Page 175 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

Screaming at the fiery pain slicing through her arm, she pulled at her sleeve. The only thing that remained of the tattoo was blistered, angry skin, and a whimper left her as she wrapped a hand around it.

A freeing emptiness filled her to her core, and Lessia huffed a breath when the last traces of the oath left her veins.

“Leave,” Loche ordered, his gaze pinned somewhere above her body on the floor.

“Loche…” she pleaded.

“You heard the regent,” the king hissed. “Leave now, and your life will be spared.”

Sobs racked her body as she clumsily got to her feet, andshe stumbled her way to the door, wondering if death wasn’t preferable to the pain that burned through her, that seemed to seep into every pore.

She lingered by the door, turning her head over her shoulder, harboring a small hope that Loche would look at her again, but his back remained turned, and she caught only her father’s sorrow-filled eyes before the door slammed shut.

Chapter

Seventy

With her hands on her knees, she tried to mute the cry that forced its way up her throat, soft whimpers leaving her as waves and waves of pain washed through her body.

“Lessia, come with me. Quickly!”

Through blurry eyes, she made out Zaddock’s worried face and didn’t bother to ask where he was taking her as her heart broke, a silent scream tearing through her mind.

Zaddock dragged her into an empty room at the end of the corridor, closing the door behind them. “I heard every word. I am so sorry, Lessia.”

Tears dripped down her face when she lifted it to meet his eyes. “Why? I did this to him. I deserve this.”

She choked when another sharp pain jabbed at her heart.

She did deserve this.

She’d known all along what would happen when he found out.

And she’d still gone along with it—had still allowed him to fall for her deceit.

“No one deserves that.” Zaddock shook his head. “I will get you out of here. You need to leave immediately. I don’t know how they let you walk out alive, but you need to go before they change their minds.”

“I can’t!” she cried. “I—I can’t leave them all. Merrick and Ardow… They’ll kill them!”

“Hush!” Zaddock opened the door and peeked out, then turned back to her. “I can get you into the cellars and show you a way for all of you to leave undetected, but we need to gonow.”

She stared at him, a hiccup breaking through the sobs. “Why… why would you do that?”

Zaddock scratched his chin. “I’m being sent away anyway. And while I don’t blame Loche for his reaction today, I think it was rash. He will regret it. Well, when he remembers. And when he does, this is what he would want for you.”

Trying to force more than a shallow breath into her lungs, Lessia hiccuped again. “H—he won’t remember. Not unless I or my… Alarin undo it.”

Zaddock bore his eyes into hers. “Let’s hope for his sake you will.”

He opened the door again, placing a finger over his lips.

Lessia followed him as they made their way down into the cellars as quietly as possible. She expected to be stopped every time they passed a guard, but they must not have heard the news because they smiled and waved at them, some slapping Zaddock on the back for Loche’s win.

When they entered, Zaddock convinced them Lessia had been granted time alone with the prisoners, and she could barely believe it when they nodded and left their posts to walk up and grab some food from the kitchen.

Ardow sat against the wall with Venko beside him whenshe rushed in, and his eyes widened when he noticed her tear-streaked face. “What…”

Lessia shook her head, wiping at her face. “We don’t have time. We need to leave. Where is Merrick?”

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