A frigid, suffocating tension that I have never seen from her before.
“What kind of animal masks?”
Each word is chipped, sharpened to draw blood.
“All kinds. They are listed in the report here-
A yelp rings out as my mother rips the paper from his grasp.
Her eyes soak in the words printed on the page, a severe expression wrinkling the skin between her brows. I watch her closely, noting the sliver of panic that needles its way to the surface.
“Increase security by thirty percent. Day and night, I don’t want the east side to be unguarded.”
“But ma’am, the shift schedule-
“Will be rearranged to accommodate the change. Initiate the order and ensure everyone is on board. Those who oppose can report their grievances to me.”
It’s a bold statement, one that has its intended purpose.
The guard quickly backs away, his eyes bouncing from the Mistress of Evil to the person who sees her threats through.
“I’ll see that it is done.”
The guard scurries down the tunnel and disappears from view. Muffled wails ring out from the concrete cellar, the torture chamber keeping our hostage nice and warm for a long, unpleasant evening.
“Shall we resume the interrogation?”
“No.”
I tilt my head, watching her stare aimlessly at the cracked pavement before us. Cruel cheekbones slice through an angular face, the luminous nature of her skin offering no comfort for the pinched state of her brows.
“Mother?”
My voice resonates between us.
“The guards who were patrolling the border last night.” She pauses, tearing her eyes from the splintered concrete to look at me, “Find them and Sister Gohel. Any witnesses who saw the incident, I need you to find them.”
It’s the words left unsaid that ring the loudest. The unspoken implication, the inevitable outcome I have spent my life training for.
Judge. Jury.Executioner.
Only one falls in the palm of my hand, the responsibility the Dragon casted to me so long ago.
“Find them?”
A dismissive wave is all I get in return.
“You know the drill. Make sure to leave a message.”
She leaves me standing there, staring at the cracks in the wall. Staring and wondering why the mass of destruction looks an awful lot like a reflection.
Kill them all.
Chapter 34
CHRISTOPHER
It started as a bad feeling.
