Page 239 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“To go where?”

“Back to the Arius manor for now,” Lange answered.

“Without my master?”

“That’s the plan.”

“He will remain locked up?”

“We’re not going to free him,” Lange replied.

Keeping her features expressionless, she reached out down the bond.Are you well, my Lord?

Am I well?he snarled.No, I am not well, Eviana.

She winced internally. He was angry. Something must have happened. It explained why he’d been so quiet these last hours. He always got too quiet when he was angry. He let it brew and fester until he could take it out on someone or something.

Usually her.

Is there something I can do from here?she asked, the knowledge that he couldn’t touch her right now the only reason she did so. If she were in the same room as him, she would have remained quiet and still in her chair, not daring to breathe.

Yes, Eviana,he snapped.You can do what is expected of you and serve your Master. Get me out of here.

Tell me what to do, my Lord.

You know what to do. Kill whomever you must. Fuck whomever you must. Do and sacrifice whatever is necessary. My kingdom is at stake.

Lange and Corbin were staring at her, clearly unsure of what to do.

Corbin pulled a small phone from his pocket, glancing at it before he said, “We need to go right now. You need to decide.”

“I just need to gather a few things,” she replied.

“There isn’t time,” Corbin insisted.

She ignored him, moving to pull the boots from their hiding place. Slipping them on, she grabbed the coat, unfolding it while she made her way to the bathroom and twisted her hair up, sliding the other comb into it. Lange and Corbin were fidgeting by the door, growing more anxious by the second.

She dropped to her knees, reaching under the bed.

“Fuck,” she heard Corbin whisper. “Someone is out there now. We ran out of time.”

Eviana stood, the broken neck of the wine bottle in her hand.

“Should we call Tristyn?” Lange asked.

“I could, but— Wait!” Corbin cried.

But she didn’t.

Eviana strode by them, pulling open the unlocked door.

“What the fu—” the guard started, and then he was gurgling. Bright red bubbled from his lips and dripped down his neck from where she’d shoved the jagged end of the wine bottle into it.

“That…won’t kill him,” Lange said weakly. “He’ll heal too quickly.”

Eviana smiled, and he shrank back into Corbin. “Not if there are too many wounds and a severed spinal cord.”

It took a matter of seconds for her to stab in strategic places.Creativeplaces Mansel had shown her. The harder part was sawing a broken wine bottle through a spinal cord. It took some muscles she hadn’t had to use since being locked in that room. When she was done, she pushed back to her feet with a frown. It was messy. Valter would reprimand her for that if he was here.

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