CHAPTER 62: FURIOUS FIRE

Leonidas screamed at the top of his lungs, his body trembling from both pain and fear. Hades had removed six of his fingernails, and now Leonidas could barely feel his fingers or his hand. Through the haze of agony, he caught a glimpse of Hades’s face, a disturbing smile spread across his lips, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he were watching a play unfold before him.

Leonidas felt shivers crawl down his spine, goosebumps spreading across his skin. "You’re fucking sick in the head," he whispered, his voice trembling.

"You should have thought about that before getting close to her," Hades replied, pulling out another nail.

Leonidas wanted to die at this point. Even with the cold weather, he was sweating profusely. The salty sweat dripping over his injuries burned, and his chest ached with every breath he took. He knew Hades could torture him all day, and the pain he was already feeling was pushing him to the brink of madness. Desperation surged within him, and he decided to provoke Hades, hoping the prince would be forced to kill him instead.

"You’re doing all this for a bitch, huh? Lilith is just like any other whore. She’s nothing special," Leonidas spat, watching Hades’s reaction.

But Hades only smiled, moving his blade to roughly pull out his last fingernail.

"I should have fucked her in that carriage and passed her around to my men to take turns until she passes out and is covered in our cum." Leonidas said between gritted teeth.

"You are only making me want to make you bleed more. Your words have no effect on me," Hades replied, twirling the blade between his fingers. He leaned forward, pressed the tip of the blade against Leonidas’ knee, and dragged it up to his thigh. "We are going to be here for a long time, Leonidas. Just sit back and enjoy it," he whispered, plucking the blade in his manhood, watching the man scream in agony, he twisted the blade sideways multiple times enjoying the sounds of pain that escaped his throat.

Two hours had passed, and Leonidas was still alive—barely. He lay motionless, unable to move a single muscle as Hades’ brutal punishment had ravaged every inch of his body, leaving no part untouched. Blood covered him from head to toe, soaking through his clothes and pooling beneath him.

One of his eyes was completely bloodshot, swollen shut, while the other—though open—was clouded with blood. He managed to glance up weakly just as Hades rose to his feet. The sound of his boots echoed ominously as he circled Leonidas, finally coming to a stop behind him.

"Unfortunately, I have to return to the palace, so our time must come to an end," Hades stated coolly, placing the blade against Leonidas’s neck before slicing it open in one swift motion. Leonidas’s remaining eye widened in horror as the life drained from his body. Within seconds, he was dead.

Without hesitation, Hades ripped the man’s head from his body and strolled out of the cottage, whistling. Once outside, he turned to face the building. Pulling off his glove, he placed his bare hand against the cottage wall. His eyes glowed with a bright light as fire surged from his palm. Within seconds, the entire cottage was engulfed in thick, furious flames.

Hades walked away holding the man’s head in one hand and the other buried in the pocket of his trousers.

~~~

Lilith opened her eyes, a yawn escaping her lips as she rubbed them with the back of her hands. She looked around, noticing the sunlight peeking through the half-closed window. It was almost noon.

She pushed herself up in bed, and almost immediately, the door opened, revealing Viktor and Charlotte walking in with a tray of food.

"Dear goodness, Lilith! Are you alright?" Charlotte exclaimed, placing the tray on the table before pulling Lilith into a tight embrace. She pulled back, checking Lilith’s body for any sign of injury.

"Yes, I’m alright. Thank you, Lady Charlotte," Lilith replied with a shy smile.

"Oh, please, just Charlotte," Charlotte said with a short chuckle and a wave of her hand.

"Or Lucy," Viktor added, causing both women to look at him.

Charlotte shot him a glare before turning back to Lilith. "Don’t mind him. My name is Charlotte," she said warmly, smoothing Lilith’s hair.

"Thank you, Charlotte. You’re very kind," Lilith responded.

"Of course," Charlotte said, grabbing the tray and placing it in front of Lilith. "I brought this for you because I wasn’t sure if you’d had anything to eat yet."

"Thank you," Lilith said once again, her eyes lighting up. She was famished and could hardly wait to devour the food—everything looked splendid and mouthwatering.

"You’re welcome," Charlotte said, rising from the bed to stand beside Viktor.

"I’m glad you’re back and unharmed," Viktor added, flashing her a warm smile.

"I am too. Thank you for your kind words," Lilith replied, returning his smile.

"Very well, we’ll leave you to eat and rest. I’ll be back soon," Charlotte said. When the silence in the room began to feel awkward, she turned toward the door, grabbing Viktor’s hand as they walked out and quietly closed the door behind them.

Lilith was left alone in silence. It was only then she realized she was in her own room, despite remembering that she had fallen asleep in the prince’s chambers.

The prince.

She blushed softly at the memory of how he had helped her out of her dress, prepared a bath for her, and bathed her. She still couldn’t get over the fact that he had been so gentle—he hadn’t touched her inappropriately, even when she was barely conscious. Once again, he had proven himself to be a true gentleman.

She wasn’t sure how she’d be able to face him after he had seen her so bare and vulnerable. Shaking the thought from her mind, she decided it was best to eat and regain her lost strength.

Lilith picked up the spoon and began digging into her meal, eagerly shoveling the food into her mouth and swallowing it down.