Revealed (Unbound, Book 5)

Chapter Nine

It was odd, not having Onyx at my side.

I peered around the exterior at the back of the Manor to spy on the activities in the backyard. The sky was clear blue, but I didn't feel any heat even as a bead of sweat trickled an icy path down my back. As every second I couldn't look away from what was going on passed, it felt as though the chill burrowed deeper into my bones, leaving my entire body frozen with dread.

My vision was edged with a wispy fog even though the sun glared at everything below except for where Devland and Maible stood.

Above them, a cloud rolled in a perfect circle, dark, heavy, and hanging low.

Devland seemed to be in his glory, a small smile settling on his lips as he stood watching Maible with his hands clasped at the small of his back. Maible, unfortunately, seemed to have fully embraced the anger Devland had asked for. It wasn't a spark like I'd seen while go-karting. No, Maible had fully given in. I narrowed my eyes, squinting to see the auras surrounding them, and sucked in a breath when Maible's rage pulsated out of her like heat rising from cement on a hot day. It overshadowed Devland to the point that he no longer had an aura to see. I was surprised that Maible's anger hadn't rubbed off on him when they stood so close together.

Devland took two steps to the left, leaving an empty space between them for me to see further into the backyard.

"Oh, my God," I said, barely whispering for fear that I would somehow be heard.

Through the opening Devland had created, I could see that Maible had another ball of fire in her hand, seemingly created with more ease than before as she appeared in complete control of it. Beyond them, however, in the same spot I had seen a shimmer in the air, was a glass rectangular box set vertically on the ground so that a full-grown person could stand upright. The fact that a man was trapped inside, screaming as he fisted the hair on his temples in obvious pain, unfroze the chill and caused my blood to start pumping too fast.

I wanted to run forward and help, but I couldn't make my feet move.

The fire Maible held evaporated to smoke.

A moment later, the smoke appeared inside the box with the man and his skin became red-tinged, but I didn't see a single flame.

"Enough fire, Maible," Devland said, sounding amused. Stepping closer to the man trapped in the box, he waved a hand in his direction, and the smoke disappeared. "What else do you think you can do?"

"What do you mean? I hurt him," she said.

I watched the redness from the man's skin disappear as though it had never existed. As it went away, I saw the man's shoulders slump. His arms dropped and the pain in his expression was replaced with relief. I couldn't help but wonder if he was blinded somehow, because he never once tried to glance at Devland or Maible.

"There are other ways to get your point across," Devland said to Maible, and I refocused my attention on him. "It doesn't always have to be by causing someone else pain. That's too easy in a lot of situations."

Maible tilted her head to the side to study Devland. "What do you suggest? I thought fire was best because I had an affinity for it, and it is easy for me."

"To start." Devland nodded to the man in the box. "Other than physical pain, though, there are ways to make someone beg to help you. Or, depending on circumstances, ways to ensure that you are able to punish them for a wrong they committed against you so that you are certain they will never try it again."

"I'm not killing anyone."

Devland snorted. "Of course not! You'd never want to do that yourself." Devland waved a hand through the air. "You know the rules. We can't create something from nothing. You were able to transport that fire. Now, what about thoughts?"