"Oh, one thing," Sera announced suddenly, her voice traveling in the darkness.
Four sets of eyes came to her at once.
"Try to keep these ones alive," she told them. "They don't need to have working arms or legs. But a beating heart would be… appreciated."
Silence held for a beat, the cold making everything feel crystalline and fragile.
Alexei let out a quiet laugh that didn't disturb the air. "Strangest request I've gotten before a party," he said, amused. "We can break them and leave them breathing."
Elias's frown deepened. Questions stacked behind his eyes. He didn't ask them. "Alive is messy. It's also against all laws about cruel and unusual punishment."
"Messy is fine," she said. "I can handle messy. And I am beginning to think that you are the only one still following the old rules, Elias. They certainly weren't when they came into my cabin and took what they wanted. Tell me, if we didn't stop them, what would have happened after?"
