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“Do you not care for lowborn at all?” I asked, even though I knew the answer. Or I thought I did. I knew that the King had taken little interest in us, but this was . . . it went beyond anything I believed the Hyhborn capable of. “Does the King think this is okay?”
“The King abhors violence,” Lord Arion replied. “He also abhors dens of vice and sin. He would see this for what it is. A cleansing. There was no life of value lost tonight. Now, we need to continue.”
A bone-deep rage unfurled, chasing away the coldness of terror and disbelief. My throat burned with my fury. “Fuck you.”
Fair brows rose above the black-and-green eyes. That was all I had a chance to see. He moved so fast.
The blow he landed stung my cheek and lip, knocking me to the side. I threw out my hands, catching myself before I hit the floor. Burning, throbbing pain radiated across my jaw, up the side of my head. Blood soaked my palms as I breathed through the ringing in my ears.
Good gods. . . .
This wasn’t the first time in my life I’d been struck, but I’d never been hit so hard that I could hear ringing in my ears.
Blood coated the inside of my mouth. I spat, wincing at the sharp spike of pain from a tear in my lip. I tentatively ran my tongue along my lips, half surprised that no teeth had been knocked free.
“Look at me.” His whisper touched my skin like a breath of winter.
I drew back, sucking in a short breath as I lifted my head to the Lord once more. The lamplight was bright here— brighter than a few seconds before. Tiny hairs along the nape of my neck rose as power charged the air.
His smile grew. “Listen to me.”
Before I could take another breath, his voice reached inside me and seized control. An unseen weight settled on my ankles first and then traveled up my legs, circling my waist and wrists, slipping over my shoulders. A quick, sharp pain lanced my skull, and then the pressure was there, filling my mind, and every breath I took tasted of . . . ofmint.
The center of his eyes— where the blots of green ringed his pupils— brightened and expanded until only a thin strip of black was visible. “Stand,” Lord Arion commanded.
I didn’t want to. Every part of my being rebelled against it, but my body moved without conscious effort. He’d seized control of my body— my will. I rose.
The Lord brushed his cloak aside, grasping the black hilt of a sword. Lamplight glinted off theluneablade as he withdrew it, leveling the pointed end at my chest. “Walk forward.”
A foot lifted, then another.
He smirked. “Farther.”
My heart thundered as I stared at the wickedly sharp edge of the sword. He was . . . he was going to have me impale myself?No.I wouldn’t do this. Icouldn’tdo this.No,I whispered, then screamed the single word, over and over, but none of those sounds made it to my tongue. My hands opened at my sides, fingers splaying wide.
“Interesting,” the Lord murmured. “Look at menow.”
Pressure expanded in my head, sending spikes of agony through my temples until my gaze returned to his. Only then did the pain retreat.
The green in his eyes pulsed.“Walk forward.”
My feet dragged across the bloodied floor. One foot. Then the other— and a sudden, sharp pain radiated across the right side of my chest, stealing my breath even as I took another step.
“Stop,” he demanded.
I stopped.
The Lord pulled the sword back, holding it up between us. The very tip was glossy with blood—myblood. “I could order you to slit your own throat on this blade and you’d do it.” He lowered it, resting the sharp blade against the base of my throat. “Icouldhave you on your knees and your mouth around my dick. Icouldhave you take this sword and go from house to house, disemboweling those who sleep. Do you understand me?”
Disgust joined the mint taste in my mouth as my lips moved. “Yes.”
“Good.” The Lord inched the sword down. “Now, did you get a good enough look at those around you?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
“You can either do what you’re told or live to regret not doing so. You’ve seen all the many, many ways to find regret. Starting with your brave friend. Do you understand? Say, ‘Yes, my lord.’ ”
“Yes.” My throat ached as the words left me. “My lord.”
