Page 14 of Powerless

“Shut up and listen to me,” I pant. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. And personally, I’d prefer the easy way.”

“She’s my daughter!” he bellows, a look of anguish in his eyes as he tries to tear me off him.

“Well, clearly, you have no regard for my feelings, because you want to do this the hard way.” I sigh, cock my fist back, and connect it with his jaw. His head snaps to the side, stunning him long enough to let me speak. “If you don’t cooperate, even your wife won’t have the ability to heal your broken body once I’m finished with you. So, I suggest you thank me for not killing you right here in front of your family and do exactly as I say.”

Nathan stills beneath me, the fight seeming to drain from his eyes. I shift, crouching beside him to stare down at his defeated form. “Now, get the hell up before I change my mind,” I murmur before standing to my feet. When he doesn’t budge, I add, “Patience is about as foreign to me as mercy, so I wouldn’t press your luck.”

At that, he scrambles to his feet and steps in front of his huddled family, blocking them from me. Shielding them from a monster. I keep my eyes locked on the sight of them, taking in the tears spilling down their cheeks and sobs slipping past their lips as I bark orders to the Imperials.

They hurry to heed my commands, tying up the prisoners as I casually add, “Keep to the side streets. Clearly, I’m in a good mood today. Feeling merciful if you will,” I huff out the words. “So I’d rather not have an audience.”

The Imperials grunt their agreement, smiling slightly at my idea ofmercy. Within a matter of minutes, Nathan, Layla, and their two boys are tied and shuffling behind the horses. They twist their heads around, hatred burning in their gazes as they eye Abigail tied and firmly held in my grasp.

They know what happens now. My reputation is rather renowned, stories of the murderous monster murmured throughout the streets.

This is the part where I kill the Ordinary while the Imperials escort the criminals to the Scorches where they will likely follow her into death. With its blistering heat by day and freezing temperatures by night, it’s no simple feat to make it to the other side of the desert where the cities of Dor and Tando lie. Not to mention that I’ve just sentenced this family to try and do just that with no supplies, no food, no water, and no hope.

It’s a far more painful death than their Ordinary daughter will suffer.

“Please! I’m begging you, please spare her!” Layla is shouting at me between sobs as she shuffles over the cobblestones behind the horses. “She’s just a child—”

An Imperial reaches behind from where he sits atop his horse and strikes her across the face, cutting off her plea. “Shut up,Slummer.”

I rip my eyes from the scene, pulling the girl away and down the street. Her feeble attempts to wiggle out of my grasp would be comical if it weren’t for the humorless situation we find ourselves in.

She’s eerily quiet for a child being dragged to her death. Most Ordinaries are screaming by now, pleading and bargaining for their lives. But her struggle is silent, her stare piercing. I keep my eyes locked on the empty alleys we head through, wondering how familiar one must be with hiding everything they are in order to hide their emotions even while facing death.

I steer us down a shadowed alley, not yet touched by the faint sunlight beginning to paint the kingdom golden. The Ordinary—Abigail—squirms, attempting to twist out of my grip for the dozenth time. I look down at her, amusement coating my voice as I say, “You are a persistent, little thing, aren’t you?”

She huffs, causing her flaming hair to flicker around her face before she sends a solid kick to my shin. I would have been impressed with her form if it weren’t for my growing frustration. I drop to a crouch in front of her so her angry green eyes can meet mine. Only when she lifts her leg to swing it at me once more do I say softly, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

She blinks, and right when I think she’s heeded my warning, she stomps on my foot before trying to pull her arm out of my grip with no luck. And then she’s squealing, flailing in an attempt to get away from me.

“Alright, well, we can’t have that.” I slip a knife from my boot as I murmur, “You are not going to make this easy for me.”

At the sight of the dagger, she swallows, suddenly still. “Just put it in my heart,” she blurts with her eyes pinned on the knife, voice delicate in the way that only a child’s can be. “I heard Momma say it’s quicker that way.”

“Did she now?” I ask quietly. “There are other quick ways as well you know.”

And I know every single one of them.

I watch her flinch as I bring the blade closer to her, watch her eyes widen as she finally allows herself to feel the terror she’s been desperately trying to hide. Then she takes a deep breath that sounds like something akin to acceptance before squeezing her eyes shut against the face of a monster in front of her.

The dagger slices, cutting easily.

The girl—

Abigail.

—sucks in a shaky breath.

After a long moment, a teary green eye peeks open. She blinks as the bindings slip from her raw wrists and land at her feet. Her gaze skips from her unharmed heart to my face before landing on the dagger in my hand. “Aren’t you gonna put that in my heart?”

My lips twitch. “Listen closely, Abigail. I cut your bindings, so now you have to do me a favor in return. I need you to stay quiet and stop struggling.” I search her face before adding, “Understood?”

I don’t wait for an answer before I once again begin leading us down streets and alleys. She must have understood me well enough because she now walks stiffly in silence, making no move to break out of my hold.

When the Scorches come into view, so do the two Imperials standing at the edge of it. They pay no attention to the family they are supposed to be watching head into the desert, now blurry figures dotting the sand. I peek my head out behind an alley wall, watching as the Imperials talk idly. Before long, they’re shrugging and spinning on their heels to head back down the street.

---