Naura smiled and patted Abbie’s hand. “We have a water source near the bathhouse. I will take you there when you are well enough to walk.”
“I would like that.” Abbie couldn’t imagine a fresh water source in a cave five hundred feet below the surface of the gulf.
“Can you tell me when Hauke is supposed to be back?”
Naura lowered the cracker she was about to bite into. “I do not know for certain when he will return. He is being punished.”
Abbie’s stomach dropped, and her heart began to pound in dread. “Punished for what?”
“For disobeying the king and…” Naura paused.
“And for bringing me here,” Abbie finished for her.
“I do not know the extent of what he is being punished for. I only know— ”
“What did they do to him?” Abbie interrupted.
“Bracadyte law is very strict, my sister.”
“Damn it, Naura. Tell me.”
“The strap is used in cases such as this one. They gave him one lash for every day he did not return to Aukrabah. And twelve more for bringing a human into their midst,” Naura whispered, tears swimming in her jade-green eyes. “He has one lashing left before he is released.”
“What?” Abbie jumped from the bed so fast her head spun, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered except finding Hauke and killing whoever had harmed him. “Take me to him at once.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Hauke lay on his stomach, listening to the sounds of footfalls moving closer to his cell.
“Maulkryth, open the door.” His mother’s voice, gentle yet firm, had a commanding tone that brooked no argument.
“But the king gave me specific orders not to allow anyone inside. Not even the queen, Your Majesty.”
Hauke didn’t need to see Maulkryth’s expression to know the guard feared the king. He could hear it in the way the guard’s voice shook. Of course, Laurel’s intimidating form no doubt added to his anxiety.
“If you value your head, you will open this door at once,” Laurel softly threatened, “or I will have it removed from your shoulders immediately upon my departure.”
“At once, my lady.” Maulkryth jumped to do her bidding, the sound of his keys clanking together echoing off the dungeon walls as he ran.
The door swung open, and Hauke’s mother rushed inside. “I would like some privacy with my son, Maulkryth. You may wait outside.”
Hauke would have laughed if his back wouldn’t have screamed in protest. The dozen fresh lashes he’d received that morning would take days to heal at the rate they were going. He needed blood to replenish himself and food to regain his strength.
“Hello, Mother,” he mumbled as she moved to stand in front of him.
“I cannot bear to see you hanging there in this painful position. Why do you push your father to such great lengths, my son? It pains him to punish you in this fashion.”
“Not as much as if pains me,” he rasped, the corner of his mouth slightly lifting.
“Do not joke, Hauke. This is not a laughing matter.”
He knew all too well the situation lacked humor. His mate lay ill in his bed while he stood in a cell, his arms stretched across a beam and his back on fire from the lashes he’d been forced to take every morning for the past three moons. “How is Abbie?”
“Zaureth has been to see her. He reports that she is awake and mending quite well.”
“And the babe?”
“The child has not been harmed by the sickness.”
Relief poured through him at her words. Abbie and his son had survived the virus. His shoulders relaxed for the first time since his punishment had begun.
“Mother?”
Tears sparkled in her eyes as she stepped closer, lifting her hand to touch his face. “Yes, my son?”
“I love Abbie more than my own life. I refuse to live without her. If father insists on sending her away, know that I will go with her.”
She stared at him for a long moment before taking a deep breath and blinking back her unshed tears. “I will not allow him to send her away. But you must understand that she can never leave here. If she is spared, she will not be permitted to return to the surface.”
“I understand.”
“Your father does what he thinks is best for Aukrabah, fili mi. He takes no pleasure in your punishment. He cannot show favoritism amongst his people…not even with his own flesh and blood.”
“Keep Abbie away from the dungeons, Mother. I do not wish her to see me like this.”
Leaning in, she kissed his chin and took a step back. “I will do what I can, but I must first speak with your father. Stay strong, my son. It is soon to be over.”
Hauke stood completely still as she left the cell. He waited until her footsteps faded and the dungeon door clicked behind her before allowing his head to drop forward.
The sound of Maulkryth closing and locking his cell door did little to appease Hauke’s apprehension.
If Abbie was made aware of the punishment he’d been subjected to, she might do something drastic, drawing unwanted attention to herself. And Hauke would kill anyone who dared to touch her.
“Would you like a drink, my lord?”
Hauke stared down at the drops of blood on the floor near his feet, clenching and unclenching his jaw to fight the pain throbbing in his back.
“Thank you, Maulkryth,” he rumbled, hating the weakness of his own voice.
The sound of pouring water could be heard from behind him before Maulkryth unlocked the cell and stepped inside.
“Drink it slowly.” The guard tipped the cup to Hauke’s lips, pulling back before he could choke.
“To my knowledge, you are the only one, save for your brother, that did not cry out from the strap after numerous lashes.”
Hauke raised his gaze to Maulkryth’s huge eyes. “Vaulcron never mentioned a punishment to me. I would have known had father held court over it. What was his crime?”
Maulkryth dropped his gaze. “He took the punishment meant for me upon your escape, my lord.”
Guilt assailed Hauke. He should have known there would be repercussions for his actions, no matter how pure his intentions.
His brother had not only helped him escape, but he’d also taken the strap meant for Maulkryth.
“I wish to see him,” Hauke rasped. “Send him to me.”
* * * *
“Another report similar to the ones in Destin has come in, sir. This one from Alabama.”
Reuben nodded toward the chair situated in front of his desk. “How in the hell has it reached Alabama? Only one patient escaped from that lab. Are you sure it’s the same virus?”
Doug Jefferies glanced down at the paper he held before once again meeting Reuben’s gaze. “Rabid behavior, fever, sores, foaming at the mouth, dementia— ”
“Okay, I get it,” Reuben barked, effectively cutting him off. “What has been done to contain it?”
“The patient has been quarantined, and the CDC will arrive in the morning to make an official statement.”
“Have they been briefed on how much information we want shared with the press?”
Jefferies nodded. “Of course. They will simply announce that we have recently discovered a bacterial virus in the state of Florida, that may have traveled as far as Georgia and Alabama.”
“I would hope the CDC understands to use discretion in this, but one never knows with them. They have their own agenda, that’s for certain. If not for them, this virus would not have mutated into a damn zombie apocalypse.”
“Zombies would be easier to handle,” Doug pointed out. “They’re already dead and move at a snail’s pace, whereas the ones infected with this particular strain of bacteria seem to be rabid, psychotic monsters on speed.”
“Damn it, Jefferies, we have got to get this under control. God knows how many people have been exposed from that one test subject who escaped Winchester Industries. The election be damned! I have a family to think about—two beautiful
daughters in college and well on their way to being successful. I swear to you, I will nuke the entire southern hemisphere before I allow my children to be at risk for the CDC’s screw-up.”
“At least we have one thing in our favor,” Jefferies murmured in a low voice.
“What’s that?
“The virus is bacterial and not airborne.”
“Yet,” Reuben, corrected, picking up his phone to have his next appointment canceled. “Not yet.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Abbie followed closely behind Naura, down a hall wide enough a car could pass through without touching the sides. “How much farther.”
“Not long now. Are you well enough to continue on? I could carry you, if necessary.”
“I’ll be fine. Are you sure Hauke is going to be okay? I still can’t feel him.”
With pity swimming in her eyes, Naura glanced down at Abbie from her greater height. “You must prepare yourself for what is to come.”
Abbie’s heart kicked up a beat. “What does that mean?”
“He has been slashed every day for three moons and has not had time to heal. It will not be a sight that you will soon forget.”
Anger quickly began to replace Abbie’s fear. “How could his own father do that to him? It’s barbaric.”
Naura continued moving forward, her gaze straight ahead. “Our father is the king. He puts Aukrabah’s needs ahead of his own. All Bracadytes are regarded equally when it comes to the laws.”
“Then the laws need to be changed. Hauke didn’t murder anyone, Naura. He came back to help me, his mate and the mother of his unborn child. Surely the king could have taken that into consideration.”
“I cannot speak for my father,” Naura muttered in a low voice. “I can only tell you that I agree with you in this. Had it been my mother running for her life, I have no doubt the king would have braved the surface to rescue her.”
They arrived at a set of uneven steps leading down to a door nestled at the bottom of a dimly lit cavern.
“You must not alert anyone of our presence,” Naura insisted, descending the steps with Abbie right on her heels.
“There should be no more than one guard in the dungeon with Hauke, and he has expressed an interest in me. I do not foresee a problem with him. If he refuses our request to see my brother, do not attempt to fight him. It will not bode well for either of us.”
Abbie nodded, placing her hand in the center of Naura’s shoulder as a signal to move forward. “I got it. Just please hurry.”
Naura pushed the heavy wooden door open, and the two of them stepped inside.
The chamber was filled with various weapons. Spears, knives, and whips hung along the walls from hooks that were fashioned from what appeared to be steel. A toilet of sorts, similar to the one in Hauke’s bedroom, rested in an alcove in the corner.
Several questions sprang to Abbie’s mind, but they could wait. Hauke was her main concern at the moment. And no matter what his sister said, if the guard refused to let them in to see him, he would have a fight on his hands.
“Naura?” The guard jumped from his position on a stone bench. “Why have you come?”
Abbie’s gaze immediately scanned the cells in the room until she spotted Hauke.
Naura continued speaking with the guard, but Abbie was no longer listening. The love of her life, her mate, stood with his back to her, his arms spread wide along a wooden beam and cuffed to it by his wrists.
A cry wrenched from her at the sight of his back. Dried blood outlined dozens of crisscrossed slashes running from his shoulders to his hips.
“Hauke?” She sobbed, running toward his small prison. “Hauke, baby, it’s me.”
His head slowly lifted, but the beam prevented him from turning toward her.
“Abbie,” he rasped, pulling on his bonds. “My mate…”
“She cannot be in here,” Maulkryth insisted, pushing past Naura to get to Abbie. “The king has threatened to punish me in the same fashion as Hauke if I allow the human inside his cell.”
Naura quickly jumped in his path. “What harm can she do? She is merely a tiny human female. It will not hurt anything for her to see to her mate.”
Maulkryth shook his head, panic seeping from his pores. He shifted his gaze between the two females, his hand going to the knife at his side. “I will not go against the king’s wishes on this one, Naura. He will have my head.”
Abbie took advantage of his attention on Hauke’s sister and snatched the key hanging from his belt.
All hell suddenly broke loose. Maulkryth swung his arm in a wide arc, barely missing Abbie’s chin. She raced to the door and frantically unlocked it as Naura instantly sprang onto Maulkryth’s unsuspecting back.
Hauke’s rage became suffocating, seeping into Abbie with a force that took her breath. “Maulkryth, he snarled, struggling against his bonds. “I will kill you.”
Naura landed on her back on the stone floor as Abbie jerked the cell door open and rushed inside.
An arm came around her from behind, lifting her off her feet. “Put me down, you Neanderthal!” Abbie shouted, lifting her arms and raking her nails down the guard’s face.
A hiss burst from his lips, and Maulkryth tossed her through the open cell door to land in a heap against the bench he’d recently vacated. He ran after her.
The straps holding Hauke’s wrists instantly snapped like paper, releasing him from his prison. He shot out of his cell and slammed into the guard with the power of a truck.
Blood sprayed through the air with the first connection of Hauke’s fist on Maulkryth’s nose.
Straddling him, Hauke slammed his knuckles against his face repeatedly until Maulkryth stopped resisting, his arms went limp, and his head lolled to the side. Still, Hauke beat him.
“Stop, brother. You are killing him,” Naura pleaded, attempting to latch onto Hauke’s powerfully swinging arm.
More blood sprayed across Abbie’s chest as she crawled toward her mate in desperation. If she didn’t do something quick and the guard died, Hauke would face something far worse than the strap. “Hauke? Help me.”
Hauke jerked back as if slapped, his eyes wild and unseeing. He seemed to look right through her.
She tried again. “I need you right now, my mate. Please.”
He blinked several times as if clearing his vision and pushed away from the guard’s unconscious form.
“Abbie?” he breathed, scrambling toward her. “Are you injured? Please tell me that you are not hurt.” His hands began running up and down her arms, checking her for injuries.
“I am not hurt, but you are. Oh God, what have they done to you?”
“It is not as bad as it looks,” he assured her, dropping his hand to the floor to keep from falling over.
“Like hell it’s not. You can barely hold yourself up.” She peered up at Hauke’s sister. “Help me get him back to the room.”
“But father will— ”
“I don’t give a shit what the king will do. I’m taking my mate out of this place. He needs a healer, not excuses for his father.”
“You think my actions need to be excused?” the king asked, stepping into the room.
Abbie slowly got to her feet, thankful the dizziness wasn’t present.
Hauke’s father had to be the most intimidating man she’d ever seen, from his regal stance to his piercing jade-green eyes.
His black hair rested freely over his shoulders to flow down the sides of the long gray cloak he wore.
Hauke’s mother stood at his side, beautiful and serene with her hands folded in front of her. The dress she wore looked to be made from the same type of sharkskin her daughter dressed in.
Abbie faced the king. “I think your actions are irresponsible and cruel. If you want to punish someone, then punish me, for I am the reason your son broke the law to begin with.”
“Abbie…” Hauke began as he staggered to his feet.
The king held up his hand for silence and slowl
y closed the distance between Hauke’s mate and himself. His gaze flicked to Maulkryth on the floor before settling on Hauke. “Are you responsible for this?”
“I am,” Hauke shot back without flinching. “He put his hands on my mate. He deserves to die.”
Hauke’s father turned his attention to Abbie. “Are you harmed?”
Naura stepped up. “He threw her against the wall across the room. She is with child.”
“I believe I was speaking to the human female,” the king persisted, pinning Abbie with an intimidating look.
“Although it hurt like hell and could have caused more damage than it did, I walked away with a skinned knee and elbow. As for him?” She nodded toward the guard. “He deserved what he got, and if the roles had been reversed, I would have done the same thing if not something worse.”
The booming laughter that burst from the king startled Abbie. She could only stare as he continued to chuckle for several seconds.
“You have a fire inside you that I have not seen in many moons. You will give me a fine grandson.”
He extended his arm, a smile still playing on his lips. “I am Klause, and the beauty standing near the door is Hauke’s mother, Laurel.”
Abbie accepted his outstretched hand. “My name is Abbigail Sutherland, but most call me Abbie.”
Laurel strode over and wrapped Abbie in a hug. “How fares the child?”
“According to your healer, he is healthy and strong.” Pulling back, Abbie took hold of Hauke’s hand. “I would love to get to know both of you, but my mate is in pain. I request permission to take him to our room where the healer can see to him.”
Klause laid a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder. “You know that I had no choice in punishing you, fili mi. It pained me greatly, but the law applies to all in Aukrabah. That includes my own flesh and blood.”
“I understand, Father.”
“Well, I don’t,” Abbie snapped. “It’s Stone Age and inhumane. But now is not the time to debate about it. I need to get Hauke back to our room and have his wounds tended to.”
“Very well,” Klause conceded. “I will release him to your care. When you are ready, come see me and we will discuss our barbaric laws.”
Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) Page 19