War (The True Reign Series) (13 page)

Darmik

The ring of guards surrounding Darmik and Savenek parted
as a robust soldier bedecked with medals glided forward.

“
Darmik,” the man said, “we meet again.”

Darmik pushed the hunched
-over Savenek, still clutching his stomach, to the ground, wanting him to remain quiet. Standing tall, Darmik faced his old mentor—the one who had ordered his beatings numerous times, trying to tear him down.

“
Gaverek, good to see you.” Darmik used every ounce of energy he had to remain composed. No one could know how much he hated and feared his old instructor.

Gaverek stood there
, assessing the situation. “Still causing trouble, I see.”

Savenek moved to stand
, but Darmik put his foot on his back, pushing him to the floor.

“
I’m trying to understand the lack of respect I’m receiving. I am a prince and commander, here to see my uncle. Locking me in the dungeon is not a very wise move on your part. I suggest you inform Emperor Hamen that I’m here with vital information.”

Gaverek chuckled
. “Of course the emperor knows you’re here. While he is interested in the information you claim to have, he is also concerned by your unannounced visit.” Gaverek pointed to Savenek. “Get him back into his cell,” he ordered his men. “Release the guards that are in there.”

Two soldiers grabbed Savenek
, dragging him down the corridor. Darmik kept his focus on Gaverek, trying not to show any interest or concern for his friend.

Gaverek came closer.
“I can’t take you to the emperor until I know you’ll behave.” Cold fear shot through Darmik. These Emperion soldiers weren’t going to interrogate them; instead, they were going to be tortured. Darmik would survive—after all, he’d been through it before and knew what to expect. But Ellie and Vesha? He forced his face to remain expressionless. Gaverek was probably already testing him.

“
Sir,” a guard said. “The prisoner is strapped to the table.” The warden and injured guards stood behind him. The warden pushed the guard out of the way and came at Darmik, swinging his fist. Darmik ducked.

“
Enough,” Gaverek ordered. He pointed to the men Darmik had managed to overpower. “You all are demoted for your incompetence.” Turning to Darmik, he said, “Come with me.”

They walked down the hallway
in silence. Once they were out of sight from everyone, Gaverek abruptly stopped. “Why are you here?” he demanded.

“
I’m not at liberty to discuss that with you.”

“
You’re not going before the emperor until I know.”

Darmik stared at his former instruct
or. Was he testing him? “Have you forgotten that I outrank you? You are out of line.”

Gaverek leaned forward.
“No one knows you’re here. I can make you disappear.”

“
An entire platoon of soldiers knows I’m here,” Darmik said. “And I sincerely doubt you want to be the reason our kingdoms go to war. If you injure me, I will personally see you destroyed.”

His former instruct
or turned and headed down the hallway. Two soldiers stood on either side of Savenek’s door. Gaverek said, “Restrain Darmik. I want him guarded by the both of you.”

“
Sir, do you want him in a cell?” one soldier asked.

“
No,” Gaverek responded. “I want him with me. He’s going to watch his companions be interrogated.” He smiled. “You’re easy to read and predictable,” he sneered.

****

Darmik stood in a cell, his arms bound in front of him. Vesha lay strapped to the table. He’d already witnessed Savenek and Audek’s interrogations. While they hadn’t been fun to watch, Darmik had been privy to many such events in the past. He knew how to emotionally shield himself from what was happening.

Vesha was different.

He hadn’t seen a female interrogated since his time in Emperion. Although Vesha was a trained soldier and knew how to fight, she knew nothing of what she was about to face. Darmik hoped she was strong enough.

“
Let’s begin,” Gaverek said.

Darmik look
ed at the situation objectively—once this was over, Neco and Ellie were the only two remaining. Then Darmik could see his uncle and hopefully save Rema.

Two soldiers
released the levers, flipping the top of the table upside down. Much to Vesha’s credit, she didn’t scream. Still strapped to the table, she lay parallel three feet off the ground. A bucket was slid under her. A soldier released a different lever, tipping the table forward. Vesha’s head was submerged in the bucket filled with ice-cold water.

The trick was to remain calm. Darmik found it most effective to hold his breath, and then slowly release the air
out in gradual intervals. If he panicked, breathing in water was quite painful.

Vesha balled her hands into fists, her legs twitching. She wasn
’t going to last much longer, and it had only been ten seconds. Emperion soldiers were trained to dunk a person’s head under water in thirty-second increments. Her entire body jerked. She tried lifting her head, but was unable to move since she was strapped to the table.

The table was
straightened, raising her head out of the bucket, but her stomach was still parallel to the floor. Vesha’s hair dripped water onto the ground. She turned and looked at Darmik, horror showing in her eyes. She vomited, most of it splashing into the bucket.

Gaverek knelt beside her.
“Tell me why you’re here,” he demanded.

Heaving in deep breaths, Vesha responded,
“I…I’m accompanying Prince Darmik.”

He was thankful they
’d rehearsed these answers. He assumed the emperor would be the one asking, not an interrogator. Nonetheless, at least everyone was giving consistent responses.

“
Yes,” Gaverek said, “but why is Prince Darmik here?”

“
He…he…has a message for the emperor.”

“
What is that message?”

“
I…I don’t know. He ordered me…to accompany him, and I did.”

“
How did you acquire one of our military ships?”

Darmik wondered if there was a record of Captain leaving with the ship. Vesha glanced at Darmik.

“Dunk her again.”

“
No!” she screamed as the table tilted again, submerging her head in the filthy water.

Knowing she wouldn
’t last long, Gaverek raised his hand, giving the command to right the table. “Flip her face up,” he ordered.

Vesha
’s chest heaved up and down, her hair and face covered with her own vomit. “Why are you doing this?” she cried, her eyes wide with fear. “I don’t know anything of importance.”

“
I’ll be the judge of that.” Gaverek stood before Darmik. “What do you suggest?” he asked. “The cane? Or the knife?”

Both weapons were painful.
He’d witnessed Savenek and Audek’s canings and had no desire to see Vesha abused. He wished the entire ordeal were over. “I don’t care,” Darmik answered. “I am here simply to witness your barbaric behavior. I had forgotten how…unrefined your empire is.”

Gaverek studied him for several moments.
“You’re from Emperion. We put you in power. We are the strongest and largest empire in the world. Do not forget that.”

Darmik took a step toward him.
“The strongest empire?” He cocked his head to the side. “You’re beating up on a girl, simply to prove your power. That doesn’t make you strong. It makes you pathetic.”

Gaverek punched
Darmik in the stomach. “I’m pathetic?” His knee flew up, slamming into Darmik’s jaw. “You’re the soft prince who’s locked in a dungeon. You’re the pathetic one, not me.”

Darmik sucked in a deep breath, trying to work through the pain.

“I knew you had a soft spot for your companions. You’re so predictable.”

Darmik pushed himself up on his knees.
“Has it ever occurred to you that my uncle might actually want to hear what I have to say? That you are jeopardizing your position by keeping me here?” He was running out of time.

“
Move him into his own cell,” Gaverek demanded.

Darmik stood, thankful he didn
’t have to witness anymore of this brutality.

Neco
’s scream pierced the air. Darmik had never heard that kind of pain from his friend before—something was wrong.

Gaverek smiled.
“I think I’ll go join that interrogation. It’s always fun to witness lovers being tortured in front of one another.”

Darmik
wanted to tear Gaverek apart, but he maintained his position, knowing his old instructor was simply goading him. If Darmik showed any emotion or attempted to fight back, whatever horrors Neco and Ellie faced would be multiplied tenfold.

****

Darmik woke up in a cold, damp room. He was lying on the ground, his arms still bound in front of him.

The door opened, and a small amount of light pierced the darkness.
“Get up, you filthy piece of trash,” the soldier said. “The emperor is ready to see you.”

Darmik
had managed to make it without being interrogated, but watching his friends get tortured was worse. Hopefully, it was all worth it now that they were going before Emperor Hamen.

Darmik stood, stretching his stiff limbs.
The soldier took him to another room where all of his companions were waiting.

“
Put these uniforms on,” a soldier said. “Once everyone is dressed, I will escort you from the dungeon. If any of you make a single move against me, or any other soldier, you will be killed on sight. Understood?” Everyone nodded. Darmik’s bindings were removed, and the door slammed shut.

“
Everyone change,” Darmik demanded, “quickly.” They all faced outward, toward the wall, while they dressed. “These are Emperion uniforms, what the cadets wear, as in the lowest-ranking uniform possible.” Darmik pulled off his pants and tunic, putting on the Emperion Army’s uniform. It made his skin crawl—he never thought he’d wear these clothes again. “In other words,” he said, still facing the wall, “even though we’re being taken out of the dungeon and to the emperor, they want us and everyone who sees us to know that we’re insignificant and have no rights.”

Once everyone was done, Darmik
surveyed his friends. He’d witnessed Audek and Savenek’s interrogations, watching both men dunked underwater and caned. “Did anything else happen to either one of you after I left?” Darmik asked.

“
Nope,” Audek said. “After they were done playing with me, they left me there.”

“
Same here,” Savenek said, his voice harsh.

“
What about you, Vesha? Are you well?” Darmik asked.

She nodded.
“I’d really like to find Rema and get out of here.” Her coloring was pale, and he hoped she wasn’t getting sick.

Darmik had no idea w
hat Neco and Ellie went through. He looked to his friend, afraid to ask.

Neco wrapped Ellie in his arms, hugging her.
“They did exactly what you said,” Neco whispered. “They figured out what matters most to me, and then they used it against me.”

Ellie glanced up into Neco
’s eyes. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she whispered. “I don’t want to be your weakness.”

“
You’re not,” he responded. “You are my strength.” He kissed the top of her head.

Darmik hated to interrupt the couple, but he needed to make sure they were physically well. He cleared his throat, getting everyone
’s attention. “Are you hurt? Savenek and Audek were both caned.”

“
We’re fine,” Neco answered. “They were mentally toying with us, trying to drive me mad. They hit Ellie a few times, but that’s all.” Ellie’s eyes glossed over with tears.

“
Good,” Darmik said. “I want everyone to remember what we discussed on the boat about how to behave. No matter what happens, do not fight back when we leave this room. They won’t hesitate to kill all of us.”

The door opened and a soldier waved them out
into the corridor, where a squad of armed men waited for them. The soldiers escorted everyone through several stone hallways and up a steep flight of stairs. They exited into a small courtyard, surrounded by a tall, brown wall.

Gaverek
entered through another doorway and came to stand before Darmik. “I see no need to take such a large party of barbarians to the palace.”

This was what Darmik had feared—being separated from his
friends.

“
Like you’ve said, I’m soft,” Darmik replied. “Surely you don’t expect me to see the emperor alone? Who will assist me when I’m tired or need help?”

Gaverek stared at him.
He finally said, “You may take one to attend you. That way if you do something I don’t like, I have leverage.”