Chapter 20 · Bound to the Executioner: Leveling Up With My Enemy - Chapter 20: Snap the Leash

"Kneel, Soren. Now."

The Grand Inquisitor’s voice didn't boom; it sliced. It was a cold, surgical command that hit like a physical blow.

Soren didn't move. He couldn't. Not because he wanted to defy the man, but because the master rune in the Grand Inquisitor's hand was pulsing a violent, jagged violet. Every beat of that light sent a shockwave through the soul-bond, slamming into Soren’s chest and dragging his knees toward the dirt.

"I said kneel," the Grand Inquisitor repeated, stepping forward. His boots clicked on the stone, a slow, predatory rhythm.

I stepped in front of Soren, my boots skidding in the grit. I could feel the vibration in the air—the kind of raw power that made my teeth ache. "He’s not your dog," I snapped, glancing back at Soren.

Soren was pale, sweat beading at his hairline. His breath was coming in shallow, jagged hitches. He looked at me, and for the first time, the arrogant mask of the High Inquisitor was gone. There was something raw there. Terror? No, not terror. Recognition. He knew exactly what that rune was doing to his nervous system.

"Move, girl," the Grand Inquisitor said, not even looking at me.