Free Under an Onyx Sky (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 4) by Carrigan Richards Page A

that she was on her knees. He flicked his wrist and everyone stood. His thin lips turned upward into a ridiculous smile. He owned them all and knew it. They were all his little puppets.
    He didn’t say a word. Just watched them. Xavier opened another door, and in came the prisoners. Ava hated the way they looked. They were dirty, their clothes ripped and torn. Cuts and welts on their faces. Gabriel walked in, his intense eyes trained on Ava.
    Xavier and a few other Cimmerians shackled the prisoners next to each other. Ava didn’t like where this was headed.
    Xavier motioned for Ava to stand near him. She obeyed, and he turned her body so that she was behind Gabriel. Her stomach tightened as she stared at his backside. Xavier ripped off Gabriel’s shirt, revealing a smooth back with a curvature that Ava had once lovingly traced as he kissed her.
    “You’re going to create a whip with your water and strike his back.”
    “I’ve never done that before.”
    Xavier’s eyes sliced into her as if she had said the wrong answer. She had embarrassed him in front of Havok. He moved closer to her. “You’re going to do this.”
    “Okay.” She acted a little scared for his benefit.
    Gabriel bowed his head as if he knew what was coming to him.
    Water trickled down Ava’s arm in a stream.
    “Finally let him take you over I see,” Gabriel said with a taut voice.
    Xavier moved liked he was about to strike Gabriel, but Ava quickly said, “That won’t be necessary.” Feeling all eyes on her, she told them grimly, “I can shut him up myself.”
    Xavier raised his eyebrows. “Let’s see it. Ten lashes will do it. For now.”
    Her eyes moved to his back. The smooth contours looked beautiful in the light, but she was about to ruin it. She closed her eyes for a second. She had to do this. “I’ve…never actually used a whip before,” she confessed.
    “It isn’t hard,” Anais snapped.
    “It’s easy,” Xavier said. “Hold it behind you and bring it forward and up.”
    She was stalling but couldn’t much longer. She wished Gabriel could read her mind. She wanted to apologize, but never held the thought.
    Ava held the water-whip behind her and brought it up and over, cutting Gabriel’s skin. She jumped at the loud cracking sound. Blood oozed out slowly from each lashing as Gabriel let out a guttural sound.
    She whipped him six more times, and hated herself more each time.
    As she struck Gabriel’s back, she felt dizzy watching his blood seep out through each mark she left. Just when she thought she would faint, the strangest thing happened. She stepped outside her body and watched herself or someone else strike Gabriel. But when she turned toward the whipper, she saw her mother with a cunning smile.
    Ava shook her head, and she was back inside her body.
    “Are you just gonna stand there?” Xavier asked. “You still have three more.”
    “Sorry. I—.” She shook her head again and whipped Gabriel three more times. The strikes weren’t as deep as the others were, but she was ready to be done.
    Afterward, they pulled Gabriel from the shackles and took him away. Next up was Moira. Ava moved to the back of the room, hoping she didn’t show any emotion on her face. But she couldn’t help but think of whatever that was before. Had she had another vision? Why did she keep having them?
    When all of the prisoners were put away, Havok moved to the center of the room. The fluorescent lights cast shadows on his face, as if he needed that extra eeriness. “I am pleased with what I have seen,” he said. “Tonight, the army is preparing for the massacre of Tokyo. I will be joining them, but I hope soon that I will no longer be needed. As for the rest of you, rest.”
    Havok dismissed everyone and they headed for the exit like kids racing to their cars after the last bell rang for school.
    Ava bit her lip. Tokyo? Were they going to kill the entire city? Was this what she and the others were preparing for with all the