Page 78 of Savage Throne
I fisted my hands in my lap. “Go where?”
Song rose and headed off.
Once he got to the back door, he opened it and stepped through.
I caught more sounds from outside—low voices speaking in rapid Chinese, sharp and urgent. A wetthwackechoed through the night, followed by the unmistakable sound of slicing. The noises blurred together with the shuffling of feet, the scrape of wood, and the murmur of Song’s orders.
My stomach twisted with fear. “What are they doing out there?”
Leo returned his gaze to me. “They’re preparing.”
“Preparing for what?”
His smile deepened, lazy and deliberate, as if the question had amused him. “For your final challenge, my little monster.”
There it was again—that name.
He used it like a chant, soft and steady. Surely he thought that repeating it enough times would etch it into my bones.
I shifted in my seat, and the wooden chair creaked beneath me.
“My little monster, do you feel the darkness stirring inside of you?” Leo leaned his head to the side. “Do you feel it growing roots?”
“You want me to answer your questions when you won’t answer mine?”
“I didn’t realize we were on equal footing right now. I was still thinking that I am the captor and you are the captive.”
I pursed my lips.
“And that’s why you need to be a monster.” He pointed. “I’m a monster, that’s why no one wouldeverthink to kidnap me. Who would ever want to trap a monster? Might get clawed and devoured if you did. After this final test, all will know whoyouare.”
I swallowed.
“Mybeautiful, little monster.”
Those words were like a caress and a threat all at once, curling through the air between us and settling in my skin.
“What’s my test?”
“You will go into a tent full of killers and then you kill several men in there. You will shed the sort of blood that creates legends.”
My whole body froze.
Outside, the sounds continued—the wetshlckof something being cut, the low murmur of voices, the thud of heavy objects hitting the ground.
“The guns you chose were perfect for this test. They’re equipped with switches that add to their complexity and versatility—”
“I-I’m not going anywhere and killing—”
“Your guns will be in semi-automatic mode. Therefore, you will be able to take precision shots. In full-auto mode, you can quickly clear multiple enemies in seconds, however that will be at the cost of ammo.”
“Leo—”
“Song has put high-capacity magazines into your guns. So each will have 33 rounds which allows you 66 rounds for the test, but these men are good so still be mindful of the count.” He raised his eyebrows. “Do you understand?”
“Yes but I don’t want to do this.”
Leo's gaze softened for a moment with a strange understanding in his eyes. "None of us wanted to do this, my little monster. But the world doesn't care about our desires. It takes. It harms. So we must take. We must harm."
