Page 134 of Journey to the Elderoak
He stood. “Where is he?”
“The dungeons.”
Kai entered to check on Ava and Casimir turned to him. “Will you please stay with her? I need to go interrogate this assassin,” he said, voice cold.
“Of course.”
Casimir kissed Ava’s forehead and left the bedroom, Raine following.
“Who is he?” he asked as they walked the halls to the stairs leading to the bowels of the castle.
“Someone sent by Deidamia. He’s not telling us much.”
“I’ll make sure he speaks,” said Casimir, fury coursing through him.
He’d tortured prisoners before. Rarely, but he’d done it. Not usually one to enjoy it, this time he would. He’d delight in watching the daemon’s eyes fill with terror at the realization of what he could do.
They reached the stairwell. Dark stone steps spiraled into the depths of the mountain lit by torches along the damp walls. Descending further, the floor evened out and they walked through the corridors of empty cells, currently devoid of prisoners aside from the daemon soldier. The damp smell of earth and a faint tinge of iron hung in the air, growing stronger as they reached their destination.
Quinn’s voice carried down the hallway, speaking to the prisoner who was refusing to tell her anything.
Casimir approached the cell and Quinn asked, “Is she alright?”
“She’s still asleep but she’ll live.”
She breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the cell. “Have at it.”
Casimir stalked in, flipping a dagger in his hand. He stared icily at the man—the daemon soldier—sitting on the floor with his arms chained above him against the wall. Dark hair hung in greasy strands, brushing his bare shoulders.
Casimir knelt before him. “Who are you?”
The man spat in Casimir’s face and laughed. Raine walked up behind him, followed by Quinn.
He jammed the dagger into the soldier’s thigh as he wiped his face with the back of his other arm. The soldier screamed asCasimir twisted the blade, black blood flowing out of the wound. “Want to try that again?”
“I’m nobody,” he seethed. “Doing my duty for my queen.” His voice slithered along the walls as he spoke.
He yanked the dagger out and ran it along the daemon’s chest, painting him in his own blood. “And what is your duty?”
“Like I would tell a filthy fae that,” he spat.
Casimir backed away and sheathed the dagger. Sharp roots grew out from between the cracks of the stone floor, and he willed them to snake around the man’s legs, creeping higher.
“You think your useless plant magic will get me to talk?” He sneered.
Casimir gave him a feline smile and clenched his fists. The daemon bellowed as hundreds of needle-like thorns burst from the roots and impaled his legs.
Casimir knelt again. “One more time. What is your duty?”
The daemon moaned but remained silent, still refusing to answer.
Clenching his hands again, the vines thickened and squeezed, bones crunching as he broke the soldier’s legs. A bone chilling scream burst from the daemon’s mouth. Before he could recover, Casimir grabbed the man’s hand and sliced off a finger, eliciting another scream.
“Okay! Okay,” croaked the soldier. “To ensure her success. She has the book, you know. To let more of her armies in.”
Quinn looked at him. “Why kill Ava if she needs her blood to open the portals?”
“I don’t know,” the daemon hissed. “I only do what she tells me. I don’t ask questions.”
