Max’s hand remained on the hilt of his sword as he descended the stairs. The air was musty, the stone forever holding dampness in its mortar, and his footsteps echoed in the dank cellar as he made his way down the fourteen steps. When he reached the bottom, he stopped for a moment. Like the one in his castle, this dungeon was expansive, with cobblestone floors and brick walls separating the cells. A dozen doors of iron bars were in front of him, and Max swallowed hard. All were dark save one.

Max had to force himself to take a step, the weight of his dread and shame making it difficult to even pull in a breath. They were his kind, yet they had done the incomprehensible, and they had no remorse. No apologies were uttered. No excuses for their behavior other than their own sick and twisted reasons to do what they had done, but what had they done? Yannick only knew they’d tortured Bennett, but to what extent? Max shuddered as a chill ran down his spine.

When he reached the cell door, Max clamped his hand over his mouth, silencing the cries rising in his throat. A dozen candles stood atop stone ledges and small tables, providing too much light to miss one bruise, one wound…one gash. With her back toward the door, Bennett dangled from shackled wrists on chains in the middle of the cell. Naked and covered in filth and blood, she appeared like a beast being drained after a kill, and Max wanted to kill. He wanted to storm up the stairs and take the heads of the men who did this, except revenge would not be sweet. It wouldn’t erase what they’d done. It wouldn’t erase the fact he’d kept Bennett’s secret from all the others, and it wouldn’t erase the heinous memories Bennett would have from the last eight years. No, the council would have to deal with Napoleon’s and Simeon’s abhorrent behavior, and in time Max was sure he’d have to answer for his own duplicity regarding Bennett, but the future wasn’t his concern. That belonged to the woman dangling in front of him.

Max spied a set of keys on a large ring hanging on the wall, and snatching them up, he held his breath as he moved to stand in front of Bennett. Bile rose in his throat when the long, yawning wound down the center of her chest came into view, and pushing aside the need to vomit, with one arm wrapped around her waist, Max unlocked the shackles and gently lowered Bennett to the floor.