Page 345 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“All of them.”

Of course.

I turned for the door.

“Freya—” Cali caught my sleeve.

“I’m going to Reyna.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Don’t act like you’re the only one here who fucking loves him.”

“I’m not risking you.”

“That’s not your call.”

“Yes, it is.” I faced her fully. “You’ll be a liability.”

“Then that’s on me.”

I opened my mouth to argue—but the look in her eyes stopped me cold.

“They put him in with Nix,” she whispered.

Ice flooded my veins.

Nix.

They’d thrown Cyrus to a monster.

And they expected him to come out intact.

SIXTY-FOUR

RATTLE THE CAGE

CYRUS

Fear is a parasite in the soul. It feeds off your life-force, robbing you blind. There is no place for fear in the heart of a Wing.

“This is for being a traitorous little shit!”

Punch.

“Missed you too, you sadistic prick.”

Each hit was calculated—enough to snap my head back, to crack skin, but not enough to knock me out. This one, though…this one left me gasping, tears streaking from eyes already swollen shut.

“I prefer my foreplay with fewer bruises, but whatever gets you off.”

“Okay, funny man.” Nix snarled, fisting a handful of my hair and yanking until my scalp screamed. He wrenched my head back and pressed the blade to my throat.

He wouldn’t kill me.

He might make me wish for it, but not yet. Not until they got what they wanted.