Marina and Ryn would always remember what happened next. Elias pulled Denna away from the others and into the open area in the middle of the room, making her fall to her knees.
Even though her wrists were tied, she still fought back. Her glare stayed sharp, the same glare that had scared bandits off the roads for years and once made Kael practice until his hands shook from exhaustion. But now she could hardly lift her head.
Marina felt her heart race. She knew exactly what Elias was going to do, and she screamed until her voice broke. "Stop it, asshole!"
"Don't fucking touch her!"
Elias smiled at her and turned to her, his face twisting into something that wasn't human. "Or what? It's already too late, you fucking bitch!"
"Your hero, your beloved blacksmith, couldn't save all of you, so he doesn't deserve to be called a hero." He stepped behind Denna and pulled her hair to make her lean back against him. "And do you know what else?"
