The terrible sound of the metal cutting into the wood echoed loudly in the silent room. It sounded like the ticking of a clock counting down to death.
Carlos scrambled backward, his hands slipping on the polished floor. He hit his back against the leg of a heavy table and could go no further. He was trapped. He stared up at his brother, trembling violently.
Derek stopped right in front of him. He looked down at the pathetic, dirty man cowering at his feet.
"It was you," Derek said. His voice was dangerously quiet. "You really have no fear."
He lifted his arm in a swift, smooth motion.
Before Carlos could even blink, Derek placed the flat of the cold steel blade right against Carlos's dirty neck.
Carlos froze completely. He stopped breathing. He did not dare to swallow. The sharp edge of the longsword pressed firmly against his skin, right over his pulse. The steel was freezing cold.
"Where is she?" Derek asked. His voice dropped to a terrifying whisper. "Where is Marissa?"
