Page 67 of To Bleed A Kingdom

A vision appears before me of Darius' beautiful eyes glazed over in lifelessness, his cold corpse lying bloody and broken in a kingdom of charred ruins. Any remaining shame or guilt I may have felt evaporates with the image, leaving in its place an impenetrable resolve.

This loss of control is a stark reminder of how he will die, along with countless others, if something like this were to ever happen again. Of what's at stake if I were to lose control again and as a result, alert them to my location. They will find me sooner or later; I'm aware of this and I'm preparing for it. But I need it to be much, much later. Because if it’s not and I'm found before I am ready, if I have to face them before my plan is in place, we’ll lose the war before it even begins.

Chapter 14

Darius

Our boots thunk against the gray stone floor as Ajax and I walk down the hall of the guards’ barracks. A door opens and howling laughter echoes off the jagged slate walls before shutting once again, muffling the sound. Shouting and jeering echo from the common room behind, while chairs scrape and bowls clatter as we pass the dining hall. Several guards walk past, nodding cordially as they do, but most stand at attention, lining the hallway as they avert their eyes in fear or bow their heads in respect. As word spreads of my presence, more males trickle into the hall. Adhering to protocol, they adopt their submissive brethren’s stance.

A door opens and a Fire immortal steps out. With disheveled hair and bare chested, the male tosses a tunic and vest over his head and rubs fisted hands to his eyes. He drops his hands with a yawn, his gaze bouncing from one guard to the next until he narrows his eyes once he spots Ajax and me. He pays no homage to my rank as he tracks Ajax’s every step. But Ajax holds his head high and stares straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge him.

“Snitch,” the male hisses.

I spin on my heels and within two large strides, I grip him by the throat and lift him off his feet, slamming him into the wall. Loose pebbles rain down as he kicks out and scrabbles at my hands, but his efforts are less effective than a gnat’s would be.

“What did you say?” I snarl.

Doors open and shut as more guards arrive. Their whispers become more animated, rising in volume as a crowd begins to form.

I smile.

Witnesses. Exactly what I was hoping for.

There have been grumblings within my ranks and I've been waiting for one of these fools to challenge my call against Jareth or call out Ajax for his part in it. But fearful of my wrath, no one has dared to do so in my presence.

Until now.

The immortal remains silent, his orange topaz and starlight jewels flaring as he attempts to pry at my fingers. I squeeze tighter, leaving only a breadth of space between his airway.

“What. Did. You. Say?” I repeat, baring my teeth.

Eyes bulging and face reddening, he wheezes, “Snitch.”

“I thought that's what I heard.”

I release him and he drops to the floor. Coughing and sputtering, he clutches at his throat as I crouch down before him. Reaching for the silver pin attached to his chest, I tear it from his vest and read the inscription.

“Lieutenant Garth,” I say, rolling the pin within my palm. “It seems you take issue with my guards performing their duties. It makes me wonder how well you execute yours, if you consider someone who reports sexual assault to be a snitch.”

The Fire immortal’s eyes narrow to slits. “They were humans, half-breed.” He leans forward with a sneer. “Human.”

A vicious joy fills me and my palm glitters orange, the pin melting to liquid silver. Garth sits up, eyeing the slithering silver warily.

“Since you’re so dissatisfied with my leadership,” I say, “then I’m sure you'll be pleased to know I'm no longer in need of your services. But here.” The sizzling silver swims from my palm and dives into his neck, branding his throat as it reshapes itself into its previous design. “A memento for your time with us.”

Garth screams and claws at his blistered, bleeding neck. I laugh, morbidly pleased that even though one may have Enya, the Goddess of Fire's Gift, they’re not immune to anyone else’s flames besides their own.

I snatch at his scalded throat and he shrieks as I stand, presenting his dangling form to the watching crowd. “Would anyone like to add to Garth’s comment?” I ask, staring down the crowd.

All remain silent.

“I didn’t think so. In that case, return him and his belongings to his family’s home.” Dragging the disgraced guard towards me, I peer into his tear-filled gaze. “He’ll be unable to do so himself.” My lips curve into a cruel smile and I throw him through the wall, crumbling stone and mortar with the impact.

Surprised gasps and coughs ring out as he disappears within a cloud of debris, only to return moments later beneath a pile of rubble in a broken, bloody tangle.

Task complete, I turn on my feet and stroll towards the door at the end of the hall, Ajax following at my side.

“I didn’t need you to defend me,” he grumbles, sliding back the iron bolt.

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