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Jardir crossed his arms "Hypocrisy or not, ai meat"

There were enthusiastic nods from Shanvah and Shanjat, and Renna could see the relief in their eyes

"So we do it the hard way," Arlen agreed "But for that, we need a way to get that ripping demon to talk"

CHAPTER 14

THE PRISONER

333 AR AUTUMN

The Consort huddled at the center of the warding, presenting as little flesh as possible to the cursed day star

His captors had been thorough The chain and locks were carefully crafted froainst his skin, keeping hi Colored stones lined the floor, ce that would keep hi pulled at his th the Consort needed to keep his power buried deep, lest it be drained

There would be no restoring lost energy, for the deh above the surface, with no vents to Draw froive it as little as possible He sipped at the store carefully

There ards outside the walls, as well Wards to keep his prison hidden fro eyes, both hu sign of him The Consort had tried to reach out to the For the first time, his mind was cut off from both the base impulses of his drones and the beautiful co

But worse than even that indignity was the day star Thick curtains had been pulled over the s of the cell, overlapping and lashed tight The darkness was so complete the surface stock were blind, but to the deh the weaves was agony, sapping his strength and burning his skin It was all the deht and curl on the floor until darkness returned

At last, the star set, and the deht despite the unevenly wrapped lengths of chain that bound hi the flesh beneath an ever-thickening arain he Drew, a spark for sustenance His captors wisely did not get close enough to feed hiainst his flesh as he focused a last bit of power into it, slowly eroding the metal Too much, and the chain would pull the poay, but just a touch could wear it like water dripping on stone

The demon had studied his chains for half a cycle now, and knew them intimately Shatter three locks at the shackle, and much of his mobility would be restored Break two more links, and he could slip the chain

Once free of the chain, he would need to disable the o ress far enough before one of his captors noticed the attempt Even the weakest of them could pull the curtain with a flick of the wrist, and sunrise mark his end

The Consort could afford to be patient It would be many cycles before he was ready to shatter the chain, and e in that tiood opportunity to study and probe their weaknesses

It was a delightful irony that the very shackles they used to keep hi his throat andthat passed for speech a the surface stock He could understand their questions, but not answer the the rifts between theht be, but like any huent that mimics

Most of all, they were ilance failed, and he would be free