I blink again.Staring at the space where Charles was.
Bile claws up my throat.
The cloying scent of iron fills my nose.
Warm spurts of liquid keep hitting me in the face.
Slow.
Really, fucking slow, I look down at the space where Charles’s head was.
It’s gone.
From the floor, a set of lifeless eyes stares at me.His neck spurts thick rivers of blood, though it’s already slowing.
I scream.
Stagger back.
My arse hits a chair, or maybe it’s a table.I’m not sure.
I’m on my knees throwing up.
This isn’t supposed to happen.Scythes don’t cut flesh.They only cut souls.
A godsawful sound rips from my stomach as I throw up again.
Again.
Again.
Until there’s nothing left but a pile of puke covered in red droplets dripping off my face.I scramble away, out the door.I wipe my face, but it’s covered in so much arterial blood that it’s useless.
Oh gods.Oh gods.Oh gods.
I killed an innocent.
What the fuck is happening?
27
Lucy
Days are blurring.Night turns to day turns to night.Midnight hasn’t returned.But last night Lex snuck in and said Ignatius was running her into the ground.
I’ve lost count of the number of times Ignatius has taken from me.Stolen pieces of my power, pieces of me.The more he takes, the more I seethe, the harder I work on accessing the runes.
I managed to make a hairline crack in the cuffs last night.
It happened shortly after Arcadius came to see what progress Ignatius had made.They got into a disagreement and Ignatius overpowered him.I’ve never seen Father stand up to him.Or at least not successfully.Whatever power he’s taking from me is reshaping his entire existence.
I’ve heard whispers from the dungeon staff who bring me food.The city is changing.Divided.The Societas are swarming outside, ready to back Interitus when she finally comes for me.And the rest of the city seems to be on Ignatius’s side.
Arcadius was not pleased about Ignatius’s gain in favour.They were at the end of the corridor arguing when Arcadius went to hit him, and Ignatius blocked his swing.Father outright throttled Arcadius by picking him up off the floor.I don’t know how he found the strength, let alone got one over on him.
Arcadius swung a knee up and from the sound of the crunch, I’m pretty sure he cracked one of Ignatius’s ribs.
Either way, they both backed away from each other and that was the end of it.
