lightning so quickly it had left him unable to stand. A fraction of his energy had vanished, and he was stretched a little more to the end of his tether. What really left him reeling was Robyn’s connection with the neckpiece Castrofax. The energy had come back to him in the end, but he was stretched a little more when she broke connection.
The feeling of her had terrified him as their energies coursed together. He felt ripped apart inside as the Elements diverted into her and back to him along with vestiges of her consciousness. Her eagerness to free him still lingered in him, and for a moment he forgot the horrors the night had brought.
Nolen trotted him through the palace gates that stood wide open with edgy soldiers that watched the shadows. The Prince jerked the rope forcing Gabriel to catch himself on Shibaler’s saddle.
“Found him?” a Commander with a perching eagle emblazoned on his chest asked as Nolen slowed to a walk.
“Get me a bull,” Nolen replied and continued moving into the livery section of the courtyard, set back to the far left in a bay. It was the closest part of the courtyard to the prisons, and Gabriel had seen a pillory and gallows erected before. Sure enough, Nolen walked in that direction. Soldiers swarmed around them; most half-dressed and missing their coats, but all had their swords. Some looked ready for blood revenge for being woken in the middle of the night.
“Is that the Star Breaker?” someone close asked. “It’s about time he pays.”
Nolen dropped the reins and dismounted fluidly, jerking Gabriel along by his hands. The pillory was made of six sets of stocks, a dozen swinging nooses, a breaking wheel, and four whipping posts, darkened with use. Nolen grabbed a torch from a soldier and mounted the steps. Gabriel resisted only a moment, but Nolen flung his weight into the rope, causing Gabriel to fall on the steps.
“That’s a Mage,” someone said, looking at the black cloak draped over Gabriel’s shoulders, threatening to fall at any moment. “That’s one of the Prince’s own people.” Another man laughed. “Idiot, that’s the man who made the stars fall. He broke that star up yonder. He’s had this coming a long time.”
Gabriel followed Nolen and listened to the crowd buzzing. Torches illuminated the area, lighting the whipping post, and somewhere to his left someone called for his blood. Nolen set the torch aside. He jerked Gabriel to a middle post and looped the rope high up through an iron ring, pulling Gabriel’s arms high over his head. The cloak slipped from his back that faced the crowd, and Nolen tied the rope off on a bracket. The Commander trotted up the stairs and handed the Prince a long bullwhip.
Nolen turned to the crowd. “This man claims he was not trying to escape, yet we found him outside the wall! He is the one who woke you at the ides of night. Do you think he lies?”
Gabriel cringed at the roar. His fingers reached for the rope to grip and put his head against the post, feeling the humiliation wash over him. His pride was one of the few things he had left, but it seemed that would be taken from him tonight as well.
Nolen took fistfuls of the back of Gabriel’s shirt and ripped it down the center in a violent movement. Tucking the ends over his shoulders, he leaned closer. “Who has all the tiles now?”
Nolen took a step back, and Gabriel braced himself.
The first strike stung, but the cheers of the crowd cut him deeper. He had felt worse from Nolen who preferred the cat-of-nine. Though this one would eventually make him bleed, he set his resolve and closed his eyes, willing himself to not feel the pain.
The second strike was much harder, so hard it flung Gabriel against the post and made him cry out. The familiar spill of hot blood dripped over his back, and he tilted his head to look at the Prince. As he suspected, Nolen had twirled an Air pattern around the whip to give it better force and speed. The crowd screamed for
The feeling of her had terrified him as their energies coursed together. He felt ripped apart inside as the Elements diverted into her and back to him along with vestiges of her consciousness. Her eagerness to free him still lingered in him, and for a moment he forgot the horrors the night had brought.
Nolen trotted him through the palace gates that stood wide open with edgy soldiers that watched the shadows. The Prince jerked the rope forcing Gabriel to catch himself on Shibaler’s saddle.
“Found him?” a Commander with a perching eagle emblazoned on his chest asked as Nolen slowed to a walk.
“Get me a bull,” Nolen replied and continued moving into the livery section of the courtyard, set back to the far left in a bay. It was the closest part of the courtyard to the prisons, and Gabriel had seen a pillory and gallows erected before. Sure enough, Nolen walked in that direction. Soldiers swarmed around them; most half-dressed and missing their coats, but all had their swords. Some looked ready for blood revenge for being woken in the middle of the night.
“Is that the Star Breaker?” someone close asked. “It’s about time he pays.”
Nolen dropped the reins and dismounted fluidly, jerking Gabriel along by his hands. The pillory was made of six sets of stocks, a dozen swinging nooses, a breaking wheel, and four whipping posts, darkened with use. Nolen grabbed a torch from a soldier and mounted the steps. Gabriel resisted only a moment, but Nolen flung his weight into the rope, causing Gabriel to fall on the steps.
“That’s a Mage,” someone said, looking at the black cloak draped over Gabriel’s shoulders, threatening to fall at any moment. “That’s one of the Prince’s own people.” Another man laughed. “Idiot, that’s the man who made the stars fall. He broke that star up yonder. He’s had this coming a long time.”
Gabriel followed Nolen and listened to the crowd buzzing. Torches illuminated the area, lighting the whipping post, and somewhere to his left someone called for his blood. Nolen set the torch aside. He jerked Gabriel to a middle post and looped the rope high up through an iron ring, pulling Gabriel’s arms high over his head. The cloak slipped from his back that faced the crowd, and Nolen tied the rope off on a bracket. The Commander trotted up the stairs and handed the Prince a long bullwhip.
Nolen turned to the crowd. “This man claims he was not trying to escape, yet we found him outside the wall! He is the one who woke you at the ides of night. Do you think he lies?”
Gabriel cringed at the roar. His fingers reached for the rope to grip and put his head against the post, feeling the humiliation wash over him. His pride was one of the few things he had left, but it seemed that would be taken from him tonight as well.
Nolen took fistfuls of the back of Gabriel’s shirt and ripped it down the center in a violent movement. Tucking the ends over his shoulders, he leaned closer. “Who has all the tiles now?”
Nolen took a step back, and Gabriel braced himself.
The first strike stung, but the cheers of the crowd cut him deeper. He had felt worse from Nolen who preferred the cat-of-nine. Though this one would eventually make him bleed, he set his resolve and closed his eyes, willing himself to not feel the pain.
The second strike was much harder, so hard it flung Gabriel against the post and made him cry out. The familiar spill of hot blood dripped over his back, and he tilted his head to look at the Prince. As he suspected, Nolen had twirled an Air pattern around the whip to give it better force and speed. The crowd screamed for
Similar Books
