The Shadows That Dwell Within (The Warrior Queens book #1) (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 21 - Rosaline

Rosaline shook her head, unable to comprehend his words. It was as if he wasn't speaking in Concordian.

"Why Adelaide?" she said.

"My mum seemed to think Adelaide knew where the caveam was"

"What's a caveam?" Rosaline asked.

"A box which is used to hold the ingredients that is needed in order to summon a demon" Raymond answered.

"What would Addie be doing with that?" Rosaline said. "Did Erebus have anything to do with this?"

"I don't know"

"He did have something to do with it" Rosaline said "I knew it".

"I told you I don't know anything" Kiyan shouted.

Maxwell came forward with a Taser and jabbed Kiyan in the back. Rosaline cringed as he jumped and gave out a yelp of pain.

"Maxwell you can't" Rosaline protested.

"She's right. There's no need for that" Raymond said.

Maxwell narrowed his eyes.

"We need to get the truth out of him one way or another" he said. "Don't you want to know what happened to Adelaide while she was away? I highly doubt it was a tea and scone party".

Rosaline's mouth went dry. If those camps were real then hundreds of people had suffered for years with no aid, no relief, no savoir. She shivered at the thought. And Adelaide had seen it all? They had to know the truth. They had to. And trying to coax an answer out with words wasn't working.

"Go on" Rosaline said. "Get some answers out of him".

Maxwell jabbed Kiyan again, this time he held the Taser on Kiyan for longer. Kiyan howled, crashed into the table and rolled over it. He landed on floor with a thud. Maxwell pounced over to him and kicked him. Rosaline tried so hard not to wince.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Maxwell said, enunciating every word with another kick.

Kiyan's hands were tied behind his back, he could do nothing but take the beating. It felt wrong somehow. Even if he was a criminal. Still Rosaline did nothing as Maxwell threw Kiyan against the wall and began slamming his head against the floor.

Victoria walked through the room and her expression changed from deeply worried to horrified disbelief.

"What are you doing? Get away from the suspect" Victoria shrieked.

Maxwell stepped away from Kiyan who lay on the floor breathing heavily.

"I was trying to get the truth" Maxwell said.

"That is not how we do things in the AIA" Victoria said, her face set into a scowl, her hands on her hips. "We don't torture people into a confession. Now you've jeopardised the whole mission".

Victoria turned to Rosaline.

"Why didn't you stop him?" she cried.

"I did it for Addie" Rosaline protested. "We don't know what Adelaide has been through. She might not even wake up. The state she's in now – his people did that to her. How many more people are suffering right now as we speak?"

Victoria looked taken aback.

"Take him through to the engine room. No one talks to him until we reach HQ" Victoria finally said.

A week or so later, Adelaide was recovering in hospital. It was the first time Rosaline and Victoria were allowed to see her and they would have to ask her about the camp and about Kiyan. Kiyan who had been put in an isolation jail and no one was allowed to question him or charge him because he could claim he was tortured into a confession. Everyone had to wait for what Adelaide would have to say.