Page 11 of The Throne's Undoing

The man's lips parted, but no response came.

Graeson nodded in understanding, and with a flick of his sword, he sent the man stumbling back into the side of the building. "Thought so. Only a fool would not call for support."

The guard slammed into the wall with a loudoomph. As he pushed himself away from the wall, he rolled his shoulder, causing his shining armor to creak.

"At least now you won't look so fresh," Graeson said, eyeing the new scratches marring the man's armor.

"Come on, Gray. Stop messing with him. We don't have time for this."

Graeson rolled his eyes. They still had two minutes at least by his count, but if Terin wanted him to end this quickly, so be it. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Standing, the guard growled in rage, and Graeson struggled to hold back his laughter.

"You're a cocky bastard," the guard seethed.

Graeson deflected the guard's strike and twisted around, pressing his blade against the man's neck. "So I've been told," he taunted with an amused smirk.

Then, the earth shook as a loudboomrocked the capital.

Screams erupted across the city. Dust fell off the rooftops above them, coating Graeson's shoulders and making him cough.

The guard gasped. "What the fuck--"

"About time," Graeson muttered. Then in one fell swoop, Graeson removed the blade and knocked the man out with the butt of his hilt.

"That's our sign," Graeson urged, propping the unconscious guard against the wall. "Let's go."

Then, they were running.

Chapter 4

KALLIE

On her hands and knees,Kallie heaved. Her breaths came in a torrent, rushed and labored. Each intake of air threatened to burst through her ribcage. But no matter how much oxygen she pulled into her lungs, it wasn't enough.

Kallie didn't know how long she had been training, but every muscle screamed at her to take a break. Nonetheless, she couldn't stop. Not when her father wrapped his hand around her arm and demanded she continue, his shouts drowning out the intense ache shaking her to her core.

The king yanked her off the floor, and Kallie's very being begged to fall back to the ground as her legs shook beneath her. Sweat dripped down her neck beneath the haggard braid and coated her back, dampening her blouse.

He tightened his grip, his fingers pressing deeper against her skin, bruising. "If your body is weak, your mind will be too!" Domitius shouted at her, the whites of his eyes streaked with red.

Kallie's eyes watered, but she kept her mouth closed and silently begged for the tears to vanish.

The king shoved her forward with a snarl, and Kallie fell to her knees. "You are despicable! You must push through the pain. Have I taught you nothing?"

She struggled to answer, "I--I'm--"

"No excuses!" he roared.

Kallie dropped her gaze, landing on her arm where the red imprint of her father's fingers slowly faded.

"Again!" The king's command echoed in the large, cold space beneath the marble castle.

Kallie's arms trembled beneath her, and she bit her lip. She took a deep breath and began to count silently to herself.

One.

Two.

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