Page 34 of Hellbound

A shudder racked her body as she came down from the high. The heat settled into wholehearted satisfaction, like scratching an itch she didn’t know she had, like the first drop of water after wandering the desert. She sucked in a breath as she opened her eyes.

She hadn’t fathomed what she was capable of, but she better understood the addictive allure of hellbound blades now.

She pulled Caromir free, the blade sliding out of the corpse with a wet sucking sound.

Quick, shallow gasps from the corner stole her attention.

The boy was pressed to the wall, eyes wide and unblinking. Ksenia had just killed a man in front of him.

Guilt branded itself in her stomach as she recalled her own warnings about hellbound blades: run faster.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Her voice came out rough; she swallowed and tried again. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

He trembled even harder.

Ksenia’s chest tightened. “I know you’re scared. But I need you to listen to me, okay?”

No response.

“Do you have a wayfinder coin?”

His eyes flitted to the corpse for a half second.

Ksenia leaned down and searched through the slain man’s pockets, trying not to think about his blood still warm on her hands. She found the wayfinder coin in a leather pouch along his belt.

Relief flooded through her.

“Is this yours?” She held up the coin so the little boy could see.

He stared at it, then at her bloody hand holding it. He nodded imperceptibly.

Ksenia cleared her throat. “I know you think I’m…what the adults warn you about. But you should get to the safe house now.”

“Are you going to follow me?” His voice was tiny.

He thought she was a monster.

“No.” The answer came quickly.

He eyed her for a beat then snatched the coin from her palm and clutched it to his chest.

Ksenia watched him edge past her down the empty lanes until the glow disappeared.

She stood there a long moment, now the most frightening thing left in the dark. Then she slunk back to the manor.

10

The next morning, Varka’s smile faltered for the first time since they began sparring; she’d failed to draw blood from Ksenia. Her confusion was replaced with delight and surprise as Ksenia pressed her own advantage, nearly cornering Varka in the mirrored hall.

“Huh.” Varka huffed a short breath.

She released her opposite hand from behind her back—her chosen handicap lest she overpower Ksenia too easily.

“Let’s see how far you can go.” Varka pivoted hard, her heels grinding into the chalk on the floor, and swept beneath Ksenia’s lowered guard. Her parrying dagger came within a hairbreadth of Ksenia’s throat.

Ksenia turned away at the last moment, her heart beating loudly in her ears. She kicked up the loose chalk from the floor into Varka’s lowered profile, earning a growl as silt irritated the noblewoman’s eyes.

“Good,” Varka said as she cleared her vision.