He grunts at my silence and carries on. “She always knew that, and it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but imagine my surprise when I came home and found her and her whole family packing her shit. I tried to be civil and talk it out with her, but her brothers continued to butt in. So I did the logical thing and killed them.”
It takes me a minute to process his words. He said them with such justification, my mind takes a moment to realize he’s talking about cold-blooded murder.
“You killed her brothers for stepping in between you and their sister?”
“Oh, not just them. Her whole family. Mom, Dad, two brothers, an uncle, a cousin, maybe that was her aunt. I’m not sure. I told her when I get out, I’d be all she had, and we could make a family of our own.”
I’m standing in front of a true psycho.
I tease and pick on Riven, granted he has some tendencies, but he’d never do something such as this. This is pure, unfiltered, no conscience-having evil. In the flesh.
Oh my gods, that poor woman. She’s out there alone, living with the fact her entire family was murdered by this man, and she probably doesn’t have the slightest idea he’s one step away from being free.
One step…killing us.
“Thayla Godrun,” I tell him, then turn on my heels before my rage has me wrapping my hand around his neck.
“Beautiful name. I’ll make sure to whisper it tenderly and hold you as you take your last breath.”
Fucking psychopath.
“What were you thinking?” Sevryn scolds as I walk up.
“Trying out your method. Taking a life is rough, even if yours depends on it. It’ll definitely make it easier knowing I’m killing a fucking monster.”
He stares at me, stunned for a brief moment, then whirls around and I lace my fingers through Yemi’s as the cell bars slide open. The same guard who came and visited him a moment ago is waiting on the other side and it looks like there’s a handful at every other cell.
We stay right on Sevryn’s ass as he starts walking forward and my heart hammers against my ribs as everyone starts moving.
The guard doesn’t say anything, even as he lays his hands against our shackles and makes them disappear. There’s pity in his eyes as he watches me rub my wrists, but other than that…nothing.
If I thought the noise in the cells was ridiculous, the sound floating back to us through this dimly lit hallway is deafening. Dust falls from the black ceiling above us and vibrations pass through the walls to the floor and into my feet.
An echo thuds in my ears in sync with the chants and cheers. A collective energy pours through the open archway, causing the hair on my arms to stand. Our feet stop moving at the threshold and I choke down a gasp.
Gods and Goddesses fill the seats above the large circular arena. The dirt that cushions the ground is a mixture of shades.
The dark brown spots, I know, are bloodstains.
It’s a daunting reminder that many have died here and many more are about to join those who fell before them. Swords, spears, daggers, and various other weapons are scattered everywhere, but there are no bodies or beings.
My fists tremble as I gaze directly across from me. There are others standing right at the edge of their opening just as I am. Their eyes scan what I assume are more arches around me, yet they don’t move forward anymore.
I raise my shaky hand, and as I suspected, it lands against something solid but unseen.
Just like the Holding in the Court.
The whole Judgment Ring is a mimicry of the Court.
“We can’t pass through here until they let us, right?”
“Yeah.”
A loud voice rings out, but I can’t make out the muffled words even though whatever they’re saying silences the energetic crowd.
“How does this work? We’re going to step out, and Dimitri and his people attack or what?” I ask.
“No, you’ll see in a second, but the opponents will be announced then commanded to a side. They’ll be instructed when to start. Everyone will race to a weapon if they need one and the battle begins.”
