Then both of her hands moved to her belly and I looked at that mound, covering and protecting her unborn child.
What did it matter if I lied? I’d already lost Tess’ trust and hers was the only one that had truly mattered to me.
Words meant nothing.
“I took it,” I said softly. “I took the food.”
Kaila froze. The whole room seemed to freeze. Tess’ brows furrowed, a hand coming up to cover her lips.
Then I heard an exhale whistle from Benn’s nostrils. I heard the startled cry that rippled through the room before I actually felt him strike me.
Power meant violence to Benn. Power equaled leadership. Which was why his temper always rose when his power was threatened.
I fell to the floor again, tasting blood. In my hand, my fingers curled around the smooth stone. And I felt my fury and frustration boil over. I’d had enough. A part of me was broken and would never be whole again.
“Benn, stop!” I heard Tess cry out. When I looked up, she was rushing towards Benn as he raised his arm to strike me again. “Stop this!”
He growled in frustration when she grabbed hold of his arm.
Then the sound of his hand connecting with her face came. That sound spurred me into motion. Tess fell to the floor and I rose. My ears were ringing. My breaths came fast. With an animal cry all my own, one I’d never heard before, I rushed at Benn.
If he responded to violence then I would be violent. A part of me might evenlikeit.
I raised my own arm and swung. I brought the rock down across his temple. I heard a sickening thud. Then I heard it clatter to the ground.
“Fucking bitch!” he hissed, stumbling back before he tripped over the bench underneath the table. He fell to the floor hard, a tangle of limbs and flailing arms.
Something fell from his pocket, sliding across the floor.
A key.
Thekey.
With a small gasp, I grabbed for it before anyone could see and I curled it into my palm tightly, the metal digging until I wondered if it would make me bleed.
For a moment, no one moved. My breaths were coming fast. In slow motion, I saw Benn raise a hand to his temple. I’d narrowly missed his eye and I saw his fingers coated with blood as they came away.
That gaze was rapt on me. In the blink of an eye, he was lunging for something in the corner, leaning against the wall.
The horde king’s sword.
Benn would kill me for this. I’d humiliated him. I’d struck him. I’d made him bleed.
Good, I thought, something feral rising in me.
“Grab her!” Benn roared, clamoring to his feet, the sword in his grip.
I didn’t wait.
If anyone caught me, I was dead.
No one moved except me. Everyone was still in shock about the turn of events and I used that to my advantage.
Without another look back, I darted from the room. With the key digging into my hand, I had a clear destination in mind. Theonlydestination.
I had to free him. This would be my only chance. I would face the consequences of my actions later butright now, I knew this was the only choice. Theonlyway.
I took a shortcut, a small, narrow staircase that I didn’t think Benn would even be able to squeeze through. But it dropped me down onto the next level, giving me precious time to work on Rowin’s chains before Benn caught us.
