Heart of Ash (The Dark Arcane Series: Book 1)

Chapter Twenty Five

She didn't know how, but she managed to stumble back through the forest, knowing her face was probably blowing up and feeling her wound scream with every step, as Vic One pushed her forwards. He was the seething.

He muttered a long string of obscenities, cursing her to hell and back.

She hated the dread that climbed up her spine, that whispered in her ears of the things he could do to her now she'd shown her cards, and the worst things he could do to the others. Fuck, why didn't she hit harder? She should have been able to take him out, no problem. Fucking failure.

She could barely think of the looks of disappointment she was going to get from the others.

They arrived at the trees where the others were tied but he pushed her forwards still. Even without looking she could feel Kade's state on her but she could hear him straining against the restraints.

She was made to continue until they reached the campfire where she found just make out Mirken and countless others.

They looked up as they approached. She did everything she could not to collapse. The bullet wound on her leg was dragging her down, and she hadn't yet taken out the knife in her side. Blood loss would kill her first, she knew that, somewhere in the muddled, adrenaline buzzed state of her mind.

"Look what this bitch tried to do to me just now," he crowed. "I told you she was a vicious thing."

A young man, blonde, shook his head, looking at the end of his tether. "What are you playing at, eh? So what, it hit you, so just shoot it and get over it already."

"Ah, ah, ah," Vic One waggled his gun. "Not yet. Say, Mirken, you don't mind if I teach this one a lesson before transport tomorrow, do ya? She needs to be taught some manners."

He huffed, having the nerve to chew on his lip as his thought. "Would it matter if I said actually I do mind? Eh, whatever, do as you want, she's worth almost nothing with that scar anyway, it's fucking hideous."

Vic One pointed the knife in her face. "You don't have to say that twice, maybe I'll give her another to match."

The pain competed with her fear, both fighting to crumble her resistance but she refused—she refused.

She couldn't die here, not here—she had an emperor to kill before she left this world. She wasn't done yet.

Vic One reached forwards and yanked the knife from her abdomen.

She screamed.

The world blacked out for several moments and she wished she were dead.

She was distantly aware of tears running down her face.

"Oh, don't do it here, fool, the blood's gonna attract the bears," one of them scoffed at his apparent incompetency.

"Fine, fine," he laughed. "C'mon bitch, this way."

She stumbled over the thin grass, she thought she could taste blood and didn't want to ponder on what they meant for her chances of survival. Mothers tits, this really was a pathetic way to die.

They came across a makeshift tent, his, apparently. "Go on, inside."

She wondered if he could smell her fear. She thought she could—and she could definitely sense his anticipation. It filled the air and choked her.