Chapter 178: I would rather die than betray my people

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: I would rather die than betray my people

"But..."

"No fighting monsters."

His ears lowered.

"No deciding that because you are eldest, everyone has to follow you into danger."

Kairo frowned.

"What if there is danger?"

"You find Mora."

Mora nodded once.

"Immediately."

Kairo considered this.

Then nodded.

"Yes, Mama."

Swanly touched his hair.

"Good."

Then Nilo.

He was already looking at her.

Quiet.

Watching.

"You."

"I know."

"No disappearing."

His eyes widened.

"I don’t disappear anymore."

"You vanish into corners whenever you want quiet."

"I like corners."

"And Mama likes knowing where her children are."

He thought.

Then nodded.

"I’ll stay where Tilla can see me."

"Thank you."

She kissed his forehead.

Miko immediately shoved forward.

"What about my kiss?"

Swanly kissed him.

Kairo leaned in too.

Apparently dignity had limits.

She kissed all three.

Then pointed between Kairo and Nilo.

"And if your brother starts trying to do something stupid..."

Both immediately pointed at Miko.

"We stop him."

Miko gasped.

"You planned against me!"

Swanly smiled sweetly.

"Yes."

"Mama!"

Tilla burst out laughing.

Swanly finally turned toward her daughters.

That was harder.

Leaving them, even for a short time, made something primitive inside her twist.

She touched each tiny face.

"Stay here."

Kael raised a brow.

"They cannot walk."

"You never know with beast babies."

Tilla snorted.

"Go before you change your mind."

Swanly did.

Barely.

...

Half the settlement had gathered near the old interrogation shelter.

Not inside.

Soren had forbidden unnecessary crowding.

But nobody had forgotten what the Veilkin did.

People wanted answers.

Some wanted blood.

The captured creature knelt in the center.

Its arms were pulled brutally behind its back.

Thick hide ropes bound wrists, elbows, ankles and torso.

Another rope ran around its throat and into Raku’s fist.

Its disguise was almost gone.

One side of its face still resembled a gray wolf beastman.

The other did not.

Smooth gray-black skin.

Wrong cheekbone.

Too-wide mouth.

One yellow eye.

One dark, lidless eye.

Arion stood nearby with several warriors.

Nerin remained farther back.

His silver deer ears were pressed flat.

Thalara watched silently from beside Druun.

Druun hated the prisoner.

That much was obvious.

His enormous fingers flexed every time the Veilkin breathed.

Swanly approached.

Several people immediately noticed.

"Swanly?"

"She should be resting."

"She gave birth yesterday."

Kael growled.

Everyone stopped talking.

Swanly looked at him.

"Useful."

"I know."

Soren was already crouched before the prisoner.

His pale fingers rested against its temple.

The Veilkin smiled.

"You think I will speak?"

Soren’s expression did not change.

"No."

The creature’s smile weakened.

"I do not need your mouth."

Silence.

Soren’s fingers spread.

Silver light flashed faintly beneath his palm.

The Veilkin’s entire body jerked.

Then it screamed.

Not shouted.

Screamed.

Its back arched so hard the ropes creaked.

Soren did not blink.

His mind crashed through the creature’s memories.

Not gently.

Not carefully.

He tore through them.

A forest.

Gone.

A voice.

Gone.

Hands digging through black earth.

Gone.

A symbol carved into bark.

Gone.

Another memory.

Rain.

Blood.

A group of Veilkin crouched beneath roots.

Swipe.

A conversation.

"...Ironwood..."

Soren stopped.

The creature screamed harder.

His claws pressed into its skull.

"Stay there."

He forced the memory open.

A dark forest.

Several figures.

A strip of bark passed between hands.

Words carved into it.

Western wall.

Guard changes.

Water route.

Pregnant snow fox.

Soren’s face went completely still.

Swanly saw it.

"What?"

He did not answer.

He pushed deeper.

Another fragment.

A spotted hyena female.

Brea.

Passing something beneath a stone.

Then darkness.

Not natural darkness.

Blankness.

Soren frowned.

He forced his power farther.

The Veilkin shrieked.

Blood ran from its nose.

Raku tightened the rope.

"Careful."

Soren ignored him.

Another memory flashed.

Stone.

Bars.

A red tail beyond them.

A woman’s voice through a narrow crack.

"...food..."

Swipe.

"...females..."

Swipe.

"...strange weapons..."

Swipe.

"...giant..."

Soren’s eyes widened.

Swanly’s stomach went cold.

Selka.

He pushed harder.

The creature’s head jerked violently.

Its scream became ragged.

Another fragment.

A voice saying:

She has treasures that appear from nowhere.

Then nothing.

Soren searched.

Nothing.

He tore sideways through memory.

Nothing.

Backward.

Nothing.

Forward.

Blank.

Blank.

Blank.

Huge stretches of the creature’s mind had been burned clean.

Soren’s expression changed.

That was impossible.

Memories could be hidden.

Buried.

Distorted by fear.

But this?

Someone had removed them.

Deliberately.

He forced himself through another sealed section.

The Veilkin began convulsing.

A flash.

An underground chamber.

Dozens of them.

A map scratched into stone.

Ironwood above.

Something beneath it.

A circle.

A sealed shape.

Hands pointing downward.

A voice:

Find the buried seal.

Another:

The heart remains below.

Then white emptiness swallowed everything.

Soren snarled.

He ripped his hand away.

The Veilkin collapsed forward, coughing.

Blood dripped from its mouth.

For several seconds nobody spoke.

Swanly stared at Soren.

"What did you see?"

His breathing was slightly heavier.

"Very little."

Raku frowned.

"That sounded like more than very little."

"Most of its useful memories are gone."

Thalara’s central eye sharpened.

"Gone?"

Soren looked toward her.

"Removed."

That changed the air.

Even Druun became still.

Nerin whispered:

"Can someone do that?"

Soren looked down at the prisoner.

"Yes."

His voice became colder.

"But not easily."

Arion’s jaw tightened.

"So they expected capture."

Soren nodded.

"And they expected you," Swanly said.

His eyes met hers.

"Yes."

The creature began laughing.

Quietly at first.

Then louder.

Its shoulders shook.

Blood coated its teeth.

Soren looked down.

The Veilkin slowly lifted its head.

"You looked."

Soren said nothing.

"You tore through everything you could reach."

Its smile widened.

"And found scraps."

Raku pulled the rope tighter.

The creature choked.

Still smiling.

Soren’s face became terrifyingly calm.

The Veilkin stared directly into his silver eyes.

"What?"

It laughed again.

"You thought we were unprepared?"

Silence.

"I would rather die than betray my people."

Soren crouched again.

The creature’s smile remained.

Then Soren spoke quietly.

"You already did."

The smile faltered.

Soren’s eyes turned toward Swanly.

Then toward the settlement.

"Selka."

Every person nearby froze.

Kael’s head snapped up.

Swanly’s blue-gray eyes widened.

Soren looked back at the prisoner.

"You hid your plans."

His voice dropped.

"But you left me the traitor who opened the door for you."

And somewhere across Ironwood, behind thick wooden bars, Selka had absolutely no idea that Soren had just found her name.