The Gathering of Masters: The Bond Once Severed Book 1

5. Punishment

"You have returned to me." 

The Queen did not have to speak loudly. Her foremothers had designed the room well. Anything louder than a whisper would carry her words to all present in the hall. When Lukas' face darkened, she almost regretted not allowing his damning response. His hate and venom would make her future success so much sweeter. "But you have been bad."

Anticipation of the pain she would cause filled her, and the Queen drew back the hand that had caressed his cheek. She slapped his perfect face with all the force she could put into that hand without truly harming her prey. She allowed the Controller to let Lukas stumble slightly at her strength. The Court must know how weak he had become. An ugly red welt bloomed on his pale skin that his short white hair could not cover. The visible mark pleased the Queen, though she preferred his hair longer.

"For this, you must be punished." Her point made, she stepped back and glared at her Court. It was time to pretend to care about these sycophants who dared not meet her gaze.

"How should we punish this errant servant?" Her question brought the Court to life. Cries for his death warred with those who demanded torture. Though the Queen understood the fears of those who wanted him dead, she aligned more with those who would mold him as a tool. In the years she had held him at her side, the Queendom had expanded its territory two-fold. Since he had left, they had gained only small footholds on the edges of the already conquered lands and had even lost some small villages to Lukas' People. The choice remained clear to the Queen, but she allowed her Court to argue for a few minutes before raising her hand, bringing the room again to silence.

"You have been heard, but we will not waste this opportunity. We will break him and, once again, make him our tool." Her Watchers would take note of the Court members who disagreed with her decision. Hearing opposing opinions might have been necessary for any ruler, but all must obey and voice agreement once she made her decision. Once they gauged the level of their discontent, some dissenters would be reminded of her authority. The rest would die.

"Yet, he cannot go unpunished." She brought up her hand again and waved another figure forward. "And you all deserve to witness our justice. Many of you have suffered because of him and his sad rebellion."

Around her, she heard the satisfied clamor of the Court. Their murmurs rose to cheers as Masou, her current Punisher, walked forward. The robes Masou wore were reminiscent of those worn by the Fire Temple priests, using the exact shades of yellow and red, but were cut more in line with the other Mind Masters' practical clothing. This conceit reminded the Court of his ties to Fire. He had abandoned the priesthood upon discovering his Mind Magic's strength, but he still maintained the bond. She allowed it, as it was helpful, primarily when she could not rely on the Fire Superior to lend her full support.

"Remember," she whispered to him as he passed. "Cause him pain, cause him to scream and writhe but do not cause him any lasting damage. If you do, I will kill you." The handsome man bowed to her, his controlled expression reminding her why he remained one of her favorites. It would be a shame to kill him, but she would if he failed her. The other Masters in the room would monitor him tightly; he would have to temper his powers.

Masou called up the illusion of Fire. He often called on it when he had an audience for his tortures. Creating this illusion took more power but was also more dramatic. Masou's flair for the dramatic continued the Queen's interest in this Punisher for far longer than usual.

The flame surrounded Lukas, who was held upright and rigid by her Controller. Bishop would release his control only upon her command. And she would time this release to achieve maximum impact.

She could feel the Punisher's strength pushing pain through Lukas and knew it took longer than anticipated by her Court for her prisoner to show his distress. Her Court grew restless, but she waited until she sensed their interest in the torture waning before she motioned for the Controller to release Lukas' body but not his voice. Lukas' sudden collapse shocked the Court out of its discontent, as did his silent writhing. It wasn't until she saw his mouth open in an attempt to scream that she knew they had overcome his self-control. At that moment, she signaled for his voice to be released. His screams filled the hall and continued for far longer than made the Court comfortable. The Queen smiled at her Court's discomfort; this was a reminder of what could happen to any of them if they displeased her.