Dire Sparks (Song of the Aura, Book Five) Read Online Free PDF Page A

and spitting in my face? That’s what the women usually do, when I’m questioning them…” he laughed cruelly. Elia forced herself to retain her composure… Whatever he looks like, he’s NOT Gribly. He’s evil. Remember that. I have to remember that.
     
    “ You talk to women?” Elia said, ignoring her sore throat. “Brave.”
     
    Gramling closed his eyes, smiling a little wider. “I apologize, then. I was wrong… this won’t be so hard, after all.”
     
    Then he struck her across the head. Her vision went white-red as her neck snapped back and she rocked on her chains. The blow felt like she’d been hit with a rock, and she could feel blood pooling in her mouth and trickling down her cheek. Hair fell across her face, and she couldn’t brush it away.
     
    Fingers jabbed her as Gramling grabbed her jaw and forced her to stare into his eyes, inches away. He was wearing gauntlets like claws, that punctured her skin and burned like fire.
     
    “ Now,” he hissed, “you will tell me everything.”
     
    Elia closed her eyes.
     
    Gramling grunted. Then his hand burst into flame, bathing her face and neck in black heat. She howled, high-pitched, as it seared her. He held her, and she could not move away.
     
    “ What did the Brown Aura tell you?” Gramling snapped. “What did you and your companions learn from him? Tell me!”
     
    Despite the heat, despite the burn, despite the tears, Elia managed to shut her mouth and jerk her head away. Gramling snatched her by the neck so hard she bit her tongue.
     
    “ TELL ME!” The flames intensified, and her body shook with involuntary convulsions as Gramling Pit Strode.
     
    The pain awoke something primal inside Elia. Something… strong . It was as if the white knife of flame had pierced her nerves, shooting lightning through her veins in a last-ditch attempt to escape the pain. She screamed even louder, throwing all her weight forward instead of away, head-butting Gramling right where his face-scars were worst. Something slipped away…
     
    Gribly’s twin stumbled back, swearing abominably, blood streaming down from a re-opened wound, and through the haze of heat Elia realized there were small studs of frozen water impaling his face. She wondered what it could possibly…
     
    … No. She’d just Sea Strode, hadn’t she? Those studs had been her tears, and her anger had driven them into her enemy, frozen with the power of her fear. But I didn’t move my arms, she thought, so… so I can Stride with my mind! I’m not helpless!
     
    It was too much to take, in the middle of her distress. Could she use the water in her body to Stride, and break free? Did she dare, dehydrated as she already was? Could she summon the mysterious flames that Wanderwillow said marked her as the Halanyad? She strained her mind willing herself to Stride again… but nothing came. The chains would not let her get close enough to strike again, even if she could.
     
    Gramling had fallen back into the tunnel, clutching his face and swearing. Now his hands glowed orange, illuminating the dark for a split second, fading away the next. When he slowly rose, he had become deathly silent, and his eyes glowed with fury. Elia squirmed, trying to dislodge her manacles even a little bit, but it was no use.
     
    He stepped up to her again, and she stopped struggling. His face, where his hand had touched, was entirely repaired. If he could do that, why hadn’t he…
     
    “ See?” he whispered, smiling coldly, “Even swallowed by the Shadow, I can still heal any injury. I’m learning… so could you, if you let yourself bend.” His eyes narrowed. “But you’re not going to let that happen, are you? So I’ll have to break you. Burn you. And heal you. And break you again. Do you want that… Elia? How long is it going to take?”
     
    He roared the last word in her face. She shut her eyes, quivering. His hand touched her cheek, stroking it carefully, and then…
     
    “ I’m sorry.” It