Page 41 of The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles #1)

Chapter Forty

I was seething at this point—tunnel vision.

Killing had become a therapy to me, a sick therapy. I had told myself I was ridding the world of evil, so that made it okay that I enjoyed ending lives.

Truthfully, I didn’t care if they were evil or not. I had grown so numb to everything that the excitement of the kill was the only thing that felt…good.

I slowly crept down the spiral staircase, a predator lurching towards his prey.

It wasn’t just Mother’s or Lena’s deaths that shattered me. No, this was all my father’s doing. He sensed my weakness, my hesitancy toward killing. He broke me in a way I still lose sleep over, then rebuilt me into the murderous machine I am now.

Every piece of the man Lena had loved was gone. But I would be damned if I didn’t do everything in my power to stomp on those that hurt her. I suppose that part never changed.

I stopped in front of the cell door, the voices quieting as they prepared for their doom. These men had seen me at my most savage, or so they thought.

They had no fucking clue.

I slowly opened the door, making sure to draw out the creaking sound it made to unnerve these sick bastards.

When I entered, the smell of urine overwhelmed my senses, and I chuckled. Big strong men so scared they pissed themselves. Pathetic.

I observed the demons in the bodies of men, trembling as their eyes met mine. A wicked smirk spread across my face.

I’m saving Rurik for last.

“P-please, Your Highness,” Rurik cried. “We didn’t know t-there would be a problem!”

I bent down, a snarl overcoming my face, flashing my teeth.

“What is the one rule I have when it comes to prisoners?” I said with dark calm.

His eyes widened further, and more tears began to fall. “N-no sexual assault…” I curled my hands into fists. “We were just trying to get information! She didn’t let up to your—” I swung my fist towards his face, blood and teeth spewing from his mouth.

I have hated Rurik ever since he defended injustice towards Roland. Even if I couldn’t stand to be near Roland now, he never deserved that. My father never punished Rurik for it and even went as far as promoting him. I was sure he did it just to spite me .

I clicked my tongue. “I don’t know what pisses me off more, the disobedience or the pathetic lies.” I gave a hateful grin, and he looked like he was going to shit himself. “Actually, I do.”

I began to beat his face in so much that it started to look like a boulder had deformed it. If he wasn’t ugly before, he sure was now.

I gave the other men the same treatment, my knuckles aching from the repeated punches. I knew they would be bruised.

I then turned to Rurik, who was trembling so hard that it looked like he was ready to combust. But he attempted to lift his head high.

Pfft. How honorable.

My smile grew. “Oh, Rurik, if you think this is the only thing you have coming, you’re wrong.”

He stiffened at my words, eyes broadening.

I turned to ask the question I was afraid of the answer to. “How many of you put yourselves inside of her?”

Jones coughed up more blood. “Just Rurik,” he gurgled.

I couldn’t say I was happy that only one of them managed to rape her, but the less, the better.

I angled my head back towards Rurik. “I want you to watch what I do to them. Watch how they cry and beg me to stop, knowing that you are next…and there’s nothing you can do.”

I walked over to Jones, twirling my dagger, and then pulled his pants down. He was shaking uncontrollably, snot and tears dripping down his face.

I met Rurik's stare again. “I want you to know what it feels like to be utterly helpless, utterly hopeless.” With a swift movement, I stabbed my dagger through his groin in one go, his eyes bulging out of his face as he screamed .

That made me smile. I stabbed again and again, blood rushing to the floor, until he was unconscious or perhaps dead. Then on to the next.

I pulled down the next one's pants. “Please, Yo—” My jab to his groin cut Geoff off, and I glanced back at Rurik, who was wincing and turned away with his eyes shut.

“Rurik, eyes open,” I taunted. I waited for him to obey, then turned and continued my stabbing again until Geoff was unconscious or dead.

I repeated one more time, Daerin falling limp just like the rest. To ensure their death, I finally slit each of their throats, blood spraying all over my shirt and the ground. Then, I finally made my way over to Rurik.

“How do you feel?” I asked casually, the sadistic grin on my face unwavering. “Be honest.”

“Ready to get this over with,” he gritted out.

I nodded, then walked out of the room to fetch a chair. I placed it by Rurik and ordered him to sit in it.

His trembling continued as I cuffed his wrists to the armrests. Then, I pulled out my dagger and began removing his fingers one by one.

His screams were music to my ears. No amount of his suffering would satisfy me after what he did. But nevertheless, it was enjoyable.

I took my time, severing off one finger and then watching his reaction. But by the time they were all removed, he was going in and out of consciousness .

I slapped his cheek. “Stay with me, Rurik. The best is yet to come.” I pulled down his pants and twirled my dagger once more. “Watch,” I ordered.

Tears were pouring out of him, and he hesitantly turned. I took his length in my hand and sawed it off, sickening cries emitting from his throat, and then he went limp.

I clicked my tongue.

Shame.

I took his cut-off cock and shoved it in his mouth. “A fitting end to you, don't you think?”