Page 186 of Hellbound

Hot tears welled in Ksenia’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She seethed at the thought of being a scapegoat for his transgressions.

“Some of your victims, although also guilty of crimes, were denied their rightful judgment under the law. You made yourself judge, jury, and executioner.”

A crazed smile pulled over her face. “We are alike in that regard.”

Karsan chuckled with a slight shake of his head. He raised his hand to Bohdan, who unsheathed his sword. A crystalline chime pealed through the room…

Bohdan swallowed stiffly, his breath rising unevenly as Mirko forced her to kneel on the prayer bench. His sword rose high above her head, and she shut her eyes.

A resonant thunk reverberated through the hall as blood painted the ground, missing the basin.

For a heartbeat, the world froze.

Then, it all went to hell.

The crowd exploded outward like a disturbed nest of ants. Screams pierced the space as hundreds of bodies surged toward the exits and hallways simultaneously. All semblance of order disintegrated into animalistic panic, peasants trampling nobles, ladies abandoning their silk slippers to scrabble barefoot across the stone.

Ksenia’s breath shuddered, a numbing buzz flooding her entire body as she opened her eyes. Bohdan dropped to his knees next to her, a crossbow bolt skewering him through his chest. Blood seeped into his handsome crimson uniform, the color draining from his face.

The chaos drowned out her scream as she thrashed against her chains toward his slumped body.

He swallowed thickly, the blood bubbling from his mouth as he struggled to form words, his eyes straining to convey understanding to hers.

“Bohdan! No—”

She screamed at the fleeing crowd, the guards flooding to secure Karsan as more crossbow bolts hit the floor.

“Help him!—Someone—”

She dragged herself closer. He couldn’t go. Everyone was gone.

She sobbed, her forehead pressed against his bleeding chest.

She shrieked as someone pulled at her chains, lifting her off his body. There was a small flicker in his eye, the smallest curve of a smile as he pushed up to crash his lips against hers.

Their mouths were beautifully bloody.

“Now, we’re even.” His words were strained.

Ksenia’s eyes widened, her breath ragged, struggling to understand. She thrashed and writhed against the force pulling her backward.

His eyes held hers—pained.

“Calm down, we’re getting out!” a voice hissed.

A pair of hands dragged her to a nearby portrait through the pandemonium. The sound was deafening, the thunderous rumble of feet against marble punctuated by shrieks of fear. Candle stands and lecterns crashed to the floor.

The portrait swung open, and Ksenia was dragged through, kicking and screaming.

A hand gruffly covered her mouth, and she sank her teeth into its palm, the coppery taste of blood on her tongue.

“Fuck—shit! It’s me!”

Varka pulled off her mask and hood, tousled brown hair springing out.

“What—we have to go back for him!” Ksenia snarled and kicked at Varka.

Another familiar voice cut through her thrashing.