Eli's shirt edges were pushed aside with the movement, making her kneel in front of him, half-naked. The fabric of her collar was now stuck to the edges of the festering wound, each motion tormenting.
Her right shoulder, breast, and stomach were bare, gleaming red with her blood. Only the blood on her face had dried. Her hands were still in chains, purple and bruised, and locks of tangled hair covered her face. Most of it was out of her hair tie.
The mage stood, looking down at her, taking her all in, flames of hate burning his eyes.
He looked away and motioned for someone to stand behind Eli. There was a rustling sound of clothes for a second, and then Eli felt a presence behind her.
"Now," The mage was looking down at her, "I will count the questions; each wrong answer comes with a price." He sounded determined. "Who sent you?"
"Filthy whores of Oxyn," she hissed, narrowing her eyes.
"Glad I'm missed. But wrong. One!"
A whoosh sound filled the air, and a whip landed on Eli's back.
The blow was so powerful that it threw Eli forward. Eli landed on the ground before the mage's boots. The whip's blow rushed the blood to her head, muting all the sounds for a moment. Then she felt it, the familiar, horrific pain on her back. As if her back was split in half. After a long moment of shock, Eli let out a cry, loud and mised.
"Don't blame us. I warned you there would be a price. Now, again, who ordered the heist?"
Eli shut her eyes, her wounded cheek resting on the cold floor, "Go to hell." And braced herself.
"After you, apparently. Two!" The second blow came without warning, hitting the same spot.
Eli screamed in pain and agony. Her skin ripped, and blood flowed on her back. "Please, stop..." She tried to get up. Her hands and shoulders were shaking from crying, pain, or panic; she couldn't tell.
"It's all up to you, I'm afraid." The mage's voice was empty of feeling. "Again, who hired you?"
Eli cried. "I don't know."
"Three"
"No!"
The third strike landed on Eli's back. Eli screamed in pain. "Please, no more..."
"Give me a name then." The mage was persistent.
"I don't know! I didn't see their faces." Eli wailed. She caved in. The pain was worse than death. She would take anything but that.
A hand grabbed Eli's hair, pulling her up so she could sit again. Her back made her forget who she was and what she had. The mage squatted again to look at her directly. "Who's they?"
"I...I'm telling you. I didn't see any faces," She said, her lips trembling. "They came from the back door, where anonymous clients usually go. But..."
Eli panted. The mage's hand still had a firm grip on her hair, stretching her skin. "Keep going," He encouraged.
"But their carriage were in dark blue and gold." Eli's voice was as strong as a whisper. She didn't see them leaving, but she saw them coming to Malkan's office above the tavern. Tears spilt down her face, burning the scratch wound on her right cheek.
The mage narrowed his eyes. "Royal carriages, you mean?"
Eli was too tired to say more. She was seconds away from passing out.
"Are you playing games with me, girl?" He was studying her face, trying to detect a lie.
"I'm being honest."
"Well, that's surprising. What were they after?"
Now Eli could see a trace of emotion in his eyes. They were no longer empty. Was it an alarm or excitement?
The mage wanted answers, and he looked even scarier now. "What. Did you. Come here. To. Steal?" He asked again, each word clipped.
Eli's eyes slipped from his face to his chest, glancing at the ruby glowing peacefully.
The mage's eyebrows tangled together. He let go of her hair, and Eli collapsed on the floor, wincing in pain. The mage paced the room, running his fingers through his black hair.
Eli looked at him with half-closed eyes. She couldn't understand how this information affected him. It was as if he had never imagined a royal character would be prying into his jewels.
Someone behind her voiced her thoughts, "But how would they know about it?"
It was Takana.
The mage didn't respond.
"Do they know about the house?" Takana pushed.
"They can't." The mage stopped, still frowning.
"Do you think..." Takana stepped forward, and Eli saw a glimpse of her transparent wings gleaming under the daylight, changing shades of purple, green and orange. They were beautiful and reminded Eli of something she couldn't grasp.
"Do you think the royal family is after you?" Takana asked.
Eli realised she was worried.
"None of them is stupid enough." The mage responded, still lost in his thoughts.
"Then how would they know about the amulet?" Takana pushed.
"I don't know," he snapped, suddenly looking frustrated. "But I will."
He turned to Eli, striding towards her. "What did they tell you about it?"
"I told you, I didn't meet them."
"Well, you must have your source of information. So you better be talking." His voice had become husky. His eyes were gleaming with rage and hatred. Eli knew mad men enough to detect those gleams in their eyes when nothing and no one would stop them from getting the things they wanted. She didn't think he would have any boundaries.
The mage grabbed her jaw again, his nails digging into her face. "I'm not in the mood to play with you, girl. Answer!"
"I...he...he didn't have much intel, to begin with, he only knew the ruby was important...so...I..."
"You what?" The mage snapped.
"I just brought a fake one to replace it with yours." Eli swallowed. "It's in my dagger."
The mage's face hardened. "How humiliating!" He puffed, letting go of Eli's jaw. "You genuinely believed you could climb up my wall, sneak here without attracting my attention, replace my ruby, and get away with it with your head on your body?" He shook his head.
Takana clicked her tongue. "It's all you're doing, you know." She blamed the mage, shaking her head. "You let them know you're this weak, and they sent this..." She looked at Eli in disapproval, "to fetch it."
Eli ignored the blow. She had to grasp anything to survive. "Nobody knew anything about Ruby." She defended herself. "And I couldn't ask around about a mysterious mage no one has heard of in years." Eli desperately hoped he wouldn't count four.
"They must have believed it then, the glamour...the house..." His voice trails off.
"She fell for it," Takakna said with a hint of pride.
The mage turned Eli again. "Who is that he that you mentioned?"
Eli blinked. "I said?"
"You didn't see their faces, but who did?" His face was pale, etched with anguish. "Come on now, you don't want me to use my magic, do you? Because I will boil the little blood left in you."
Eli started. "No, I didn't..."
"Four!" The mage ordered.
Takana didn't hesitate. She was behind Eli in a second, cracking the whip in the air.
"His name is Malkan..." Eli sobbed before the whip landed on her. Tears came down her face. "And he'll torture me slowly to death if I ever come out of here alive empty-handed." She closed her eyes. She didn't care anymore. It wasn't one of those situations where she could expect other gang members to aid her. Malkan insisted on not telling anybody.
"No need to worry." The mage's voice was calm again. "You wouldn't make it out alive."
Eli looked up. He pressed his lips. "Now, let's finish what Takana started."