him. Cupping himself, he took three steps back and had to stop as he collided with the wall. It was enough to make Varian laugh.
Which only made her angrier. “Fetch a crowbar, jaws of life, can opener, I don’t care what you haveto do, I want that armor off him!” she ordered the one standing mandrake.
The dark-haired mandrake nodded quickly before he ran from the room and Narishka’s reach while the blond mandrake was still in a fetal position in the corner, cupping himself.
Varian spat the blood from his mouth onto the floor. “What’s the matter, mum? Is my torture getting to you?”
She backhanded him.
He laughed at her anger. “You know. They’re right with their saying. There’s nothing sweeter than the loving touch of a mother.”
She grabbed the sledgehammer from the floor where the immobilized mandrake had dropped it and slammed it into his stomach with enough force to lift him off his feet. Varian felt the blow all the way to his bones as his body was jarred by it. Still he refused to cry out or beg for mercy even though it was all he could do to breathe he hurt so badly. Every gasp, every bone. All he wanted was for this to stop.
His mother shrieked again. “Why won’t you bend?”
Because it was what everyone expected of him. His father, his brother, every warrior in Avalon. Hell, even Arthur had expected him to side with his mother and Morgen at some point. There were times when Merlin, too, looked at him as if she were waiting for him to turn.
But he would never do that.
Even if his own conviction wasn’t so set, the fact that everyone expected it would be enough to keep him on the path of light.
He would never prove them right by joining ranks with the Adoni and Morgen.
Varian hissed as he felt something biting into his back as a grayling tried to pry the armor free. “It’s like it’s skin or something, my lady.”
His mother cursed him as she realized he was correct. That’s exactly what his armor was, and it was why it hurt so badly whenever they tried to remove it.
Her cheeks mottled by her fury, she threw the sledgehammer into the corner. “There has to be a spell to weaken this. Mandrake, grayling, withdraw!”
They quickly left him alone with his mother. She buried her hand in his hair and jerked his head up until he was looking at her. He could taste the blood that was running from his lips and nose, smell the sweat of his body from the hours of grueling torture.
Her eyes were dark with curiosity, and they lacked any compassion for him. “Why would you rather I beat you than simply do what I ask?”
He gave her a taunting smile. “Because it is ever my goal to piss you off.”
She snapped his head back before she let go of his hair. “Why I bargained for you, I’ll never know.”
“Simple, mum. You wanted a bouncing baby boy to love and take care of you in your old age.”
She sneered at him. “I should have drowned you when you were born.”
And he returned that gesture with the same degree of disgust. “I should have been so lucky.”
That got him a nice slap in the face before she stalked out of the room and left him there to hang. Literally.
Varian let out a slow, tired breath as he stared at the fresh and dried blood on the floor. His blood. It made him wonder what his father had gone through at Morgen’s hands before she’d killed him, too. Not that he cared. It was more morbid curiosity than anything.
“What did you do?”
He glanced up at Merewyn’s soft voice as she stood in the doorway with a look of abject horror on her beautiful face. “Bled mostly. Why?”
She grimaced at the sight of his face as she drew nearer. He could only imagine what he must look like to her. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to woo a woman anyway. Rather, he was basically worthless.
What else is new?
Still, he knew it wrong to look forward to her visits. Especially since he knew who and what she really was, and yet he couldn’t stop himself
Which only made her angrier. “Fetch a crowbar, jaws of life, can opener, I don’t care what you haveto do, I want that armor off him!” she ordered the one standing mandrake.
The dark-haired mandrake nodded quickly before he ran from the room and Narishka’s reach while the blond mandrake was still in a fetal position in the corner, cupping himself.
Varian spat the blood from his mouth onto the floor. “What’s the matter, mum? Is my torture getting to you?”
She backhanded him.
He laughed at her anger. “You know. They’re right with their saying. There’s nothing sweeter than the loving touch of a mother.”
She grabbed the sledgehammer from the floor where the immobilized mandrake had dropped it and slammed it into his stomach with enough force to lift him off his feet. Varian felt the blow all the way to his bones as his body was jarred by it. Still he refused to cry out or beg for mercy even though it was all he could do to breathe he hurt so badly. Every gasp, every bone. All he wanted was for this to stop.
His mother shrieked again. “Why won’t you bend?”
Because it was what everyone expected of him. His father, his brother, every warrior in Avalon. Hell, even Arthur had expected him to side with his mother and Morgen at some point. There were times when Merlin, too, looked at him as if she were waiting for him to turn.
But he would never do that.
Even if his own conviction wasn’t so set, the fact that everyone expected it would be enough to keep him on the path of light.
He would never prove them right by joining ranks with the Adoni and Morgen.
Varian hissed as he felt something biting into his back as a grayling tried to pry the armor free. “It’s like it’s skin or something, my lady.”
His mother cursed him as she realized he was correct. That’s exactly what his armor was, and it was why it hurt so badly whenever they tried to remove it.
Her cheeks mottled by her fury, she threw the sledgehammer into the corner. “There has to be a spell to weaken this. Mandrake, grayling, withdraw!”
They quickly left him alone with his mother. She buried her hand in his hair and jerked his head up until he was looking at her. He could taste the blood that was running from his lips and nose, smell the sweat of his body from the hours of grueling torture.
Her eyes were dark with curiosity, and they lacked any compassion for him. “Why would you rather I beat you than simply do what I ask?”
He gave her a taunting smile. “Because it is ever my goal to piss you off.”
She snapped his head back before she let go of his hair. “Why I bargained for you, I’ll never know.”
“Simple, mum. You wanted a bouncing baby boy to love and take care of you in your old age.”
She sneered at him. “I should have drowned you when you were born.”
And he returned that gesture with the same degree of disgust. “I should have been so lucky.”
That got him a nice slap in the face before she stalked out of the room and left him there to hang. Literally.
Varian let out a slow, tired breath as he stared at the fresh and dried blood on the floor. His blood. It made him wonder what his father had gone through at Morgen’s hands before she’d killed him, too. Not that he cared. It was more morbid curiosity than anything.
“What did you do?”
He glanced up at Merewyn’s soft voice as she stood in the doorway with a look of abject horror on her beautiful face. “Bled mostly. Why?”
She grimaced at the sight of his face as she drew nearer. He could only imagine what he must look like to her. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to woo a woman anyway. Rather, he was basically worthless.
What else is new?
Still, he knew it wrong to look forward to her visits. Especially since he knew who and what she really was, and yet he couldn’t stop himself
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