AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I turned my head, my neck protesting at the sharp angle, but I didn’t care. “You were jealous. You saw us escaping and wanted to stop us. Don’t pretend like there’s anything else going on. We’re done here.”
I slammed my head down and turned my eyes away from her.
“You don’t understand. I didn’t mean to—”
“I said we’re done!” I shouted, my voice as sharp as polished steel.
It took a moment but Erishia finally got the message and turned to leave.
Then something tickled the back of my mind; something she’d said that made me curious. “You said you told him. Him who? The Supervisor?”
“No. He’s new and he might be dangerous. He might punish all of us and—”
“Who?”
“Druin.”
His name struck me the same way my words had struck Erishia earlier. The creature that had been the first to Claim me, the creature that had taken his belt to me, the creature Ohara had beaten to a pulp and then beaten again in the fighting pits the next day.
And he had always said he would get his revenge…
I didn’t know when I started laughing but it was loud, maniacal, and terrifying — scary enough for Erishia to ask me what was wrong several times before I could calm myself enough to speak to her between the chuckles.
“Because… Because you aligned yourself with the devil,” I said. “And you have no idea the hell you’ve unleashed on yourself.”
The blood fell from Erishia’s face, turning her skin a mottled yellow. “He said he could help me get out of here.”
“Were those his exact words?”
Erishia thought about it. “He said he would release me, that he would give me his full attention.”
I laughed again.
“What? What is it?”
“My girl, you’re about to discover what Druin’s idea of release and getting his full attention really means.”
Horrified at my hysterical laughter and the haunted tone of my words, Erishia turned and ran out.
Betrayed by the one Prize I thought was the most innocent in this entire place. That just showed you where being kind got you. Strapped to a bed with nothing but torture to look forward to. Another wave of maniacal laughter overtook me and more tears streamed down my cheeks.
* * *
The Prizes left me alone for a while. An hour, maybe two. I couldn’t sleep, not that I really wanted to. I just stared into space.
I heard the cheering down the hall and knew that the pit-fighting competition must have already started. As news of our escape had passed, the inmates needed a new distraction — and here it was.
If it had been a slow news day, I’m certain that our escape and subsequent capturing would have been given more airtime. I marveled at how easily the inmates could be manipulated.
My thoughts were interrupted as the door eased open and a Prize sashayed inside. Young and curvy as all Glixar were, her hips swayed as she sauntered toward me, her eyes as mesmerizing as a cat’s.
Outside the door that sat ajar, I made out half a dozen, maybe more, Prizes looking at me. They hastily pulled their eyes away but did not shrink back from the door. Their eyes always returned to me.
I supposed it wasn’t every day you got to see your boss chained to her cot. Enjoy it while you can. I knew in my gut I wouldn’t stay here forever. Soon, I would be Claimed and then… then… I couldn’t even bring myself to think about what happened next.
The young Prize sidled up to me. Her steps were slow and she kept her eyes low, unable to bring herself to make eye contact. “The competition has begun—”
“I noticed,” I snapped. “What do you think I am? Deaf?”
