Chapter 19 #2
I pulled away from his chest, tilting my head to meet his gaze. “She’s right,” I said, voice barely a whisper. “I have to face it.”
His jaw clenched. “If you need a minute—”
“No,” I stepped away from him sharply. “I deserve this. I took an innocent life. I deserve to face the punishment.” Aiden let out a rough exhale, like the words physically hurt him.
“Alright,” he said at last, and grabbed me gently but firmly by the arm.
“Let’s go. Unit, follow. This will be a lesson for all of you.
” He marched me down the hall, the weight of the entire unit behind us.
I didn’t dare look at any of them. I didn’t want to see the looks in their eyes. Not after what I’d done.
We reached the courtyard, the bitter wind slicing through the space like a warning.
The two stone posts loomed ahead, familiar, yet more terrifying now that they were meant for me.
I had seen them before, standing sentinel at the edge of the yard, their surfaces weathered by time and scarred by pain.
Back then, they were merely a threat whispered about in passing.
A reminder of what happened to others. But now…
it was me. I never thought I’d be the one walking toward them.
Never thought I would be the one about to taste their judgment.
The whip hung from its hook; leather coiled like a serpent waiting to strike.
Between the posts, the engraving glared back at me, stark and merciless:
A blade turned on a comrade is a blade turned on us all.
My stomach twisted. I had turned my blade.
And there was no escaping what came next.
Just as Aiden and I approached the posts, Alaric burst through the crowd, planting himself in front of us.
“What are you doing?” he demanded, voice rising, eyes wild with panic. His gaze flicked between me and Aiden.
“Step aside, Alaric,” Aiden commanded coldly, his tone sharp and final.
“No. You can’t do this.” His fists were clenched at his sides.
“Yes, I can. Ruin killed a fellow rite. This is the punishment.” Aiden’s voice didn’t waver.
He didn’t look at me. Alaric lunged forward, but Aiden moved faster.
In a blink, he had Alaric pinned against the post, his tattooed forearm pressing into his brother’s chest. Shadows curled around them like warning smoke.
“I’d rethink your next move, brother,” Aiden growled.
His tone was low and lethal, as if the Moon God himself had surfaced inside him.
“Aiden, stop!” I shouted, rushing to them. I grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away, but he didn’t budge. So, I turned to Alaric instead. I gently touched his shoulder. “Alaric… I’m doing this. I deserve this.” My eyes found his, pleading. He stared at me, torn.
“This is the punishment,” Aiden stated again, stepping back and releasing him. “If we make an exception now, we make one for everyone.” Alaric looked between us, me barely standing, Aiden calm and cold.
“Fine,” Alaric spat, jaw clenched. “But I can’t watch.
” He turned and stormed off. And somehow…
that hurt worse than what was coming. He wasn’t going to stay.
Not even for me. Aiden faced me, expression unreadable, and gently cupped my cheek.
The contrast between his tenderness and the pain I was about to face was staggering.
“Take your leathers off,” he commanded softly.
I nodded once, throat tight, and stepped forward.
My hands trembled as I unfastened the laces of my leather top, peeling it down to my waist. I slipped off my tank top underneath, baring my back.
Jasmine stepped forward and secured my wrists to the post. The rope bit into my skin.
I stood, shaky and bare, my heart pounding louder than the whispering crowd behind me.
“Count them, Ruin,” Aiden commanded, his voice firm but not cruel.
I gripped the rope, bracing myself just as the first lash struck.
CRACK. Fire ripped across my back, stealing the air from my lungs.
“One,” I gasped.
CRACK. My back arched. I bit down on a scream.
“Two.”
Another.
“Three.” The pain grew deeper with each blow, sharp, hot, and blinding. By the seventh, my legs gave out. I sank to my knees, tears streaming down my cheeks, my voice cracked and raw. “Eight,” I whispered. My fingers slipped from the rope. I couldn’t hold on anymore.
CRACK.
The ninth lash landed, and before I could drag in a full breath, the tenth and final strike came down, shattering what little strength I had left.
My head fell forward, my entire body limp, blood soaking my back and trickling down my sides.
I didn’t move. Couldn’t. The ropes were undone, and my arms dropped heavily to my sides. Then Aiden was there.
He stepped forward without hesitation, wrapping a cloak over my front and helping me to my feet.
One arm circled my waist carefully, while the other braced my shoulders without touching the open wounds.
“You did well, Ruin,” he murmured into my ear, the warmth of his breath grounding me.
I could barely register his words. My body screamed in pain, but somewhere deep down, something inside me went quiet.
The guilt had been acknowledged. Paid for.
Aiden helped me walk, his body steady and strong against mine.
I managed to glance up; Gia’s eyes were glassy with tears.
Ryan and Jaxon looked sick, concern etched into their faces.
Luna met my gaze, her expression unreadable, but I saw it in her eyes.
Respect. They didn’t look at me like I was a killer. They looked at me like I had survived.
Aiden walked me into the medical ward; his arm still braced around my waist. The moment my Aunt Mira saw me, her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my gods, Ryn!” she gasped, rushing forward, her tone tight with worry. Aiden gently laid me down on my stomach, his movements careful, reverent.
“I-I killed someone,” I whispered, my voice cracked and raw. The guilt weighed so heavily on my chest, I could barely breathe.
“Hey, shhh. It’s alright, Ryn,” Mira soothed as she brushed hair from my face. “These things happen.” But they shouldn’t have happened, I thought bitterly. I could have stepped back. I could have made a different call. Aiden took my hand.
I squeezed it as if it were the only thing tethering me to reality.
Then came the pain. Mira began cleaning the lash wounds, and I screamed.
Not from embarrassment or pride, but from searing, bone-deep agony.
Aiden’s fingers laced tightly with mine, anchoring me.
His other hand slid behind my head, his fingers massaging gently into my scalp.
The contrast, the soft touch against the raw pain was disorienting.
But it helped. The warmth of the bond flared, growing in my chest like a rising sun.
“Shhh… it’s alright, Ruin. Almost done,” he whispered in my ear.
A shiver coursed down my spine. His fingers drifted through my blonde waves, grounding me as the salve was applied, and that’s when the real screaming began.
It felt like fire being poured into open wounds. My back arched. My lungs gave out.
“I know, Ryn. I know it burns,” Mira said, voice thick with emotion. “I’m almost done.” My fingers clawed deeper into Aiden’s hand, and still, he didn’t flinch. His thumb stroked slowly along the side of my throat, calming me in ways I didn’t understand.
As the cauterizing pain finally began to fade, exhaustion swept in to take its place. My eyes fluttered closed, the pressure in my chest easing just slightly. The last thing I felt was Aiden’s hand smoothing through my hair, and his voice low, gentle, steady.
“Shhh… just rest.” And I did. I let the darkness take me.