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.“Please!”“How many have lain in this room and uttered those same words to you, Your Majesty?”“I…I don’t want to die!”“Neither did they.Neither did Wiggen.” Lad positioned the point of the dagger beneath the Grandmaster’s chin, pricking the skin so that a single drop of blood trickled down the serpentine blade.“Goodbye, Your Majesty.”Lad plunged the dagger up to the hilt, ending a fifty-year reign of terror.Emperor Tynean Tsing II died instantly and painlessly.It was more mercy than he deserved.Vengeance.And yet, Lad felt no rush of joy, no relief, just emptiness.Wiggen was still dead.Though he had changed the course of an empire with a single dagger thrust, all it meant to Lad was one more death weighing upon his soul.The glint of gold and obsidian caught Lad’s eye as the emperor crumpled to the floor.“Lad!” Mya struggled to her feet and staggered to his side, cursing the tattered and bloody dress that dragged at her every step.She stared down at the fallen emperor and felt suddenly as if a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.“You did it!”“Yes.” He turned toward her, his face pinched in pain.Clutching his bleeding hand to his side, he stepped past her.“Just one more thing to do.”“What?” Mya watched as Lad began scanning the floor, flipping over one of the dead blademasters.“What are you—”“I’m finishing this.” He plucked something out of the blood, then strode over to the slab where Kiesha lay.“I have to.”Of course… She staggered after him.“Vengeance.”“No.Forgiveness.” Leaning down, he spoke softly into the tortured woman’s ear.“Kiesha.”The thief’s eyelids fluttered, and her ruined lips murmured, “No…no more…please.”“No more pain, Kiesha.”Now Mya saw what Lad had picked off the floor, a tiny vial and cap.He fitted the cap onto the vial, shook it, then removed the cap again.A needle on the bottom of the cap glinted in the light, and she understood.Poison.“I’m here to end your pain.” Lad’s voice was quiet, soothing.“I don’t blame you for Wiggen’s death.You were a weapon, just like I once was.”“End…pain…please,” Kiesha muttered, peering up at Lad.Her eyes glinted with madness, but also hope.“Please…”“Yes, Kiesha.Just relax.The pain will be over soon.” Lad pressed the needle into an exposed vein in her neck.A labored breath, one last sigh, and Kiesha’s eyes closed.“Mercy…” Mya could only stare, staggered by Lad’s compassion.She wondered if she could have been so merciful.Lad stood straight and silent for a moment, then tucked away the vial and turned to her.“Now what?”The question stirred Mya out of her trance.“I…” She glanced at the fallen emperor, and the sight ignited her.We just killed the godsdamned emperor! “First we bind up your hand, then we get the hell out of here.” She fumbled with the hem of her dress, straining to tear a swath from her pettiskirts.Gods, I’m so weak… Picking up a fallen blade, she sawed at the ragged tear until the fabric came free.“Come here.We don’t’ want to leave a blood trail.”Lad winced while she wrapped his mangled hand, but stood still.Oddly, he just stared at her.Mya found his scrutiny discomforting, and spoke quickly as she worked.“Make sure we pick up your fingers.If we leave them behind, they can use magic to trace you.I’ve used that method myself.There’s too much blood to worry about, and it’s mingled with everyone else’s, so—”“Mya.” Lad hissed in pain as she tied the final knot tight, then clutched her hand in both of his.“Stop.Please.I need to tell you…something.”“What?” His hands felt warm on hers.His eyes no longer gleamed with anger and frustration, but looked at her gently, the way she’d always wanted him to look at her.Her heart skipped a beat.“Tell me what?”“Thank you.” He clutched her hand and stared into her soul.“You saved me.You saved me from myself.”“I didn’t.” Mya swallowed hard [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“Please!”“How many have lain in this room and uttered those same words to you, Your Majesty?”“I…I don’t want to die!”“Neither did they.Neither did Wiggen.” Lad positioned the point of the dagger beneath the Grandmaster’s chin, pricking the skin so that a single drop of blood trickled down the serpentine blade.“Goodbye, Your Majesty.”Lad plunged the dagger up to the hilt, ending a fifty-year reign of terror.Emperor Tynean Tsing II died instantly and painlessly.It was more mercy than he deserved.Vengeance.And yet, Lad felt no rush of joy, no relief, just emptiness.Wiggen was still dead.Though he had changed the course of an empire with a single dagger thrust, all it meant to Lad was one more death weighing upon his soul.The glint of gold and obsidian caught Lad’s eye as the emperor crumpled to the floor.“Lad!” Mya struggled to her feet and staggered to his side, cursing the tattered and bloody dress that dragged at her every step.She stared down at the fallen emperor and felt suddenly as if a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.“You did it!”“Yes.” He turned toward her, his face pinched in pain.Clutching his bleeding hand to his side, he stepped past her.“Just one more thing to do.”“What?” Mya watched as Lad began scanning the floor, flipping over one of the dead blademasters.“What are you—”“I’m finishing this.” He plucked something out of the blood, then strode over to the slab where Kiesha lay.“I have to.”Of course… She staggered after him.“Vengeance.”“No.Forgiveness.” Leaning down, he spoke softly into the tortured woman’s ear.“Kiesha.”The thief’s eyelids fluttered, and her ruined lips murmured, “No…no more…please.”“No more pain, Kiesha.”Now Mya saw what Lad had picked off the floor, a tiny vial and cap.He fitted the cap onto the vial, shook it, then removed the cap again.A needle on the bottom of the cap glinted in the light, and she understood.Poison.“I’m here to end your pain.” Lad’s voice was quiet, soothing.“I don’t blame you for Wiggen’s death.You were a weapon, just like I once was.”“End…pain…please,” Kiesha muttered, peering up at Lad.Her eyes glinted with madness, but also hope.“Please…”“Yes, Kiesha.Just relax.The pain will be over soon.” Lad pressed the needle into an exposed vein in her neck.A labored breath, one last sigh, and Kiesha’s eyes closed.“Mercy…” Mya could only stare, staggered by Lad’s compassion.She wondered if she could have been so merciful.Lad stood straight and silent for a moment, then tucked away the vial and turned to her.“Now what?”The question stirred Mya out of her trance.“I…” She glanced at the fallen emperor, and the sight ignited her.We just killed the godsdamned emperor! “First we bind up your hand, then we get the hell out of here.” She fumbled with the hem of her dress, straining to tear a swath from her pettiskirts.Gods, I’m so weak… Picking up a fallen blade, she sawed at the ragged tear until the fabric came free.“Come here.We don’t’ want to leave a blood trail.”Lad winced while she wrapped his mangled hand, but stood still.Oddly, he just stared at her.Mya found his scrutiny discomforting, and spoke quickly as she worked.“Make sure we pick up your fingers.If we leave them behind, they can use magic to trace you.I’ve used that method myself.There’s too much blood to worry about, and it’s mingled with everyone else’s, so—”“Mya.” Lad hissed in pain as she tied the final knot tight, then clutched her hand in both of his.“Stop.Please.I need to tell you…something.”“What?” His hands felt warm on hers.His eyes no longer gleamed with anger and frustration, but looked at her gently, the way she’d always wanted him to look at her.Her heart skipped a beat.“Tell me what?”“Thank you.” He clutched her hand and stared into her soul.“You saved me.You saved me from myself.”“I didn’t.” Mya swallowed hard [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]