I thought I had seen Ana afraid before. As much as she denies it, she is deathly scared of spiders. She has nearly flown across a room when she sees one. I’ve always found it charming in its own way, that this girl with such a rough-and-tumble childhood would be so frightened of one of God’s smallest creatures, but there is nothing charming about her fear now.

Now, her fear is raw and naked. Terror widens her eyes as she pulls at the leather bonds holding her to the altar. She shakes her head, mumbling no over and over and over again.

Until the brand touches her skin and that no becomes a scream.

The sound of that scream burns through me, leaving nothing but white-hot fury in its wake.

If I were to attempt to recount what happens next, I would surely fail. The experience happens as a series of sensations. The heel of my foot slamming into the musket man’s instep with enough force that I am fairly certain bone cracks. My other foot catches his knee, shattering the bone. The sharp sting of his nails biting into my skin as his hands scrabble for purchase. Uselessly. I break free of him, diving for the man holding the brand. Cristobal. Nothing else matters outside of him and me and Ana, screaming in agony still as the scent of burning flesh fills the air.

I slam into Cristobal with all my weight. The brand clatters from his hand onto the floor skittering away from where we fall. Sebastian scuttles to the side, tripping over his own feet, as cowardly as I knew he would be. He is not a fighter. I am. And evidently, so is Cristobal. He thrashes against me, unleashing a barrage of curses, as we both scrabble for the brand. Except I get it first.

I swing the iron rod as hard as I can. It connects with the side of his face, the blow reverberating up through my arms. The sizzling stench of his freshly burned skin makes me gag.

He falls down like a sack of bricks. Finally, blessed quiet. The archbishop runs then, skittering into the shadows like the cockroach he is. The door slams shut in his wake. He is the least of my concerns now. When this is over, we will hunt him down. We will put an end to whatever nefarious acts he’s committed that Cristobal has hidden from sight.

Movement in the corner catches my eye, pulling my attention away from Cristobal’s still form. I whip my head around to find Sebastian pushing himself up against the wall. There is honest fear on his face now. He thought he knew me. He thought he had my measure. But he did not. Not even close. Now he knows what I am capable of. Now he knows what I will do.