A Savior's Worth (Book #3)

Chapter Thirty-One

When Noemi broke from their hug, Elouise crawled over to the edge and situated herself next to Cora.

Henry had been officially tied up, and what horrified Elouise the most was how calm he appeared. He did not scream, beg, nor pull at his restraints. It was as if he didn't care what they did to him and what they planned.

That couldn't be, could it? No one would simply give up and accept such a fate.

Elouise found herself voicing this concern to Cora who nodded and responded with, "Maybe he's playing it safe. Keep calm and they'll go easier on him?" Then her eyes brightened. "And maybe he knows we'll come save him in time."

"Or maybe he's just not afraid of death," Kinsey murmured. "Which, if you ask me, really shows just how brave he is."

Elouise scowled at her. Noemi then crept up next to her. Elouise shielded her eyes and said, "I'd rather if you did not see this, Emi."

Noemi pulled Elouise's hands off her face. "I've seen this before. They're not gonna burn him alive."

"Then what are they going to do?" asked Cora.

Noemi grimaced and ducked her head. "They always take turns stabbing the sacrifice until they bleed out."

"What?" Cora and Kinsey gasped in unison.

Elouise covered her mouth and frantically searched for any sign that Eldon and Iris were getting closer. What if they were caught before—

Sebastian grunted, immediately capturing their attention. Holding him in a chokehold an Inferum cantivat member; a bulky woman with bright orange hair tied up in a bun. She gripped a dagger in her free hand and held the tip of it near Sebastian's temple.

Elouise jumped back up onto her feet despite Kinsey's protests. "Let, let go of him," she pleaded, slowly walking toward Sebastian and the woman. "He has nothing to do with this."

The woman's expression softened a bit. "Savior," she breathed.

Kinsey groaned as she stood as well. She stepped in front of Elouise and readied herself to shoot the woman. Through clenched teeth, she demanded, "Drop your weapon, let him go, and leave before I lose my temper."

The woman loosened her arm around Sebastian's neck. Sebastian pulled free and caressed his throat, agonizingly coughing. Elouise exhaled, a relief that was short-lived when the woman moved closer and glowered at him.

"N-No!" Elouise blurted. "Sebastian"—she raised her hand, immediately suspending the woman in place.

Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows. Once he glanced back and saw the woman was unable to move a muscle, he gaped at Elouise. "What, what are you—"

"Cora, now!" Kinsey instructed.

How Cora had managed sneaking past all of them to wind up behind the woman was beyond Elouise. With a boulder, Cora knocked the woman unconscious. She tossed the rock aside and swiftly pulled the dagger from the woman's grip. Then, using the same weapon, she slit the woman's throat and stabbed the blade into the snow as the woman fell dead beside it.

Elouise dropped her arm at her side and blinked hard.

"No!" Noemi wailed, and Elouise's blood went cold. "Look!"

"Shit," Kinsey said under her breath. Elouise pushed past her, and her entire body went rigid. Down below, Iris was forcefully being dragged along while Eldon was limp in another's arms.

"They caught them," Kinsey whispered. Then louder and louder, "They caught them, they caught them—dammit! They caught them!" Throughout her hysterics, she drew her bow's string back and aimed. Cora followed suit.