Chapter 16

Siona

I stepped out of the shower and quickly dressed, adrenaline still pumping through my veins. Over the years, I'd become quite the battle junkie. That my father, brothers, and the Braxians in general were bloodthirsty warriors only reinforced that trait in me. After such an intense training, I should feel drained. But it always made me feel invigorated instead and pumped up to face whatever challenges would come my way.

A quick look around confirmed Zerien had left. As it was nearing lunchtime and he hadn't spoken of any trips away from the palace, I decided to go look for him. I groaned inwardly when Alred immediately began shadowing me from a respectable distance. My assigned bodyguard seemed nice enough, but like the others, he wasn't particularly fond of me. His behavior remained irreproachable as he always addressed me with the proper level of respect you should give anyone. It was the absence of warmth and the coldness in his silver-gray eyes that revealed the nature of his sentiments.

Unlike most Sarenians who tended to have a dusty-blue complexion, Alred Thana had fairly dark blue skin and nearly black hair. He kept it bound in a single tail held by three silver rings, almost the same color as his striking eyes. Naturally, he was ridiculously handsome and somewhat intimidating with his broad shoulders and fierce expression. At about 6'6, he was slightly shorter than my Zerien's 6'8.

He rarely spoke to me, content to simply tag along whenever I left our quarters. In a way, it suited me just fine. Simultaneously, it irked me to no end. Eventually, I would need to find a way to create a bond with this man. I wanted the same kind of camaraderie with him as Zerien enjoyed with Drade and Naax.

We'd no sooner exited the greeting hall outside our wing of the palace than I noticed Deliah heading in my direction. I instantly knew this wasn't a coincidence. The foresight powers of the Korlethean Oracles and Seers both fascinated and unsettled me. The Oracles—who were only females—intrigued me the most. Where the males—called Seers—received random visions that were guaranteed to occur, the Oracles only saw possibilities that could be changed based on whatever actions people took in the future.

While Seers mostly received their visions out of the blue, they could deliberately try to trigger them through meditation. However, they had no control over what they would see. Oracles, on the other hand, could seek foresight about a specific person, event, or timeline. A variety of potential outcomes would play before their mind's eye. It was both a blessing and a curse as allowing those visions to dictate one's actions could effectively deprive you of free agency. The Korletheans committed quite a few atrocities over the centuries by becoming too dependent on visions, causing even greater disasters in their efforts to prevent them.

"Hello, Siona," Deliah said in a warm tone as she came to a stop in front of me. "Are you in a hurry?"

I shook my head and gave her a friendly smile laced with curiosity. "No. I was just out looking for Zerien to see if he wanted to share lunch with me."

"He's in the dungeon interrogating the Guldans you captured," Deliah replied in a factual manner.

My back stiffened, and a multitude of conflicting emotions surged through me. The sentiment of being slighted dominated. Technically, they were my prisoners. The only reason Zerien's men managed to bring them back to Sarenia was because I disabled their vessels. Therefore, as the primary target of their attack, I should have been involved in their interrogation.

I wanted to believe my mate didn't invite me out of habit—since Sarenian females never got involved in these types of procedures—and not because he deemed it not my place or that I would be unfit to partake in it.

"Well then, I know where I'm going," I said with a hint of defiance that had a discreetly amused smile playing on the Korlethean female's lips.

She was an attractive female. Tall and slender, she possessed the typical delicate bone structure of the women of her species. Large green eyes brimming with intelligence lit up her lovely heart-shaped face, framed by long, dark-brown hair. It fell straight to the small of her back. I couldn't tell if her choice of always wearing that traditional Korlethean robe called Dhalla—a slightly more ethereal and significantly more demure version of the Sarenian ruvyn—was an act of defiance or merely a fashion statement.

"I'll walk with you. I know the way," she immediately offered, further reinforcing my belief that she deliberately sought me out knowing things would turn out this way.

"Thank you," I said, following her lead.

"So how are you adjusting to your new home?" she asked in a soft voice.

I gave her a slightly discouraged look. "It's only been two days, so it's too early to make any definitive statement about it. But I can't deny that it is tough to be surrounded by haters."

Deliah snorted. "Believe me, my dear, I can relate."

I smiled sympathetically. "I bet. How are you handling it? You've been here two years now. Have things gotten any better?"

She nodded. "It's still tough. The type of generational trauma caused by my ancestors isn't easily wiped out—nor should it be. But sharing our knowledge of kaa is making a significant difference for their people. Our presence here helps humanize us to the Sarenians on top of improving their own lives. We see how our contribution has already significantly decreased their struggle to control their feral nature."

"I can imagine. I heard how it completely turned things around for the Veredian Titans," I said pensively. "As I understand it, had Eryon—the Grappa of the young General—not entered their lives and begun teaching them that meditation technique, there might have been a bloodbath."

She nodded again, but this time with a grim expression. "It had been a terrible mistake on our part to refuse to get involved with the young Titans. We were too obsessed with our fear of their violent nature and of their incredible powers the likes we'd never seen before. So instead of giving them the tools they needed to rein in their feral nature, we only wanted to eradicate them. Eryon's courage and love for his daughter Amalia helped us realize the error of our ways and changed the course of history. Not to mention that it helped me find my mate."

I smiled, touched and amused by the wistful look on her face.

"As you can guess, I wasn't exactly a fan of your mate at first, considering he kidnapped my mother, my father, and me," I said mockingly.

She chuckled. "I heard! Hopefully, you forgave him for reuniting you with your soulmate in the process?"

I nodded. "Yes, I forgave him a long time ago. He turned out not to be the bad guy we believed he was after all. He protected my mother and me when it mattered. And his intentions had always been good."

"Faolen is a good man," Deliah said with conviction. "If it's any consolation, at first, he didn't like me at all. To say he was pissed Fate would have chosen a Korlethean as his soulmate would be the understatement of the century."

I snorted. "I can only imagine how horrified he must have been."

"You have no idea," Deliah said with a chuckle. "After all, he came to Veredia to reveal our people's dark secrets. He told them how our ancestors' experiments on them, on Veredians, and on Xelixians nearly caused the extinction of all three species. His goal—mandated by Zerien—had been to turn the entire galaxy against us so that we would be exterminated. So finding out his one true love was one of them was quite the shock."

"How did you feel about it?" I asked, genuinely curious.

She gave me the strangest look. "It certainly surprised me, but it didn't shock or offend me. I rejoiced to have found the other half of my soul. It took some work to get him to lower his walls and open himself to the inevitable. Fate doesn't make mistakes. We're all exactly where we are meant to be. Fighting it is pointless and brings unnecessary pain."

Her shift in tone made it clear we were now done with the small talk. The Oracle was preparing to deliver whatever message she came to tell me.

"And what is Fate telling you right now?" I asked.

She paused and cast a discreet glance towards the handful of servants walking past us as we approached the large doors leading to the lower levels of the palace. She only resumed talking once we were out of hearing range.

"As you know, Fate only shows me possibilities," Deliah said cautiously. "We know that Korletheans, Sarenians, Xelixians, Braxians, and Veredians will fight together in the Great War. But we don't know if it will only be the Korlethean Exiles currently living on Veredia, or if it will be the entirety of my people. I want peace between Sarenia and my homeworld. This is part of the reason why Killian and I are here. We're making amends for the past."

"And what of Guldar?" I asked, apprehension filling my voice.

Despite the horrible way in which my people had treated my mother and me, I didn't want to see my homeworld destroyed. Not everyone there was a monster.

"Guldar will be on the enemies' side," she said with a finality that broke my heart. "However, I can also confirm that Guldar will survive the Great War and thrive."

I stopped dead in my tracks and gaped at her with a horrified expression. "Are you saying that our side is going to lose?!"

She smiled and shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying at all. We do not know the outcome of the war. Our Seers have received visions that confirm that, win or lose, Guldar will not be destroyed. Sadly, we have no similar visions for the other planets of the alliance."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing as we climbed down the long staircase into the bowels of the palace.

"And what of me? What does Fate tell you about me?" I asked.

She had that strange look again and appeared to carefully choose her words. Oracles and Seers were sworn to always speak the truth of their visions. However, knowing how such revelations could have a devastating impact on the recipients, they needed to thread carefully on how they delivered the message not to influence the decision the target would take in a way that might be detrimental or deprive them of free agency.

"You are Sarenian now, Siona. Embrace the ways of your new people, and do not begrudge Zerien for a past that was not only acceptable but normal in his culture."

I made a dismissive gesture. "If you're referring to Kaelin, don't worry about that. She and I have already talked. She seems honest and not to have any hidden agenda."

Deliah nodded and appeared relieved. "Good. I'm glad that matter is settled."

I tilted my head to the side and gave her an assessing look as we reached the bottom of the stairs. "Kaelin claimed that I will die if she leaves the palace."

Deliah recoiled and stared at me with a stunned expression. "She told you?!"

"So it's true."

She nodded. "It absolutely is."

A powerful sense of relief washed over me. I realized then how hurt I would have been had Kaelin actually played me for a fool and lied.

"Trust her with your life, Siona," the Oracle said in an intense voice. "Kaelin would not hesitate to give her life for you."

"What?! Is she—?"

"No! Peace, Siona," she said in a reassuring tone. "While I do not have an actual vision picturing that event, I do mean it literally that she would die to save you. All I can say is that I urge you to embrace Sarenia, in all its ways… and ruthlessness. They are a vicious people, but not evil."

I gave her an amused look. "Have you not heard of my father's reputation? Krygor Aldriss is rightfully reputed to be a sadist. But that doesn't stop him from being a great husband and father. And I am my father's daughter. Do not be fooled by my sweet and fragile appearance. I will bathe in the blood of anyone who fucks with me. I do not fear what Zerien might do to our enemies. It's what I will do that might disturb him ."

The Oracle chuckled and her face lit up with approval. "Then it seems that your fragile appearance is indeed deceptive."

I expected her to continue speaking, but she stopped walking, and her eyes went out of focus. I waited patiently, curious as to what foresight she had just received or prodded. She frowned as she emerged from the vision and stared at me with an unreadable expression.

"Some hardships lie ahead. Trust Kaelin, and trust yourself."

"Hardships like what?" I pressed.

"As I will not lie to you, young Queen, I will say no more. Speaking further might negatively influence your choices. Trust Kaelin, and trust your gut."

She glanced around us. We were almost at the end of the long hallway which led to the interrogation rooms. Two males I didn't know manned the guard post right outside the doors leading to it. A few seconds ago, we passed a different set of reinforced doors which gave access to the holding cells. I remembered this place well for when Mother and I had been allowed to visit my father who was incarcerated here after we'd been captured.

"You are here," she said at last, gesturing at the guard post with her head. "Stand your ground and remember that you are the future Warrior Queen of Sarenia."

To my surprise, she caressed my exposed upper arm after she finished speaking those enigmatic words, then turned to walk away.

"Why did you do that?" I blurted out, instinctively covering the spot she had touched with my hand.

She paused and gave me a confused look.

"Why did you caress my arm like that?" I specified with genuine curiosity. "Last night, during the reception, I noticed a lot of people doing that. I assumed they were intimate partners."

Her face lit up with understanding, and she chuckled, a slightly stunned expression settling on her features.

"Well, well. It seems that I have followed my own advice to you and started adopting some of the Sarenian customs," Deliah said in an amused tone. "This touch is not sexual at all. As you know, Sarenians are extremely physical and sensual people. This caress is a display of affection and loyalty. The closer to your face, the deeper the bond. At the lowest level, they will touch your hand or wrist. Second tier is anywhere on your forearm. The upper arm, and especially the shoulder, is a proof of deep loyalty and affection. If they touch your cheek, it means they would die for you."

My jaw dropped as I listened to her words. Once or twice, I had spotted both males and females touching Zerien's shoulders, and the occasional ones caressing his face. It had driven me insane with anger for what I perceived as a disrespect towards me. More than once, I had meant to bring it up with him, especially when I had seen him performing a similar gesture with a couple of people. That they had been significantly older further confused me as they did not strike me as anyone he would remotely contemplate becoming intimate with. Sarenians had pretty strict rules when it came to age gaps, which only lifted once all parties involved were above the age of thirty.

"You will want to get as many people as possible to touch you in that way," she warned in a serious tone. "Especially your bodyguard," she added, glancing at Alred over her shoulder.

I frowned, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the prospect of people, especially males, randomly sneaking a caress on me, asexual though it might be. That unease must have shown on my face as Deliah's expression hardened.

"You are Sarenian, now. Embrace their ways. And remember, stand your ground," she said before turning on her heels and walking away.

She nodded at Alred as she passed him. He nodded back and continued to stare at her until she started climbing the stairs back up. His unreadable—although slightly troubled—expression made me wonder how much of our conversation he overheard. Based on the non-negligible distance between us and the fact that we had discussed in a somewhat hushed tone, I doubted he heard much.

Casting out these wandering thoughts, I marched with determined steps towards the guard post at the end of the corridor. One of the two males rose from his sitting position, a frown marring his forehead as he watched me approach. Judging by the presence of his fins—the folded appendages on his back which allowed him to glide wind currents and swim faster—he was a mature Sarenian over the age of fifty. These new limbs and the gills in his neck didn't appear before their people reached that age.

The way he stood directly in front of the doors indicated he intended to keep me from entering. The words the Oracle spoke immediately echoed in my mind: ‘Stand your ground.'

I naturally would have done so, but it reinforced my determination. I preemptively lifted my chin and firmly held his gaze.

"May I help you, Princess?" the guard asked.

Technically, I didn't officially have that title, but most of the guards and servants addressed me that way. Some of the less hostile guests had done the same on the night of the ceremony.

"I'm here to join Zerien in the interrogation of the prisoners I captured," I said in a tone that brooked no argument.

He blinked, taken aback by the request. "Interrogation rooms are not appropriate places for females," he said carefully.

"Says who?" I challenged. "The fact that no Sarenian female has expressed the desire to enter such a room before doesn't mean it's inappropriate for us. Would you tell a Veredian female not to enter? Would you block access to the Braxian Queen?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, at a loss for words.

"I am not asking you for permission to enter. These are my prisoners. I caught them after they attempted to kidnap me . So step aside," I said in a stern voice.

Anger flared within me when he cast an uncertain look at my guard then at his companion.

I took a couple of steps forward, invading his personal space. "I will not repeat myself a third time," I hissed.

He swallowed hard. As much as it infuriated me, I knew it wasn't fear of me that had him this nervous, but the consequences he anticipated should Zerien find out he manhandled a female, and worse still, his mate at that. But I wanted him to fear me . Despite his bigger size, I didn't doubt for a second that I could put him flat on his back without breaking a sweat.

He mumbled something unintelligible before caving in and stepping aside. I glared at him, my blood still boiling as he escorted us inside an octagonal antechamber. A door graced each of the eight walls, ours leading in and out of the little hub, and the remaining ones granting access to the seven interrogation rooms. A single one of them had a blue light lit above the door frame indicating it was occupied.

The guard hastened in front of me when he saw me making a beeline for that door. He knocked, and the door opened a few seconds later on a curious Naax. The loud screeching sound that resonated in the back startled me. The guard who had accompanied me here cast a panic glance my way while Naax stiffened upon noticing my presence. A million different emotions fleeted over his features in quick succession.

I didn't give him time to come to a decision.

Pushing passed both males, I entered the room, only to freeze a few steps in. My jaw dropped at the sight of what I could only presume to be a disfigured Rydel Corrak. Multiple patches of skin had been neatly peeled off his left arm, chest, both cheeks, and forehead. His Guldan companion was just finishing carving off another piece of epidermis, this time from his back.

Traces of vomit around the chin and at the corner of the mouth of the youngest Guldan with the scalpel in his bloodied hands explained the sour scent that dominated the smell of blood. I couldn't see any regurgitated puddles anywhere. However, the dried streaks on top of the table hinted at a pretty grim story.

Could it be?!

My eyes flicked to the floor upon hearing a trickling sound. I realized that a thin stream of water flowed beneath the gridded plaques on the floor, likely to wash away the blood and gore that seeped between the holes. My father's ‘playroom' on Braxia flashed before my mind's eye. The torture apparatus within had given me chills. Although he'd allowed me inside once, I never bore witness to him ‘punishing' an enemy. I only heard of the fate he had reserved Luther Stromland—my mother's former master—for the years of abuse he subjected her and me to.

I wished I had witnessed him getting his comeuppance.

It took seconds for my brain to register all this information. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Zerien stiffen and straighten in the chair he'd been casually lying back in. Drade also straightened from the wall he'd been leaning against. Their faces displayed the same tension Naax had expressed upon seeing me here.

"Help us! He's insane! Please, stop him!" Rydel croaked, his voice as unrecognizable as his ravaged face.

I tilted my head to the side and gave him a baffled look. "Why would I? Would you have stopped any torture I would have undoubtedly been subjected to had you succeeded in kidnapping me? We both know the answer is no."

I barely repressed the urge to laugh at the stunned expressions on every face. Instead, my eyes still glued to Rydel's mangled face, I walked over to Zerien's chair and slipped my hand through his hair, just above his nape. I gently scratched his scalp in the way he loved, letting him know all was well.

"Having fun with my friend without me?" I said to Zerien in a slightly chastising tone.

He snorted, all tension bleeding out of him. He stared up at me with a mix of awe, love, and pride that did the weirdest thing to me. Obviously, he assumed I would be horrified by any of this, as most people likely would be.

Clearly, he didn't quite know me.

"It's definitely not a friendly conversation. Friends do not keep secrets from each other, and Rydel is quite stingy with his."

"I'm not surprised. His manners are severely lacking. But please, carry on. Don't let me interrupt," I said in a playful tone.

A savage grin settled on Zerien's lips. To my surprise, his fangs had descended and were peeking between his lips. He pulled my hand from his hair, kissed my palm, then drew me into his lap. I settled comfortably, leaning back against him. He wrapped an arm around my midsection, tilted my head to the side, and placed a tender kiss in the crook of my neck. A delicious shiver coursed through me.

"My Queen…" he whispered.

He nipped my earlobe before turning to face Rydel with a vicious expression.

"So where were we? Ah yes, you were about to tell us what else you knew about Deimos's contacts here on Sarenia," Zerien said in an evilly sweet tone.

"I don't know anything else!" Rydel said in a pained and pleading voice. "Your engineers have already accessed our coms. If there was anything to find you would have found it already!"

"But you have a contact here on Sarenia," Zerien insisted.

"I don't! I swear I don't!"

"As you wish," he replied calmly before gesturing with his head at the other Guldan to proceed. "Vargan, his forearm."

I watched with morbid fascination as the younger male visibly fought a losing battle against the compulsion and proceeded to carve off another piece of skin. Despite looking ill, the steadiness with which he performed the task implied he had some serious experience with this type of procedure. Could he be their medical officer?

Bearing witness to something so gruesome should have twisted my insides. How disturbed was I to not only find this entertaining but to derive pleasure at his obvious agony and the soul rending screams the captain emitted? I wanted to believe it wasn't a lack of empathy or a purely sadistic streak prompting my response, but that my survival instincts were taking over after years of living in fear and uncertainty because of foul people such as he was.

However, a hardening sensation beneath me cast out all those thoughts. It took me a moment to realize my mate was becoming erect. My initial shock that he could be getting aroused over me sitting in his lap while a man was being flayed before our very eyes gave way to an even greater shock when I noticed both Drade and Naax adjusting themselves.

His pain, this display of violence is turning them on!

Zerien absent-mindedly started caressing the exposed skin of my stomach with his thumb. I gave him a sideways glance only to find him still staring at Rydel with malicious glee. I took a moment to assess how I felt about this. It should freak me out, but it wasn't. I couldn't say it left me indifferent, but I also couldn't put into words what emotions it actually stirred within me.

Then Deliah's words resurfaced. Was this also part of her telling me that I should embrace all of Sarenia, in all its ruthless glory?

The male named Vargan completing his task and laying yet another perfect square of skin on top of the others on the table put an end to my musings. He looked on the verge of fainting, and a part of me almost felt sorry for him. However, I knew how the crewmembers aboard Guldan ships took great pride in abusing the poor females who had the misfortune of being captured or enslaved by them. Had they captured me, he wouldn't have spared me an iota of sympathy or compassion.

"You can stop the pointless lie. We know you communicated with someone here on Sarenia," Zerien said in a hard tone.

"I honestly don't know anything. Deimos only occasionally mentioned someone named Dread," Rydel said in a broken voice. "May the Goddess herself strike me if I lie, but I only ever forwarded messages to him but received no answers from him. I swear it."

"He speaks the truth," Drade said grimly. "We checked. They did send out messages targeted at Sarenia, but they went nowhere."

"As in a wrong or nonexistent address?" Zerien asked with a frown.

"So it seems. It just got lost in the ether," Drade replied with a shrug.

I stiffened and straightened in Zerien's lap. "Wait. What do you mean by that? There were no error messages? Nothing that said that the user couldn't be found or that the address was faulty?"

"Nothing. It just got lost in the void."

I snorted, excitement bubbling within me as I turned to give Rydel a ‘You've been a naughty boy' look.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Captain. Didn't your parents teach you that lying was bad?" I asked in a playfully reproving tone.

A sliver of panic flashed through his eyes, bloodshot from pain and crying. "I didn't lie! The Prince's guard confirmed it!"

"You silly male," I said with an overly disappointed expression. "You should know better than to double down once you've been caught."

"What do you mean, my mate?" Zerien asked, intrigued.

"I mean that he in fact received answers to his messages," I said while typing frantically on my armband to retrieve a file.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, baffled.

"Just one moment," I replied distractedly.

A victorious sound escaped me when I finally located the file and forwarded it to Drade's com.

"Have an engineer run this algorithm on their com logs," I said with a shit-eating grin.

"What is it?" Drade asked with the same curiosity reflected on Zerien's and Naax's faces.

"The key," I said smugly. "I'm pretty sure that they are using the Peiros Mask. My brother designed it to hide long-range communications in plain sight. If I'm right, it will not only show you the precise destination of the call, but it will also reveal the responses received."

"You treacherous cunt! I will kill you!" Rydel shouted.

I yelped as the room spun, and I found myself standing next to the chair. Before I knew what had happened, I heard a violent clapping sound followed by a screech of pain, then the sound of pebbles being knocked around. It took me a moment to realize that Zerien had viciously backhanded the idiot, sending a few of his teeth flying out. Judging by the crooked angle of his mouth, the blow dislocated his jaw.

"Pick up his teeth," Zerien ordered Vargan with his vibrating voice followed by his eyes flashing.

It sent a chill down my spine. Obeying the compulsion, Vargan recovered the teeth on the floor, the openings on the gridded plaques being too small for them to slip through.

"Nobody disrespects my Queen. I warned you," Zerien hissed in his face. "I can't make you swallow your words, but I'll make you swallow your teeth."

He gestured with his head at Vargan.

"Feed them to him and cover his mouth and nose until he swallows," he commanded in his enthralling voice.

Another shiver coursed through me. I considered telling him to stop but found myself unwilling to do so.

The son of a krillik deserved it.

Rydel's panicked protests were quickly silenced by Vargan's hand. Eyes bulging, he screamed but could barely move his head. Whatever form of paralysis they had subjected him to, that thing was efficient. On the verge of losing consciousness from lack of oxygen, the Guldan Captain finally caved in and swallowed. He immediately began to cough and wretch. I suspected it was more of a gag reflex as teeth were small enough and their edges often not so sharp they would cause any harm to the esophagus or intestines on their way down.

Zerien settled back down in his chair and drew me back into his lap. Anger still shone brightly on his face. I gently caressed his forearm wrapped around my waist to soothe him while studying his features.

"Your time is counted," Zerien said in a harsh voice. "Why are you displaying such loyalty? What have you got to gain except to prolong your suffering? Guldans are big on self-preservation."

"I'm… I'm dead anyway," Rydel replied between two whimpers, his words slurred by his dislocated jaw.

"His house," I replied in his stead with conviction, drawing everyone's eyes on me. "He's fighting for his bloodline. If he betrays the Emperor—in this case the Regent—they will ruin his house. For Guldans, your reputation and status are everything. Since he's dead anyway, he's trying to save what's left of his house."

A beep went off, interrupting me.

"Ancestors!" Drade exclaimed, looking at his com. "She's right! Her key unlocked the messages!"

"Of course, I'm right!" I said smugly, puffing out my chest.

Silently, I thanked my brother Tevek for all the times he shared some of his knowledge and research with me. Both he and Mercy had nurtured my desire to pursue advanced studies in engineering.

"My mate!" Zerien said with savage pride before claiming my lips in a possessive kiss.

He caressed my cheek, the depth of emotions in his eyes warming me to the bone. After a beat, and with much reluctance, he turned to Rydel.

"It appears you've served your purpose, Captain," Zerien said in a contemptuous tone. "What did you say, my Siona, about ripping his horns off and fucking himself?"

I snorted. "I believe I said he should tear off his horn and shove it up his ass. But as the latter part would be difficult for him to achieve, and I don't really want to think about anything going up his rear, getting one of his horns torn off should be enough.

"As you wish, my love."

He turned to Vargan, who shook with terror. Zerien's eyes began to glow before he started speaking with that vibrating voice again.

"Tear off his left horn, and stuff it inside his lying mouth. Then slit your own throat."

Both Guldan males pleaded for a mercy that would never come. Under the agonized screams of Rydel Corrak, he helped me up, then led me out of the room. As we walked out, the thought I should be horrified by what I'd just witnessed kept replaying through my mind but failed to occur.

I smiled.