One who had been given a second chance to live out his life with his wife and child.
He’d thrown that away.
Naill and Elijah let go of Mr. Tulis. The man staggered forward, his hands not bound but clasped. His wide, frightened eyes were unfocused. “I’m sorry—”
“You’re not here to apologize. We are past that.” I went to where he stood, each step slow and measured. “She had nothing to do with what happened to your other children, nor did she have anything to do with the Rite.”
“She is the Maiden—”
I caught him by the throat, silencing him. “Her name is Penellaphe Balfour. You should know the name of the person who felt sorrow for you and your family. You should know the name of the one you plotted to kill.” I lifted him to the tips of his toes. “And you should know the name of the one I told you not to harm.”
His eyes bulged. “I-I’m—”
“No.” I tightened my grip. “You threw away your life, not that of your wife or son. Let that be your last thought as you leave this realm.”
With the spike in my other hand, I drove it through his chest, the bloodstone slicing through mortal tissue and bone like warm butter. His death wasn’t instantaneous—I left the spike in, after all—but it was quicker than he deserved. He was dead before I impaled him to the wall.
They brought the next one in. Ivan. He already knew what was coming. Didn’t say a word. He didn’t beg or fight, and he, too, ended up on the wall. The rest were brought in, one after another. Wolven. Atlantian. Mortal. Some fought, swinging fists, baring fangs, and shifting into their wolven forms. Some pleaded, dropping to their knees. Some were already dead, having been dealt with during the attack. They all ended up the same. A spike to the chest or head and hanging on the wall.
I showed them more kindness than they’d shown Poppy. Those alive all died either immediately or within minutes, and I didn’t feel a fucking ounce of remorse. None of them did. All they felt was regret for the life they’d forfeited: theirs.
Blood splattered both Delano’s and my chest when Elijah and Naill dragged in the last one.
Jericho.
They shoved him forward. The wolven caught himself before toppling over. His pale blue eyes widened as he saw the wall of the Great Hall. “Cas,” he said, lifting both arms. “We can—”
“We can do what, Jericho?” I flipped a spike in my hand. “Talk this out?” I laughed. “We are beyond that, my friend. You were warned, and you were given grace.” I pointed at his stump. “And yet you betrayed me. Not once, but twice.”
“Betrayed you?” Jericho stiffened, his skin thinning. Beside me, Delano sighed. He was going to shift. “I have stood beside you for years. I’ve done all you’ve asked and more.”
“And yet you continuously did the thing I asked you not to do. I know I sound repetitive, but you were warned multiple times not to touch her.” I flipped the spike again. “You only lived the first time because Kieran managed to talk me out of killing you. He didn’t even try this time.”
“Of course, he didn’t,” Jericho snarled, voice guttural. “If you’re getting your dick wet in the Maiden, then so is he—” He yelped, falling backward under the force of the spike I threw. He hit the floor hard. “Fuck.”
I prowled toward him. “You know what the funny thing is, Jericho?” As he reached for the spike, I stomped my foot down on his right arm, breaking the bones. “I always knew I would kill you one day.”
“You…you missed my heart,” he grunted. “You prick. I…I never thought you’d kill me…over the fucking Maiden,” he rasped, blood trickling from his mouth.
“No.” I pushed down harder with my foot. Another bone crunched. Jericho screamed. “I wasn’t aiming for your heart, you fucking cunt.”
Understanding dawned, and then, then I saw fear. I gave his ruined arm one more punishing grind of my boot before stepping back. Delano was there, grasping Jericho by the arm.
“You will live,” I told him. “Until I’m ready for you to die.”
“How can you…do this?” Jericho growled, snapping at Delano as Elijah took hold of his other arm. They lifted him as I went to the canvas bag and pulled out two more spikes. “You’re making a mistake—”
“You never learn, do you?” Delano snarled. “Can you at least shut the fuck up?”
“How about you suck my—?” Jericho yelped as Delano drove his knee into said cock.
Elijah laughed. “Damn, my little marshmallow’s getting kinda crispy.”
With Naill’s help, they got him to the wall, holding his arms outstretched. Jericho, of course, did not shut the fuck up. “You’ve all…betrayed your kin and…kingdom. And for what? She’s…basically the Ascended.”
“She is not,” I said, thrusting a spike through his forearm. He shouted.
His lips peeled back over bloodstained teeth. “You…you think you can just will people…into forgetting what she is?”
I sighed.
“She’ll never be…safe here!” he shouted, spitting blood as it coursed down his chest.
“Oh, yes, she will be.” I drove the final spike through his remaining hand as the others backed off.
“You’re out…of your mind,” he swore, breathing labored. “If you…really think that.”
“I know it.” I caught his jaw, forcing his head back against the wall as I leaned in close and whispered the truth about Poppy and what I’d planned.
And Jericho?
That motherfucker finally shut his mouth.
PLANS HAVE CHANGED
I made use of the chamber Poppy had originally been placed in to bathe and change into fresh clothing. The water was fucking freezing, but I didn’t want to return to her covered in blood and smelling like death. Hair damp, I stepped back into the hall. Kieran was waiting outside.
He hadn’t been earlier. “She’s likely asleep again.”
“Again?”
“She fell asleep while bathing,” he answered.
“You woke her from a bath?” My eyes narrowed.
“She was in there for quite some time. I called out to her more than once,” he explained. “When she didn’t answer, I figured I should check on her.”
“How did she handle your intrusion?”
A small smile appeared. “She said that among her people, it was impolite to stare.”
I faced him. “And were you staring?”
His smile kicked up a notch. That was…interesting. “A little.” His eyes met mine. “I saw her scars. Some of them.”
I tensed, though not because he’d obviously been staring more than just a little. Anyone else? They’d already be dead. But I knew she was self-conscious of those scars.
“I told her that among my people, scars are never hidden,” Kieran continued. “That they are always honored.”
I relaxed. Poppy…she needed to hear that. Know that. “You’re lucky she had no weapon on her.”
Kieran snorted. “Before her nap, she asked some questions about Atlantia.”