He screamed as I held his face with my burning hands.I didn’t want it to be quick this time.I only let a trickle of my power flow through my hands.
The surface of his cheeks and forehead came off layer by layer.His flesh blackened and fell away; his lips melted, and I soon saw bone and teeth.He tried to scream, but it was a mere gurgle in his throat.I held his fleshless head and watched his eyeballs turn to shadow.His skull became ash in my hands.I let it fall from my fingers and float down to my boots.
Goodwin’s headless corpse dropped to the ground with a thump.The shadows withdrew, and my surroundings came back into sharp focus.Bethel was screaming, looking in terror at her headless betrothed lying next to her.
I took a step towards her, and she stopped mid-scream, staring into my eyes with horror.I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.‘And you will never be queen.’
Bethel slid down the wall and sobbed, holding her face in anguish.
Torgrin had killed the toothless guard with a sword to the gut.He finally took the time to cut off his ropes and crossed the room to untie Tomas.As soon as Tomas was free, he went to Rhett, lying on the rug.
‘Where’s Cillian?’I demanded.
‘You need to sit down.You have a knife buried in you.’
I touched my flank; the moment I felt the knife handle, the pain rushed back, and the rage that had kept it at bay left me.
How could I have forgotten?I let Torgrin lead me to a chair.He continued to talk, knowing I wouldn’t be cooperative if he didn’t give me the information I wanted.
‘They captured Cillian.He’s being kept in the dungeon.’Torgrin went to find a bedsheet.He returned, ripping it into strips and handing some to Tomas for him and Rhett.
‘This is going to hurt.Hold on to me,’ Torgrin said, sinking to one knee before me.
I shook my head.Had he not just seen what I had done with my hands?
‘You won’t hurt me.’He took my hands and placed them on his broad shoulders.He leaned in and gripped the knife on the right side of my back.
‘Ready?’His fierce eyes stared into mine.
I drew in a breath to say yes.
He pulled.
It felt like he was ripping out my insides.Torgrin’s face blurred, and my stomach churned as blood left my body in a violent surge.He pressed a wad of cloth to the wound and wrapped strips of fabric tightly around my torso.‘Are you okay?’
My vision cleared, and my stomach settled as I tried to take in steady breaths.‘I’ll be fine.’
The two lines between his brows didn’t soften.
‘Go!’I growled, annoyed with his concern for me when others needed his help more.
‘A thank you would do,’ he growled back.I said nothing, and he went to help Tomas and Rhett.
Bethel was still sitting in the corner, holding her cheek where I had slapped her.I wanted to get Cillian out of the dungeon, but first, I needed to make sure Bethel wouldn’t run off to tell King Hared what had happened here.
Torgrin joined me as I grabbed Bethel’s arm.I hissed in pain when she resisted.Torgrin grabbed her rougher than was necessaryand dragged her towards her room.Still tied to his chair was a partially naked Fox Boy.I had forgotten about him.I looked at Torgrin, and he shrugged.
As soon as I took off his gag, he spoke.‘Take me with you.’
I raised my brow.
‘They will kill me once they know it was my uniform you took – and because of her.’He couldn’t even look at Bethel.She had sold him out too.
It was a tough call, but Torgrin just shrugged, leaving me to decide.‘Fine.But if you tryanything, I’ll kill you.’
Fox Boy grimaced at me, unsure if I was serious.
‘She’s telling the truth, boy.’Torgrin laughed darkly.He handed Bethel over to me and untied Fox Boy.
