Page 13 of A Madness of Crows

Gone.

If we were anywhere else, maybe she’d have a chance.

Maybe I would even give it to her.

But here—

“Shit.” I glance down at the blood spreading across the arm of my shirt before I set off after her at a sprint.

My heart thuds as I turn that corner. “Caterina!”

My roar startles her as she reaches the next turning. Her hair whips over her shoulder as she glances back at me, jaw firming in determination and fear as I eat up that distance between us, my shoes pounding against the concrete floor.

“Don’t—,”

But my hissed warning is lost as she disappears again. Even with her injuries, she’s fast. But not fast enough. Not here.

This fortress was built to contain girls like her.

And it’s not anger that fills my chest as I hear the squeal of one of the exit doors opening ahead.

It’s fear. Cold, excruciating fear, and I will my feet to move faster, to catch up to her beforetheydo.

Shouts erupt from the courtyard.

The dogs begin to bark.

And the choked cry that reaches me draws a snarl from my throat as I reach those doors and race outside after her.

She’s on her side, curled up and shaking as the dogs pin her down. Above her, a guard raises a stunner, preparing to jam it into her side.

50,000 volts of electricity.

Amidst the shouting, the jeers of the guards that surround them, they don’t hear my furious bellow. I hit the back of the line with a roar, shoving through just in time to watch as the barbs pierce her side – and sheconvulses, her muscles twitching and spasming.

Laughter, all around me. They enjoy this, every single one of them. Enjoy the shows they put on whenever a girl manages to escape from the dungeon.

The laughter cuts out when my fist crunches into the guard’s face. He staggers back with a groan, the stunner dropping to the ground. Angry shouts as the men around me close in, but I whirl around, my face icy.

They pause in recognition. Some glance down at Caterina.

I force my voice to remain steady. “I wonder what will happen when Salvatore learns that you decided to pin hiswifeto the ground and sendfifty thousand voltsinto her body?”

The guard I hit sits up with a groan, but his face whitens at my word. “We were only following orders. We didn’t know—,”

“Save your excuses for thecapo.” Men start to slink away in the hope of escaping attention as I maintain eye contact withthose still gathered around us. “You know how much he enjoys them.”

Silence. The only exception is the guard on the ground. He snorts. “He’ll probably give us a raise.”

Cat groans, low and weak, and the sound sends a fucking fog over my vision. Turning, I kick the asshole straight in the face, watching as he collapses back, his eyes rolling up in his head.

The crowd disperses quickly after that. Most of them, at least.

Silently, I kneel by her side and tug the barb from her skin, inspecting the twin puncture wounds. The area around her brand is bleeding too, pin pricks of liquid that trickle down as I slide my hands underneath her and get to my feet.

“Move.”

The few remaining guards scatter. Entertainment over - at least, until the next escape attempt.