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He thought she wouldn’t have the courage to say it in front of the entire village. He thought she would retract what she’d said earlier. She almost laughed at him.

“You killed her,” she said.

A look of outrage crossed his face. He reached out and took her by the throat, lifting her against the lip of the well with one hand. She choked, grabbing his wrist as he squeezed. Her vision blurred again.

But then his grip loosened slightly. Perhaps, even in this crazed state, he realized that it would reflect poorly on him if he strangled a woman to death in front of the entire village.

“You will not disrespect me. And you will not tell lies,” he hissed.

“I tell no lies,” she croaked.

He paused, fury emanating from him in waves, as he decided what to do next. Zara thought he was weighing his desire to kill her against his desire to continue to lie to the village.

He spoke suddenly, without looking away from Zara. “Witch-Paladin.” Zara’s heart stuttered. Naika slowly stepped forward, stopping just behind Theron. Theron finally let go of Zara, and she sank to her knees.

“You will admit to your wrongdoing and beseech Paladius for forgiveness,” he said to Zara.

“Paladius, or you?” Zara asked.

He glared at her coldly, then stepped aside and motioned to Naika. Zara braced herself.

But Naika didn’t move. After a few seconds, Theron looked over at her.

“Witch-Paladin.”

Naika slowly shook her head. Theron looked stunned. Zara felt a burst of relief followed by fear.

“You’re refusing to carry out an order?” Theron asked.

Naika raised an eyebrow at him. It looked a lot like she was calling him stupid in her nonverbal way.

A muscle in Theron’s jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth. He motioned to the Paladins standing beside them. “Take her,” he commanded shortly.

Naika looked resigned. She didn’t resist as two of the other Paladins marched her away from the group. Zara didn’t know where they were taking her or what her punishment would be. That, more than anything else that had happened in the past few minutes, made her despair. Suddenly she wanted to cry.

Theron turned to Zara. “Admit your sins and ask Paladius for forgiveness.”

Zara said nothing.

He slapped her again. Her nose started bleeding.

“Would you rather ask your evil goddess, instead?” he asked. He looked up at the villagers. “That’s right. Did you know our little Zara worships the night elves’ demon goddess?” He looked down at her. “Do you deny it?”

She didn’t. There was a confused murmur in the crowd. They were turning on her; she could feel it. Of course they were. They didn’t understand.

“Ask for forgiveness,” he said again, and this time he almost seemed pleased when she didn’t respond. “I ask for something so simple, so humble, and you still refuse, because you value your pride more than the forgiveness of the gods. Ask for forgiveness, and I’ll let you go.”

“To the hells with the gods,” she said.

He hit her again, and that was the last thing she saw until she woke up on the ground some time later.

Chapter 23

Her hands were still tied when she awoke, and her face ached dully. Another rope had been added to tether her to the beam above the well. Her mouth tasted like iron.

The crowd had dispersed. Everyone was gone except for two Paladins who had been left there to guard her.

Theron intended to just leave her here then, tied in the middle of the village like an animal. She was a warning to the others:Don’t cross Theron, or this could be you.