The grayskin had looked down at me like I was a pest, more disappointed than anything else. It reminded me of Father Cullard’s expression when I disobeyed, and it was impossible to forget howheturned out.
I didn’t give a shit about Master Lukain’s contempt for me. I felt it was all a show to get me to give up, otherwise he wouldn’t take the time to personally train me as I had asked.
“What did Peltos do, Antones?” Lukain asked.
“Raped a girl. Helget. The round quiet one? Broke into the women’s quarters during sleeping hours. Was caught red-cocked, as it were.”
My blood boiled. I fought back a response, keeping my face slack and uninterested as Lukain studied my reaction.
“Hm.” Lukain turned to Antones. “Bring him in.”
Ten minutes later, Peltos shuffled in, Ant leading him in by a chain around the neck. His hands were bound in front of him, feet manacled to make his gait clipped and jangling.
Peltos would have been an attractive young man if his personality wasn’t so awful. He sneered instead of smiled, he scoffed instead of laughed. There was nothing honest or good about him. Hearing this about him and Helget, well . . . that was all I needed to know to want to rip his face off.
“Master, please,” Peltos began, bowing his head in shame as Antones pushed him in front of Lukain. “I know I fucked up. Let me make it up to you. How can I—”
“Silence.” Lukain’s voice was tinged with darkness. He looked to me. “You don’t want me to go easy on you, little grimmer?”
He unsheathed his sword, forcing me to backpedal in surprise until my ass hit the wall.
Lukain turned the blade and abruptly swung it against the side of Peltos’ leg. The flat of the blade caused such a fierce, loudthwackthat I heard an ugly crack along with it.
Peltos shrieked and stumbled to one knee. When he looked down, his screeching grew louder. Bloody-white bone, jagged and fractured, pierced the skin through the side of his kneecap. Lukain had maimed him in a single blow.
The grayskin faced me and spoke calmly over Peltos’ wailing. “Thatis what happens when I don’t go easy on you, Sephania. Understand?”
I gulped past a dry throat.I understand you’re a monster.Slowly, my head nodded on its own.
“Good.” He lifted his hand and flipped the blade, handing it to me hilt-first. “Now it’s your turn.”
My eyes blinked rapidly, confused. His gaze gleamed with unbridled excitement, his face betraying no reaction whatsoever. When he nudged his chin down to the weeping form of Peltos, I understood.
“Don’t go easy,” Lukain murmured. “Your opponents never will.”
The shackled young man glanced up at me in horror as I reached out for Lukain’s sword. I could have punched the blade into Lukain’s chest, or at least tried.
Instead, I wrapped my fingers around the worn leather handle. It was heavy in my young hands. A true weapon.
I glared down at Peltos . . . and blew him a kiss.
His mouth dropped open. “Wait, please, girl, I have nothing against you!”
“I haveeverythingagainst you, Peltos.” He was just like the other despicable human men I’d met.
The feeling of power inside me surged. Perhaps it was the yard-long sword I held in my hands, or the fact Master Lukain was giving me credence to be violent.
I imitated Lukain’s move when he handed me the sword, flipping it so I held the blade flat between my palms. Then I reeled my arms back and swung the sword like a club, putting all my weight behind the swing.
The pommel of the sword was a steel bludgeon. When it struck Peltos’ face with all my young force behind it, his jaw snapped to the side, unhinging from the rest of his skull. Teeth fragments and bloody bits of his mouth went flying and splattering against the wall.
He was left unconscious, toppled on his side.
A sick and twisted wave of glee washed over me as I stared down at the rapist’s broken body.
Lukain tutted. “It seems you need more training with the sword, little grimmer. You’ve missed.”
I tilted my head at him. Far as I could tell, Peltos was completely incapacitated. Maybe even dead.
