Read Online Ruined by Amy Tintera - Free Book Online

now.” Galo rubbed a hand over the scruff on his jaw. “I need to apologize for—”
    â€œNo, you don’t,” Cas interrupted. “I don’t want guards hovering at my side all hours of the day. You can’t protect me all the time.”
    â€œThat is actually our job. Protecting you all the time. Though it appears Mary is more than willing to pick up the slack.”
    â€œYes, she is,” Cas murmured, the image of her fist connecting with that man’s face flashing through his brain. Years of battling the Ruined had made her an excellent fighter.
    â€œBut I do need to apologize on behalf of your entire guard,” Galo said. “We wouldn’t blame you if you replaced all of us.”
    â€œYou know I’m not going to do that,” Cas said.
    â€œIt wouldn’t be the worst idea.” Jovita appeared in the doorway. She jerked her head, indicating that Galo should leave, and the guard quickly exited the room.
    She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “How’s the shoulder?”
    â€œFine. It’s not that bad of an injury, but the doctor insisted I stay in bed today.”
    â€œI’m glad it wasn’t serious.”
    Cas snorted. “Sure you are.”
    Jovita gave him an annoyed look, but a smile tugged at her mouth as she plopped down in the chair near the window. “I would be very sad if anything happened to you, Cas.”
    â€œI’m sure. You’d be devastated all the way to the throne.”
    Jovita sat sideways in the chair, her long, dark braid dangling off the armrest as she tilted her head back. “You’ve caught me. It was me who hired that man to try to kill you at your wedding. I’m horribly jealous of you.”
    â€œI knew it. Though I always thought you’d go with poison.”
    â€œMuch more theatrical this way.” She turned her head, grinning at him. “I’ve come with official news, though,” she said, swinging her legs around and sitting straight in the chair. “The man who stabbed you talked. He was a hunter.”
    Cas’s eyebrows lifted. “A hunter? Of the Ruined?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat did he want with me?”
    â€œA small group of hunters have organized against the king. They’ve been demanding changes to the hunter policies for a while. Mainly that we make it a voluntary position.”
    â€œWould people actually volunteer to hunt down and kill Ruined?”
    â€œNot many, which is why the position is used as a punishment instead of prison.” She rubbed a few fingers across her chin. “What criminals want is irrelevant. We need hunters. The king had heard rumblings about them organizing, but clearly we need to start taking them more seriously. He hasn’t given up any others yet, but he must have had help. We’ll find them. In the meantime, we stillhave plenty of hunters making multiple Ruined kills every day.”
    They were being hunted down and murdered, so yes, they defended themselves often.
Mary’s words ran through his brain for the hundredth time since she’d said them. He’d never heard anyone even come close to defending the Ruined. No one used the word
murdered.
They were
eliminated
or
killed
or
disposed of
. Mary’s word hung in the air, taunting him.
    â€œDo you ever wonder whether it was the right decision, to kill all the Ruined?” he asked slowly.
    Jovita’s eyebrows shot almost to her hairline. “No.”
    â€œAre they really all bad? Every single one of them?”
    â€œYes, every single one of them,” Jovita said, a hint of exasperation in her tone. She’d only been an adviser to the king for a year, but she always acted like she knew more than Cas. “The Ruined ruled over us for centuries without an ounce of compassion. We’re returning the favor.”
    â€œTrue,” Cas said quietly. He hadn’t been alive to see the days when the Ruined