Page 29 of Thorns of Blood

He laughed, his dark eyes gleaming with malice. “Your weakness. Foolish to let me see it.”

I opened my mouth to say something else, but I was slammed against the rough wall. The air whooshed out of my lungs and unshed tears burned in my eyes as I prayed for someone—anyone—to save us.

My reason told me nobody would.

Not my sister. Not my mother. Nobody.

When I let these evil men believe I was Louisa, taking her place in the sick arrangement my mother’s lover had made with Santiago, I held out hope that my sister would come for me.

Instead, I was left to suffer alone.

Until they broke me. Until Amara came along.

“We can use her organs,” Perez spat, his eyes locked on Amara’s frail body. “She’s not good for anything else.”

Letting the adrenaline into my system, I let out a battle cry and threw myself at Perez with fisted hands, ignoring my aching joints.

“You evil son of a bitch,” I screamed, slamming my fists into his face over and over again. As long as his guards’ attention was focused on me, they would leave Amara alone, so I unleashed my fury on him.

Blood pooled from my nose. Tears blurred my vision.

But I refused to stop.

I wouldn’t stop until I took my final breath, which might be sooner rather than later at this point.

“Hold this wildcat still,” Perez said acidly, a sinister grin on his face. “Apparently she hasn’t learned her lesson yet.”

One of the guards pulled me back, slamming me against the wall, when he suddenly fell to the ground. Dead.

“What—”

Another body fell. And another. Perez was the last one to fall to the ground, unconscious.

My knees buckled and hit the filthy floor, shudders tearing through my body like a hurricane. I blinked over and over again, my blurry vision refusing to clear up.

“Amara,” I rasped, but there was no answer.

“She’s knocked out.” I stiffened at hearing an unfamiliar voice. Was it another guard? What did he want from us? “I won’t hurt you. I’m getting you out.”

His words trailed off as he brushed my hair off my forehead.

I reeled from his touch, blinking profusely as he slowly came into focus. An older man with eyes that were almost… kind. Too kind? I’d learned to be skeptical, and he was no different, no matter what he claimed.

“Don’t touch me,” I rasped. “If you’re going to help us, do so. But don’t ever fucking touch me.”

He blew out a breath.

“At least your spirit is still there,” he said. “Can you walk?”

I grunted, shifting and straightening up in answer. Every inch of me hurt, but I ignored the pain. I would crawl if that’s what it took to get us out of here.

On unsteady feet, I made my way to my daughter. Her clothes were filthy and her complexion was deathly pale. My heart trembled in fear as I reached out to touch her pulse point. I held my breath for one, two, three seconds… There it was. Faint, but steady.

I bent over to lift her into my arms when the stranger stopped me midway.

“We’ll be faster if I carry her and you follow along.” Mistrust shot through me as I narrowed my eyes. He must have seen it on my face because he sighed. “There will be more guards coming, Liana. We don’t have time to move at a snail’s pace.”

Shock vibrated through me. “I’m Louisa,” I spat.