250
~Kael's POV
I slammed the door behind us, and it sounded too loud in the small chamber. Rowan let out a breath like a sob and dropped onto the bench. I stood there for a long time, looking at the stone walls, feeling wrong in my own skin.
"Kael," Rowan said finally, voice small. "We… we were fools."
"We were monsters," I said. The word left my mouth like a blade. It cut me open to say it. "We let her suffer. We didn't listen. We blamed her."
Rowan stared at his hands. "I keep seeing her face," he said. "That night….her eyes. She begged," He couldn't finish. His throat worked.
"I know," I said. My voice came out rough.
"We should be," Rowan whispered. "We should be on our knees before her."
I slammed my fist against the wall. The noise startled both of us. "No," I said, and the anger rose fast, sudden and hot. "Kneeling isn't enough. They will pay."
