Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Ten

“How long have you been a spy?” the interrogator demanded, his eyes sharp beneath the three-pointed stars on his shoulders.

I fixed him with a steady glare, refusing to back down. “I’m innocent.”

From behind him, Master Sebastian let out a frustrated growl, his presence looming as he watched the interrogation unfold. Hours had passed—an entire day of relentless questioning. The cold iron chains biting into my wrists and ankles had shredded my skin, the rust mixing with my blood. My left eye was swollen shut, and the metallic tang of blood lingered in my mouth.

In the distant corner of the dim room, Thane’s translucent figure flickered faintly, his brow deeply furrowed with concern. “You look like you’re one strike away from death, girl.”

I shot him a glare with my one functioning eye. “Whose fault do you think that is?”

“Who are you talking to?” the interrogator asked, turning sharply.

Both men now stared at me as if I had finally lost my mind. I said nothing, shifting my gaze toward the grimy window instead.

I looked away.

“What is your true name?” the interrogator pressed.

“Innocent,” I replied, voice low but firm.

“Was Eldric Ironfang a spy?” he continued.

Silence filled the room.

“How did you manage to kill fourteen of the General’s elite all on your own? Are you cursed by the Ebonheart? Or have their beasts infected you?” His arms slammed on the desk, the sound echoing sharply.

Though I didn’t understand his words fully then, I would come to grasp their meaning in the months ahead. For now, it was all just unintelligible.

“I didn’t kill anyone,” I insisted.

“Did you have assistance?” His tone hardened, venom creeping in. “Is House Griffin behind this? You’ve been seen with Bryn—”

I snapped back, “I’ve also been seen with the Quartermaster.” I glanced at Master Sebastian and gave him a sly grin. “Maybe you’re my partner in all this. Oh, and let’s not forget the stable boy. Or even the kitchen girl who handed me a bread roll last week. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Sebastian’s roar shattered the silence as he slammed his palm onto the desk. The metal clanged loudly against the wall, causing the room to tremble. “If you don’t start cooperating, boy, I will flay your flesh from your bones.”

I wished I had the strength to be afraid. “How is the prince?” I asked quietly.

He sneered. “So eager to see if your plans succeeded?”

I swallowed the knot of worry twisting inside me—a feeling that had haunted me all day despite the looming shadow of death. I lifted my chin defiantly. “The Prince is the only one who can prove my innocence, so yes, I care very much if I managed to save his life. Or not.”

Thane sighed heavily. “Your words aren’t helping, Valka.”

“Shut up, old man!” I snapped.

Master Sebastian glanced toward the spot where Thane leaned against the wall. Obviously, he couldn’t see the ghostly guardian and probably thought I was mad.

I began to wonder if having a guardian was more trouble than it was worth.

“You know nothing about the Prince,” the interrogator said, stepping closer and leaning in, his gaze sharp and unforgiving. “Tomorrow, you will be executed for your crimes. Your body will hang from the gates as a warning to those like you.”

He spat on the ground near my feet before turning sharply and leaving, his subordinate following behind.

Alone, my lips trembled, and tears stung the back of my eyes, slipping down despite my efforts to hold them back.

Men do not cry.

But I am not a man.

“Is it my fate to die a cruel, unjust death?” I whispered to Thane, my voice breaking.

He waved dismissively, as if I were being overly emotional. He couldn’t truly understand what I was feeling—not being alive himself. “You will not die. If you’ve never trusted me before, I ask that you do now.”

I turned away from him. “As you wish.”

****

They say that in the moments before death, your life flashes before your eyes.

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