He smirked and said, “The High Court will be unable to procure you a prosthetic or hover chair, now—or in the future.”
A ringing echoed in my ears.
“Excuse me?” The room swayed around me. “How am I supposed to get around, let alone fight?”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “You have to keep the monsters neutered. Otherwise, they’ll turn on you.” He smirked. “We both know you’ll be fine.”
Fingernails digging into the concrete wall, I gestured with my head for him to leave.
Time expanded.
He didn’t go.
Muted orange light glowed around Dick, and his features hardened. “You’ll still be punished nightly to ensure your compliance. If you attempt to use your abilities outside of battle, I’ll be alerted and you will be eliminated. If you attempt in any way to overthrow the High Court or work against our objectives—you’ll be eliminated.”
Silence stretched.
Again he smirked. “Am I clear?
“Crystal.”
He rubbed his hands together as he turned to leave. “Glad we could have this chat. Like usual, if you tell anyone about this situation, you and everyone you care for will be tortured beyond recognition.”
He stared into my eyes like he was trying to read my mind.
Inside my head was a vast black lake, and if he tried to step a toe inside the waters, he’d drown.
A part of me wanted him to try.
Breaking eye contact, he shook his head and said, “You’re the only person in centuries who has dared to challenge me.” He smirked like he knew something I didn’t, like he was complimenting me on my strength.
Blood poured down my nose as my nails scraped against concrete.
I didn’t feel strong.
I felt like broken glass, shattered across the floor.
Dick opened the door.
“Wait,” I blurted out, and he stopped but didn’t turn to look at me as frigid air wafted into the room.
For a split second, his side profile changed into something marble-esque. He looked like a familiar statue.
Dick’s ruddy features returned, and I blinked rapidly.
Snowflakes blasted against my skin as the room’s temperature dropped further.
“Why take one cuff off now?” I asked. “Why not wait until there are fewer soldiers? Why do this now? What do you know about the war?”
Dick left without another word, and the door swung closed.
Outside, I glimpsed a towering figure in a dark cloak. Their blue eyes glowed like lightning and were staring directly at me. They always accompanied him.
The door slammed shut.
I slid down onto the floor. For a long moment, I lay panting as shock permeated my bones. The silence surrounded me.
Cradling my throbbing face, I acknowledged that Nietzsche would be satisfied.
The abyss had gazed back into me.
And it hurt.
Warren started when he returned a few minutes later and found me dejectedly sprawled out.
He swore and fell to his knees as he snarled, “They can’t keep fucking hurting you like this. We have to tell the others.”
He knew I was tortured at night and sometimes people paid me a visit, but he didn’t know it was Dick. He didn’t know the cloaked figure was usually present. He didn’t know anything that mattered.
Secrets stood between my life and his death.
Because of what I was, everyone I knew was at risk.
“No,” I said as he wiped blood off my face with a wet washcloth. “We’ll tell them I tripped and fell.”
The shifter frowned, but he didn’t argue as he carried me back to my bed. He gently put down a sandwich from the cafeteria.
“Thanks. You’re a good friend.” I stared down at my covers and cradled my wrist.
Warren sighed as he climbed up into his bunk above mine. “What are we going to do?”
“What we always do.” I gingerly reopened my book with one hand and started reading. “Survive.”
Chapter 18
Aran
TRAINING
Matutine （adjective）： rising in or just before the dawn.
DAY 10, HOUR 5
“Wake up. It’s time to train.”
I cracked open an eyelid to find Malum shaking my shoulder. Excessive drug use at the party last night made my skin feel clammy.
My head throbbed.
The bronze king glared down at me, silver eyes glinting eerily in the darkness. Scorpius and Orion flanked him on either side.
The clock on the wall read 5:00 a.m.
We’d returned home from the party at 4:00 a.m.—I was going to kill them.
Who did this to a person?
“No.” I turned over. “Go away.” Closing my eyes, I burrowed deeper into the warmth.