Chapter 24 · Bleeding the Crown

"Still breathing, you little piece of filth?"

Bishop Valerius didn't wait for an answer. He slammed the heel of his gold-topped boot directly into Lucian’s chest, pinning him against the cold stone of the cathedral floor. The impact knocked the air out of Lucian in a wet, rattling gasp.

Lucian looked up. His vision was swimming, blurred by the blood leaking from his nose, but he could see the Bishop’s face—smug, holy, and utterly drenched in arrogance. Valerius leaned in, the scent of expensive incense and old decay clinging to his silk robes.

"You were a decent hound for the Inquisition, Cross," the Bishop whispered, his voice a smooth, poisonous honey. "But a hound with a broken back is just a rug. A rug I’m about to burn."

Beside them, Vesper was pinned against the wall by two armored Paladins. Her face was a mask of blood and fury, her teeth bared like a cornered wolf. One of the guards had a gauntlet crushed against her throat, cutting off her oxygen.

"Let him go, you fat bastard!" Vesper screamed, her voice rasping.

Valerius didn't even look at her. He shifted his weight, grinding his boot deeper into Lucian’s ribs.