Page 39 of Oath-Maker

“Don’t,” I warned. Maybe I’d miscalculated his intent.

My heart dropped as Merek raised one hand. “Bring me five.”

My gaze darted between him and the five soldiers who swarmed the room, looking for a victim.

“Merek, please,” I begged.

“TheGuardianhas spoken,” Commander Lumen jumped in. “Be silenced.”

“Oh, fuck off,” I shot at the commander despite my better judgement.

The soldiers forced four paladins to kneel before them, Cole and Jordan amongst them. Commander Lumen then marched toward me to pull Isabel away. He forced her to her knees before Merek.

All five of them shot me pleading looks. Fear, real fear, shone in their eyes. But I wasn’t sure what I could do. We’d been caught, just as I’d suspected we would be. Although now I saw any doubt in Isabel had been absolutely wrongly placed. I regretted it fiercely now.

It wasn’t doubt in her, but a gut instinct in myself that something was wrong.

Either way, I hadn’t acted.

I stepped between Merek and the paladins. Commander Lumen drew his celestial sword and lit it with magic. Dark-red runes glowed on his magical blade as he brought the sword to my neck.

“Stop,” I said to Merek. “Killing them won’t get me to cooperate. Nor will it help you win more followers in Lightport.”

Merek lifted his chin. In a flash, any and all familiarity was gone. The change was stark, and as if we’d never met, much less had ever been romantically entwined. His gaze grew cold, his jaw tight. “Nothing invites your cooperation, it seems, so instead, I will send a message: Act against me, and die.” Merek nodded to Commander Lumen.

“For Serenia!” Isabel cried with tears streaming down her face as the commander’s sword drew away from me. He pressed the tip to her back.

“No!” I grabbed Merek by the shoulders. “Their deaths won’t prove anything. They won’t send a message. It’s me—I’m the one you need. I’m the one who brought them together. Punishme.”

“Gladly,” he spat before gesturing with his hand.

I watched in horror as Commander Lumen plunged his celestial sword through Isabel’s chest. The soldiers beside him did the same.

It was over in an instant. Their deaths. My scream hollowing my throat raw.

Five more dead. Five morepaladinsfallen to this senseless fucking war.

Gods, I’d known this would be risky. I hadn’t gotten them together originally, but Isabel’s group had sworn their new oaths under the presumption I could keep them safe. Even if they’d known the risk well before I’d been brought to Lightport as a bargaining chip, these deaths… These paladins’ lives were on my hands. I’d feared we’d be caught and let this happen anyway.

The Guardian grabbed my chin and pulled my gaze away from the horror I couldn’t willingly turn from as dread and sadness burrowed through me. “They died because of you. I promised you no more paladin lives would be lost.”

“Fucking liar,” I spat, but there was no fire behind the words. Not now. I tore my chin out of his grip.

“Obey,” the Guardian said to me as he dropped his hand back down to his side. Our gazes met, but only cold emptiness remained between us. “Cooperate and only demons die. We don’t want to burn the entire world, just the demons and evil within it.”

I pulled up my sleeve, which sent Commander Lumen into an immediate tizzy until he realized I didn’t have a weapon hidden there. No, no weapons. Just one of many marks—Fallen celestial runes—along my skin.

“You’re just as evil as I am, Merek. Eviler than any demon. But for good measure, just remember when you thought these runes were demonic rather than celestial. Remember how the Order thought me a demon.” I stepped toward him, all caution now gone. “I’m not just one of those demons you want to cleanse—I’m the queen of them. And I’m not moving out of your way.”

Merek’s burning gaze pinned me in place for several long moments before he swiped a canteen off of his belt. Swiftly, he had it uncorked and pouring out its liquid contents all over the floor. Before I could ask what was going on—before the thoughts whittled their way through my foggy mind—he grabbed my arm with one hand and drew a dagger from beside where his canteen had sat.

“If you won’t help willingly,” the Guardian started, “then I’ll do this the way I should have to begin with.” He swiped the dagger across my arm. Blood immediately beaded and then pooled, flowing across my skin. I watched in horror as the Guardian collected the crimson liquid in his canteen. For a moment, I thought I saw something like sparkles or magic within it.

“What are you doing?” I spat.

The Guardian chuckled. “Bleeding dry your magic. Saving it to use on the tear in the Veil.” He smiled up at me, cruel and sick and evil. “Thankfully, your blood is enough. I don’t need a queen to wield my full power. Not likehim.”

He drained me until I was lightheaded and the room spun.

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