Hard hands gripping my shoulders snap me out of my daze.
I blink.
Another pair of hands grab the chains binding my wrists and tug on them not so gently.
We’re on the move.
It’s silent. Suspiciously so.
It takes me a moment to register it. The Ezkai yank on my restraints so hard I stumble. Before I know it, they shove me down on my knees.
I raise my head a little. Phoenix’s leather shoes are in front of me. My eyes rise to take in her calves, knees, and torso as she sits on her iron throne, radiating power and control.
When I meet her eyes, they’re cold and distant.
As if the wild girl I know is not even there.
I kneel in front of her. It hits me then. It’s supposed to be a forced act of submission. Something that’s shameful, humiliating.
Ha. Joke’s on them.
I would gladly get on my knees for her any day.
One of the Ezkai grabs the chains binding me.
The iron falls away from my wrists.
It should feel like freedom.
Instead, my skin prickles. Exposed, raw.
Like the chains were the last thing keeping me grounded.
Four monks dressed in blood-colored ceremonial robes approach us. They make a loose circle around me and Nix. One of them holds a bronze bowl. He carries it so…gentle.
When he sets it down between me and Nix, I understand why.
My heart picks up the pace at the sight of the oddest, ethereal-looking blue-as-the-sky liquid inside the bowl. It’s…moving.
What the actual fuck?
There’s no time to dwell on that. A monk on my right pulls out the fanciest blade carved from black onyx. The very sharp tip is dipped in gold that catches the light with each movement.
It’s mesmerizing.
Somehow, I manage to peel my gaze away from the weapon. I steal a glance around the room.
The nobles are awfully quiet. Concentrated.
No hushed whispers are exchanged. No gossiping or endless chatter.
My stomach swirls with unease. The sensation only worsens when my gaze catches on the blond noble, the last one to cast the vote inmyfavor.
Nobleman…Yoni? One of the Caligos bastards.
He lounges in his seat as regal as if he were the Ezkai General himself. And the smug look he wears on his face…His eyes sparkle as he watches Nix on her throne as if he’s a predator and she’s his prey.
I might not be the smartest nor the most strategic mind in Ekios, but my gut tells me it’s a bad sign.
