Page 81 of Cage of Destiny
“I didn’t take those thingsfrom you,” Darmik said. “Your father is responsible for yoursituation. If he hadn’t sent an assassin after Rema, she neverwould have come to Emperion to reclaim what is rightfullyhers.”
“Lies,” Jana screamed. “Youknow nothing.” Her disheveled hair hung loose around her face,blood covering her hands and dress. Zerek’s body lay by her feet,blood pooling on the rug.
“I’m afraid it is you whodoes not know a great many things. Including how to rule a kingdom.You have no business sitting on the Russek throne.”
While her father argued with Jana,Allyssa considered her options. There had to be a way out of this.A way to outsmart Jana. Allyssa hadn’t endured all she had just toend up here—at this sadistic woman’s mercy. She had tothink.
“You have us where you wantus,” Darmik continued. “What do you intend to do? Make us suffer sowe can feel pain like you’re experiencing right now?”
Jana backhanded Darmik across theface. “Do not speak to me in such a manner.”
“I’ll speak to you howeverI damn well please,” he sneered. “You have not earned and do notdeserve my respect.”
She leaned down toward him andwhispered, “You are on your knees before me. Your daughter is inthe hands of one of my most skilled soldiers. If I were you, I’d bevery careful how you speak to me right now. One little move fromTredek, and your daughter will be dead—just like mine.”
“I killed your daughter,”Odar said. “She had to die. She had your blood and could not betrusted. It was a necessary casualty.” His body radiatedtension.
“Casualty?” Jana screeched.“You call my daughter, my beautiful child, a casualty?”
“Yes,” he repliedsimply.
“How dare you?” She ran herhands through her hair, leaving bloody streaks. “Remove PrinceOdar’s shirt. He will receive ten lashings.”
“What about me?” Kerdaninterjected. “I killed Eliza, your mother. What will you do to meas punishment? Order one of your soldiers to strike me? Do youthink these games will ease your pain?”
Was Kerdan trying to divert theattention away from Odar in hope the lashings would be forgotten?Or was he attempting to rile Jana up in order to throw her offbalance so he could attack?
“Ease my pain?” Jana said.“Nothing can ease my pain. However, watching the four of you beingtortured will definitely improve my mood.” She paced before thethree men still kneeling before her. The thick smell of bloodfilled the room, making Allyssa nauseous. Jana squatted beforeDarmik so they were eye level. “What if I hurt every single personyou love while you are forced to watch, helpless, unable to stopme?”
Darmik didn’t answer.
“I need you to suffer thatpain. To understand what I have been forced to endure.”
“Your hatred for me isunwarranted,” Darmik said. “We could have lived in harmony. We hadthe same father—even if he was a little crazy. Now I realize youare more like him than I am.”
Jana’s eyes flashed with undilutedfury, her nostrils flaring and her hands balling intofists.
“I hate you,” Kerdan spit,garnering the queen’s attention. “You came to Russek when we haddone nothing to you. You killed my mother.” The words rang out inthe room, loud enough for every single soldier still alive to hear.“Then you lured my father into marrying you so you could gainpower. Once you had what you wanted, you convinced him to attackEmperion. Because you wanted the kingdom for yourself. Youdestroyed my life, hurt my people, and yet you are the one whofeels unjustly injured? Explain to me how your actions here arewarranted?”
Jana slowly stood and came beforeKerdan. “You have been a thorn in my side since I first laid eyeson you.”
“Trust me, the feeling ismutual,” he snarled.
“I should have killed youlong ago when I had the chance.”
Fear erupted inside Allyssa. The sightof Kerdan on his knees before Jana and the hatred in the queen’seyes made her scared for his life. One word, and he’d bedead.
“You are a traitor to mypeople and deserve to die,” Kerdan said, his voice shaking withanger and sadness.
Jana started laughing, the soundechoing in the room. “I deserve to die?” She spun around, her armsout wide. “Everyone here does my bidding, not yours.”
“Well then,” he said.“Order my death and get it over with.”
“Not a chance,” shereplied. “You will suffer first. Once I’ve seen you in pain, seenyou cry tears of blood, I will allow you to die. But not beforethen.”
“You forget I am a soldier.It will take a lot to break me.”
A cruel smile twisted across her lips.“Oh, I know,” she purred.
