“I’m sorry you have not had a break,” I mumbled and pulled a chair for her to sit.
She just nodded, not meeting my eyes as she sat in the chair.
I continued to stare at Lena, soaking up every awful feeling it gave me. I needed fuel for what I was going to do.
I fished through my dresser to get clothes I didn’t care to soak in blood, then changed in my bathroom. I didn’t worry about Elowen—I think she cared more about Lena than making an escape. Plus, she wouldn’t make it very far.
As I exited the bathroom, Hendry sauntered back in, giving me an up-down. I grabbed my favorite dagger and headed for the door.
“Hendry, stay and make sure no other person is allowed in,” I ordered.
“Yes, Your Highness. Are you okay?” he asked cautiously.
“I will be.”
Chapter Forty
Iwasseethingatthispoint—tunnel vision.
Killing had become a therapy to me, a sick therapy. I had told myself I was ridding the world of evil, so that made it okay that I enjoyed ending lives.
Truthfully, I didn’t care if they were evil or not. I had grown so numb to everything that the excitement of the kill was the only thing that felt…good.
I slowly crept down the spiral staircase, a predator lurching towards his prey.
It wasn’t just Mother’s or Lena’s deaths that shattered me. No, this was all my father’s doing. He sensed my weakness, my hesitancy toward killing. He broke me in a way I still lose sleep over, then rebuilt me into the murderous machine I am now.
Every piece of the man Lena had loved was gone. But I would be damned if I didn’t do everything in my power to stomp on those that hurt her. I suppose that part never changed.
I stopped in front of the cell door, the voices quieting as they prepared for their doom. These men had seen me at my most savage, or so they thought.
They had no fucking clue.
I slowly opened the door, making sure to draw out the creaking sound it made to unnerve these sick bastards.
When I entered, the smell of urine overwhelmed my senses, and I chuckled. Big strong men so scared they pissed themselves. Pathetic.
I observed the demons in the bodies of men, trembling as their eyes met mine. A wicked smirk spread across my face.
I’m saving Rurik for last.
“P-please, Your Highness,” Rurik cried. “We didn’t know t-there would be a problem!”
I bent down, a snarl overcoming my face, flashing my teeth.
“What is the one rule I have when it comes to prisoners?” I said with dark calm.
His eyes widened further, and more tears began to fall. “N-no sexual assault…” I curled my hands into fists. “We were just trying to get information! She didn’t let up to your—” I swung my fist towards his face, blood and teeth spewing from his mouth.
I have hated Rurik ever since he defended injustice towards Roland. Even if I couldn’t stand to be near Roland now, he never deserved that. My father never punished Rurik for it and even went as far as promoting him. I was sure he did it just to spite me.
I clicked my tongue. “I don’t know what pisses me off more, the disobedience or the pathetic lies.” I gave a hateful grin, and he looked like he was going to shit himself. “Actually, I do.”
I began to beat his face in so much that it started to look like a boulder had deformed it. If he wasn’t ugly before, he sure was now.
I gave the other men the same treatment, my knuckles aching from the repeated punches. I knew they would be bruised.
I then turned to Rurik, who was trembling so hard that it looked like he was ready to combust. But he attempted to lift his head high.
