CHAPTER 10
LOOSED
I GRUNTED, SUCKING IN THE EXCRUCIATING PAIN of hot water splashing the incisions deep in my skin. My hands were shackled to the ceiling, my wedding dress tattered. I feared that I’d soon lose too much blood. Tess ripped the blade across my forearm, and I held in the scream that rose in my throat.
“I like to save the face for last. After all, there’s nothing like a little suspense,” Tess said. I flinched as she peeled more of my flesh off my arm. Naamah watched from her throne seated beside Lilith, Agrat Bat Mahalat, and Eiseth Zenuimim.
“Hold still!” Tess said as I squirmed. She started to remove another patch of skin. A shape shifter played a flute for them, while another brought food to Tess and the other witches who sat laughing.
“All the way to the bone, I'll sev
