Page 209 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"You cannot control me," Domitius said, amusement peppering his voice and sending an unshakable chill down Kallie’s spine.
Nearby, iron rattled. Kallie looked at the sky but couldn’t pinpoint the source. Her ears buzzed from the sounds of war at the bottom of the hill where their friends and allies were still hanging on. Their screams rang in her ears.
"Even if you somehow killed me, you would still have one problem," Domitius warned.
Kallie’s fingers twitched around the hilt of her dagger.
"My army will not stop fighting until your friends die. Killing me will not stop the command."
Kallie snapped her head toward Graeson, who narrowed his molten eyes at Domitius. He snarled, revealing sharp canines as if threatening to swallow Kage whole. But if what Kage said was true, Kallie couldn’t let that happen. The soldiers, whether their enemy or not, deserved to be freed.
"Release them," Kallie commanded, her power coursing through her veins.
"And ruin the fun?" Domitius cackled, the sound grating Kallie’s bones. "Now, why would I do that?"
Lips parting, Kallie blanched as he evaded her power.
"You have two choices: give up and bend the knee, or burn my men to ash, killing your friends in the process."
Fear rose in Kallie’s throat. There had to be another way to end this. She couldn’t let Kage win. She hadn’t broken free from his control just to fail now.
The clanging noise grew louder, but Kallie stood there frozen, unable to think.
Domitius took a step back and pointed his sword at Graeson. "Let’s see if you’ve learned to heel, shall we?"
Graeson’s tail wrapped around Kallie instantly. With a quick flick, he tossed her away from him.
Kallie landed on the ground several yards away. Her back hit the dirt and knocked the air out of her lungs. She inhaled and coughed as she swallowed dirt. Swatting at the debris floating around her, she spotted winged soldiers darting across the field. They closed in around Graeson, swarming him from above and carrying iron chains that gleamed in the harsh sunlight.
Before Graeson could take off, the soldiers dropped one chain after another, crushing his wings to his sides and immobilizing him.
Kallie scrambled to her feet and grabbed her dagger. She charged, a primal scream tearing at her throat.
Graeson roared in defiance, his silver eyes turning pitch-black.
Kallie’s power surged through her, the command on the tip of her tongue. Before she could utter a word, someone yanked her back. Hands slipped over her mouth, silencing her.
"Marvelous. Truly marvelous," Domitius said, restraining Kallie against his chest as he watched the guards tightening the chains around Graeson’s body.
Kallie bit down on the flesh of his palm, forcing Kage to loosen his grip. Quickly, she reared her hand back. The point of her dagger drove into Domitius’ thigh.
Domitius might have claimed he was untouchable, but pain still affected him. He screamed.
A boot slammed into the back of Kallie’s knees. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed.
Domitius snatched Kallie’s ponytail, yanking her head back. Cold metal scraped against her mouth and jaw. A sharp click sounded at the back of her skull, and the metal pinched her skin.
Kallie clawed at the metal, her fingers scratching at the cold, unyielding surface. A muffled sound escaped her, but the mask swallowed it. She choked. Her mouth wouldn’t budge, not even an inch. The mask was too tight, too constricting. Tears welled, burning her eyes. They hung precariously on her lash line before dripping down her cheeks.
"You’ll have to do better than that, Kalisandre," Domitius hissed. "Or did you forget I was the one who trained you?"
She tried to scream again but failed.
This couldn’t have been happening. She was so close.
He ran a finger along the metal. "Beautiful, isn’t it? The most talented metallurgist in Ardentol has been working on this piece for some time. I always hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. You were always so well-behaved growing up. But it’s clear there is no getting through to you now. They’ve poisoned you."
Through blurry eyes, Kallie looked at Graeson. The guards tugged on the chains, forcing Graeson to drop to his belly. His massive jaw smacked into the earth and sent up a plume of dust. The iron bit into his flesh, digging into his scales.
