For a moment, no one said a word. I had pretty much accused Seelie of stealing the ke’tain, and I braced myself for the fallout.
Bauchan’s eyes took on a predatory gleam right before he turned away from me to look at Korrigan. “This is getting us nowhere. There is only one way to learn what she is hiding from us.”
Faolin stepped forward. “No.”
“It is an acceptable interrogation technique,” Bauchan said casually.
“For enemies,” Faolin argued. He looked at his father. “You cannot permit this.”
My stomach roiled, and I swallowed back the nausea trying to rise. They were talking about torturing me. I took several breaths to ward off the dizziness that threatened.
Korrigan rubbed his jaw. “I do not like it, but it may be our only option. Jesse says she did not intend to steal the ke’tain, but she refuses to tell us why or how she entered the temple. That makes her a potential threat to the ke’tain and to Unseelie.”
Faolin spoke through gritted teeth. “Vaerik will never allow it.”
“I answer to the king,” his father reminded him. “It is my duty to investigate all possible security risks, no matter who is involved.”
Bauchan wore a thin smile. “It is settled then. Let us do this and be done with it.”
A cold sweat broke out all over my body when Korrigan crossed the room to a spot out of my sight. Before I could imagine what kinds of torture devices he was getting, Faolin entered the cell and took my arm to lead me to one of the chairs in the outer room. His grim expression did nothing to ease the fear clawing at my insides.
Korrigan joined us, carrying what looked like medieval manacles made of dark metal. Pea-sized white stones were embedded into the cuffs that were connected by a thick chain. He set them on the table with an ominous clunk. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, taking the chair across from me.
I shook my head, afraid my voice would come out as a squeak.
“This is a dannakin. The metal was forged in drakkan fire and these” – he pointed at the white stones – “are pieces of drakkan bone. It locks around the wrists like shackles, and it forces the wearer to truthfully answer any question they are asked.”
I cleared my throat. “How does it do that?”
Bauchan walked over, one corner of his mouth turned up. “If you lie or refuse to answer the question, the dannakin sends drakkan fire into your body. The longer you hold out, the worse it gets. It doesn’t leave physical damage, but the pain is excruciating. I have seen aged warriors scream and cry while wearing it. Some soiled themselves.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “That’s barbaric.”
Korrigan nodded. “It is. We have not used the dannakin here in many years.”
“But you’re going to use it on me?” I asked weakly.
“That is up to you.” He laid the device on the table. “I will offer you the same choice I have given others who came before you. Speak the truth willingly, or wear the dannakin.”
He didn’t want to use the device on me, I saw that in his eyes. But he would. I couldn’t stop my body from shaking because there was no getting out of this one.
“I wish I could tell you what you want to know, but I can’t.”
I didn’t realize Faolin’s hand was on my shoulder until his fingers flexed. “Father, don’t do this.”
“It is the only way. You may leave if you do not wish to witness it.”
“I will stay,” Faolin bit out. He released my shoulder and moved around the table to where he could see my face. “Answer as honestly as you can, Jesse.”
I refused to look at Bauchan as Korrigan fitted each cuff of the dannakin around my wrists and locked them in place. My breaths were coming in fast, and I was in danger of hyperventilating by the time he finished.
He sat back in his chair with his hands clasped on the table. “Jesse James, how did you get to the island today?”
I unclenched my teeth. “A drakkan flew me there.”
Nothing happened, and he nodded. Since they already knew about Gus, he must have asked that question to test it.
“How did you cloak yourself when you entered the temple?” Bauchan asked.
“I created a glamour,” I answered honestly as Faolin had instructed.
Korrigan stepped in. “How did you create the glamour?”
“I –” My fear mounted, and every muscle in my body tensed. “I can’t tell you that.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the fire to consume me, but none came. Cracking open my eyes, I saw Korrigan’s frown, Bauchan’s scowl, and Faolin’s relief.
“Why is it not working?” Bauchan demanded.
“It is working,” Faolin told him. “She said she can’t tell us how she did it, not that she won’t.”
Korrigan eyed me closely. “Why can’t you tell us?”
I shook my head helplessly.
Bauchan cut in. “Did you go to the temple to steal the ke’tain?”
“No,” I said easily because it was the truth.
His look of surprise when the dannakin didn’t react was followed by a glower. “Then why did you go to the temple?”
“I can’t tell you that either.”
He slapped a hand on the table, making me jump. “This interrogation is a farce. That dannakin does not work.”
“We can test it on you if you’d like,” Faolin said dryly.
Ignoring him, Bauchan fixed me with a calculating look that sent a cold shiver down my spine. “How did you survive the conversion?”
“What does that have to do with this line of questions?” Faolin asked.
“It has everything to do with it,” Bauchan said, not taking his eyes from mine. “No human her age has ever survived the process, and I am not the only one who has wondered what makes her unique. I believe whatever she used in the conversion is helping her now.”
Faolin looked at me, and I could see his mind working as he started to fit the pieces together.
I opened my mouth and knew immediately that Aedhna had not blocked me from talking about my conversion or my goddess stone. There was no way I could tell Queen Anwyn’s head of security about it. If Queen Anwyn learned of my goddess stone, she’d try to take it or use me to get what she wanted.
I closed my mouth and tried to steel myself for the pain, but nothing could have prepared me for what came next.
My fingers twitched as a painful prickling sensation began. It intensified and grew hotter until I had to grit my teeth against the searing pain.
“Answer the question, and it will stop,” Korrigan said.
I shook my head and tried to stand, but I was paralyzed. I could do nothing as the heat raced up my arms and spread through my body, setting my bones on fire. I screamed.
“Answer me,” Bauchan shouted.
There was no end to the agony as the fire filled my chest and threatened to burn my heart to a blackened lump. It consumed my lungs until I couldn’t breathe, and darkness crowded my vision.
Please, make it stop, I begged to the only one who could help me now.
Something light pressed against my chest, and blessed cold poured into me. It wasn’t enough to douse the flames, but it lessened their intensity and let me breathe again. I remembered Aedhna’s touch doing the same during my conversion, and I opened my eyes, expecting to see her there. The only sign of her presence was the weight of her cool hand on me.