Kieran’s POV

I watched in silence as the lashes landed on her back. Each sound of the whip echoed in the courtyard, cutting through her once-beautiful skin. Blood trickled down her pale skin, staining the ground under her.

She didn’t beg. Not like I expected her to.

She screamed, yes and cried out in agony, but she didn’t beg for mercy.

I should have felt satisfied. I should have felt nothing. But all I saw was fire.

Not ...