Bastard was fed up with being fed false information. The girl knew too much to not be in contact with the false queen. Bastard was determined to break her. She would tell him her secrets.
And the best part?
He had permission.
The Tortallan delegates were nearing the end of their stay. If they stayed longer, like the wanted to, they would have to come up with a good reason for that.
Dove was ready to agree to anything, she had been kept up to date with the improvements the Tortallans had made in the search effort. She wanted them to keep looking.
Taybur was not so enthusiastic. He saw the good they were doing, but was reluctant to make up a farce to keep them here. Doing that would take time and resources away from the search and defense of the kingdom. Not to mention, both monarchs would have to pretend to be angry at each other and if anyone found out about their secret communications? Disastrous.
Knowing their time was running out, the Lioness put her efforts into leaving plans and ideas that Fesgao and Nawat could work off of. Daine gave standing orders to all of the animals in her range: look for Aly, tell Nawat if you find her, then go on about your life after you take him to her. George also left ideas and simple plans for Aly's pack to employ.
A scream rang through the underground chamber that housed the much sought after Aly Crow.
It was Aly's scream. She was the only prisoner there. Bastard was employing every trick of torture that he knew of. He took no breaks, and went on torturing Aly's body until she could no longer understand the words Bastard was saying.
Trick huddled in his hiding place, wincing every time he heard something hit Aly's flesh, every time he heard her scream.
He heard the mage that got Aly's message out scream, "You bastard! What are you doing? Are you trying to kill her? STOP!"
Trick looked out from his hiding place and watched as Aly sagged in the chains holding her up. He watched as the nice mage grabbed hold of Bastard's arm so he couldn't hit her any more.
Bastard coolly looked his brother over. He abrupt dropped his weapon as he told him, "You have until I get back."
The nice mage rushed to Aly's side and started healing the worst of contusions and gashes.
Aly's breathing was ragged. It felt like she had to physically pull the damp, moldy air into her lungs. She knew she was being healed, but she didn't really care.
Was he finally going to kill her? Was he finally going to rape her? No, she would kill him before that happened. No one had a right to touch her that way, no one but Nawat.
The door to the cell creaked open again. Bastard entered flanked by three mages. Three powerful mages. David looked up, but continued healing Aly.
"Brother, you dumb shit, you get one warning: step away from the twit, or be forcibly moved."
David gave no sign that he heard.
Bastard signaled to the third mage and he stepped forward and put David in a bubble and magicked him out of the cell and down the hall. David screamed and cussed him out in every language he could speak.
After that, the torture began. The two remained mages took turns doing every pain inducing spell and truth spell they knew under the watchful eye of Bastard.
Trick, still in his hiding spot, shook with anger.
Aly continued to scream.
Two and a half weeks after the Tortallan delegation arrived, they had to leave. If they stayed any longer suspicions would have been raised. And with the Copper Isles still in a bit of a rebellion, which could be a very bad thing.
Taybur, Dove, Fesgao and Ysul came to the dock to see the delegation off. None of them could pull Nawat from his work. He was more determined than ever to find his mate.
Soon, with information provided by Aly's pack, Fesgao and Nawat were going to lead an attack into one of the rebelling cities.
It was the black hole city.
Trick was angry. He couldn't sit and let Bastard and the mages beat up Aly. He left Aly during a torture session and explored.
He should have done it sooner; it was just so hard to Aly alone like that.
Trick found some stairs not far down the hallway. Trick climbed them. The stairs opened up into an office. Trick saw that the door was office for the breeze, and went over to look out.
Trick looked around for a landmark and found the name of the street.
A piercing scream lit the air.
Every darking in the palace began to shake. Every person that had one stopped to ask what was wrong.
Winnamine, Dove and Taybur, in Dove's private chambers, pulled out their darkings to ask what was wrong.
Aly's pack pooled over them, asking questions as they popped into their heads.
Chenaol put her darking on the countertop in front of her, and ignored the kitchen maids' curious stares.
Nawat and Fesgao looked at their darkings in confusion.
The one darking that had gone with the Tortallans to keep them updated was the subject of intense scrutiny by every member of Aly's family.
Ysul stared intently at his darking as other mages began to ask questions about it.
Together the darkings said, "Bastard hurt Aly. Bring in bad mages. Send nice mage away. Aly screams. Aly under post office. Linden Way."
Immediately, the Tortallans pulled out maps of the Copper Isles as Numair opened a visual speaking spell.
Nawat and Fesgao nearly squished their darkings twice in their haste to get a map.
Chenaol started marching toward the meeting room, with her darking shivering on her shoulder.
Dove and Winnamine headed to the meeting room.
Taybur went to fetch Yoyox and Vitorcine from the pack's meeting room, where they were pouring over a map.
Ysul gently picked up the shaking darking and used his Gift to move anyone who dare get in his way, out of the way.
Dove and Winnamine were the last people to make it to the meeting room. The speaking spell was open, and everyone pored over the map.
Dove flung open the door and everyone looked up.
She looked at them all in turn as she demanded quietly, "Where is my spymaster?"