Chapter 34
“Where is she?” I demand, willing my heart to calm its hammering.
“Who?” His scraggly, white eyebrows draw down and nearly connect before understanding replaces the confusion. “Oh, that little Condemned, raven-haired whore. She’s in my prison. The same cell you were in as a matter of fact.” His smile could curdle milk.
“Horseshit,” I spit. “I saw her.”
His laugh rattles. “You saw what I wanted you to see. I have many Exalted allies who will do whatever I ask.” Ice runs down my spine. How many powerful men are in his pocket?
I throw my dagger, aiming directly for his heart. There’s no way he’ll be able to dodge it.
The dagger finds its mark, sinking to the hilt.
He looks down at the dagger impaling his chest and sighs, then wraps his withered hand around it and pulls, removing it with a sickening squelch.
His face scrunches with the pain and his brow dots with sweat.
He looks up at me through his eyebrows and I could swear his eyes are black as night. His smile grows.
“Invulnerable,” he says as the dagger clangs to the floor.
My confusion must be written on my face.
“You see, my dear, as patriarch of the House of Preservation, I possess every possible power bestowed upon my kin. You cannot kill me.” He produces an angry, serrated knife from the air.
The serrations in the blade point back toward the hilt in vicious spikes.
This is a weapon meant to inflict maximum pain.
Fuck.
I glance at the door. I can’t help Isirae if I’m dead.
Since she’s clearly not here, and I have no idea if Caene’s invulnerability took, I decide quickly my best chance is to run.
I’ll find a way to save her. I bolt through the still-open door, certain his twisted body won’t be able to catch me.
He may be indestructible, but he’s withered.
I reach the staircase before he even exits the room.
Elex is halfway up them already while Osper stands at the bottom. Both freeze as I stop at the top.
Fuckity fuck fuck.
I could jump over the railing. It’s a two-story drop. I could survive that. Though I’d probably break something, making it that much harder to flee. It may be a risk I have to take. I just have to get to Caene.
“Come now child,” Maziar hisses from behind me.
“Don’t be foolish. You cannot win.” Elex starts advancing up the stairs.
“Come with us quietly and I see no reason to harm that Condemned whore.” I turn to face him while, in my mind, seeing Elex approach swiftly behind me, knocking me out cold with the pommel of his sword.
I duck just as he swings his sword down in the space my head used to occupy.
“Fascinating.” Maziar grins. His teeth are brown with age and his gums take up far too much real estate in his mouth. I shudder. This guy is just all kinds of creepy.
In my mind’s eye, I see Caene come around the corner behind Maziar.
He must have come in while I was preoccupied with Maziar, looking for me.
The old man produces a glowing purple sword from the air.
The blade almost appears to be made of crystal, but it’s not solid enough.
It’s pure energy. He swings the sword behind him, connecting with Caene’s neck, severing it completely before Caene even has time to blink, let alone defend himself.
Caene crumbles to the floor. I snap back to the present just as Maziar creates the weapon.
“Stop!” My scream tears at my throat, echoing through the halls.
Time seems to slow. Maziar freezes. My gaze connects with Caene’s, his eyes enormous with shock.
He hasn’t even tried to reach for his sword.
He recognizes what his father holds. I silently plead with him to understand, to let me do this, to not try to fight. “I’ll go,” I whisper.
“What was that, child?” Maziar rasps, taking a step closer to Caene. A terrified quiver works its way down my spine. I can almost smell the hatred and malevolence wafting off the old man.
“Vayna. No.” A line of worry cuts between Caene's eyebrows. I want desperately to go to him, smooth that line away with my fingers again, allow myself one, final touch. We both know if I walk back into that manor house, I won’t walk out a free woman again.
I can only hope that Caene and Isi do. Maziar brings up the glowing sword, stopping just as the blade touches Caene’s neck.
A nauseating sizzle comes from the place where the blade’s edge touches his skin. He hisses.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I doubt he can hear me.
I tear my eyes from Caene to glare at Maziar. “I’ll go,” I say louder. “Just spare him.”
Caene’s eyes widen briefly before fierce determination settles into his face. “Fuck that,” he rumbles.
Caene shoves his father with all his strength.
Maziar flies back and slams into the wall, crumpling to the floor like dry parchment.
Caene rips his sword from the scabbard on his back.
The glowing sword shatters and vanishes as it hits the floor.
Elex shoves past me to battle his brother.
Their swords clash. Steel on steel sings through the halls of the bordello.
Elex vanishes into the wall, reappearing on the other side of Caene.
Osper creates another glowing energy blade and also shoves past me, leaving me unguarded.
Idiots.
Maziar still hasn’t gotten up off the filthy floor, though he has managed to hold on to the angry-looking knife.
He wields it in shaky hands, trying to join the fight despite his aged body.
The sounds of metal and grunts fill the building as brother battles brother.
Caene is a strong fighter. But it’s Osper’s weapon that has the panic clawing at my chest. The narrow hallway is making it nearly impossible for Caene to battle both of his brothers at once.
Elex brings his blade across Caene’s side, slicing through muscle and tissue.
Caene is too focused on the blade that could kill him; he’s not watching for his other brother.
He groans and falters before righting himself, his movements slower than a moment ago.
His blood slicks the floor, making it difficult for any of them to stay steady on their feet.
My gaze darts from brothers to father. I have no weapon, but Maziar does.
I lunge and grab the knife out of his bony fingers.
He’s too slow, too frail to stop me. I rush at Elex.
In my periphery I see Maziar conjure a normal steel axe and struggle to stand.
Deciding quickly that he’s not a threat, I leap on Elex’s back, taking a page out of little Peyra’s book, my blade ready to plunge into his spine.
Elex swiftly turns and slams me into the wall, trying to dislodge me.
Once, twice, three times my head collides with the wood and stars dance behind my eyes.
I slide off his back, onto the floor. Elex looms over me, his sword raised.
“I’ve had just about enough of you, you little Condemned bitch,” he snarls.
As he speaks, I see Osper’s blade sliding though Caene’s abdomen in my mind.
It might not be a lethal blow, but it’s enough.
My head spins as an idea blooms. It’s the only choice I have.
Elex won't kill me. His family needs me. But. . .
I press the dagger to my own throat.
“Enough!” Maziar screams, eyes flaring as he takes in the threat.
Caene and Osper pause and turn to us, their breathing ragged. Caene’s side has already stitched itself up, thank the gods and goddesses.
I slowly stand, leaning against the wall opposite the staircase.
I glare at Maziar, who has finally risen to his feet, though he leans heavily on the wall near me.
“Call off your hounds and I’ll go with you quietly.
If anything happens to Caene or Isirae, I’ll slit my own throat,” I tell him, my voice steady.
If I’m gone, I know with unwavering certainty there will be nothing left of my house or its power.
There will be nothing left to fight over.
The Frai’s warning swims back through my mind. If I die, there will be chaos in Lyclaven. I look between the brothers and Maziar. Fury surges through my skin. I know in this moment, I would burn this cruel and unforgiving world to the ground if I had to.
Let chaos reign.
“You need me alive,” I snarl at Maziar. He watches me for a few harsh heartbeats, chewing on his options.
His face mottles and his rage pours off him in waves as he drops his axe and nods at Elex and Osper.
They grab Caene’s arms, gathering them behind his back and forcing him to the ground.
His eyes never leave mine. Hurt and anger are contorting his beautiful face.
Not a physical hurt. Hurt that can tear your soul apart.
He knows I’m sacrificing myself to save him. To save them both.
There have only ever been three people in my life I’ve loved without reason or question.
Without requiring or desiring anything back from them.
The first being my mother, the second Feron, and the third Isi.
As I stare into Caene’s beautiful eyes, I know without a doubt he has joined them in my heart.
I love him. Without reason or logic. And that is enough for me.
“Well, my boy.” Maziar bends slowly to put himself into Caene’s line of sight. “It seems your loyalties have shifted, and you value this Condemned whore more than your own blood,” he snarls, disgust curling his upper lip. “How disappointing.”
Caene rumbles a low warning and struggles in his brother’s hold.
If I was Maziar, I wouldn’t stand so close.
He may not die, but he definitely feels pain.
Osper keeps Caene’s chest pressed into the floor, the point of the glowing crystalline blade between his shoulder blades, while Elex melts from the wall beside me.