The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Just as the others rushed to help Stan, the woman suddenly collapsed to the ground.

A dagger was protruding from her abdomen.

Her glazing eyes locked onto Michael, the hatred in them undiminished.

That look was just like the one Athena had given him.

“Birds of a feather,” Athena’s words echoed in his mind.

Michael had never felt such intense pain in his life. Before he knew it, he had drawn his sword from his waist and strode toward Stan.

Stan’s face turned deathly pale with fear. “General, I beg for mercy! Please, I really beg for mercy!” he pleaded.

But Michael gave him no chance to repent, he struck him down with a single blow.

The murderous aura radiating from him made everyone else in the room tremble in terror.

They dropped to their knees, huddling together and scrambling backward. “General, spare us this time! We truly beg for mercy!” they cried.

Michael advanced step by step, the bloodied sword dripping in his hand, his eyes completely bloodshot.

Just as Michael raised his saber, ready to strike them down, someone suddenly wrapped their arms tightly around his waist from behind.

A booming voice, like thunder, exploded in his ear. “Lord Osborne, you mustn’t!”

The rough shout did nothing to snap Michael out of it, he had been perfectly clear–headed all along.

He told himself coldly, ‘I will avenge Athena. Every last one who humiliated her must die.

Jed Patton’s eyes burned with anxiety. “Lord Osborne, these men may be despicable, but their crimes don’t warrant execution! If you kill them all and His Majesty takes offense, the entire Osborne family could be dragged into disgrace.”

He pressed, voice strained, “And if you lose your military rank, could you really bear to see your family’s legacy destroyed by your own hand?”

Michael blinked, his eyes bloodshot, red as if with blood.

Yet his grip on the saber remained unyielding.

He nearly roared, voice raw with fury, “They deserve to die! Every last one of them!”

Trembling with rage, he thought, ‘How dare they humiliate Athena? How could they do something so cruel to her right under my nose?‘

Michael’s strength was inhuman. Even with Jed clinging to him with all his might, he couldn’t be stopped.

In desperation, Jed bellowed at the guards behind him, “What are you waiting for? Grab Lord Osborne now! If this gets out of hand, none of us will survive!”

The guards immediately swarmed forward, seizing Michael and dragging him out of the room by force.

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Chapter 82

“Restrain everyone in here, now!” Jed barked, seizing the moment while Michael was being subdued.

He knew that even if Michael was temporarily held down, these people still wouldn’t get away with it.

As Michael’s lieutenant, Jed was consumed by guilt.

He fell to Michael’s feet, shoulders slumped in dejection, and said, “General, I share the blame for this. If punishment is due, let it fall on me as well.

A spark of life finally returned to Michael’s eyes. He slowly turned to Jed, then, without warning, kicked him hard in the chest.

With a heavy thud. Jed was sent flying nearly ten feet, crashing to the ground and coughing up blood.

Michael growled, “For something like this to happen in the military camp, you really do deserve to die.”

Jed staggered to his feet and knelt back down, offering no defense.

Michael’s

eyes were hollow with fury as he ground out between clenched teeth, “Investigate thoroughly. Everyone involved shall face military court.”

Never had he imagined that such darkness could exist under his command.

He thought, Three long years, a thousand and ninety–five days and nights.

‘Athena had huddled in misery in that hellhole, waiting day and night for me to save her.

“But what had I done? I’d let those bastards drag her back when she was just one step away from freedom.

“I was the one who shoved her right back into the abyss.

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