Amoan sounded across from me, andIsawKaleos, shackled much asIwas.Hewas also bound in iron, but his flesh was pink from the iron, instead of burned like mine.Wewere chained in a small, dark room, but it didn’t seem like a dungeon.Thewalls were smooth, andIcould just make out carvings on the wall that heldKaleos.Therelief showed a pair of dragons flying over our world.Onespouted dragonfire, consuming all in its wake.Butthe other bestowed magic, and life grew uninhibited from its claws.LifeandDeath, the first gods.Soperhaps we were in an old temple, not that it really mattered.Theonly light came from a crack in the wall far overhead, and through the tiny window on the door to the room.
“Kaleos!Kaleos, wake up.”Speakingcaused my jaw to click, still sore from whereIhad been punched, the iron slowing my healing.Hegroaned again, so at leastIknew he was alive.Fornow.
Aplan,Ineeded plan.Itried to focus on my breathing, but my arm and wrists were on fire, too much for me to calm down.Thiswas all too similar to whenIhad been inNiata, trapped in my own dungeon.ButIhad fought then, andIwould fight now.Ihad to getKaleosout of here.
Thenthe door swung open, and several men stepped inside.Theywere led by the manIonly knew as the commander.Hislong black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and the white scar across his left eye seemed even more stark in the low light.
“Gladto see you are awake, gorgeous.Nowthe real fun can begin.”Hemotioned for one of his cronies to approach me, andIsaw him draw an iron knife from his belt, his only weapon.Heapproached me, andIlet my voice shake, “Please…please don’t hurt me…”Themale’s grin widened into something disgusting, and he drew closer, into my trap.
Whenhe was just one step from me,Ipushed into my wrists, the burning only driving me harder.Ikicked the knife out of his hand and used the motion to lift my other leg all the way up over his shoulder and around his neck.Icrushed his throat, and brought my other leg around, squeezing him between my thighs untilIsaw his eyes popping out of their sockets.Heclawed my legs, butIheld until his face was red and he grew weak.
“Lethim go,Princess.”Itwas the commander.Hehad a knife held toKaleos’ throat. “Drophim or the half-breed is dead.”Fora long momentIheld his gaze, but thenIreleased my legs, and the man between us fell to the floor, gasping.Ilowered my feet back to the ground, the burning in my wrists was nothing compared to the rage in my heart.
“Theysaid you would be a challenge, butIdidn’t think you could actually fight.”ThemanIhad held crawled over to the commander, but he looked down at him with contempt. “Getout of my sight beforeIfinish what she started.”Theman lurched out of the cell, and the commander lowered his knife fromKaleos.
“Perhapswe should start again.IamCommanderLuxosandIhope our time together can be quite short,Princess.”
“Thepleasure is all mine,CommanderLuxos.Nowperhaps you could remove me from these shackles so thatIcould introduce myself to you properly?”
Hesmirked at me, “Ithink not, gorgeous.ButasIsaid, we don’t need to draw out our time together.Justshow me your magic and we can be done.”
Iwas shocked.Ithought perhaps a ransom, but this… “Idon’t have any power.Ifeel likeIkeep repeating this.”
“Comenow,Princess.Don’tbe shy.Thesooner you show me, the sooner this can all be over.”Ididn’t much like the sound of that.
“Listen,Commander, it’s obvious you were dropped on your head a few times as a youngling, soI’llrepeat myself.Ido not have any magic.YouthinkIwould still be stuck here like this ifIdid?”
“Ithink you’re a smart girl.Youknow what this information is worth.”
“Indeed, so who is paying you for it?”
Hisface dropped into a dark shadow, and unlike his companion, he didn’t hesitate as he closed the distance between us and held the iron knife to my throat. “Lastchance,Princess.Youcan show me what you’re hiding, orIcan cut it out.”Ispit on his face.
Hestepped back, and slowly wiped the spit from his cheek.Thenfaster thanIcould see, he slammed his fist into my stomach, soIdoubled over as the air was driven from my lungs.Mywrists burned and my stomach heaved, but still,Imanaged a, “Fuckyou.”Hepressed down on my arm, right at the seam of my injury.Iscreamed then, an uncontrolled wail as lightning shot through my whole body.Iclosed my eyes, and a golden light danced behind my lids, a cry for help.
“Stop…it…”ItwasKaleos, barely conscious.Shutup, you idiot!Buthe got his feet under him, and stared downLuxos, “Getyour hands off her.”Hesnarled, the very image of his feral fae side, but it was no use.Hewas just as trapped asIwas.
ButLuxosreleased me, and my pain subsided.Hewalked toKaleosand gripped his hair so tight the skin of his face pulled back.
“Unfortunately,Ihave been told not to damage you permanently.Ihave no such instructions for the mutt, however.”Heheld the knife high, and beforeIcould scream, slammed intoKaleos’ stomach.
“Kaleos!”Luxospulled the dagger out, and blood ran downKaleos’ thighs.Toomuch blood, it was far too much.
“Theiron should slow even his pathetic healing.Idon’t think he has long, but he will suffer.I’llbe waiting, gorgeous.”Heleft the room, slamming the door.Oneguard remained, and he slid down the opposite wall to his seat, seeming content to ignore us.Kaleosgroaned.
“Ialways seem to be getting hurt with you.”Kaleostried to grin, but his teeth were clenched.
“Shutup, you idiot!Conserveyour energy.”Iwas crying.Iwas always fucking crying andIwas so tired of it.
Control,Tori, you need to control yourself.ButIcouldn’t.Myheart was erratic, along with my breath, and watching the life bleed out ofKaleosonly made it worse.Ilooked to that ocean in my mind, and godsdamnitItried, but it was a hurricane whereIcouldn’t tell the difference between the ocean and the sky.
ThenIremembered somethingAbraxashad told me, on our journey here.Ragewill set you free.Ilet the helplessnessIfelt at watchingKaleosburn away, the hurricane of my mind turning into a firestorm.Iwouldn’t let those around me be hurt, not again.ThiswasLuxos’ fault, and he and his men would all pay.
Ipressed into my shackles, the pain adding fuel to the fire.Iwrenched at them, and either the wall would give, or my bones would, butIwouldn’t stop untilIfound out.
“Tori, don’t…”ButthenKaleos’ eyes went wide as the wall under my shackles cracked, dust falling asIripped them free.
Theguard didn’t have time to stand beforeIwas on him.Islammed my shackle into his face.Idid it again and again and again until nothing was left of his head but a bloody pulp.
