Gaining access to The Hallowed Head proved to be much harder than I appreciated. Osher, the owner of the public house and Doron's equivalent, really didn't like Fenn. My wolf would need to do more than 'pull some strings' to get us in. He'd severely underplayed the level of resentment the incubus had for him. However, the more I heard about the heartbreak and sibling rivalry Abroðen had caused between the man's daughters, the less I could hold Osher's resistance against him. Two love-struck succubi, especially sisters who'd dared commit the cardinal sin of losing their hearts, were not pleasant to deal with.
Osher hadn't yet forgiven Fenn for the unrest he'd caused and, as much as we needed to speak to Ronen, I could appreciate that. I would've been just as irate as him if one of my daughters had tried to poison the other one. That's why, three days after our trip to The Maiden's Arms, we were still no further forward. Nor was Gunner, for that matter. Accessing BritVaC's databases hadn't uncovered anything useful, although he'd found a number of folders with additional encryption and protection which he was trying to unravel in the hope they might give us something useful. It was frustrating and I felt helpless.
My mood wasn't helped by my in depth knowledge of what Osgar was capable of. Every hour Will was left with him, was an hour of hell he'd be forced to endure. If he'd been any other member of the cohort, I would've tried to focus on his emotions. I would've tried to follow them, maybe. Only I couldn't do that, not with Will. The very shielding ability that had often made him so useful to me, also made it impossible for me to sense him.
That there was nothing I could do was driving me to distraction. A state which was made worse as Conn grew ever more frustrated with our lack of progress. If I'd ever doubted how much he cared about Will, he more than proved himself as the days ticked over without news and without achieving anything which could help us retrieve him. Conn's emotions were as fraught as mine, more so, even.
Leof's anxiety wasn't helped by his nightmares, which had gotten worse again during the days since Will's capture. I suspected the possibility of Will's murder was playing on his mind. It was certainly playing on mine, and thanks to that, his condemnation to Valhalla was becoming an increasing concern. If Osgar killed Will, how in Hel's name would I get him back?
That was a question I hoped I'd never have to answer. Not that Will wasn't destined to suffer either way. That became ever more evident at midnight on the fourth day after his disappearance. I was helping carry sleeping children from the bonfire to their tent when my phone buzzed, telling me I had an email. The vibration immediately set my nerves on edge and I left checking my messages just long enough to pass the boy in my arms to his father.
It's started. He's torturing him. I'm about to show Conn, but I thought you'd appreciate the heads up. – G
Gunner's message caused my heart to sink into my stomach and dread to slide down my spine. There was a link as well, which I assumed would lead to a video. Not that I wanted to click the link, even though I knew I'd have to.
Fenn must have noticed my expression fall. My wolf glanced at me in concern, his brows pinched low over his anxious green eyes as he asked, "What's happened?"
The only way to control my rising panic was to bite my lip hard enough to make it bleed before admitting, "Video of Will from Gunner, I think."
He passed the girl he'd been carrying to her mother. "Come on, we'll go up to the farmhouse, the internet connection up there is more consistent than our reception."
Nodding, I followed him up to the building where the wolves' modern conveniences were located. Once one of the packs' battered laptops booted up, I reluctantly clicked the link Gunner had sent me and opened up the video, dreading what Osgar had decided to film. I didn't want to see. I didn't want to have my fears confirmed. But nor could I ignore Will's suffering. He deserved more than that from me.
