Page 84 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

“No,” he snaps. “You will be watching, and there is nothing you can do about it. Now, look and watch.”

I hesitantly turn my head toward the center of the town to see Kieran getting chained to the pole. He’s on his knees, his bare back fully on display. Sucking in a breath, I can’t tear my eyes away from the scars littering his back. So many raised scars, like he’s gone through this a thousand times already.

“You are all here today because this Fae,” he spits. “This Fae dared to look too long at one of you, and he must be punished for it. Twenty lashes to the back.”

My hands shoot up to my mouth as I watch a muscular man walk up to Kieran with a whip. Is he really going to be whipping Kieran?

I watch in horror as the burly man brings down the whip on Kieran’s back, cutting into his skin and dragging it across, taking some flesh with it. Tears stream down my face as the man continues to whip Kieran’s back. Grunts from Kieran fill the center of the town, along with the cracking of the whip but nothing else.

I quickly turn and try to get past the guard, but his hands grip my shoulders, keeping me in place.

“You are to stay and watch,” he growls. “Unless you want to be placed in the center as well and whipped.”

He turns me around right as the whip lands on Kieran’s back once again. Gasping, I can’t take my eyes off him as several more land on him. Tears pool in my eyes as I continue to watch. Inside, I’m begging myself to stop watching, to close my eyes and look away from this cruelty, but I can’t.

My eyes are fixed on Kieran, as if he is my lifeline.

I search his face, hoping for him to look at me, but he keeps his head down. I want him to look at me, so I know he’s okay. I can’t feel any of the emotions going through him. Why? Why can’t I feel the pain he is going through? Has he somehow blocked his emotions from me?

Tears fill my eyes as the whip lands on his back several more times. Blood is running down his back and onto the cobblestone road.

“It’s almost done,” the guard says. “Just a couple more.”

I don’t try to blink away the tears as the man whipping Kieran goes harder on the last couple. My heart breaks for Kieran, and all I want to do is run up to him and take care of everything. I want to make sure afterward that he gets the best care, that he’ll heal up in no time.

“Are you crying for the Fae?” Prince Archie spits as he stands right next to me.

I shake my head, my heart breaking at what I’m about to say. “No, I don’t care anything for him. I’m just not used to violence and don’t like the sight of it.”

Wiping the tears away from my face, I look at Kieran’s, but I can’t see it very well. His shoulders are covering most of his face.

“Good. They do not deserve our pity. I will be back soon,” Prince Archie says, pulling my attention from Kieran. “I will be in contact.”

I bow before standing tall and looking at Kieran when the prince and his guards walk away. The man whipping Kieran unties his hands before walking away. I stand there, staring at Kieran as he slowly gets up, his whole body stiff. Kieran turns away, never looking at me as he goes back to his people, and my heart breaks a little.

CHAPTER 23

Several days have gone by since I saw Kieran punished in the middle of town. I’ve gone out to the forest, hoping to see him, but he didn’t appear. Does he not want me anymore? Does he resent me for him getting whipped because he looked at me?

My heart has been getting heavier with each passing hour. I cry every night before I go to bed as the guilt festers inside of me. If only I wasn’t out there, none of this would have happened. He wouldn’t have gotten hurt.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Skylar asks.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just recovering from the punishment I had to witness the other day,” I gently reply.

“You were there for that?” Skylar turns to me. “Oh, you poor thing. I know how much you hate violence.”

I shrug. “It is what it is. It was just very last minute, and I wasn’t prepared at all.”

“I wish I was there to witness it. There is just something about watching Fae getting whipped that turns me on. Maybe it’s because I know they deserve it,” Skylar declares.

I stare at her in shock. I was not expecting her to say something like that. I know she doesn’t like them, but I didn’t realize she hated them that much.

“Don’t look so shocked.” Skylar scoffs. “You should feel the exact same way.”

“All he did was look at me for a couple of seconds,” I point out. “I don’t know how that warranted twenty lashes.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” she brushes me off.