Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
And now we were here.
I could only imagine what thoughts were running through Lana's mind about our own families' involvement. But as for Mel...I couldn't even begin to fathom what she was thinking concerning hers.
I watched them go and noticed Carol giving us a tight smile before she and the older man followed after them.
They didn't seem too upset about losing the rest of their group. I could understand Carol's detachment. She had her own agenda and motivations. I expected some emotion from the man though. I had been lucky enough to stay with the same people after leaving the first city. My closest friends and the only man that had a home in my heart.
Lana was also watching them, while Ciaran watched her with a mixture of tenderness and something else, an expression I rarely saw on him. It almost looked like guilt. He quickly masked it by the time Lana glanced at him again. "Shall we go?" he asked, holding out his mud-covered hand. This time she didn’t hesitate before taking it. They both turned to look at me and Ky.
In silence, the four of us set off, walking towards our next destination.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Together, we walked through the field, gazing at the twinkling city lights in the distance and basking in the silver glow of the moon. The cool air filled our senses with the scent of dew-covered grass and earth.
Lana was the first to break the silence. "Does anyone have the map memorized well enough to know how far off course we are?"
"It's all up here," Brody said confidently, tapping the side of his head.
"So where are we?" she pressed.
"I'll have a better idea once we reach the inner city," he admitted.
"Just admit you don't know," Hayven said with a sigh, finishing off the long braid she’d been working on.
"But I do know," Brody insisted.
"He knows," Charon nodded in agreement.
As we continued walking, a large cabin emerged in the distance. A sign planted in the ground a few feet away from it read "Sanctuary." I couldn't recall when we had last seen or been to one of these places. The word itself seemed foreign now, almost too good to be true. We slowed our pace as Maverick and Brody volunteered to go inside first and make sure it was clear.
"Stay close," Ky murmured, his grip on my hand tightening slightly.
Maverick and Brody cautiously entered the cabin, communicating silently before disappearing inside to check things out. The rest of us waited, tense and alert, scanning our surroundings for any signs of danger. The dark windows loomed ahead, giving off an eerie feeling as if they were watching us with empty eyes.
"They'll be fine," Dion said quietly, whether he was trying to reassure us or himself, I couldn't tell.
Brody poked his head out and waved for us. “We’re all good!”
We filed in and stood in the foyer of sorts. As soon as we were all inside, the door closed behind us with a loud click as a lock slid into place, far from comforting. The cabin wasn't as extravagant as the other sanctuaries we had seen, but it was far from run-down. It had become evident some time ago that they spared no expense here, even in places meant for us to die. The alligators were testimony to that. Then again, they probably didn't worry about feeding them when they had people like us to use as their food source.
“They were kind enough to leave us a welcome letter.” Maverick circled around a large L-shaped sectional and grabbed something off the coffee table—a piece of paper. He shook it out and then began to read.
“Welcome, Esteemed Players.
We hope you enjoyed your unexpected detour from our planned entertainment. As always, your resilience and resourcefulness have not gone unnoticed.
To reward you for bringing in a record number of viewers, we have something extra special planned just for you. Take this time to relax and prepare. You will need every bit of wit and endurance for what’s to come. May the strongest survive, and only the most cunning thrive.
Warm regards, The Infernal Syndicate.”
"Warm regards my ass," Carol groused, walking off. "Let's go, Earl. We need to do something about your head."
Earl. Now I had his name. But the Earl in my memory was a family attorney. Why was he here?
My eyes darted around the unfamiliar room, landing on a timer ticking away above a large fireplace mantle. The digits glared back at me, counting down the precious few hours we had to pretend we were safe. Doubt crept in as I questioned the trustworthiness of this place.
"Are we okay here?" I asked, my voice laced with skepticism.
"Don't worry," Ky reassured me. "They won't betray their own game, not again."
Hayven’s head turned in his direction. "Not again? What do you mean?"
Ciaran pulled Lana close, his arm protectively wrapped around her. "Come on, puppet. We really need to get you cleaned up."