Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
It all came flooding back to me.
Rutherford’s cronies beating me until I talked.
But I didn’t talk.
I passed out instead.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Had I been in here for days or weeks? Had Huntley already attacked the Capital and lost? Where was Effie? Did she escape? Or was she subjected to the same torture in another cell?
I leaned against the wall and rubbed my temple, the subdued migraine coming back to the surface. There was a plate of food on the other side of the cell. Not sure how long it’d been there or if there was much point in eating it.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the door. They grew louder and louder until they stopped.
My cell door unlocked, and a man entered.
Not a man, actually.
Necrosis.
With intense blue eyes and rigid movements, Haldir was exactly as I remembered. Neither alive nor dead, his existence operated on a different playing field. He was like the stone of a sculpture, permanent and unmoving. When he entered my cell, he stood there for a long time, just staring.
I stared back. “Want to join me for dinner?” I glanced at the meager tray. “I’ve got the food, and you just need to bring the wine. Or scotch…that’d be nice.” My arms rested on my knees, and I had no fear, not when my fate was sealed. I could beg and give in to the terror, but that was a terrible way to spend my final moments. Refused to give my killer that satisfaction.
Haldir stood there like I hadn’t said anything.
“Or we could just stare at each other all night… That works too.”
“This is your last chance, Ryker.”
Most of his skin was concealed, even his hands, so if he was covered in dark marks, I wouldn’t know. But he was probably no different from a human, where he could eat even when he wasn’t hungry.
“Tell us everything about our enemy—and I’ll spare your soul.”
“What do you really need to know?” I asked. “You know they’re taking the Kingdoms one by one, and you’re the final destination. Prepare for battle. The rest of the details don’t matter if you lose.”
He stared down at me over the end of his nose, releasing a quiet breath. “They’re approaching the gate as we speak.”
“Then why the fuck are you talking to me?” I asked incredulously. “Go out there and fight.”
“Who commands their army? What did you tell them?”
He was going to kill me and eat my soul no matter what I told him, so it didn’t matter. “I’m not telling you shit, so just get on with it.” My soul had touched another for the first time, and then it had been brutally taken away. If I thought about it too hard, I would choke up. I’d leave Effie alone, a widow, unable to remarry even though we’d only been married for a few days. It was a fucking travesty.
He stepped closer to me then squatted down so our eyes could be level. “You want to die on your feet like a man? Or on the ground like a dog?” He reached for his dagger, displaying a thick blade that would pierce me right through the heart.
“Makes no difference.”
He stared at me as he changed his grip on the hilt, prepared to stab me right through the heart.
But before that happened, he gave a sudden jerk, and a loud thud sounded.
A rock dropped to the floor, and he lost his balance momentarily.
I reacted on instinct and seized the blade from his hand before I stabbed it deep into his chest. I knew that wouldn’t kill him, not when Necrosis were rumored to be the most powerful beings on this earth, but it would be enough to flee. I kicked him, and he fell onto his side.
Effie stood there, her eyes locked on mine with shock.
I was shocked too, but I couldn’t remain that way.
I jumped to my feet, grabbed her by the hand, and slammed the door shut. The key was still in the keyhole, so I turned that into place.
It was just in time too, because Haldir threw his body against the door and almost broke right through it.
“Come on.” I grabbed her by the hand, and we took off, running down the hallway deep underneath the castle. I’d never been down there before, so I had no idea where I was or how to get out of there. “Do you know the way?”
“Yes.” She took the lead and ran up the stairs. When she was close to the top, she stopped when we both heard the sound of voices. “We’ve got company.”
“How many?”
She took a peek. “Two.”
“That’s nothing.”
“Ryker, you should see how you look right now…”
“I’ve got the adrenaline. That should be enough to get out of here.” I sprinted up the stairs and took out the first guard while he was unaware. Snapped his neck and heard the bones crack. With his sword in my hand, I stabbed the other through the throat and killed him before he could make a sound.