The Siege of Shadows: Book one

Marked in Chains (35)*

I woke with a start, my body aching with every movement. My arms were still chained above me, forcing my head back as pain throbbed through my neck and shoulders. The cold stone wall was unforgiving against my back, and the smell of my own sweat and blood made it hard to breathe.

The door creaked open, and the unmistakable sound of boots on stone echoed through the chamber. The King's voice, smooth and dripping with malice, filled the silence.

"It's time to break you, little girl," he sneered.

I heard the unmistakable shuffle of someone behind him—Kael. My heart gave a jolt of terror, but I couldn't do anything. I was still chained to the wall, helpless.

"You've been a challenge, but I think I've found the way to finally break that spirit of yours." The King's words were like poison, each syllable dripping with contempt. "I'll claim your body. That will finally push you to your knees."

The words hit me like a slap across the face. I tensed, my throat tightening with fear. He couldn't mean what I thought he meant. He couldn't— he wouldn't.

Before I could respond, I heard Kael's voice, low and harsh, cutting through the room.

"No," he growled, stepping in front of me, blocking the King's path. "You won't touch her."

I heard the King's breath hitch in surprise. The fury in his voice followed quickly. "Move, Theros. Don't tell me what to do."

Kael didn't budge. "You will not claim her, not like this," he spat, his voice full of defiance, but also something else—something that sounded like desperation.

The King was silent for a moment, the tension thick in the air. Then, in one fluid movement, he struck Kael with a brutal elbow to the stomach. The sickening sound of the impact echoed in the room, and Kael gasped, stumbling back.

"You dare speak out of line?" The King's voice was dark, twisted with rage. He motioned to the guards. "Teach him a lesson."

Before Kael could recover, the guards rushed forward. One of them slammed a fist into Kael's side, sending him reeling into the stone wall. Another hit him across the back and I heard the sickening crack of bone.

I tried to scream, to beg the King to stop, but the words caught in my throat, the chains around my wrists choking off my voice. My heart pounded in my chest, fear for Kael consuming me as I watched the brutal beating unfold before me.

The guards didn't stop. Each blow landed with vicious precision, their strikes landing on Kael's chest, his ribs, his face. I could hear the pain in his grunts, the way his body jerked with each punishing hit. My mind screamed at me to do something, anything, but I couldn't move. I couldn't help him.

The King watched it all with cold amusement, his gaze fixed on Kael as he writhed on the floor, barely conscious.

"You think you're better than me, Theros?" the King sneered, stepping closer, looming over Kael's battered form. "You think you can protect her? You can't even protect yourself."

Kael's chest heaved, his breath ragged. But despite the blood pouring from his mouth, despite the bruises and cuts that marred his skin, there was something in his eyes that didn't waver. Defiance. And I saw it, just for a moment—the King was losing his grip on Kael.

The King bent down, looking Kael in the eye as he forced him to meet his gaze. "I'll break you," he hissed, his words a threat that sent a shiver down my spine. "And once I do, you'll watch as I break her."

He stood up and turned back to me, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "This is your last warning. Stay silent. Stay broken, and maybe, just maybe, you won't witness any more of this."