Page 26 of A Monarch's Fall

The woman's tears doubled as she fell silent.

“Better answer,” Efstratios warned.

“To get her out of here,” Abby answered.

“And take her where and for what purpose?” I questioned.

“We don’t know,” Kay answered for her. “We’re not privy to that sort of thing.”

“You enter a battle without knowing why?” Efstratios questioned.

“We entered to help people!” the girl cried. “The House system is corrupt. We’re freeing people. We don’t leave them to die. Not anyone.”

Ah, so that was what The New Foundation were about, or at least that was what their ardent supporters believed.

“And you were here to free Percy?” Sasha asked.

“Yes,” Kay answered. “We know that the flower girl has been under the enchantments of Princess Selene Borealis.”

“And who cares about that?” I asked.

Silence.

“Hmm, not so chatty?” I asked.

Kay frowned deeply.

“I don’t know, we just follow commands,” she finally replied.

“That’s the first lie you’ve told me, child,” I warned.

She swallowed again.

“I can’t say,” she answered.

“Can’t?” I questioned.

“We really can’t,” the girl Efstratios held began to cry again.

“Can we kill this one already?” Sasha asked, a disgusted look at the redhead blubbering in Efstratios’ grip.

“Not yet, love.”

“I smell blood magic,” I said.

“An oath?” Efstratios questioned, clearly surprised.

Some people fell apart under pressure. But not Kay. She was calm.

She looked away, her greasy black fringe falling over her eyes, and she pushed it back.

“What a shame, I like you,” I told her.

“What’s to like?” Sasha mumbled. I smiled and squeezed her hand tighter.

“A soldier who is calm while in the hands of an enemy is valuable,” I explained.

“You just want to play with her like some blood whore,” Sasha spat and pulled her hand free from mine.