Neveah saw it coming before it did. She'd known better than to trust a desperate man whose son was a depraved tyrant. But she wasn't fast enough to get out of the way.
Lothaire was much faster than she'd originally guessed, and definitely stronger than he'd let on. He moved in the blink of an eye, swinging the chain wildly. The silver chain wound tightly around her neck, and then he pulled with crushing force, suffocating her.
Sharp searing jolts of pain shot through her as the silver burned into her skin, at a faster rate than usual with how tightly it was pressed against her skin.
He tugged her weight up with the chains so she was on level with him, and leaning against the side of her face, his rotten breath invaded her senses as he whispered,
"Why challenge Alessio to a battle I'm sure to lose, when I can just as easily trade your life for it?" He asked, his tone still hoarse. "It is unwise to do, don't you think?"
