There was no blood upon it. Not even a drop as he examined it, twisting it left and right before he handed it back to his Sentinel with a flourish.
‘Pathetic,’ the Acolyte hissed.
Ezer made a choking sort of sound, halfway between a scream and a sob, as his shadow wolves rose, hackles raised.
‘You could have bowed to me and found life,’ the Acolyte growled. ‘Instead … you will die.’
A second later, her blade was in her hands. But before she could even hold it out, something cold clamped over her wrist.
She gasped as she looked down to see a tendril of pure shadow slithering across her skin like a snake.
‘A clever attempt,’ the Acolyte said with a frown. ‘But not effective against those who cannot die.’
The shadow squeezed, and her sword clattered to the floor.
Then guards were at her back, blocking her exit.
‘No,’ she gasped, as one of the Sentinels rose.
The shadow held her in place, impossibly strong.
She screamed as the Sentinel reached her. The sound tore from her, ragged with terror. It changed to a cry of pain – white hot, surging through her so fiercely she saw spots – as the Sentinel dug its claws into her skin.
They cut through her like a knife in warmed butter.
Red warmth spilled down her arms, and she didn’t dare move to pull herself away.
She’d failed.
A sob tore itself from her.
Kinlear had lied to her. He’d left her for dead.
And it was all fornothing.
‘Take her away,’ the Acolyte said. He held out a hand, and the tendril of shadow slithered away from Ezer, back into his palm like a snake. It coiled up his arm, until finally it disappeared into his chest … filling the hole she’d just carved into him. ‘Question her, torture her if you must, and if she relents … throw her to the wolves.’
‘No!’
She was going to die.
She hardly recognized her own scream as the Sentinel dragged her away. Her heels scraped on the dais but it was no use. The pain in her arms – it was blinding.
‘Kinlear!’ She screamed his name, hating that she dared call out to him, but she had no one left. ‘Kinlear, you bastard!’
He was nowhere to be found as the crowd parted.
Please,she begged, hoping her mother would hear her.Please, don’t let this be how it ends. Send someone, send something.
But there were no ravens, here.
She wanted tolive,she wanted to?—
The wind suddenly howled past her, a furious gale. It circled her body and swept away, carrying with it the scent of her blood.
Right towards the dark throne.
‘Wait.’
