New World Order (War of the Fae: Book 4) Read Free Page B

  And put your stuff next to his pillow.   So spill it.   Give us the goods or you’re outta here.”
    “You’d do that?   Make me sleep next to gnome-head?”
    Tim was disgusted by Scrum’s belief that hair shouldn’t be washed with shampoo – or anything else for that matter.  
    “Yes.   Whatever it takes.   So give it up.   Who’s torturing who and where?”
    Tim grumbled some more but then he started speaking.   “It was in a hallway far from here.   I followed Dardennes there one day.   I don’t know who it was he was torturing.”
    “What?!” I said, shocked.
    “What’d he say?” asked Finn.  
    “Who was it?” asked Spike.   “Niles?   I’ll bet it was Niles.   He’s little, but he always looks like he wants to hit someone.   And he’s got that axe ... ”
    “No.   Tim said it was Dardennes who went into the room.”
    “No way.   I don’t believe it,” said Tony, firmly.   “He wouldn’t.   Tim, tell Jayne exactly what you saw and heard.   I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding somewhere.”
    “I saw and heard what I just said.   I flew down the hallway and followed Dardennes to a room where someone was being held. After the door shut, I heard screaming from inside.   It sounded like torture to me.   And I saw him go in there, so I don’t know who else it could have been doing the torture.”
    I repeated his story to the others, then added, “I know when I was kidnapped by the Dark Fae, though, they had three people in the room at one point, and only one of them was actually doing the torturing.”
    “Yeah, but one of them was ordering it,” said Tim.
    “Tim’s right.   Only one was bringing the pain – but the others were telling him to do it.   No one was innocent in that room.”
    “Well,” said Tony, matter of factly, “the only way we’re going to get to the bottom of this is to go see for ourselves.   Who’s going?”
    “Right now?” asked Spike.   “It’s pretty late, don’t you think?   We already missed dinner.”
    “I’m not going to be able to sleep if I don’t find out what’s going on in that room,” I said, standing next to my bed.   “Scrum?   Could you please lead the way?”   I held out my hand for his elbow.
    “Jayne, I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”
    “I know you don’t.   You never do, party pooper.   Let’s go.”
    Never one to fight me too hard on anything, Scrum shuffled over and took my hand, putting it on his arm.   “I’ll go.   But it’s under protest.”
    “Fine,” I said, brushing his caution aside, “Who else is with me?”
    I heard Tony’s voice off to my right.   “Get Tim, Spike.   We’re all going.   Just in case.”
    I smiled.   My friends were sticking with me, even though I’d pretty much shown I wasn’t exactly worthy of undying, unquestioning support.   Please don’t let me screw this one up .   I didn’t know how much longer they’d stick around if I didn’t start getting some things right – all the way right, not just partially, half-assed right.
    We made our way down the hallway, walking a long distance that involved a lot of tripping on my part before we reached the door that Tim identified as the likely candidate.   The torture chamber.  
    “What do we do now?” whispered Spike.
    “I don’t know.   I hadn’t thought this far,” I whispered back.
    “And you wonder why you’re not on the war strategy team,” snickered Tim.
    I reached up quietly to flick him in the butt, but he moved out of range, grabbing onto my ponytail and hanging from it.   I gritted my teeth to keep my retort from flying out.   This was no time for games.   There could a bleeding, angry Dark Fae behind this door.
    “Give me some space, guys.   I’m going to open it,” said Tony in his trying-to-be-brave voice.
    Scrum stepped back, taking me with him.   I heard something clank loudly and then maybe feet, dragging across a stone floor with grit on it.   The next