Page 86 of A Broken Promise

“Hey, I missed you too, I missed you so much, baby girl. I know. I know.”

As if by command, the hall lit up all at once, blinding me wholly. By reflex my eyes closed shut, adjusting.

It cost me a blink, as I opened my eyes and faced two groups of fully armed Royal guards approaching us with their weapons out, surrounding us.

The rebel paused, even as the large dark dog whimpered around him still. He didn’t move his hand away from her but made an attempt to stand up.

Tried and failed.

My mind was no longer panicking. No, panic was long gone, replaced by calculating instinct to survive.

The approaching guards circled us.

One man behind us laughed cruelly. His laugh was psychotic, unhinged.

I sharply turned to see him. The rebel next to me didn’t.

“Long time no see, Kaius.” The head of the guard addressed the rebel, taking a few steps closer to us but still a spear length away.Kaius, as if completely unaware of the guards or the man behind him continued to pet his dog with whatever strength he had left.

I glanced over to him, trying to understand, trying to plan.

But I saw it then. Gut wrenching defeat. Almost invisible, but a trace of loss on his face.

Utter defeat, as he stayed kneeling down, letting the dog lick his face, his bloodied-up hands.

“You know at first, I was going to murder her. Torture, then skin her alive and use her fur as a rug in the barracks. But then...” the man paused. “Then, I realized that you would come back for her. You never loved anything more than that stupid dog.” The head of the guard strode casually around us until he faced us. “Did you know you can retrain any dog, even the most loyal and stubborn to obey every command of yours if you torture them long enough?” He leered.

My eyes went back and forth. Between the lined-up guards, between the so painfully weak and weary Kaius and the happy dog, the head of the guard, his malicious eyes. I watched his face fill with disgust as he looked at the dog.

“Yet even after a couple of years you make a step within these walls and she feels your presence here, as if you never left. Runs for you as if you never abandoned her.” Kaius winced at those words, and the head of the guard sneered in amusement from that. “You know, I wouldn’t even know you were here if it wasn’t for her going completely insane. So, I guess she served her purpose after all. Come Gera.” He raised his voice at the unaware dog. She hesitated for a minute, looking straight at Kaius’s face, her happy tongue hanging out, the wagging tail pausing in the air, as if asking for permission, waiting for Kaius to give the command. “Come, you stupid dog,” Head of the guard shouted again. She paused; her ears slumped down, but she obediently came to her new master.

I watched as he pulled his sword out and with one swift move, he stabbed her deeply in her chest. Kaius flinched so hard, as if a part of him got pierced too.

Gera only had a chance to whimper once. As if her last chance to say goodbye, not to us but to Kaius. As if to tell him that last time, thatshe was so happy he came back. Her body went limp a second later, her fluffy tail just laying flat, unable to ever wag in excitement again.

The guard pulled his sword out of her lifeless body, letting the dark blood pool around her.

“Now that, that is out of the way. Let’s find out who you are?” He looked at me with his bloodlust eyes.

I didn’t answer. My eyes still pinned on the motionless body of Gera, rage building up, bubbling so close to the surface as if a magma ready to burst out of a slumbering volcano.

“Is this your new slut?” he asked, taking a step closer to me. I turned my eyes to him, but his were on Kaius. “How does your whore of a wife feel about it?” He laughed again. A few guards chuckled. A few stayed still as if also shocked by the violent death still lingering in the air.

Kaius's eyes narrowed.

“Leave my wife out of this.” He left it at that, unable, unwilling, to say a word more.

A truth or a lie.The only weapons I could wield right now.

I took a calming breath and confidently said.

“I am just a lost guest. I’ve never met this man before. There was an explosion and I got disoriented and clearly lost. When I came to my senses, I saw him in the hall hurt so we’ve been trying to make our way back, but I think we got even more lost since there was no light. We were looking for help since he is clearly hurt. And now I am not just lost but completely baffled and puzzled.”

A sliver of hope glittered in me as I saw that pause. His face changed only for a second, as if believing... no,consideringmy story.

It was a lie, but like any good lies it was mixed with truth.

“A lost guest, you say?” He took another step, taking a hard look at me from head to toe.

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