into Mori's arms, blood trickled to her elbows. "She will watch, my queen, if I must cut off her eyelids."
She shook in his grasp, a tiny mouse caught in a vulture's talons; she was shorter than his shoulders. She watched, trembling, as Solina approached the wounded prince of Requiem.
"Please," Mori whispered, but Solina ignored her.
Orin groaned upon the floor, scorched and convulsing. Somehow he managed to rise to his elbows. Sweat and blood drenched him.
"Sol… Solina," he managed, so hoarse Mori could barely make out the word.
Solina stood above him, sabre drawn, eyes cold. If Orin was a wounded beast, a twisted creature, Solina was a queen of beauty, a statue of gold and steel and ice.
"Hello, Orin," she said softly. "So you remember me too. Perhaps you know me by the scar you gave me." She caressed it. "My line of fire. It is a strange thing, is it not? I used to fear fire. When I lived in Requiem, among you beasts of scales and wings, I feared it." She laughed mirthlessly. "Imagine it! A young, frightened girl from Tiranor, snatched from her home. You could all turn into dragons—noble, ancient children of Requiem, flaunting your magic of starlight. Yes, I feared this fire I could never wield. And I screamed, Orin. I screamed when you burned me."
"You…" He moaned and shivered. His peeling skin hung from him. "You attacked my father, you…"
Again her bitter laugh pierced the air. "I attacked King Olasar, yes. I attacked the man who murdered my parents. Who enslaved me. Who would banish me only because I dared to love Elethor, your brother, the dearest man I've known. Did I ever stand a chance, Orin? Could I ever dream of reaching him with my dagger, when you were there to burn me? The pain of your fire nearly drove me mad; you feel this pain now. So I left, Orin. And I tamed fire." She snarled like a wild beast, and her voice rose. "I wrestled it, and made it my own, until I could become a thing of flame itself. And I burned you. And I will watch you die in agony."
Her sword lashed.
Mori screamed.
Acribus laughed.
With a whistle, Solina's curved, glittering blade sliced Orin's belly and splattered blood across the wall. Mori shut her eyes, whimpering, but Acribus pulled her eyelids open with rough fingers. She tried to turn her head away, but he held it, forcing her to look, forcing her to see it. Stars, no… no, please, stars, no…. Her tears fell.
Orin screamed. He clutched his wound, trying to stop it, to stop the spilling of it, the glistening, bloody, pink horror of it. Half-burnt and cut open, he cried for Requiem. He cried for their mother. Mori wept.
"Please, Solina, please, please, please…," she whispered.
But Solina only stood frozen, staring down at the dying man, and still no emotion filled her eyes, not a glimmer of pity nor disgust nor even delight.
"You can make it end, Orin," she said softly. Blood sluiced around her boots. "Tell me of Olasar's forces. Tell me how many dragons in his brigades, where they are stationed, who leads them. Tell me everything… and I will plunge my sword into your heart, and I will end your pain. If you do not speak, well… I can stand here for hours. It will take you hours to die without my mercy, do not doubt it. Maybe even days." She smiled softly. "As long as it takes."
He screamed. And he spoke. And he told her everything as he writhed and begged for the pain to end.
Mori trembled, kicked, tried to look away, tried to break free, tried to do anything but see this ruin of her brother, hear his screams, see his blood and entrails spill upon the floor until finally, finally after ages and ages of it, Solina drove her blade into his chest. Finally some emotion filled the queen's eyes. Pleasure. Deep, horrible, hot pleasure. She twisted the blade, and Orin's breath caught, and his scream died… and his pain ended. It was over.
Thank the stars, it's over, Mori thought as she sobbed and shook.
But it was not over. Not for her.
"My queen?" Acribus asked, voice like gravel, breath hot and stinking against Mori.
She looked at him, eyebrow raised, and nodded. "Have your treat, dog."
Now Mori did try to shift into a dragon, even if her girth would slam against the walls, and the dungeon would crush her. She tried to clutch her magic, to