Page 83 of Savage Throne
Song and Leo flanked me.
Their presence was a constant, oppressive reminder that this was no ordinary walk.
Behind us, a line of men followed, their boots crunching against the gravel, and the rhythmic sound grated on my already frayed nerves.
One of them carried the bag, the godforsaken bag of heads that stank of blood and something sour. Each time it shifted, the faint, nauseating slosh of what was inside made my stomach turn.
The weight of that bag pressed on my mind, even though it wasn’t yet in my hands. I knew what waited inside and could almost feel the grim stench of it creeping up the path toward me.
And my stomach twisted at the thought.
I’m going to have to kill more people tonight.
The realization slithered through my veins—cold and relentless—coiling around my chest. I tried to shake it off, to replace the fear with numbness, but it clung on stubbornly.
The silence between Leo, Song, and me felt like an accusation.
It asked questions I wasn’t prepared to answer, ones that echoed in my own head as I climbed.
Why would I do this?
Was it simply survival?
To protect myself, to protect the lives of my sisters?
Would they understand if they ever found out?
Or would they look at me the way one might look at a stranger, someone unrecognizable, tainted by the darkness I was about to step into?
The path steepened, forcing my breath out in heavy puffs.
The night was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.
How do I get out of this?
I glanced at Leo.
His profile was a mask of calm, almost serene in its detachment.
How many lives had he taken without hesitation, without remorse?
How many had he sacrificed on this same altar of power and survival?
And even more. . .would I become like him after tonight?
I swallowed hard as a lump formed in my throat.
The idea that I could be more than just a woman caught in a storm, that I could be something monstrous, clawed at the edges of my sanity.
But then, another thought slithered in, one that made me feel small and selfish.
What if I didn’t do this?
What if I refused, stood my ground and said no, accepting whatever punishment Leo doled out?
Would it be a bullet to the head?
Or something worse, something that would make me wish I had taken my chances in that tent filled with killers?
