Page 68 of The Throne's Undoing

Twisting his limbs, he pushed and pushed--

"Now!" someone shouted.

The blade disappeared from his throat.

But before he realized what was happening, a sharp thump hit the back of his head, and the mortal body fell onto the ground. As black smoke fluttered at the edges of his visions, he spotted Kalisandre being dragged away, her body limp in a guard's arms.

Yet the god, as powerful as he might have been, was helpless to save her.

Chapter 20

MYRA

Mynhos's screamsstill haunted her dreams. They were the only thing that kept Myra returning to that wretched room without fighting the guards who tugged her down the halls.

She would do whatever she had to in order to protect Mynhos, even becoming a person she hated and despised. Because if Myra was being honest with herself, after everything she had already done, she already hated who she had become long ago.

Still, she couldn't get herself to ignore her morals completely.

Every day, Myra made every effort to hinder any progress without raising the king's suspicions. As Dr. Thorne prepared to inject the poison into the man's neck, Myra let her influence fall from the victim. She flinched as the man thrashed and screamed against the gag in his mouth. Myra hated herself every time the stranger blinked up at her, the pain a thin layer over his brown irises. A desperate plea spread across his features, but the man did not understand what he was asking of her.

While Myra could take away his pain, it would only further his demise with whatever horrid concoction resided inside the vial.

Even though she hated watching him in pain, she told herself it was better than the alternative--than becoming one of those horrid creatures.

According to Dr. Thorne, for the medication to be taken, the victim's heart rate had to be even, and their mind had to be willing. During the trial period, if the victims fought, it prevented the poison from infiltrating their bloodstream.

It was why forcing them unconscious with medicinal herbs wasn't a viable option. There had been too many failed experiments with unwilling patients, and King Domitius wasn't taking any more chances.

So Myra delayed as much as possible. And for a while, her delay went unnoticed.

Abilities like Myra's were temperamental at best. To manipulate one's emotions and weave new ones took time and energy. It was why Kallie had struggled to gain control over her powers for so long. Therefore, the king would not expect success right away.

After all, based on the information Myra had gathered, Domitius had been working on this project for decades. He would not rush it if that meant risking its success.

Every day, Myra gritted her teeth as the man's screams ripped through the room like a strike of thunder shaking a stable. They pierced Myra's eardrums and sent her headspinning, causing her hands to tremble at her side.

But no matter how loudly he yelled or how much he fought against the king's experimentation, no one would come for him. No one would save him.

Even the other prisoners in the dungeons would have had a hard time hearing the screams. The secluded room muffled the noise, making it so faint that some would think they were merely losing their minds. Outside the room, the screams were surely no more than a figment of one's imagination.

And yet, Myra still heard the screams every night as she lay her head down to sleep, as the shadows filled her cell and drowned her. She found herself questioning if the cries belonged to Dr. Thorne's victim, her brother, or if they were simply a nightmare she couldn't possibly escape.

Myra had tried her best, but it wasn't enough--it never was.

Because when Kolen came for her late one day, the chains in Kolen's hands told her everything she needed to know.

"Are those really necessary?" Myra asked, her stomach turning.

"King's orders." Kolen motioned for her hands.

Reluctantly, Myra held them up, trembling.

The metal was freezing against her skin. When he released her hands, they fell, the chains a heavy weight on her frail wrists.

"Ankles, too," Kolen said when Myra made to move.

Her mouth fell open to protest, but the guard was already snapping the cuffs in place.

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