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But not if I killed him first. No one would be punished except me if they found him dead now. At this point, I would gladly accept the consequences just to see him choke on his last breath.

He reached for the knife in his belt, scowling when he noticed it wasn’t there.

“I don’t need it to kill you,” he said, lunging at me. I dodged his fist and swung the candlestick as hard as I could, aiming for his face. It impacted his cheek, reopening the cut I’d given him the night before. He growled as blood trickled down his face. I struck at him again, but this time, he blocked the candlestick with his forearm and then twisted it out of my hand. It clattered on the floor as he shoved me backward. I lost my footing and fell on the rug. When I tried to reach for the candlestick, he slammed his knee into my chest, pinning me down and ripping my nightgown. This all felt too familiar.

My heart thundered in my chest as his hands wrapped around my throat. I kicked and struggled, trying to pry his hands off, but he was too strong.

Suddenly, Meat’s eyes bulged, and his mouth fell open in a silent howl. I gasped at the sound of metal cutting flesh.

Meat slumped to the floor, dead.

Commander Bloodbain stood behind him, his lips pressed into a thin line. The tip of his raised sword was coated in blood. “How dare you touch what is mine,mineguard,” he spat.

With Meat’s weight off me, I scrambled backward to grab the candlestick from the floor.

“Guards!” the commander shouted. “Clean up this mess.”

The two guards on duty hurried to drag away Meat’s body. The third guard, who’d previously been unconscious, stumbled to his feet and left with them, head down. The door slammed behind them, leaving me alone with the commander.

Breathing hard, I stood up and pressed my back against the wall, gripping the candlestick.

Commander Bloodbain let out a long sigh when he saw my makeshift weapon. “You won’t be needing that,” he said, sheathing his sword.

I didn’t relax my grip.

He took in the state of the room, raising an eyebrow. “I see you’ve been redecorating.” Was there a hint of reverence in his tone? He went to sit on the chair to unlace his boots. “Sorry about that guard. I didn’t know he was like that.”

You trained him to be like that, I wanted to say, but didn’t dare.

Bloodbain draped his cloak over the back of the chair and rubbed his face with his hands as if trying to ward off the intense lure of sleep.

I studied him from where I stood. He couldn’t have been more than five years older than me. Like the rest of the guards, he was solid and intimidating, but unlike them, he didn’t carry a permanent scowl on his lips. His sharp, dark eyes and angular features made him seem more cunning than brutal. Perfect for Thrailkull’s right-hand.

“You can sit,” he said.

I didn’t. “What do you want with me?” I asked cautiously, confused why he was being so …cordial.

“For one, I didn’t want Lord Thrailkull to kill you. Lying to him like you did is a deadly game.”

“I didn’t lie.”

His jaw twitched like he hadn’t considered that. “Either way, he would have killed you without a second thought.”

“Why would you care if he did?” Had I lost my mind? Speaking to a guard like this—no, theguard commander—was a sure way to get my tongue cut out. Or my heart.

He eyed me, like he wasn’t accustomed to a worker—or anyone—speaking back to him. “Because I didn’t think you deserved to die,” he said flatly. The firelight reflected in his dark eyes as he met my gaze. “Don’t make me change my mind.”

I paused, unsure what game he was playing. There was an entire population of tribespeople suffering and dying right belowhis feet, and he didn’t thinkIdeserved to die? I didn’t believe that for a second.

He stood up and moved toward me. I raised the candlestick, though I knew my weapon couldn’t outmatch his.

Ignoring me, he walked past the bed and opened the wardrobe, pulling out a long-sleeved linen robe that I’d somehow missed when I’d ransacked the place. “Here,” he said, handing it to me. “This might make you more comfortable.”

I remained frozen for a few seconds. Then, still gripping my makeshift weapon, I grabbed the robe, waiting for him to move away before wrapping it over my awful nightgown.

“I don’t understand,” I said, only feeling slightly less vulnerable with the extra layer on. “Why am I here?” I lowered my hand holding the candlestick but kept my eyes fixed on the commander. Unlike Meat, he hadn’t given any indication he wanted to hurt me—yet.

He turned his back to me as he leaned over to pick up a few of the books from the floor that I’d ripped from the shelves. “It was a ruse to get Lord Thrailkull to spare your life. It was the only thing I could come up with on the spur of the moment. But if you’d prefer to let Thrailkull decide your fate, I’m happy to take you back to the throne room and?—”