The rough gesture startles me, and before I can react, they have an even tighter grip on me.
Brevan pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. “We found this in the kitchen, stuffed in a crate that was going to the market, remember? She was delivering it to someone. Her contact is outside the castle.”
Caiden returns the hot iron to the flames, then grabs a new one and shoves it into her side. I turn away, but her scream is so intense I can almost feel her pain.
“Tell us who you talked to. Who your contact was.” The sounds of sizzling flesh and her screaming tells me he burned her again.
Tears stream down my cheeks. How can I let this continue?
“I. Don’t. Know.” Katherine’s voice is stronger than it was. As if she’s fighting back.
She’s bloody and bruised, but she’s not breaking. Her eyes catch mine, and I see strength. Determination. Power.
She glares at Caiden. “I never. Met him. In case. We were. Captured.”
“She’s telling the truth,” Brevan says.
“Were you going to kill my father, or were you just the spy?” Caiden asks.
“If I could. I’d. Kill you. All,” she says.
Caiden pulls another hot iron from the fire and presses it against her cheek. She shrieks in pain, and I make myself watch, hands trembling, eyes welling with tears. My throat is tight, my heart breaking.
Caiden tosses the iron on the ground, then he looks over at me. His expression softens. “I’m sorry you had to see that. And I’m sorry you had to breathe the same air as this traitor.”
He walks over to me, and I flinch when he gets close. His shoulders slump as if he’s hurt by my reaction. I’m still being held, but I know fighting against the legionnaires isn’t the rightmove. If I’m still playing the part, if I’m making use of this chance that Katherine bought me, I must stay still.
Caiden cups my face. “My beautiful bride. What a terrible ordeal this must be for you.”
I don’t trust myself to speak.
“Don’t worry, my little raven, you’re safe here. I’m going to make sure she can never hurt you again.”
The tears that filled my eyes spill over and stream down my cheeks. He wipes them away with his thumb, then kisses each cheek.
My lower lip trembles, but I maintain as much composure as I can.
Caiden takes a few steps before pausing to look back. “Brevan, carry our guest to the pit.” He points to a pair of legionnaires. “And you two, bring my bride-to-be. I want her to see this serpent meet her end. It’ll be good for her. After that kind of betrayal, the only thing that helps is to watch your enemy suffer.”
Brevan unchains Katherine, then catches her as she collapses forward onto him. He scoops her up gently, carrying her like a bride. He doesn’t look at me as he passes me.
The legionnaires holding my arms guide me forward. They move slower this time, though. As if they don’t want to make it to the pit in time. I swallow hard, but my mouth is so dry it’s difficult. My eyes sting and my throat burns.
A part of me that still wonders if Caiden is playing a game. If he’s going to toss me in with Katherine.
We pass the cells, but I don’t look. I can’t. I can’t see any more pain. It’s too much.
The air grows warmer with each step until it feels like we’re next to a roaring fire. Then, I see the pit.
A yawning hole in the rock that leads down to nothing but darkness. On the walls around us, torches flicker, providing light. But none of it penetrates that inky black pit.
A few legionnaires stand behind me, and one of them moves closer to the pit. He throws a rock down the hole.
It falls.
And falls.
And falls.
