The Book of Torture
Rain, a cold, persistent mist, clung to everything in Seattle. You, Aislinn Cain, fresh out of the hospital with a black eye, a chipped tooth, and a recovering dislocated shoulder, sat on your couch. Your small studio apartment, recently cleaned of the grim evidence of your latest violent encounter, felt too small.
In your kitchen, your cousin and best friend, Nyleena, fusses, cleaning with nervous energy. Two men, US Marshals Lucas McMichaels and Xavier Reece, sit in your living room. You vaguely remember them from the hospital.
They aren't here to question you about the serial rapist you just neutralized. They're here because of your expertise. An expert on historic torture. Because they've found something horrifying. Something that looks exactly like the illustrations from a rare, banned book you own. A serial killer is replicating medieval torture methods. And they want your opinion.
