CHAPTER 9: ANTICIPATION
Several days passed. Claire entered the containment room, bringing in breakfast for Lauren. Gruthsorik had taken up residence in the front corner of the cell near the outer entry door. Lauren stuck close to the walls whenever she moved between the bunk, the toilet/shower area, and the inner entry door in the other three corners, constantly keeping an eye on the demon. Right now she was still asleep in the bunk. Gruthsorik was awake, however. Claire paused to speak to him. "You haven't gone after her again yet."
"Oh, she knows it's coming," he said. "She's constantly on edge, expecting it at any time. I'm waiting for her to relax a bit, to think, 'He hasn't so far, he's still going to, but probably not today.'"
"You can tell so easily?" Claire asked.
"I know fear the way you can smell dinner in the oven," he answered.
"You don't really need to wait for her to drop her guard, though," Claire said
"Oh, no, not at all, it's just far more fun that way," Gruthsorik grinned.
Claire suppressed a laugh and shook her head. "You really are cruel, aren't you."
"I do try," he said, completely serious beneath the sarcasm. "Although I still don't like the idea of using her until there's nothing left. Neither for the sake of your studies nor as a substitute executioner."
"I know, it's the thing you've always avoided. I told you before, I'm not keen on it either. But I have my orders. She's all you're getting until she's burned out. And don't go to any trouble trying to prolong it. My superiors like to see results sooner rather than later. As morbid as that happens to be in this case," said Claire.