The Darkest Sword

excited you.”
Ashiyn smirked, bowed to her, and waved an arm to indicate a doorway. “This way, Queen Harm. I will give you a private tour on the way out.”
Harm sneered and stuck her nose up in a haughty pose as she strutted ahead of him into the room. “I thought you would see things my way, young Prince.”
As it would turn out she was just as fierce in bed. And he enjoyed every moment of their torturous union. He was sorry to see her go, as he escorted her to the border of their kingdoms and watched her disappear into the mist-filled withered forest.

CHAPTER NINE
Ashiyn spent the next several years busily seducing dignitaries and leading his Master’s armies. He also snuck off to see Soryn as often as he could. He found joy in taking Soryn out of the tower to explore interesting parts of the world he had found while commanding Rhadamanthus’s armies.
He was on his way out of the castle and to the stable to do just that when a commotion in the courtyard drew his attention. Rhadamanthus’s guards were dragging a family of humans through the courtyard. Feisty humans. The man kept slipping loose and throwing punches; the children were kicking and biting their aggressors. But it was the woman who drew his attention. She was the only one of the bunch who managed to grab a weapon and slay one of their attackers, her auburn hair falling into her wild green eyes as the blood from her captor’s throat spattered her beautiful face. With a fierce roar, she launched herself at the one holding the female child and tore out his eyes with her fingernails.
Ashiyn stopped to watch, fascinated. Aside from Rhadamanthus having the occasional slave, humans didn’t last long in this kingdom. He’d never seen them just as they were captured. Were they this defiant? Would his mother have fought for him this way if she’d gotten the chance? He couldn’t look away, or even move to stop them, as the adults managed to free the children and slay the guards.
The woman grabbed the hands of both her young children and started to run toward the gate as the man trailed behind and tried to fight off the guards.
Ashiyn sensed his Master’s presence and cringed when he saw Rhadamanthus step out of a doorway, blocking the humans from the gate. Ashiyn should have turned away and minded his own business, but he couldn’t force himself to do so, even though he knew what was coming.
Rhadamanthus yanked one of the children right out of the mother’s grasp and used his talons to shred it open right there, blood and intestines spilling out of the screeching child before it fell limp in his grip. The father screamed and ran to grab the other child, but the woman seemed blinded with rage and vengeance. Even as her husband fled from her with the still living child, she launched herself at Rhadamanthus to distract him.
Ashiyn winced as she met Rhadamanthus’s fist and crumpled to the ground at his feet.
“I’ll deal with you in a moment,” Rhadamanthus promised her, then stormed across the courtyard after the fleeing father. He lashed out and tore the man’s head right off and threw it at the woman’s feet. Then yanked the other child out of the corpse’s grip and held the little girl up by her foot, as she screamed and struggled. Rhadamanthus held her too far away from him and the ground to do any good. He returned to the woman and with his prize held up just out of reach in front of her mother, who had somehow managed to get to her feet. “Submit and I will spare this whelp,” he demanded.
The woman trembled in place, gripping the sword she’d taken from one of the fallen guards. The child screamed and cried, begging for help. Then the mother dropped the weapon and slowly knelt with her forehead to the ground in a submissive pose.
Ashiyn started forward as Rhadamanthus took the child and tore it in two and dropped both halves of the child with a splatter in front of the woman. She rose and she started screaming hysterically. Then she grabbed the weapon and tried to launch herself at Rhadamanthus again.
Ashiyn grabbed her arm and pulled her back, forcing her to the ground with his superhuman strength. She gasped in agony as he held her there, tears streaming down her face.
“Finish her,” Rhadamanthus commanded, disgustedly.
The woman looked at her ruined family then up at Ashiyn, her fury subsiding. Instead, it was replaced with a look pleading for mercy. “Let me join them,” she whispered. He didn’t want to. He wanted her alive. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know more about her, where she’d come from. More about the humans in general. If he killed her, he’d never know. This was his one chance.
He scowled and grabbed her by the hair, yanking and twisting to make her bow low, face to his boots. Then he looked at Rhadamanthus. “Would killing her not be merciful, Master? Should she not be made to live and learn the lesson you have just taught her?”
“That one will be more trouble than she’s worth. I don’t want to waste my time,” Rhadamanthus scowled.
Ashiyn took a deep breath. He could see the woman’s gaze pleading with him to end her life. He turned to Rhadamanthus. “I want her. I have not been allowed a servant for my pleasure. Let me have this one. I will enjoy breaking her for you.” He could feel the woman stiffen in his grip and begin to struggle, but he used his magic to freeze her in place.
“This one?” Rhadamanthus asked, sounding dubious. “She will fight you. She is too foolish to learn. You will kill her in the process.”
“Is that so different than killing her