Page 88 of Hellbound

No. No.

He turned on his heel and nodded to the guard who shut her door.

He was supposed to let her out.

Her hands strained against the shackles.

Had she chosen the wrong prisoner?

A cold weight settled to the bottom of her stomach before she dry-heaved, and her pulse slowed as she faced her failure.

She’d walked back into her executioner’s hands willingly. Imprisoned herself in a competition of his design, walked into this cage, and she chose wrong.

She wasn’t outmaneuvered. She was wrong.

Danika. The children. The Bound Eye.

Lost vindication aside, she would truly become invisible in the most complete way imaginable.

Bohdan stood at the center once more.

“Senka and Tivan will advance to the final duel. Congratulations.”

Cries of anguish and joy erupted from the room.

What?

Her eyes widened, snapping to Bohdan’s. He shook out his shoulders, and for once, he was the first to look away.

Her chest tightened, her throat closing painfully. She had sentenced another man to death.

The jailed, former Envorsen gave her a small smile, the tremor at the corners almost imperceptible.

No one won by playing these sick games.

The guards opened the losing competitors’ cell doors, and Ksenia was forced to listen to their screams as Karsan entered each cell himself and hacked away at something unseen, but hefty.

Each slice, Ksenia felt in her bones. Each cut, the bloodlust in her mind grew stronger, fighting against her worn body in a primal mix of fight or flight.

Their screams were punctuated by blood splatter, screaming, pleading, and finally a loud thud.

Sweat dripped down her forehead.

Across the room, there was no jeering and laughter despite the prisoners’ claims. Everyone sobered up from the lose-lose situation they were dealt.

Finally, Ksenia and Tivan were unshackled. She slumped to the ground in a boneless heap.

Twenty-four hours of being strung up had left her powerless.

She crawled forward until she reached a low stone bench and clambered onto shaky legs.

Karsan had entered the spy’s cell. The spy looked the picture of ease, one arm leaning on his stump of a knee as he took a final drink from his flask.

“Radovan. Prince Radovan. It didn’t have to end like this. We were family,” Karsan scolded, like a disappointed elder.

“Ravenka deserved better than you. We always knew you were a snake, from the moment you took power—”

His diatribe was cut short, sputtering blood. Karsan slammed Radegast through his chest, and the man slumped onto the blade, blood bubbling from his mouth.