her husband could be such a puppy at times. She looked at the prisoners again. The two gangly ones were talking rapidly, responding to and picking up each other's sentences with what seemed like practiced ease. The darker boy still sat where he'd been placed, his arms crossed, glowering at the king and herself. The girl—
The queen barked. "Where's the dark girl?"
The two boys froze as the wolves leapt to their feet, muttering. They searched the cavern; only negatives came back. A growl rose in her chest. She suppressed it, considering the prisoners. They stood in a group now, looking from each other to the king and queen. She resisted a smile.
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Stormclaw straightened, ears pricked.
"What is it?" Jusea asked.
He looked away. "My queen commands that I torture you. She wants to hear your screams."
"I...I don't...know if I can."
Stormclaw turned to her. "It seems to be fairly easy for most prisoners."
"I-I know, but it's...I don't know. Well, I've never been really—well, I have. But the way you would, I don't know, people don't do that usually. And I don't really scream any more, because my brothers used to torment me all the time—well, they still do. But I don't scream anymore because that's what they were trying to make me do, so—"
"Point taken," Stormclaw snapped. He sighed. "Couldn't you at least try?"
"I could. I don't want you to get in trouble. That would be just horrible."
"If only we could get you out of here—" Stormclaw snapped his mouth shut.
Jusea hesitated. "Could we?" she asked meekly.
Stormclaw snorted. "They'd search you out, and they would find you."
"And you'd get into trouble, too, and I'm not about to do that, so—"
The snake rubbed against Jusea's arm. She shivered. "What's wrong?" Stormclaw asked.
The snake nudged Jusea roughly. "Do you have an idea?" Jusea asked quietly. Stormclaw shook his head. In the sleeve, the snake rubbed against her arm. She wasn't sure, but it felt like a nod. "Um, Stormclaw, will you promise not to hurt that snake?"
"I'd like to kill it, but I told you, our queen commands otherwise. Unless it's being trouble. Why? Do you know where it is?"
"Please, Stormclaw? She-she's my friend."
"I don't like them." Stormclaw sighed. "But why not? Sure, I won't kill this one, at least not while you're alive."
"You promise?"
"Yes." Stormclaw winced. "My queen is getting impatient."
"Okay, just a sec."
The snake slid out onto the stone floor, and it demorphed into Beth. Stormclaw jumped up. "You didn't tell me it was a human," he barked.
"Please, Stormclaw, she's my friend. I didn't want her to die."
Stormclaw glared at Beth. She turned to Jusea. "Scream. Loudly."
"Uh, okay?" Jusea breathed deeply and screamed.
"Good, keep that up," Beth half-shouted, just enough that Jusea could hear her. "Ah have an idea for getting ye out of here without them suspecting."