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She waved a hand and the Arisai hauled the kneelinghied as if wounded, head lolling and li frohs spoke of bowels loosened by fear
“Allow me to introduce General Lotarev,” the E man to slump to his knees before her “Commander of the Third Volarian Army, who should he fulfil his boast of bringing that golden-haired bitch before h a corpse would have done In the event his heroic troops fled the field with such alacrity I’ve little doubt some have reached the eastern shore by now”
She crouched down, taking hold of the unfortunate general’s hair and jerking his head back, revealing a face twitching in unalloyed terror, bleached bone white and the eyes betraying a near complete loss of reason “Why did you coh since she spoke in Realue, Reva doubted the ine your reould be? Was it duty? All those years of service don’t fade easily, I suppose The capital in peril, you racing to bringfor a statue of your own, eh?”
She leaned closer, speaking softly, her hand cupping his unshaven chin “Don’t you understand? The blond bitch can slaughter every soul in this city and rend it to dust, and I suspect I’ll laugh at the spectacle No, I just wanted her” Her other hand tightened in his hair, jerking the head again and drawing a fearful whi from me, you see I owe her a considerable debt”
She released hi to the headless statue with a conteo unrewarded I’ive you the statue you hunger for Fashioned by the expert hand of my own little sister”
One of the Arisai ca a broad-bladed axe, the others dragging the general around until he knelt before her, head bowed
Reva ignored the axe, fixing her gaze on the Empress “No”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow “How terribly uncharacteristic The reports from Alltor were fairly lurid in their description of your willingness to do this very thing”
The heroic Free Sword’s head spiralling blood as she cast it over the wallThe prisoners being led to the blockNo better than usThink nothing! Feel nothing! “Do your own killing,” she said
“But I need for us to understand each other better” The E Reva’s gaze with intent sincerity “Blood will bring us closer A lesson I learned from my beloved In time ill be a fae sending unwise ih her mind; Varulek’s secret chamber, the bow of Arren, hoould feel in her hands when the ti!
“What is this, little sister?” The Eesture “Do you scheme? Do you plot? With who herself with an iardens as they watched Ellese stuh her scales I have never asked you for a promiseStay alive and come back to me “I already have a family,” she said “And you could never be part of it”
“And Lieza?” the Empress asked “Does she deserve a place in your family? What will you tell that woman you pine for if you return? Why don’t I spare you the coht up, and irl’s head instead of a coward’s”
Reva lunged for the axe, tearing it froh she had danced out of reach, a delighted laugh escaping her lips “Enough play,” she said, her eneral “Tiain?” Lieza stared at the blood discolouring Reva’s blouse, co forward, eyes wide in concern “You hurt?”
“No” Revaof what she saw Lotarev gaped up at her in vague co on his lower lip
She stripped, filled the bath and scrubbed herself clean Soat her hands as the blood turned to mist in the water Why do I feel it so now?
After a while Lieza came to wash her blouse This tiaze and crouching at the edge as she worked the soap into the material