Page 94 of The Blood of Gods and Monsters

“He’s quite beautiful,” Madam Rose comments. “He’d make a good addition to my harem.”

Guillot rubs his hands together almost gleefully. “My thoughts exactly, Madam.”

“Did you have to mar his pretty face?” She straightens away from Regis and sniffs in disdain.

“He fought my men; it was necessary,” Guillot replies. “But of course, he’ll heal. We didn’t damage him further.”

“Why is he unconscious?” she asks. A question I certainly would like answered as well. Regis, for all that he’s a big stupid asshole brute, would never normally allow himself to be so vulnerable for so long.

“Drugs,” Guillot says, confirming my suspicions. “They should wear off before too long. I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t escape or attempt to harm you when I brought him.”

Damn it. If I have to carry his ass out of the Hollow City, I’m going to throw him off the mountain itself.

“I’ll likely need more if he’s that dangerous,” Madam Rose says. Obviously, the fact that Regis is there against his will matters not to this woman. At my sides, I clench my hands into fists.

Nudging the spider to take a look around to see if there is anyone else in the vicinity, I keep an ear out for their conversation.

“I can provide you with enough drugs to keep him docile, Madam Rose,” Guillot continues. “For a price of course.”

“Of course,” Madam Rose replies as if she expected as much. “But will they disrupt his ability to … perform the tasks I’ll expect of him.”

At that slight intonation, I feel the blood in my veins go ice cold. Guillot’s reply when it comes, is barely heard over the rushing in my head.

“He shall perform for you quite well, Madam,” the secret peddler says, no small amount of amusement in his tone. “I’ve even procured some herbs that will ensure he remains … ready for your attentions.”

Vomit threatens to spew from my lips. I barely even register the sound of Regis’ low groan before I’m already on the move. I slam my booted foot into the door, and it splinters at the seams. A second kick sends the damn thing inward. My dagger flies across the room, embedding itself into the man at the Madam’s back a split second before I duck and jerk out a leg to knock one of the two servants Guillot brought to the ground. The man collapses with a pained cry and the second one doesn’t even bother to fight me. Instead, he goes to the ground next to his friend and cowers with both hands over his head.

Guillot splutters, stumbling back into the wall and reaching for the dagger I’d spotted strapped to his waist as he’d walked through the tunnels. I’m on top of him before the fucker can even get it fully freed from its sheath. Ripping it from his hand, I use the blade to stab his hand down into the dirt at my feet before whirling on Madam Rose.

The scream of Guillot as he struggles to free his bloodied hand from the ground is dull to my ears as I freeze. Madam Rose isn’t running as I expected. No. The woman blinks back at me, eyes with pupils blown so wide and dark that they nearly swallow the thin ring of copper that I guess is her natural eye color. This close, the powder on her face becomes more evident.

Her lips part as she gapes at me. “By the Gods…” Her hand rises to her chest. “It’s not?—”

I don’t let her finish whatever she’s about to say. Rearing back, I channel all of my disgust into my fist and punch her. Her nose breaks under the contact, blood spurting free as she goes down to the ground.

“You disgust me,” I growl, reaching for my second blade. This one isn’t meant to kill mortals, but I don’t give a fuck. Ophelia can beat me all she likes when I return. I won’t leave this place without ensuring that this woman—this rapist—dies at my hands.

Madam Rose holds up a shaking hand, not even seeming to notice the ruby red blood that dribbles down over her lips and chin to stain the indigo of her gown. “Y-you…” Her breath comes in harsh pants and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

“Don’t fucking try begging,” I warn her. “Those who take what is not freely given will see no mercy from me.”

The brimstone dagger falls in the next second. The blade pierces the woman’s chest, straight down to the plain black handle. Red bubbles up around it as I pull it free and she chokes, eyes going glassy with the first hint of death as it descends.

I take a step back, my chest pumping up and down in a combination of effort and rage. A cough and a moan capture my attention and then a hand locks around my ankle. Jerking back, I kick out and Guillot goes flying into a bleary-eyed Regis as he tries to sit up.

I’m on the merchant in the next second, ripping the blade he’d pulled free from his hand and using it to slit his throat. Blood sprays over the side of Regis’ face and he gapes at me, blinking as he attempts to work through the fog he’s no doubt experiencing from the drugs.

“What the?—”

“We have to go,” I say, cutting Regis off as I roll the fat merchant to the side to get off him.

A glance over my shoulder reveals that Guillot’s two servants are missing—no doubt having run at the first opportunity. Madam Rose’s bodyguard lies dead with a dagger in his eye a few feet away.

“Get up,” I snap out the command as I stand and move over to the dead man. I pull my dagger free, wipe it, and sheathe it along with the others.

Regis curses as he places a hand on the side of the stone hut and staggers to his feet. Shoving my shoulders beneath one of his arms, I hoist him against my side. He hisses in pain, his already bruised face a molten shade of purple and black. No doubt there are more beneath his clothes.

“Suck it up,” I order. “We need to get out of here before anyone else comes to check out the noise.”

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