Page 72 of The Shadow Sanctum

Sawyer’s hand stills.

“Soon,” I add in what I know is too even of a voice. Emotionless.

When Sawyer doesn’t respond right away, I keep going.

“He’s been selling the healthy infants… He profits off of the boys when they’re born and grooms the girls for degenerates he forces onto my people. He’s tainted my home with human trafficking, sadists, and greed, and in the process, made me an accomplice… My people despise me. And they should. But if there’s one thing I must do before I die, it’s to ensure that man doesn’t touch the life of another child.”

Another beat of silence.

“Please don’t say I told you so.”

Sawyer’s finger twitches against my temple before he moves his hand to rest on my hip. “How do you know he’s selling the infants?”

“Aiden,” I say without pause. “He told me before I had him executed for my crime.”

Sawyer squeezes my hip. “You give yourself too much credit… He made a choice. It had a heavy cost. It doesn’t make it your fault.”

I huff before tucking my hands beneath my cheek.

“And your people don’t despise you. They’re afraid of you. There’s a difference.”

My gut twists. Even after everything that just happened, I’m shaken with a wave of embarrassment.

He doesn’t know yet.

“Before the execution, I announced that Aiden was only following my orders. I said my father had granted me mercy, and that it was up to the people to decide if Aiden should have it as well. They responded by throwing shoes at my head and demanding I be hanged… So yes… They hate me.”

Sawyer goes rigid. He lifts up onto an elbow while I stay flat. “Are you safe?”

I never knew worry could feel so warm.

“For now.” My voice is hardly above a whisper. “My father has forbidden anyone from challenging me, and he isn’t respecting the people’s wishes to have me hanged. Which is beyond inappropriate… I underestimated his love for me.”

Possession. Not love.

“How are you planning on…”

Killing him.

I inhale a deep breath and slowly let it out. That’s the million-dollar question.

“I don’t know yet… People are loyal to my father. He’s a vital organ for the Shadow Sanctum. If I kill him, my home will crumble. And I’m certainly in no position to take over as Chief Elder, not with the people’s current disapproval of me… I need to find a way to both win back my people’s trust and turn them against my father.”

Sawyer’s quiet for several seconds. “You don’t think they might be better off if it did crumble?”

“No.” Taking a steadying breath, I try again. “I know you’ve seen a lot of bad since you’ve been here, but there’s good too.”

“I believe you.”

I roll my eyes. “No, you don’t.”

He doesn’t argue. I don’t know if I want him to until I frown.

“Does your father eat bread?” Sawyer asks, a layer of caution in his voice that forms wrinkles in my brow.

“What?”

“We could poison him. Flour is like a delicacy here, isn’t it? We could put something in the flour and⁠—”