Yes, these prisoners had killed innocents in their attempt to break free of the invisible chains binding them, but they were all seeking to do the same thing as me, Ellery, Tucker, and Ianto. They just weren’t good at planning a rebellion.
And why should they be? They’d spent most of their lives waiting on others and avoiding beatings.
Unfortunately, they’d decided to rebel against the earl and Ivan right after we robbed the king. He would make them pay for it.
I couldn’t leave them to the fate I’d created for them, but I didn’t know how to break them free of it.Their deaths will save many lives.
And while that was true, I knew I couldn’t let them suffer through whatever torment Ivan bestowed on them.
“We’ll take them through every town,” Ivan stated. “We’ll put them in pillories and whip them until nothing of their flesh remains. We’ll leave them there for however long it takes for them to heal while letting the animals and bugs eat them. We’llmakeeveryone in the towns watch; make themsee.
“Once they heal, we’ll move them to the next town and do it again. In every town, we’ll cut off a piece or two of them before parading them through the other towns untilnothingremains. I’ll teach these fuckingratsto steal from me. I’ll teach them to rebel againstme.”
Even my father looked impressed by Ivan’s malicious plan while my stomach churned at the future of these poor souls. More of the captured started sobbing.
One of them threw themselves forward. Chained to the others, he dragged some servants with him. Tears and snot streaked his face as he pleaded for mercy, but that mercy would only fall on deaf ears.
I grasped the man’s collar and yanked him back to his knees. “You’ll find no mercy here.”
All he’d succeeded in doing was humiliating himself, but he didn’t care as words continued to spill from his mouth. Repulsed by his weakness, I released his shirt.
I understood their terror; I’d lived with it throughout certain stages of my life, butthiswas unacceptable.
“I think it’s a great plan, Your Highness,” Samael said as he came to stand beside me. “If you’d like, I can arrange for the tour to start tomorrow.”
“I would like that very much, Samael.”
Samael bowed to Ivan before turning to me. “That was a crazy night.”
“It was.”
“I’m glad to see you made it out.”
“You, also.”
We both said the words, but neither of us meant them.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
Ellery
It was almostnoon when we arrived at the earl’s castle. When Ryker left, I didn’t have any plans for claiming my mother’s remains. It wasn’t something I ever thought I’d have to do, but I’d anticipated walking in there and taking her away.
When I went to tell Scarlet and her family the news of her death, Mr. Fletcher pointed out that we’d need a way to carry her home. Those words were like a punch to the gut.
I understood she was dead, but the idea of having to carry her, of having to do for my mother something she’d always done for me, almost crippled me. It took me a while to find my voice again.
After further discussion, we devised a plan, and Mr. Fletcher spent most of the morning making a coffin for her. Iloathedhaving her so far from home, but we had to wait until he finished.
And once he did, I cried over the coffin he’d created. Despite what it was meant for, it was beautiful.
I felt his love for my mother in every dip and hollow of the box. I sensed it in the hinges that didn’t squeak and the single rose, her favorite flower, carved into the top.
I had no idea how I would have brought her home if I’d just gone to the earl’s castle like I’d planned. Now she’d return in something beautiful… like she deserved.
We didn’t take the carriage to the earl’s castle. We’d have to strap the coffin to the top to bring her home, and I couldn’t picture doing that.
Instead, Mr. Fletcher opened a portal and the two of us carried the coffin through. My arm had healed enough that I didn’t require a bandage, and I didn’t struggle with the coffin.
