Page 25 of A Monarch's Fall

“And where is the Princess now?” Efstratios demanded.

“Third door on the right,” the man answered, pointing down the corridor.

“A trap?” Efstratios questioned, turning to me.

“Possibly,” I replied, “But such bravado only comes from naïvety. I doubt they have the intelligence for such a ploy.”

He nodded in agreement.

“I say we kill them just to be sure,” Sasha suggested.

“There’s no need for that!” the young man stammered.

“There’s no need for further violence. We’re unarmed. We can get one of the Princess’s guards to come out and tell you for themselves,” the woman made to move.

“Not so fast,” Efstratios warned, shaking his useless gun at them, “No one moves.”

I watched the girl swallow and nod dryly.

“You,” he pointed to the other woman, “Come here.”

“Me? What for?” she cried, stepping back before the man with them pushed her forward.

“Just go,” he growled at her.

I made a mental note to kill him last and slowly. Cowards demanded special treatment.

The young woman approached us, shaking with every step.

“This has got to be a ploy,” Sasha whispered beside me.

“Calm, my love,” I told her, taking her hand in mine. She was giving my bloodthirst competition.

As the cowering girl neared us, Efstratios took hold of her arms and dragged her forward.

“Are you lying about the Princess?” he asked, staring intensely into her eyes.

“No,” she whispered.

“I believe her,” I said.

I could feel Sasha’s distrust radiating from her.

“I don’t,” Sasha said.

I smiled, amused. Of course not.

“You,” I called to the male with them. He looked at his leader as if I was speaking to her, then back to me. “You, the big braveman, go and retrieve a guard named Rylan, he will be with the Princess,” I commanded.

He turned quickly down the corridor, stumbling over his own feet in his haste to escape the situation.

“If he doesn’t return, we kill her,” I nodded to the young woman that Efstratios held captive, “and then you,” I informed their leader.

“He’ll return,” she promised.

“He better, Kay,” the girl cried desperately. “We haven’t done anything wrong,” she pleaded.

“What did you want with Percy?” Sasha asked.