"What?"
"Said I'm sorry," she said.
"Sorry?" he cried, reeling back. The blade flashed in the slender ray of light peeling through the dark from the curtained windows. "I've only got one eye, you bitch! I'm half fucking blind! And all you say is you're sorry? Piss on your sorry. I'm gonna kill you bad. Fucking bad. You being sorry won't change a fucking thing."
"Ain't sorry I got your eye," she said evenly, feeling the man behind drift closer as he shifted on his feet. But the sword didn't move. "Sorry I missed your brain. Weren't my fault, though. Was a small target."
Neckless gave an amused snort. "Feisty, ain't she, Torak?"
"Sure," Torak spat in her face. "Feisty. Yeah. I get that. Well. This is what I think of feisty."
His fist powered through the dark. The blade at her throat prevented her from avoiding the blow so she was forced to accept the punch.
Knuckles smashed into her cheek and glanced off her nose.
Pain shot into her brain and the muscles in her shoulders knotted and twitched recklessly as she rocked sideways, held on her feet thanks to Neckless grabbing her roughly by the shoulder.
She stayed slumped, though her eyes thinned to dangerous slits. Spat a thick stream of blood at Torak's feet and sneered. "That's it? Best you got? My goats hit harder."
He showed his training by not responding.
Instead, leaned close. Almost touched her nose with his own as he stared deep into her eyes. Seemed to be trying to read her mind.
She would have spat again, but couldn't work her mouth. Her cheek already swelling. She settled for glaring back at him.
"I'll show you what I've got," he said calmly. Pressed the tip of Fulci's Last Joke against her scar. "Don't you worry about that. I'll show you everything. And then, when you've had it all, I'll kill you. Neckless? You want to get my pack? I got a few things in there I think this bitch is gonna love."
"She's dangerous," Neckless said, unwilling to remove the blade from her throat. "Look at her. She's a raghead, Torak. I let her go, and you're asking for trouble. Just stick her and be done. Cut her a little if you like. But don't fuck with her. Besides, we ain't got time for this shit. We need to find out what's going on here. And we need to get out. Grimwood Creek, remember?"
"Piss on Storr and his fucking timetables. We've got time for this," the one-eyed man growled. "I want the hooks. I want to hang her up and peel her fucking skin off. I want to dig out her eyes. I want to hear her fucking scream!"
Neckless sighed. "Get them yourself. I ain't letting her go. I like my blood on the inside."
"Fine." Torak hobbled back into the shadows as the ground gave another tremor. This time it was louder. The sound of heavy steel being dragged over stone.
It quickly subsided.
"How long you been here, raghead?" Neckless asked casually, as though they were in an inn somewhere sharing beer.
She grunted. "Half hour, maybe."
"Really? You took your time, then. Few hours for us. But we got lost. Got jumped on the road. Big bastard. Had more chains on him than Torak, I reckon."
"I heard."
"Did you now?" he asked, not showing much interest. "Guess it made more noise than I thought."
"Weren't that. Some feller called Fenis told me."
"Fenis?" He sounded surprised. "He still alive?"
"Not anymore."
"You killed him, then?"
"I killed him. He hurt before he died, too."
Fenis didn't rise to the bait. "Well. That sure is a shame. Saw his horse buy it. Figured him for a goner right there and then. Also figured you'd catch up if we didn't make Grimwood quick enough." His grip on the sword at her throat hadn't wavered in the slightest even though she was sure he was struggling to keep his tone even. "Like I said, though. We got lost. Lost our horses to Draug. And Torak there couldn't go much further today. Figured to hole up here for the night. Let him recover a little. Seeing you has done more for him than a thousand healers ever could. Which is good, because we've got to hurry tomorrow. Late enough as it is. There's a path cut into the cliff back there. Reckon it leads to the top. We'll make a try for it in the morning. Half an hour, you say? You sure? Sounded like the Shadowed Halls opened half an hour ago. You know anything about it?"
"If I did, you reckon I'd tell you?"
"Not yet. But give Torak fifteen minutes, and I reckon you will."
"You don't know me that well," she said, but inside she was afraid.
She could hear the clink of metal as Torak delved into his pack for his hooks. Heard chains in there, too and decided she was getting sick of hearing that sound.
Neckless brushed his hand down her spine, tracing the length of her torso to press his palm against her ass.
Was breathing hot as he used the sword to pull her closer.
Her eyes thinned to slits as she choked down the need to twist around and rip his head off his shoulders.
Patience, she told herself.
Wait for it.
"Would love to get to know you more," he said. "Raste told us you'd do anything for a copper piece. Told us a few stories. That true? You'd do anything? I get a lot of stress, you know? It's my shoulders mostly. And my back hurts like fuck. This job ain't getting easier, with everyone and everything trying to kill you. Know what I mean? And we ain't hit a town with decent pussy for months. I could really use some relief. If you hadn't pissed Torak off so much, I reckon we could've been friends. For a while, anyway."
"Careful what you wish for," she breathed. "It ain't over yet. Still got plenty of time to get real close. Close enough to break your heart."
"Don't think about it, raghead. I've got you plumb and I ain't stupid enough to give you no wriggle room. You ain't getting out of this. You're gonna pay for what you did to Torak. And Fenis, too. That's a sure thing. Just wanted you to know I think it's a waste of a perfectly good ass is all."
He removed his hand from her as Torak drifted out of the darkness.
She caught her breath.
He'd stripped down to the waist, Fulci's Last Joke tucked into his waistband.
He carried a chain in each hand. Dozens of sharp little hooks dangled from random links. At the end of the chain a bigger, more wicked, hook gleamed even in the dark.
Hooks made to pierce flesh.
More hooks dangling from his belt. Some delicate. Others thick and cruelly barbed.
All lacked the look of weapons.
They were, she realised in mounting revulsion, tools created to inflict the grossest agonies. She tried to take an unconscious step back, but Neckless held her firmly where she was.
"So, raghead. Are you ready to scream?" Torak's face was a sadistic mask of twisted lust and raw evil.
Her muscles bunched into barbed steel balls. Writhing painfully under her skin as she tried to see a way out. But Neckless held her tight.
"Fuck you, pinhead," she growled.
Torak hefted the chains. Inched closer, relishing her fear. "You'll feel more pain than I have, bitch. I'm gonna pull the screams from your body like notes from a lute."
"Reckon that sure ain't music to her ears," Neckless giggled.
Hysteria rose like a giddy wave in the back of her brain as her heart started to race in panic. "Only music I wanna hear is the ringing of your bells."
***
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