Watching her, Melly’s stomach clenched. Oh gods, this was going to get bad.

Maybe she could get Justine to focus on her instead of Julian.

She rushed to the bars, gripping them so tightly she bruised the palms of her hands. “Justine,” she said in a sharp voice. “You promised to let me go. Locking me in the cell again isn’t letting me go.”

Justine gave her a glance filled with equal measures of contempt and amusement. “Poodles shouldn’t try to think so hard. Everybody knew I wasn’t going to let you go, except apparently for you.”

“Julian was right.” Melly spoke as fast as she could. “You’re playing this all wrong. Stop and think for a moment. My mother considers you a friend, and that’s a really valuable commodity. You don’t want to jeopardize it.”

“Tatiana will continue to consider me a friend.” Justine’s reply sounded almost lazy. She came to stand in front of Julian, who regarded her with the same contempt that she showed to Melly. “In fact, I’m going to be so sympathetic and helpful over your disappearance, our friendship will grow even stronger. That will be quite useful in the upcoming months, since Julian won’t be the Nightkind King any longer. Now hush, Melly, and don’t forget, you’ve just become a luxury mammal. You’re no longer a necessity to me.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out for myself,” Melly muttered.

Justine dug into Julian’s jeans to withdraw his cell phone. Dropping it on the floor, she ground it underneath one heel. Then, faster than Melly could track, Justine lashed out.

Ribbons of Julian’s T-shirt drifted to the ground, revealing his heavily muscled, scarred chest and arms.

Justine told him in a quiet voice, “I like breaking things. It’s always been my way, and I’m going to especially enjoy breaking you. You’re dictatorial and arrogant, and inflexible, and you’ve been a pain in my ass for too many years. I’m going to tear you down until there’s nothing of you left, and then I’m going to train you to be my pet.”

Julian gave her a cold, bored look. “You’re delusional.”

Her voice gentled. “Just wait, you’ll see. But before I destroy your mind, first I’m going to hurt you a lot. I want you to be fully aware, so you realize what’s being done to you, and you know that it’s me who is doing it. And you’re going to let me, because if you don’t, I’ll carve something off of Melly while you watch. She’s got lots of bits she can lose before she dies. A thumb, a breast, an ear or her nose. Even her hands and feet.”

“Please,” Melly whispered. “Don’t do this. Justine, there has to be something you want more than this. What is it? Tell me what it is, and I’ll see that you get it. I swear I will — I swear it.”

The Vampyre didn’t even glance at her. “There’s nothing I want more than this.”

Justine struck again, and Melly muffled a moan against the heel of one palm as long red cuts appeared on Julian’s muscled arms and chest. A roil of nausea twisted in her gut. Leaning her head against the cold bars, she breathed evenly to make it go away. This leisurely sadism was so much worse than anything she could have imagined.

As Justine ran the tip of her knife along his abdomen, Julian’s sharp, steady gaze met Melly’s.

He said telepathically, Don’t watch.

I have to, she whispered. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here.

Don’t be stupid, he said. Justine’s the one who is responsible, not you. She’s the reason why we’re both here. Goddammit, Melly, turn the fuck away.

I can’t.

Justine cut him again and again, and Melly clapped her own hand over her mouth to muffle a sob. Each movement was drawn out, until the torture seemed to go on for hours.

“That ought to do it,” Justine said finally. Taking a step back, she licked her knife clean. She made a sound of pleasure. “All the blood oaths you’ve taken as King have made your blood really potent. I hadn’t realized just how Powerful you had become.”

Dread pulsed a rapid tempo in Melly’s veins. Ought to do what?

Julian must have been wondering the same thing, for he watched Justine with a sharp, wary expression. He said in a mocking voice, “Is that all you’ve got?”

Was he insane? Melly shouted at him, Don’t goad her!

Justine laughed. “Oh, I’m not done with you, darling. I’m only just getting started. That was just to get the scent of your fresh blood in the air.” Raising her voice, she called out, “Open up the gate!”

As Julian’s frowning gaze met Melly’s again, a metallic clang sounded from down the tunnel, and moments later, Vampyre Guy appeared. Julian’s fangs sprang out, and he snarled at the other male.

Despite Julian being in chains, the sight of his full, naked aggression was so overpowering, Melly took a step back from the bars. Vampyre Guy pretended to be unaffected, but she noticed he was careful to keep Justine’s body between him and Julian.

Followed closely by Vampyre Guy, Justine left Julian’s cell and propped the door open wide. Then the two Vampyres walked into one of the empty cells. After Justine closed the door and locked it, she pulled something slender out of her pocket and put one end in her mouth.

A high-pitched, piercing whistle speared through the air.

“Oh gods, no,” Melly whispered.

Snarling came from down the tunnel, along with the sound of running footsteps.

Many footsteps.

She flung herself against the bars, shouting, “No!”

Ferals flooded the tunnel. Some lunged toward her, forcing her to leap back again. Others found their way through the open cell door. Over the tops of the ferals’ heads, Melly caught a glimpse of them on the inside of the bars in Julian’s cell.

She couldn’t see anything else, but she could hear things all too well.

An explosive snarling that gradually quieted.

Then that shuffling, or scraping sound she had first heard, as the Vampyres fed.

After what seemed a hellish eternity, the whistle sounded.

Melly had moved to crouch in her corner, behind the cot, where she rocked with her hands cupped over her ears, but even though it muffled the sounds somewhat, the whistle still penetrated. Pushing to her feet, she turned to watch the crowd of ferals.

This time, they were slow to respond. The whistle sounded again, sharp and piercing, and something cracked the air. It sounded like a whip.

Growling, the ferals retreated. As Justine appeared, Melly realized the other woman actually did have a whip. Once again, Justine cracked the whip across the ferals nearest to her, and they cowered away.

If Justine had really been the one to create the ferals, Melly could almost feel sorry for them.

Almost.

That was until she looked across to Julian’s cell and sickened rage replaced all other emotion.

He hung limp in the chains, his head hanging forward and his powerful body bloody and lax. Wiping at her wet cheeks, she said, Julian? Please say something.

He didn’t answer.

Her eyes kept watering and obscuring her vision. He couldn’t be dead. If he were dead, he would collapse into dust. There would be nothing left of him at all. Nobody to rage against. Nothing but the memory of the brief, bright warmth they had shared followed by years of bitterness.

Unable to maintain any anger toward him in the face of this horrible nightmare, she was left feeling a sharp pain and a sadness so dark it threatened to engulf her.

Justine and Vampyre Guy followed the ferals down the tunnel, and the sound of an iron clang rang against the stony walls. Moments later, they reappeared. They must have shut the gate to the tunnel again.

Fixing her gaze on Julian, Justine said to Vampyre Guy, “Clean up this mess.”

Ducking his head, he got to work, packing up the laptop and various items.

As Justine went into Julian’s cell, Melly said hoarsely, “Haven’t you done enough for one visit?”