Two clan warriors came in to collect Mayer’s body and walked out of the room. A moment later, only a wide red stain was all that remained of the young man.
I wanted to show you that I can...
Denis remained by the door. I looked up, meeting his eyes. With a nod I let him know that I wanted to be alone with the prisoner.
“You’re wasting your time. I’m not going to talk.” Steiner sneered.
I waited for Denis to leave the room and lock the door behind him.
“Do you hear me?” Steiner raised his voice.
I could clearly detect the notes of panic hidden underneath his artificially confident voice.
“What are you going to do with me?”
I continued silently watching him.
“Why are you looking at me? Do you hear me?”
My mind drew more violent pictures and I saw myself slicing his face open. I squinted, focusing on the way his throat bobbed. Beads of sweat formed on his face and trailed under the outstretched collar of his flying suit. My eyes landed on the throwing knife I still held in my hand. There were other ways I could make him talk.
I wanted to show you that I can...
I had always been partial to knives. Knowing how to wield a set of knives saved my life so many times, especially when I was physically weaker than the other males in the clan. The kids I was once forced to fight against, along with their older siblings and fathers, were now under my command. None of us ever thought about how fucked up it was that all of us had to pretend that we never cut each other in the training circle.
I met Steiner’s eyes. He kept talking, calling me names, shouting, but I hardly listened. I waited, scrutinizing him. I already knew that I could break him because I had broken so many others before. Because I knew how. Because I was good atit. Punishing, killing. The one thing my clan had done extremely well, they made me into a weapon.
I wanted to show you that I can...
Not breaking eye contact I stepped toward him. Steiner shifted in the chair as if he could somehow get away from me.
What would Alina say if she knew this about me? Would she be shocked, disgusted, or frightened? I managed to hide my true self from her pretty well, but with every new obstacle, every new challenge, my true identity was peeking out from under the mask I wore.
“What do you want from me? I’m a soldier, just like you. I had orders. I only did what I was told!”
I rotated the blade in my hand and let it free fall, the sharpened edge struck right above Steiner’s knee. The knife pierced through the leather suit, through skin and flesh, slicing through the bone.
I wanted to show you that I can...
Steiner yelped, thrusting against the bonds. The force of his jolts tipped the chair to the side. He wailed, hitting the floor. Still he kept resisting, growling as he inched along the floor, trying to crawl away.
I kneeled in front of him, taking out my second knife.
“No! No! No! I will tell you everything. Please...”
His eyes widened, I could see the white around his irises. He reminded me of a wounded animal that knew that it was going to die.
“It was Rutherford, it was his idea. Everything. He sent the message to the capital and they told him to stop you and her... at any cost. He said that you would want to merge the two clans and make us surrender the city to your people. I’ll tell you... I’ll tell you everything.”
I kept watching the reflection on the surface of my blade. Snow white curtains swayed in the window framing the evening sky.
“The seer told them the heiress... might be carrying a child and they want it gone. The poison was for her.”
I squeezed the blade so hard that a sharp pain traveled through the palm of my hand. A bead of blood rolled down my thumb and landed on the wooden floor.
“What did you say?” I jerked him upright and held him by the throat.
“A package was delivered this evening. It had enough poison that even just opening it would be a lethal dose to any dragonborn. It’s already too late. No one could survive that.”
