Page 141 of Bloodguard

Ugeen regards me, stunned, if not offended. “What?” he asks.

“I asked youwhat the hell this shit is,” I repeat a lot less nicely.

Ugeen fancies himself one of those proper lords. And proper lords don’t appreciate being yelled at. “Settle down, gladiator,” he says, more offended by my tone than my intent. “The woman is free to make her own choices, no? Unlike your family, Maeve of House Iamond is not dead.”

The arena vanishes in an explosion of blurring sound. As it settles, there’s only silence, even as pain shoots through me as if my muscles are tearing from my bones piece by torturous piece.

“You…youmurderedmyfamily?”

Ugeen is affronted. “Nonsense. They’ve been dead for years.” He looks at Maeve. “He didn’t know?” he asks her.

I break free of the arms holding me. Sand and chunks of flesh press beneath my feet. I’m running forward, I think.

Maeve just stands there, holding her hand out, trying to tell me to stop. As if I ever could.

Except right now it feels possible. Necessary, even.

I have to get away.

Her free arm clutches Soro’s—her fiancé. Her futurefuckingking!

Someone jumps into the arena, running up on me. Caelen, urging me to leave the arena with him, telling me they’ll kill me if I stay.

But I’m already dead. This nightmare—the reason I signed up for this shit in the first place—endswith my family dead. Giselle’s next to me, her voice begging me to listen, saying we must leave, telling me something about Jakeb, Neela, and the manor.

The royal guards are approaching. That’s what Caelen says.

I shove him aside like it’s nothing.

I suppose it’s not.

Compared to losing my entirefuckingfamily!

“They’re dead,” I say.

Giselle’s voice splinters. “I-I’m sorry.”

And Maeve knew. Sheknewand she didn’t tell me. How could she not tell me?

The arena suddenly clears, and noise destroys my ears. The guards charge. I do, too.

There’s no reason left to live.

But there are plenty of reasons to die.

chapter 50

Leith

Slice.

That’s seventeen.

Slice.

Eighteen.

Eighteen lashes. And six more to go.

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