Page 58 of Hellbound

Why hadn’t Danika just lied? As the last bondsmith, who could call her bluff?

Bondsmiths couldn’t choose who they were, nor turn off their abilities with metal. It was a part of their blood; all they could do was suppress who they were and pray they weren’t caught.

She pushed herself to her feet. In three days, there would be another trial where killing might be the only option. But right now, she wanted to go to a place where she could remind herself that she existed and a piece of her originality remained.

The forge.

She didn’t have the will or the desire to forge a weapon. But she still wanted to feel the heat of the fire and the satisfying feel of transforming unyielding metal into something malleable in her hands.

With a gentle hum in her throat, she designed a maker’s mark. Their old family mark had been destroyed along with their parents and home when Karsan seized the throne.

She scrawled a simple design onto the stone floor with a piece of chalk.

Satisfied, she transferred the design onto her steel blank and carefully engraved the details, fitting it onto a surface no thicker than her fingertip.

An open hand, fingers spread upward, with a single dagger pointed downward from the center of the palm. A sigil of protection.

It was fitting. Cathartic.

17

By the morning of the second trial, the dungeon felt significantly larger with fewer bodies crammed into the space. More than half of the competitors were already gone, leaving the lucky—or the unfortunate—survivors to brave the fresh horrors that awaited them.

Along the back of the wall, a fire crackled in the stone hearth. Bohdan leaned casually against a desk in front of the fireplace, light turning him into a dark silhouette.

He watched Ksenia with the patience of someone who had all the time in the world to get what he wanted, exactly how he wanted it. Just like how he somehow got Danika to do his dirty work.

The position of Sevrant would be no different, as the unseen hand of the king. But she had no choice if she were to free herself and her sister.

She couldn’t come up with a strong reason why Danika sold out those people. Her actions were antithetical to everything they had done together, helping their kind escape the Envorsen.

Perhaps she was being tortured? But Danika looked fine and well, albeit tired.

A glimmer in the room snapped her attention back, along with everyone else’s—like a crimson star, fallen to earth.

Bohdan held up a ruby earring. The stud was a glowing cabochon cut, perfectly smooth and orb-like. Hanging from the stud was a magnificent pear-cut ruby. Unlike the smooth glow of its counterpart, the faceted surface fractured the light into brilliant crimson shards across the walls.

“Welcome to the first trial, candidates. We began with thirty, and now we are twelve.”

A confused murmur scattered through the crowd.

“…First trial?”

“…You mean—we’ve only begun?”

Bohdan cleared his throat, and the room instantly fell silent. “Catch and Kill was not a trial; it was intended to thin the herd.”

Ksenia swallowed thickly. She was further from her goal than she expected.

“If you’re finished complaining, I will deliver your brief.” Bohdan’s voice took a steely edge as he went on. “The challenge is called Infiltration and Extraction.” He held the jewel higher. “This is a crown jewel of the late Queen Ravenka Saranov. As you can see, I possess only one earring. Your mission is to locate the missing relic from within the castle as discreetly as possible. The guards are permitted to kill on sight and defend the jewel at all costs. You have three days to find and steal it.”

Ksenia pushed through the competitors to get a closer look. The earring was stunning: a delicate gold filigree encased the stud and the pear-shaped gem, connected by a platinum bail.

Simple, but the simple things were the hardest to get right.

She tore her eyes from the earring to find Bohdan studying her with dangerous intensity. She averted her gaze, intent on steadying her panic. Although she had covered her face before she encountered Danika and Bohdan in the Vein, she couldn’t be certain whether he’d recognized her three nights ago. Thankfully, he hadn’t returned to Beranek manor since, sparing her the agony of wondering if every glance carried suspicion.

“For this trial, you’ll be split into teams of three.”