Outside the house, Kali watched her brother and Jenna in silence. She didn’t know why, but listening to Jenna made her rember the life before Rhane ca to rescue her.
It was worse because it wasn’t just young n that ca for her but old ones too, as long as they could pay.
"Mm," Percy sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "My mistress..."
Kali opened her mouth to speak, but she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She hadn’t realized she was crying until now. Wiping it off quickly, she cleared her throat.
"Don’t be so soft," Kali sucked her teeth. "It’ll be alright." She hit Percy’s shoulder in an attempt to console him.
When Rhane stepped out of the house carrying Jenna, with his jacket wrapped around her body, Kali ran forward to et them halfway.
"What are we going to do next?" she asked, ready to take command, knowing her brother no longer cared, because what he ca for was in his arms, sleeping.
Rhane didn’t break his gaze from Jenna’s sleeping face. "Burn the place."
Kali nodded, then furrowed her brows. "And Gerald?"
"If he’s still alive, bring him," Rhane ordered. "I’ll kill him myself." He ant every word.
Kali nodded. She expected it, and even worse. Once Rhane mounted his horse, with Jenna sitting in front, he turned and left the place.
Percy sobbed, running after his mistress. "My lady, I’ll protect you!" He didn’t get far before Kali grabbed him by the collar.
"Read the outside, they need space," Kali sneered. Without letting go of the wailing Percy’s shirt, she turned to the assassins.
"Stack the bodies, get it ready to be burned... while I go find my half-brother," Kali sighed tiredly.
While the assassins gathered the dead bodies of those Rhane had killed outside, Kali dragged Percy inside with her.
"You know your lady’s husband, don’t you?" she asked, kicking one of the bodies to the side. "Find him."
Percy widened his eyes. "Fi- why ?" he asked, feeling sickness rise in his stomach.
Kali shrugged. "Tell about it," she deadpanned.
Percy staggered around inside the room. He couldn’t get himself to look at the dead bodies, already feeling dizzy. He stepped on a body and fell.
"Bloody hell!" Kali cursed loudly. "Why are you being such a wussy?" She walked over to help Percy up, but the body he had tripped on moved.
"This one isn’t quite dead," Kali pushed Percy to the side, then unsheathed a dagger from her waist belt. "We can’t have them half-alive going to hell, can we?"
Getting down on one knee, Kali stabbed the man’s chest twice, letting blood splatter on her face and chest.
"ssed up. This is ssed up." Kali stabbed the man again, then confird he was lifeless before she pulled back.
Turning to help Percy up, she noticed the young man had turned blue and was retching.
"You..." Percy threw up. "Killed soone!"
Kali wiped her dagger on her shirt, then placed it back on her waist. "He was going to die either way. What’s got you so sickly?" She patted Percy’s back.
"Have you never killed soone before?" she threw the question.
For a mont Percy raised his face. "What?" He bent forward again and threw up. "Why would I kill soone?"
"I don’t know. So how were you going to protect your mistress?" Kali asked, with a dismissive shrug. "You need to have a little bone in you. Tch," she tutted.
Turning away from the place, Kali continued with her search.
"Where is Gerald?" she muttered, checking inside the other rooms. "Did Rhane kill him already?" She pushed another door open, but there was no sign.
Kali paused in her steps, she was no longer hearing Percy’s voice.
"Don’t be lazy. If you’re done throwing up, help search the place so we can leave," Kali called from inside a room. She waited for a mont but didn’t hear from Percy.
"Are you being—" Kali walked into the next room, and found Percy pointing at soone, his eyes wide with shock.
Kali scoffed. "What? Are you seeing their ghost now? Don’t be curdled milk and co help out."
Percy finally opened his mouth. "He- Gerald is—"
Kali furrowed her brows, glancing at Percy’s pale face. "What now?" she muttered, stepping closer. "You look like you’ve seen—" She never finished. A whisper of movent behind her. A wrong shadow in the wrong place. Her body turned too late.
It was too late. Before Kali could turn, a sharp pain thrashed through her entire body and she fell, a knife stuck in her stomach.
Gerald let go of the knife. "Rhane will pay for this. He will." He ran out of the room through another door.
"Bloody hell!" Kali cursed.
The pain stole Kali’s breath, made her vision tremble at the edges. For a mont, Kali wasn’t the dagger-wielding commander or Rhane’s sister, she was just a girl again, small and hurt, wondering if this was the end for her. But it wasn’t for Rhane and Jenna. She clenched her teeth.
"Run after him! Go!" she commanded Percy.
Percy ran around inside the room frantically, his whole body shaking.
"What are you doing?!" Kali bellowed, feeling her knees buckle, and she fell.
Percy tore his shirt. "You’re bleeding....I need to stop it..." He tried to wrap Kali’s stomach, but she pushed him.
"I’m not important right now! Go and find..." she winced, letting out a pain-filled groan. "You idiot, do what’s important first."
Percy didn’t move. "You won’t survive if I leave!" He pressed her injured stomach. "Your life is even more important! Don’t you know?"
For a mont, Kali was still. Then she rolled her eyes, placing her fingers between her lips. She whistled.
The assassins rushed inside imdiately at her call.
"Find him..." Kali breathed heavily. She was losing so much blood. "Gerald escaped through that door... find him." Kali’s breathing beca shallow as she struggled to speak.
The assassins understood and dashed out of the room.
Percy pressed Kali’s stomach. "Soone help! Please!" he shouted, his whole body shaking.
Kali took out her knife from her waist and bit into it. With force, she pulled the knife from her stomach with a loud squelch.
"You... you..." Percy’s eyes rolled back and he passed out.
Kali grunted as she covered the cut with the torn piece Percy had been holding.
"So much for being my knight...more like the coward knight." Kali struggled to her feet, one hand holding her wounded side, the other dragging Percy out of the room.
As she shoved the candles to the ground and watched the flas take root, Kali didn’t look back. Fire always ant one thing to her, erase it. Not cleanse it, not redeem it. Just burn the mories before they festered. Let the place rot, like the n who used to haunt it. They deserved worse.
With a soft grunt she lifted Percy on the horse onto the horse while she mounted.
"I hope they find Gerald," Kali muttered, kicking the horse and returning back to the mansion.
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