Page 132 of Rook of Ruin
Callan’s wide mouth twists. “They left you alone. Their first duty is to protect you.”
“In my own home.” I speak to him as if he is a child.
“What if I were one of the Wraiths, the Malevolent?”
My brain is spinning. Maybe I can distract him. “Is that really the name the king chose? I’m surprised it isn’t something a little catchier, maybe the Villainous—”
Callan looms over me. “Orlaith.” He uses my name as a threat, then takes a calming breath. “I know you are trying to figure out a way out of this, and I don’t want to hurt you, so Iwill be gracious and only punish one of your warriors for their indiscretion. You choose.”
My stomach drops, and I breathe out, “Only one of my warriors will take the punishment? I choose whoever I want?”
“Yes.”
“Swear it to me, Callan. Only one warrior of my choosing will take the punishment.”
“I swear it.” His eyes narrow. Callan is smart, but he just made a fucking mistake.
“Then I choose me.” I watch Callan’s warriors look at one another in confusion.
“No. Ruin,” Bow blows out, willing to take the punishment. I turn around, and he quickly shuts the fuck up. All my warriors have stepped forward to show their loyalty.
Callan pinches his nose, but a smile creeps up his face. “It doesn’t work like that, O, and you know that’s not what I meant.”
I clasp my hands together to stop them from shaking and raise my voice. “You swore to me one warrior of my choosing. I choose me. Grip, will you go back on your word?” I use his dumb fucking Warrior’s Name to call into question his credibility. His warriors murmur while mine remain silent.
Callan laughs, and his hand brushes my face. “You would take the punishment. Alright, if that’s what you want, your warriors will be shamed for it.”
I raise my chin, trying not to punch his face. If I punch him, someone will die, and I don’t want that. Unless it’s Callan. “No, Callan, they won’t be. This is my command, and they will listen. They took an oath.”
Callan’s finger gently traces my jaw, then he drops his hand to my lower back again, his fingers push into my dress. My warriors shift, seeing my discomfort, willing to rush forward regardless of the arrows pointed at them.
Callan points to one of his warriors. “Let’s go. Grab lanterns.” His lips hit my ear. “Thunderous mercy, I gave you the option to have one of them take the punishment. I realized my mistake too late. I’m sorry. I hate doing this, know I hate this. I never want to hurt you. Not ever, O.”
I refuse to cry. True panic sets in when I think of the numerous ways to take apart a human and which punishment he might choose for me. There are too many ways to break a person, and they all are gruesome. Will he remove my fingers? Will it be a thousand cuts to my body? Will my tongue be cut out? We all march outside to the back of our estate, where Callan pushes me up against the giant oak tree and cuts the back of my corset dress with a dagger, exposing my back fully. Dove snarls, and my other warriors cry out.
“No, none of that.” Callan clicks his tongue. “She chose this, and you have your orders. Are you going to go against your princess?” He waits a few moments. “I thought not. Cut down switches from the tree and bundle them together.” I try not to smile.Birching. It will hurt, but it’s not going to be as bad as some of the terrible items we kept in the Locker. There’s a rustle by the rose bushes, and I hear Callan swear before speaking. “Two lashes from each of Her Highness’s guard. If one of you refuses, we start over.”
Fifty fucking lashes.
I laugh. “You’re making my warriors hit me with a bunch of twigs? This will be foreplay.”
“I hope you still feel that way later.” There’s sympathy in his voice, and I hate it. He clears his throat. “Since there are warriors missing, I will finish out her punishment. You are first, Dove.”
I grip the bark and feel Dove’s hesitation. “Fucking do it, Dove.”
The sting is instant, harsh. I bite my tongue as the unexpected thorns from my white rose bushes pierce my skin then are ripped out. He twisted thorns within the bundle of branches. If it weren’t for the fact that this fucking hurts, I might think it was brilliant. Drops of blood fall down my back, and I laugh. I won’t letthem know it hurts me. I laugh through the pain so deep. I will someone to slaughter these men and Callan. I will an avenging angel to come down from the Heavens and crush them as each lash hits my back.Kill them all, I whisper in my mind. The only answer I get is another brutal sting on my back.
My warriors try to do it quickly, handing the birch off as fast as they can. Tears threaten to come down my face and my legs shake, but I close my eyes and laugh. I think of the golden-eyed man and how he suffered. This is nothing compared to what he went through. My fingers begin to pull the bark off, my nails breaking against the tree. Blood pours down my back.
“Give her a moment,” Callan says to the next warrior.
“No. Fucking do it!” I growl out, and I’m hit again. I lose track of the number when I feel a burst of strong emotions, and the little ache in my chest screams in relief. I haven’t feltthisin a long time, not since I lost my brace—not since the Locker. It threatens to bring me to my knees. I whisper to it in my mind,Please help me, help me.An overwhelming calm pushes throughout my body. It takes over my pain, and I laugh harder.
“Two more warriors, O.” Callan stands to my side watching me, and I grin, feeling nothing, the pain I had, taken away. The lashes come quickly, and then Callan takes over. I still feel no pain. Embracing whatever disassociation my body is going through, I grit my teeth and then laugh more.
I don’t realize Callan stops until Dove and Bow come to my sides, taking my arms and my shaking body from the tree. I smile wide to my warriors. Boots walks forward to help, and without mercy, Callan pulls Boots back, slitting his throat.
No!
