Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
I knew he’d come for me.
The last thing on my mind was the pain I was about to endure. Now I saw it as an opportunity—an opportunity to steal that dagger and get out of here.
Ryker appeared in my view. “Take me.”
“Ryker—”
“I’m rested. I’ll taste better.”
I grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. “Stop—”
“No.” He pushed me back again. “I’m stronger. I have more blood than she does.”
The guard didn’t look the least bit interested. “She belongs to Klaus. And you belong to someone else.”
10
RYKER
I was sick to my stomach.
All I could do was sit there and absorb the pain. The bandage on my sister’s leg hinted at the damage underneath, and when I pictured those enormously long teeth, I knew how deep they had punctured her flesh. The only thing worse than her suffering was my helplessness.
I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
I leaned against the headboard, immune to the pain in my face because the pain in my heart was so much worse. I didn’t protect my sister. I didn’t protect Effie. Hopefully, Effie’s family didn’t wait for us and made it back to Delacroix. At least I’d accomplished that much.
Effie’s face came into view as I stared at the opposite wall. The hostility in her gaze was replaced by concern, heartwarming concern. “How’s your face?”
My ankles were crossed in front of me, and I was still fully clothed. It was odd to be in full armor but have no weapons. It was a lot lighter, for sure. “I don’t even notice it.” If I focused, I could feel the throbbing in my face, deep behind my eye and near the bone of my cheek. But the emotional duress was so much more.
“I’m sorry about your sister.”
My eyes shifted away.
“She’ll be okay.”
“I wish they would take me instead.”
“I know.”
“And I don’t know what I’m going to do if they try to take you.” That was somehow worse, especially since my father was the reason Effie was down here in the first place. “I can’t let that happen.”
Silence. Painful silence.
My eyes eventually shifted back to hers.
They were still on me, still dim with sadness. “You think my family made it?”
“I’m sure they did.”
She inhaled a slow, deep breath. Held it for a long time. And then exhaled.
“I’m so sorry…for everything.”
Her eyes flicked down.
“Effie—”
“All those times I told you about the lottery, you knew what it really was. My father lived for that lottery, and so did countless others. That dream for a better life was all just a sham. You preyed on people’s hopes…their dreams. It’s like promising a cow golden pastures but taking it to slaughter. How can you do that?” Her eyes flicked up again, filled with venomous anger.
“I didn’t do anything, Effie. My father is the Duke of Delacroix. Not me.”
“But you knew. That’s just as bad.”
“It’s complicated, okay?”
“So complicated that the best solution is to lie to people and send them to their deaths?” she asked.
“It’s not like that—”
“It seems like it.”
“Look, when I realized what the lottery really was, I questioned him about it. I was just as horrified as you are right now. But he explained there was no other way. And there really is no other way.”
She gave a loud scoff then turned away.
“Necrosis needs to feed. And if there’s not enough to feed on, they’ll go to the top of the cliffs. Once they make it there, it’s game over—for everyone. If my father disobeys King Rutherford, he’ll be the next one down here. You can sit there and act like you would do something different, but if you were really in the situation, you wouldn’t. You know how I know that? Because it’s been going on for thousands of years. No one has ever, not once, tried to do something different.”
She turned back to me, her eyes still angry.
“So don’t act like I’m the asshole. We’re all the asshole.”
Her arms slowly crossed over her chest.
“I tried to stop it, Effie. I begged my father to bring you back, but he said it was too late. I did whatever I could, and when that didn’t work, I came down here for you. I risked my life to make this right.”
Her eyes dropped once more.
“Sweetheart—”
“Don’t call me that…ever again.”
It was like a knife right between the ribs.
“You shouldn’t have come down here.”
Now I did feel the pain in my face, in my abdomen, everywhere they’d beaten me. Everything was suddenly amplified. “Even if I’d known how you’d feel, I still would have come, Effie.”
The door opened again, and I straightened in the hope of seeing my sister.
But it was the same guard, and he was empty-handed. “You.” His eyes were locked on me.
At least it was my turn instead of Effie’s. “Take care of my sister when she gets back.” I started to move from the bed.