Vyrena swung herself out of their grasp and used her dagger to kill them both. Next, she was ready to take on Montak head one. He had truly underestimated her strength. He knew of the stories that Mara had told them.
Her intelligence, her strength, he admired all of it. But he was jealous of it too. Montak fought his way up to where he was now. He betrayed his friends, his portrayal of a cruel leader kept him at the top.
His seat was on a pile of corpses, it was built on fear.
He recalled how fiercely the children and the other survivors protected her. She was still recuperating when he infiltrated their campsite to take their weapons. They were willing to die for her.
Yet Montak knew the moment he showed any sign of weakness, his group would abandon him. That is why he never let his guard down. They would leave him to fend for himself.
"I should have killed you the first time we met," he snarled.
