“Lazy beast,” he sneered. “Did you have a good nap?”
She turned her face away, refusing to acknowledge him.
That didn’t stop him. “Looks like you got quite the makeover. Torture suits you.”
She could hear the smirk in his voice, every word grating on her ears. She clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth together as if pressure alone could block him out.
He grabbed her face, shoving a cup against her lips, mumbling something about the tea helping with her injury, as if the arrow wound were the worst of what had been done to her.
She didn’t believe him, though. Not for a second. If anything, he was more likely to poison her than aid her. She pressed her lips tightly together and glared at him.
William shrugged, his expression indifferent. “You can drink it willingly, or I can drown you in it.”
Before she could respond, he tilted the cup. The foul-smelling green liquid sloshed against her mouth. Its stench hit her like a blow, and she jerked back, shaking her head to break his grip.
But his other hand shot out. He seized what was left of her hair and yanked her head back so violently she feared her neck would snap.
True to his word, he drowned her with the scalding liquid. It poured over her face, burning her skin, flooding her nostrils and seeping between her clenched teeth. She writhed in his iron grasp, her body shaking as she struggled to breathe. Choking. Sputtering. She ended up swallowing a mouthful of the vile concoction.
It was worse than she imagined—bitter and rancid, like rot and bile left festering in the sun.
At last, the cup was empty. He tossed it aside with a careless flick, letting it clatter against the ground.
Released from his grip, Luna collapsed forward, coughing and gasping in deep ragged gulps, each breath scraping her throat raw.
William loomed above her, soaked in smugness, watching her like a god admiring his handiwork.
But there were no gods here. Not anymore. The old tales she used to hear around the palace claimed they vanished to the skies—maybe even beyond that—leaving only silence in their place.
“You’re probably wondering how we knew where you were,” he said casually, as if they’d been mid-conversation. Her silence didn’t seem to bother him. “Remember that lovely family you were so kind to help? They turned you in.”
She inhaled sharply, as if the betrayal had driven a blade between her ribs. This wound was deeper than anything Tyrina had done. And with bone-deep certainty, Luna knew there was no good left in humanity. Perhaps, maybe, there had never been.
William watched her, his shoulders squared, nose upturned, like she was a bug to stomp. “Oh, little unicorn, don’t look so sour,” he cooed. “The man hesitated, sure—what with you healing his boy and all—but a little money goes a long way with people like that. Add a few threats to kill off some children and they spill everything.”
Pain wrapped around her, pressing down on her chest, suffocating her.
His lips curled. “We were just about to come find you when you so kindly ran into our patrolling guards. I was surprised to find you alone, though. Where did the other unicorn run off to?”
She stiffened.
Damien.The name alone stung like salt rubbed into an open wound. She couldn’t bear to think about him, not after everything.
William’s voice dipped, softer now, more insidious. “I know he helped you escape. And you probably think him a hero. But he’s the enemy.You’re the enemy. Look what your kind has done to us. Consider this the penance you owe the world.”
She didn’t care—didn’t have the energy to.
When she remained silent, he too sweetly added, “Maybe the king will go easy on you if there are two of you. Share the duties of protecting the kingdom—and I’d get double the reward for double the magic.”
Enough.
She had endured more than any soul should. She wasn’t going to sit here and take this quietly—not from him. Not anyone.
Half-dead, she scraped together what little strength remained and used that crumble to draw a ragged breath. She rolled her shoulder back, and she forced herself to meet William’s gaze. “Mark my words, I will never protect that kingdom. I’d rather see itburn.”
Rage radiated off his body. He grabbed her face, squeezing hard; his fingers dug into her jaw as he hauled her to her feet. Her toes barely skimmed the ground as she hung from the pole, the ropes biting deep into her wrists.
She held his gaze, channelling every last ember of fire into her eyes. Let him see it. Let him feel the strength of her defiance. No amount of mockery or pain would break her to their will.
