Path Of The Broken

23. Perverted Bonds-3

The bound and gagged man stumbled as Alex hauled him back with the rope crafted from power tied around his neck and waist, his lips curled back.

Not too far ahead, little man, we’re nearly where we need to be. If you don’t behave, I might leave you here.

Alex had no patience for the quivering wreck of a man who only hours before had been tormenting a Sundered One. Alex didn’t pause to assess his own anger at that. He himself killed the Sundered easily enough; they were monsters. They had tormented and haunted his dreams as a child. Yet somehow, that scene in the clearing of the forest in the middle of nowhere had shaken him. He may have killed plenty of the Sundered, yet he didn’t torment and torture them—they were tortured enough. After securing the man, he had ransacked the camp. He’d found a leather bag filled with familiar brown bottles, the same type of container that Daniel had been given to poison them all.

Eyes narrowing, he realised that there was definitely more going on than the Order trying to kidnap a prince and his friends. The reaction of the Sundered One—he had been almost normal for a brief time, he’d known Alex was there. Instead of attacking straight away, he’d begged for death. Then in pain, trembling, he’d taken the drug. After that his mind had closed off, and he’d become the killer Alex had expected, that he was used to encountering. Alex had no regret for granting his request.

The snivelling companion, however, he was another matter entirely. Alex had been about to kill him when he’d remembered that the man wasn’t Tainted. He had access to power, yet not like Alex’s own. This had given him pause. The feel of the man's ability was familiar. It was triggering a memory, yet it took Alex some time, finding the brown bottles to remember. The power was the same that he’d sensed from Aaron. His failed attempt to reach into Alex’s mind had solidified his course of action.

Shifting into the veiled paths, he hauled his captive along the to the palace, covering the distance with remarkable speed. Pausing, Alex was glad to see his brother alone in his room.

Not giving any thought to how William would react, Alex, dragging his prisoner, appeared in his brother’s room.

William stiffened, dropping his coffee mug as he spun to face him, swearing.

“Damn it, Alex, you startled me.” William’s eyes tracked the cowering man behind Alex, who got as far away from Alex as his bindings would let him. William looked at Alex, his eyebrow raising as he stooped to pick up the mug he’d dropped.

“Sorry, William. I need Aaron to look at this filth. He’s not Tainted, but he was controlling one of the Sundered, like what Alyssa tried to do with Kyle.”

Alex dumped the leather bag filled with what he suspected was the toxin on his brother’s couch. His anger simmered below the surface as William went to the door and requested Aaron be summoned immediately. Turning back, William refilled his mug from the flask of coffee on the side bench.

“Coffee, Alex?”

Alex shook his head, and contented himself with glowering at his captive. It didn’t take long for Aaron to arrive—it never took anyone long to come when summoned to attend to a member of the royal family. Aaron entered the room, then froze when he saw Alex and the bound man cowering behind him. His eyes wide, he looked at William.

“Your Highness?”

“Alex needs your assistance with his prisoner. He apparently did to one of the Sundered what Alyssa tried to do to Kyle.”

William nodded his head towards the gagged, trembling man. Aaron turned to look at the man, his interest spiked. Any sympathetic feeling for the man he’d initially had died with William’s explanation. Alex smiled as he recognised the change in attitude in the healer.

“I believe that one isn’t Tainted, but someone with the healer’s gift.”

Alex positioned himself behind his captive, hauling him to his feet, restraining him as the healer walked towards them. Aaron used his own power and shut down the man as he tried to speak mind to mind with the healer.

Enough, I don’t need to listen to your lies to find out the truth.

Aaron placed his hands on the temples of the sobbing man, his eyes drilling into him. While Alex knew that Aaron was exerting power, he still couldn’t quite follow what he was doing. Yet there was no doubt that it was effective. They stood, eyes locked for long enough that Alex traded glances with William. He was about to intervene when his prisoner slumped into unconsciousness. Alex let him fall unceremoniously to the floor in a crumpled heap.

“I’ll take charge of him if you don’t mind, Alex.”

The healer held up his hand as Alex’s eyes narrowed to forestall the objection that he knew was coming, not that it worked.

“Well, Aaron, am I right?”

“Yes, Alex, your assessment is correct. He was a healer.” The healer’s face dropped. “Unlike Alyssa, he was formally trained by the Healers’ Guild. I need to investigate this. It should not have been able to happen.”

Alex looked at Aaron, trying to decide whether he trusted the healer. His instinct was to kill his enemy now that he’d learned that the man was a member of the Healers’ Guild. Pushing down his anger, he tried to approach it logically. If Aaron had meant him harm or to kill him, then the healer had had plenty of opportunity over the years. Aaron could likely extract more information from the corrupted healer than Alex could. If he tried, the man's mind would probably melt. Alex closed his eyes, battling with his own instinct.

“All right, Aaron. I trust you. Find out every detail from him.”

“I will, Alex.” Aaron’s lips compressed, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the captive.

William stepped forward, glancing from Alex to Aaron, then to the unconscious man on his floor, apparently concerned.

“If the Healers’ Guild is involved somehow, if its members are being subverted… We need to know. Do not let your guild know anything until we get to the bottom of this, Aaron. The Fourth’s Elite will assist you to get him to a cell and keep guard over him.” The command in William’s voice was unmistakable.

Aaron opened his mouth, then closed it again. Frowning, he nodded.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You think I'm harsh. People are dying, Aaron. The rise in the number of Sundered, the viciousness of them, hasn’t made any sense. If the Healers’ Guild is involved in this, we need to know what they are doing.”

Aaron nodded assent, bowing to William, acknowledging the order even though it was clear that he was not happy with the situation. The Healers’ Guild took steps to ensure the compliance of its members to the Guild’s orders, yet clearly someone had found a way around them. He had a duty to tell the Guild. Yet being assigned the primary responsibility to members of the royal family, he also had a sworn duty to them.

Even with just the brief insight into the broken healer’s mind, he knew that the Guild—or at least someone of high ranking—was involved, and that there were likely more healers involved than one; there would have to be to have accomplished this. Their guild instilled compulsions, yet their controls had somehow been broken. Until he knew more, he could not trust that the Guild Masters themselves or at least one of them were not involved.

Alex crossed the room and picked up a leather satchel from the couch and handed it to him. Aaron undid the buckle to look inside. Seeing unmarked brown bottles inside, he glanced up at Alex.

“That’s what they are using, on the Sundered Ones. I saw him give some to the Sundered he controlled as well.”

Alex was careful not to look at the man on the floor. He knew that he would be tempted to kill him. The rational part of his mind knew that the current plan would give more information as to what was going on. That was the most important thing right now. Alex felt like he was drowning. Something was wrong. He just didn’t have all the pieces. The rise of the Sundered, the Order, corrupted members of the Healers’ Guild—it was all forming a picture that he didn’t like.

Still, he didn’t want to run off and kill members of the Healers’ Guild randomly in the act of retribution. The healers could have just been targeted individually, or there might be someone in their own guild selling them out. If that was the case, it was likely they were high-ranking. Alex needed to know who it was. Then he would track them down and kill them. Alex drew his attention back to the healer when Aaron spoke.

“How are you, Alex?”

“I’m… getting used to this. The surges in power drilling into me, extremes in emotions, blackouts. Yet I’m not losing as much time as I was in the start. You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Alex shrugged, laughing. “I don’t know what I’m capable of.”

William walked forward and pulled him into a hug before stepping back.

“Stay safe, Alex, and come back when you feel you can. The Fourth’s Compound is still operational. Or use my rooms, you know when I’m likely to be here.” William frowned, catching Alex’s arm before he disappeared. “Try to come back a little more regularly, even if it’s just to sit and talk. Father is worried, and I can at least assure him that I’ve seen and talked with you.”

Alex looked at William. Feeling guilty, he nodded. Somehow his big brother always knew how to get to him.