No. 4: Cattle Prod | Shock | "You in there?"

Another agonized scream tore from Nikolai's throat as more voltage was shot through his body. The metal of the chains binding him in demon form conducted the current and sizzled across his exposed skin, charring already blackened flesh raw. When the electric prod was removed, he collapsed on the cold ground of the empty warehouse, shuddering violently with relentless muscle spasms.

"Make the usurper squeal," someone egged his torturer on.

Nikolai had a vague memory of some distant relatives of the Lantsov line kidnapping him. Even though he'd abdicated the throne before his true parentage could come out, his cousins apparently resented him handing it over to the new Dragon Queen. And while she was impossible to get to, Nikolai no longer was.

He'd unleashed the demon to draw on its strength to escape, but his captors had been prepared for the monster—had apparently hoped for it. The chains were Grisha steel and the electrified prod had been the first thing out to use against the demon. And the shock of its intensity had stunned them both senseless, to the point where Nikolai couldn't retract the demon. The monster wasn't in full control—neither of them were, really. They'd both been physically and mentally paralyzed from the repeated electrocutions.

The prod jabbed him in the side again, and his back arched under the force of lightning shooting up his spine. A horrible gurgling sound got stuck in his throat.

"Accursed beast," someone spat. "Tainted just like your bastard heritage."

The lightning erupted through his bones again, this time held there for an excruciatingly long time, until Nikolai thought his heart and other organs would literally explode.

A loud bang reverberated across the room, and Nikolai thought something inside him had, in fact, ruptured. But then the current was removed and there were shouts and clamors. It was all muffled, though, and Nikolai couldn't see past the stars exploding across his vision. He thought he heard screams that didn't come from him but he couldn't be sure.

"Nikolai!"

He peered up through watery eyes at a blurred visage crouching down beside him.

The voice cursed in Shu, and another figure abruptly appeared and reached for the chains.

Nikolai couldn't help but whimper and flinch away, though he had nowhere to go. But the hands that loomed in his field of vision didn't bring pain, but instead he felt the weight of the chains break away and slide off. Some of the links pulled away charred skin with them. He shuddered, the urge to flee almost overriding his mind.

"Nikolai?" Zoya's voice called warily. "Are you in there?"

He forced himself to remain still as he sought her face. Her eyes were wide and worried, and he latched onto her image with the last vestiges of his humanity.

"Nikolai?" she tried again.

He opened his mouth, but the raw pain in his throat from screaming made him grimace. He settled for reaching a clawed hand toward hers and pulling it forward to settle on his chest over his heart. She relaxed marginally.

"Can you change back?"

He furrowed his brow as he tried, but everything felt both on fire and numb. A myriad of painful tingles were still zinging across his skin.

"It's okay," Tolya eventually interjected. "How about standing?"

Nikolai pressed a hand to the ground and tried to push himself up, but his arm muscles buckled and he collapsed back onto the floor.

"Okay, hold on," Tolya said and began to move his hands over Nikolai's traumatized body. Gradually, the Heartrender was able to soothe some of the nerves, though not all of them. Micro spasms kept jerking Nikolai's limbs.

"Should we send for a carriage?" Tamar asked.

Zoya's mouth was pressed into a thin line. "Yes. And Genya."

Tamar jumped up and hurried away.

Nikolai remained on the floor, twitching uncontrollably. Tolya settled a large, comforting hand on his shoulder as they all simply waited. Nikolai couldn't tell how much time passed, though it felt terribly long, ringed in the residual agony of the electric prod and the mortification of being laid low like this.

But at long last sounds announced Tamar's return. Genya followed her into the warehouse, her expression fraught as she took in Nikolai's condition.

"He hasn't stopped shaking," Zoya told her. "And it doesn't look like he can change back yet."

Genya, bless her brave heart, knelt down close to the demon and moved her hands over him, her powers much more fine tuned to healing. Bit by bit, Nikolai felt his muscles finally releasing their cramped state.

"Are these burns?" she asked after several moments.

"Damn it, I should have realized," Zoya berated herself.

Nikolai fumbled weakly for her hand again, only able to offer a small squeeze of assurance that she bore no blame.

She squeezed back. "We'll have you home soon."

Genya's mouth pursed. "I can't heal the burns while he's like this."

"Can you try changing back?" Zoya coaxed.

Nikolai squeezed his eyes shut and focused with all his might, but still nothing happened. He sagged in frustration and exhaustion.

"It's all right," Tolya was quick to cajole. "You'll be all right."

Tamar had brought a large blanket back as well, which she draped over Nikolai. Then she and her brother hauled him to his feet and out to the waiting carriage. Genya and Zoya climbed in with him, and it was like the nights when his friends had had to hunt down the escaped demon and drag it back to the Grand Palace. Save that this time the chains were left behind.

He tried to change back during the ride, tried to find his voice. But both eluded him. Fortunately, they had the passages they'd used during his reign, and Zoya went through another entrance to draw attention away from him, the twins, and Genya.

They got him back to his rooms where he collapsed onto his bed, grimacing as his talons scratched at the fine sheets.

"Nothing yet?" Tamar asked.

Nikolai shook his head regretfully, and he was beginning to worry.

"It's just shock," Genya said, somehow reading his expression or maybe just guessing at his thoughts. "When your system recovers, you'll be back to normal. In the meantime, I'll tend those burns the slow way."

She went to the sink and filled a bowl with water, then came back with some clean towels. But as she settled the items on the nightstand, she hesitated.

"Are you…" she grimaced. "In control?"

He nodded. He wished he could verbally reassure her. It must be unnerving being around the demon like this.

Genya drew her shoulders back and soaked one of the towels, then turned to begin debriding the charred flesh on his torso.

Nikolai sucked in a sharp breath and stiffened, and she went still. He tried to tell her to go ahead, but the sounds came out garbled, so he waved a clawed hand instead, hoping she understood.

She proceeded with her ministrations, and Nikolai was just as distracted by the demon thrashing inside his mind as he was by the pain.

"Try numbing it," she told the twins.

Zoya let herself in and hurried to his side, reaching out to cup his face. He turned pained eyes up at her, knowing there was a part of her that still recoiled at the demon. But he appreciated her touch, especially in this moment of vulnerability.

"The people responsible will be dealt with harshly," she vowed.

He winced, unsure whether he wanted his relatives to suffer her wrath. On the other hand, going after her declared consort was just as much an act of war on the queen as it was a personal vendetta against him. One the queen couldn't just let go.

As time ticked by and Nikolai's tense body began to acclimate to the soft bed, the rest of him began to settle as well. His muscles continued twitching, but less so, and Tamar and Tolya frequently used their power to check and adjust his heart rate. At long last, Nikolai felt the power of the demon finally recede as he changed back into himself.

He rolled onto his back now that the wings weren't inhibiting him, feeling utterly wrecked and drained.

"You're okay," Zoya soothed, carding her fingers through his hair.

Now that he was human again, Genya set the towels and water aside and summoned up her healing on his burns. It wasn't much longer before the last remnants of pain had dissipated, leaving him merely exhausted.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely, voice still raw from the screams but able to form words at least.

Zoya leaned down to kiss his forehead.

Genya quietly packed up the soiled items. "I'll make up some special tea for your throat."

"We'll make sure no one disturbs you," Tamar added, she and Tolya following the Tailor out.

"I don't want to keep you from important matters," Nikolai rasped.

"Nothing's more important right now," Zoya replied. "And maybe I need some time for raw nerves to settle before I set fire to certain people without a trial."

He reached for her hand, savoring the contact with a hand that didn't bear talons. "I appreciate it."

They fell silent, and Nikolai drifted off to sleep in the arms of his love.