How could he do that?
But what would I do if it was one of my brother’s lives at the end of my leash?
They all sacrificed themselves to bring this empire down. Every single one of them. Both my parents. All gone for the chance at seeing this empire crumble.
None of them would forgive me if I did what Brevan did. They’d never speak to me again. They might even turn against me.
Yet, Brevan killed them all ruthlessly.
And it wasn’t the first time he’d done it.
Was his sister’s life worth more than all of theirs? Worth more than my family? The ache in my chest mutates into something sharp and jagged. Layers of betrayal and self-loathing that hadn’t been there before are emerging.
I thought he was different. I thought he was as much of a prisoner as I am. But I’m not killing innocents.
He’s a monster. So is Caiden. So are all the men who stood by and did nothing or helped with the slaughter.
But then again, so am I.
Nine
Brevan
The silence is like cold water holding me under. I forget to breathe while I force myself to stare at my victims. The pain lancing across my back is less than I deserve.
All the guards and soldiers nearby back away slowly, getting as far away from me as possible. I don’t blame them. Aside from the crackling flames on the burning buildings, it’s silent.
Caiden marches toward me, fists clenched. He stops right in front of me and hisses in a low whisper. “What was that?” His eyes flash with dangerous malice. “I thought you couldn’t use that magic anymore.”
I clench my teeth and my vision blurs, the ground under me is unsteady, but I stare at the new emperor. “You wanted them gone.”
“What use is it if they feel no pain? How much fear can they have when they know they get such an easy death?” He’s still quiet, but a few legionnaires have ventured closer, hoping to hear our exchange.
“Easy?” I take a step toward him, the slices on my back pulling as I move, sending fresh waves of agony through me. It’s taking everything in me to breathe normally. “They’re dead, Caiden. All of them. Their life gone in a flash.”
He leans closer to me and speaks so low only I can hear him. “Next time, make it hurt. Make them fear. I want to hear them begging.”
With the ease of a practiced manipulator, he fixes a smile on his face, then speaks loud enough for his voice to carry. “Well done, old friend.”
I glare at him, knowing he’s desperate to show that he’s the one who holds my leash, now that his father is dead.
His words seem to break the hold on the others, and I can almost feel their collective breath. There’re murmurs and whispers, and the men who have seen my ruthlessness without so much as flinching are backing away from me. It’s the first time I’ve ever used this magic in front of any of them. The few times the emperor directed it, I was alone. It was always kept hidden. But I’m done hiding. I’m done playing their games.
Caiden claps his hand on my back, and I shrug him off. “Don’t.”
He glares at me, but I return the look. If he ever thought there was a chance of repairing our relationship, he should know he crossed a line from which there’s no return.
“Search the homes,” I call. “You should find some relics there.” I point to a small shop on my left. “And some in those two homes.” I point again, guiding my men to the locations where I sense the relics.
They’ve gotten good enough at grabbing anything suspicious that I no longer need to do it myself. They’ll take anything of value anyway because if it’s not a relic, it’s considered a spoil. And these men have gotten very wealthy from killing.
Caiden is still standing next to me, and I want nothing more than to be free of his company. When I leave to return to my horse, I see Sabina on the ground.
“I can’t believe you made her watch,” I snarl.
“She needed to know what you’re capable of.” Caiden crosses his arms over his chest then shrugs.
“And then you left here there?” I storm over to her and scoop her up. Pain explodes across my back, and I can’t mask the wince this time. The fabric of my tunic sticks to the wounds but thankfully, the leather armor should hide the blood.
