Sought...Book 3 in the Brides of the Kindred series Read Online Free PDF

fear—only irritation.
    How can he not be afraid? What’s wrong with
him?
    Kat watched in horror as the massive arm
rose and the whip cracked, lashing around Deep’s ribs with a hungry
hiss. Deep made a similar sound himself—a low hiss of pain—as the
barbed silver tongues bit into his flesh, but no other noise
escaped him.
    The giant yanked the whip back, splattering
crimson droplets against the white obelisk. Suddenly Kat understood
that the brownish red streaks on its rough surface weren’t mineral
deposits. Blood, my God, it’s blood! He’s bleeding! Stop
it—stop!
    But the whip rose again, ready for another
blow. “Scream,” the huge torturer advised. “Release your pain into
the Throat.” He nodded at the stone chimney above. “It will make
the agony less.”
    “Don’t want it to be less,” Deep growled.
“Just get on with it, damn you.”
    “As you wish.” The whip cracked again,
biting and tearing the smooth, tan skin of Deep’s back, shredding
it to bloody ribbons. He barely flinched.
    No! Nooo! Kat tried to shriek but no
sound came out. Deep didn’t cry out either. He stood at the
obelisk, grasping the rusty rings in a white-knuckled grip, his jaw
clenched and his eyes shut tight. Clearly he was enduring
unspeakable agony and just as clearly he was determined not to make
a sound.
    Kat felt like she was going crazy. Rushing
at the giant, she tried to grab his hand and keep the whip from
falling again. But she was helpless to stop him—helpless to even touch him. It was as though she was trapped in a bad dream,
one which she couldn’t wake up from.
    Please, she begged silently as
invisible tears fell down her cheeks. Please, please don’t.
Please stop hurting him…
    But nothing she said or did made any
difference. The whipping went on and on…and on.
* * * * *
    “She’s crying.” Lock looked down at Kat’s
still-sleeping face in alarm. “Look, tears are running down her
cheeks.” He cupped her jaw and brushed them tenderly away with the
pad of his thumb.
    “So she is.” Mother L’rin didn’t sound
unduly worried.
    “But what does it mean?” Lock looked at her
anxiously. “What’s happening to her?”
    “A bad dream, perhaps. I’m more concerned
with what’s happening with that brother of yours.” Her wrinkled
face creased in a frown. “I haven’t heard a single scream.”
    “That’s because Deep won’t scream. He won’t
give in to the pain that way.” Lock wiped Kat’s other cheek gently.
“He’s too damn stubborn.” He closed his eyes. “I can feel his pain
but he won’t share it with me—he’s closed tight, turned
inward.”
    Mother L’rin shrugged her bowed shoulders.
“His choice. If he’d release the pain into the Stone Throat it
would dissipate much more quickly.”
    “I tell you, he won’t scream. He’d probably
rather die.”
    “He won’t die.” The old woman spoke with
certainty. “That would put your life in danger as well and I
wouldn’t do that, Lock. But he may well wish he was dead by the
time the whipping is over.” She looked at him. “Are you wishing you
could take his place?”
    “Yes.” Lock swiped away tears of his own,
blotting them angrily on his deep green uniform sleeve. “He doesn’t
deserve this. He thinks he does, but he doesn’t. I know he’s a
bastard a lot of them time but he’s my brother and I love him.”
    “Of course you do.” Mother L’rin’s voice was
suddenly softer and she laid one wrinkled old hand on Lock’s arm.
“Never fear, you’ll both come out of this alive.” She looked grim.
“I just wish I could promise the same for your lady Kat here.”
    “Please.” Lock felt as though his heart was
breaking. “Can’t we save her? Won’t it be easier for her now that
Deep has taken her pain?”
    “She’ll still be weak and even if you
managed to complete the soul bond with her the pain may return in
time.” Mother L’rin frowned. “You’ll need to take her someplace
quiet and let her