Page 140 of Hidden Empire

“That’s an executioner,” I hear someone whisper. “Someone fucked up.”

“What the hell?” I gasp.

“Who are they looking for?” another student wonders aloud.

Nearby, I watch as Dmitri appears, walking out from behind a bunch of trees. A sick sense of dread hits me in my core, and Ivan stiffens. I stop breathing as he looks at us, his expression unreadable to me, and then he turns to the executioner.

“No,” I croak. “What is he doing?”

“Jade—”

“No, Ivan, what’s happening?” I screech.

When the Lord finds Dmitri with his eyes and points him out. Ivan has me locked against his chest before I can take off running toward them. I scream and thrash in his arms, kicking and swinging my arms.

“Dmitri!” I cry out, voice breaking. “Ivan, we have to?—”

“Shut up,” he warns. The deep command was snapped directly against my ear. Ivan has never said that to me before. “Do not put a target on yourself. Let him handle it.”

We’re so close, but not close enough. I don’t know what the Lord is saying to Dmitri, but I know it can’t be good. An executioner is standing way to fucking close to the love of my life right now.

Overhead the sound of a plane echoes around, but I ignore it, unable to take my eyes off of the scene in front of us.

“You want an inquisition?” Dmitri asks loud enough for me to hear. “Let’s have it right here.”

He steps down to one knee and eventually to two.

“Ivan, why is he kneeling?” I demand, trying to squirm out of his hands. “Ivan—” I start panting with worry, but he only holds me tighter.

“Go ahead, have your fucking inquisition. You’ve got nothing.”

The Lord shakes his head. “I’m afraid that’s just not true.”

Dauntingly, the executioner comes up behind Dmitri, standing there with a knife in hand. I can’t believe my eyes. Dmitri on his knees, being held in place by an implied threat.

“We’ve been presented with photos of you leaving the premises?—”

My heart starts to hammer. No, no way. They can’t hurt him for that, let alone kill him!

“Photos aren’t admissible evidence here,” Dmitri seethes.

“Photos taken here aren’t,” the Lord rebuttals. “These weren’t taken here.”

Oh my god, I’m going to puke.

“I-Ivan,” I whimper.

“Shhh,” he soothes. “Just breathe.”

He still doesn’t release me.

“I’ve never left this campus without approval, photos can be doctored.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to need to see some evidence that you haven’t left or?—”

The Lord stops speaking as the sound of an engine grows closer. Everyone looks up, only to find a plane landing on the small runway nearby.

The wind around us picks up and fully knocks the air from my lungs when I see who’s responsible for it. Relief hits me like a ton of bricks.

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