For a brief moment, Elka was taken aback by the sheer fury burning in the depths of his eyes. She had seen him angry before, but never like this. There was no restraint left in him. No reason. Only hatred.

He bared his fangs the moment he reached her and that was the last thing she saw before he backhanded her across the face with brutal force, sending her crashing sideways into the nearest wall. Pain exploded through her cheek and split lip. The taste of blood instantly flooded her mouth.

Before she could regain her footing, he seized a fistful of her hair and violently yanked her head back. A heartbeat later, his fist slammed into her ribs. The pain was sharp, nauseating, and all-consuming.

For a moment, she was a little girl again, helpless beneath his fists, powerless against the man who had spent years teaching her what fear felt like.

But this time, something colder and far sharper rose beneath that fear.

Contempt.

Azul had been right about one thing. Beneath all her timidness, beneath all her hesitation, there lived a vindictive spirit she had spent years keeping chained.

She would no longer be her father’s victim. Not anymore.

With a feral snarl, she drove her knife into his arm. The blade sank deep into his bicep.

He roared in pain, but it barely slowed him. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed the back of her head against the wall near the hearth.

The impact caused black dots to dance in her vision. Warm blood trickled down her temple but she forced herself to remain conscious. She couldn’t give in to the pain, doing so now would mean death.

He held both her hands above her head with one large hand and gripped her throat with the other, squeezing hard enough to completely cut off her airway.

"You betrayed us," he spat, his face inches from hers. His breath smelled like rum. "You sent word to the king, didn’t you? Now we’re hunted because of you. I told you didn’t I? I said if we go down, you will not be spared. But you were too foolish to heed my words, now I will teach you a lesson you will never forget."

Elka’s lungs burned with every second longer he starved her of breath. She felt her consciousness slowly slipping through her fingers as her body screamed for air.

With the last of her strength, she drove her knee upward between his legs.

His grip loosened. Only slightly but it gave her enough leeway to act.

She twisted free and plunged the knife upward into his stomach. Hot blood spilled over her fingers as the blade buried itself deep inside him. Her eyes flashed as she twisted the knife deeper before yanking it free.

His pained howl shook the cottage.

Staggering backward, he clutched at the wound, blood pouring between his fingers. Yet somehow he still reached for her, driven by pure rage.

Even injured, he might still be able to overpower her. He was getting too close for comfort and she needed something she could use to fight him better. A small knife wouldn’t do much, especially when he could easily knock it out of her hand and she would be left defenseless.

She backed away from him and her hand found the heavy iron poker resting beside the fireplace.

With a cry born of terror and fury, she swung. The first blow shattered his cheekbone with a sickening crunch.

The second caved in the side of his skull.

Blood sprayed in the air. Still, he refused to fall.

So she kept swinging. Again and again.

And again.

Every strike landed with a wet, meaty impact. Years of fear. Years of pain. Years of helplessness. She poured all of it into each blow. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She didn’t stop her onslaught even after he had collapsed to the ground. He landed heavily in a spreading pool of blood and shattered bone. His head had become an unrecognizable ruin, still she continued.

After one last strike, Elka stood over him, chest heaving violently. Blood covered her hands, her face, her clothes. Her entire body screamed in agony, but she barely felt it.

The broken doorway suddenly filled with movement.

Her mother rushed inside, most likely drawn in by the noise of the carnage.

The moment Laena saw what remained of her husband, a piercing scream tore from her throat.

For a second, she simply stared at her daughter who was covered in Halric’s blood. Then her shock twisted into fury.

She brandished a knife and launched herself at Elka.

They collided with enough force to send both women crashing to the floor.

Laena attacked like a crazed woman. The knife flashed downward again and again.

One strike sliced open Elka’s shoulder. Another carved across her collarbone.

White-hot pain exploded through her body.

Desperate and struggling beneath her, Elka slammed her forehead into her mother’s face.

The impact stunned Laena long enough for Elka to wrench the weapon from her grasp.

Then instinct took over.

Survive. She had to survive.

She would not let them win.

With a desperate cry, she drove the blade into her mother’s throat.

Blood erupted across her face and chest.

Laena’s eyes widened in shock.

Elka ripped the blade free and slashed it across Laena’s neck.

A terrible gurgling sound escaped her mother’s throat. Blood bubbled from her mouth as she clawed weakly at the wound.

Her body convulsed once. Twice.

Then finally went still as she collapsed over her.

Elka lay trapped beneath her mother’s corpse, drenched in the blood of both her parents.

She shook so violently she could barely breathe.

The metallic smell filled her nose and mouth. Her ears rang.

Her thoughts felt distant, detached, as though some part of her mind had retreated far away to shield itself from what she had just done.

For several long minutes, she could not move.

She simply stared at the ceiling.

The blood coating her skin slowly cooled.

The cottage was silent except for her ragged breathing.

Mara found her like that.

The older woman froze in the doorway, her eyes widening at the carnage before her.

For a brief moment, Mara stood completely still. Beneath the shock was shame, shame that when Elka had needed help most, she had been too frightened to leave her hiding place. It was only after the screams had finally fallen silent that Mara found the courage to emerge. The realization hit her hard. Not only had she been a coward, but she had also failed her friend when it mattered most.

But those self-deprecating thoughts didn’t stop her from hurrying to Elka now.