Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
EVERLY
B raum’s command, spoken calmly and clearly, is heard even over the sounds of excitement coming from his court.
Everyone falls silent and still. Rowan tears his eyes off my face to glare at his friend.
I look over at him too, confused by Braum’s interference.
Isn’t this what he wanted? Judging by his steely expression, probably not.
He may have tricked me and Maverick into believing we were going to escape, but this part isn’t Braum’s doing. This must be Rowan going off script.
“Is it?” Rowan sneers. “Maybe it’s someone else’s turn. Maybe the same someone who’s willing to turn their back on a friend.”
I stare between them, confused. What’s Rowan talking about?
The two stare each other down. The rising tension between them crackles in the air.
Both look ready for murder. Behind me, Maverick is breathing hard but he’s otherwise still and silent.
The entire court watches on, waiting with bated breath to see what transpires.
This is a power play; Rowan is challenging Braum in front of everyone.
Underhill versus Milligan. Braum might usually be the one who holds more sway, but tonight Rowan has a bloodthirsty crowd backing him.
For some reason, I find this hilarious. Laughter bubbles up my chest before slipping past my lips. I slap a hand over my mouth in surprise.
Both guys turn in my direction, clearly just as taken aback by my response as I am.
“S-sorry,” I sputter before letting out another laugh behind my hand.
The stress of the situation should make it so that nothing is funny. That thought helps me choke back the next wave of laughter that threatens to spoil the moment.
Rowan pulls his arm out of Braum’s grip. The fury on his face melts away as a twisted grin splits across his face.
“Looks like the drugs are kicking in,” he says, glancing at me with a dark, knowing glance.
Oh no… I look at the goblet I’d tossed to the ground.
Crap, he must’ve had one of his guys slip something in my drink.
What exactly did he drug me with? I’ve never taken drugs before, and this was not how I wanted my first time to go.
My stomach should be sinking in despair, instead I’m fighting not to return his smile.
Braum inhales deeply, his nostrils flaring as he stares at Rowan a second longer. When he’s filled his lungs, he twists to face his court.
“The show is over, for now,” Braum says. “Let’s fucking party!”
That’s all it takes for the tension to melt away. Behind me, the court erupts into cheers, clearly ready to have some fun of their own. I can hear movement, conversation, and laughter as they begin to disperse and head toward the pond. All the movement makes the world start spinning again.
I stumble, losing my balance. A snort of amusement slips from between my lips as I realize how dumb it is to be off balance when I haven’t even moved. I’m just standing here! My snort turns into a loud bark of laughter.
“Come here, princess,” Rowan says as he tosses the flogger onto the ground and reaches for me. I allow him to grab my hand, needing something to steady myself with. His fingers wrap tightly around me and he jerks me into his side. “Let’s go have some fun now that the stick is out of your ass.”
“You like things in my ass,” I point out, before a loud bark of laughter slips out—this time it’s louder than before. My shoulders shake, and I double over.
Rowan laughs with me, though there’s an edge to his. “Yeah, princess, I do.”
“I can’t believe you drugged her!” Braum hisses.
Rowan throws an arm over my shoulder and practically drags me away from Braum and Maverick.
“It’ll be hard to up and disappear when the one with the escape plan can’t think straight!” he calls over his shoulder.
As angry and bitter as I should be, I can’t find it in me to do anything other than find the entire situation hilarious.
“That’s right, princess, laugh it up,” Rowan says, grinning. His lips press against my temple. “Enjoy your coronation.”
“Rowan!” Braum calls out. “Goddamn it, Rowan! Hold up!”
Instead of waiting, Rowan just lifts his other hand up into the air, making sure Braum sees his middle finger.
He steers me toward the rest of the party-goers.
Bonfires are being lit and swells of laughter pepper the air.
Music starts up, coming from a speaker across the pond.
I try to hold onto my anger at Rowan and Braum, but as I stare ahead at what awaits, something in my chest unwinds. Warmth spreads across my face.
Maybe if we party for a little bit, let the drugs run their course, then I’ll be able to focus on getting Maverick and I out of here. With that thought, I smile and stop fighting against Rowan as he walks us away.
We don’t get far.
A piercing, gut-wrenching scream whips through the clearing. All sound dies down as heads turn in the direction it had come from. It’s silent all of ten seconds before another scream erupts. Then another.
The fourth scream is joined by the sound of my laughter. I don’t understand why I’m laughing or what’s so funny, but I can’t stop it. Not even when eight or nine figures emerge from the dark woods, running full speed at us.
“Holy shit!” someone yelps.
There’s a gasp of horror. “Are those?—”
“Rookwell patients!” Someone else screams in warning.
Chaos erupts instantly as everyone begins to run.
It’s not an organized stampede. People take off in different directions, panicked and disoriented.
Some slam into each other, others trip and fall and are trampled on.
There’s more screaming now, most sounding like they’re from fear but there’s one that sounds like it’s twisted with agony.
Fear grips my heart but no one would be able to tell by the way my laughter increases.
“Shit,” Rowan snaps, rerouting us. “We need to get out of here now !”
Behind us, Braum shouts. “Let’s go!!”
“Wait, we’re leaving?!” I gasp, my laughter subsiding for the moment.
“Rookwell patients are unstable and dangerous. They are kept away from gen pop for a reason,” Rowan says.
Suddenly, Braum’s there, scooping me up into arms as he yanks me away from Rowan. I squeal with delight.
“Braum!” Rowan shouts in outrage. It’s overpowered by all the screaming around us.
“This is it,” Braum says grimly in my ear, his voice low. “They’re the diversion I’ve been waiting for.”
I gasp in surprise. Braum wasn’t lying. He really was trying to help us escape. He turns toward the woods and takes two steps in that direction.
“Wait!” I scream. “Maverick! We can’t leave?—”
We’re hit by a train. At least, that’s what it feels like.
The sheer impact of whatever strikes Braum from the side sends us both flying to the ground.
The thick grass softens my landing but it still knocks the breath from my lungs.
A few feet away, Braum rolls before coming to a stop.
As I gasp for air, someone grabs the back of my dress and lifts me up as if I’m a rag doll.
“Look at you, dressed so prettily,” a deep, cold voice sneers.
The owner of it manhandles me until I’m vertical then he holds me outstretched before him. I stare into the dark, soulless eyes of a beast of a man. He has a bald head with veins popping out every which way, thin lips, and wide nostrils that flare as he brings me closer to his face. He sniffs me.
“Hm,” he says. “I think you’ll do just fine.”
I don’t know what he’s talking about, but don’t want to find out. With a growl, I kick out and hit him in the shins with the tip of my heel. I might as well have hit the trunk of a tree for all the effect it has.
He laughs before throwing me to the ground.
This time when I land in the grass, it’s not without pain.
My left wrist takes the brunt of my weight as I try to catch myself before face planting.
I don’t even have time to cry out. The man descends upon me like a hungry wolf.
He uses his body weight to pin me to the ground and laughs when I scream.
It gets cut off as Rowan and Braum appear behind him, both wearing a mask of fury.
They each grab a shoulder and pull him off me.
I attempt to scramble to my feet. It’s harder than it needs to be with the heels, so I end up kicking them off.
When I’m upright, I don’t hesitate to hurry to Maverick’s side, letting Braum and Rowan deal with the maniac who’s attempting to fight them both.
“Mavie!” I cry out breathlessly as I approach.
When I get to him, I drop to my knees and immediately go to work untying the rope that binds his wrists.
It’s hard given the awful ache in my wrist, but I push through, determined to get Maverick out of here.
The minute his hands are free, he reaches up to remove the mask covering his mouth.
His fingers fumble with the straps, but rather than help him, I begin working on the knotted rope tied around his ankles.
This one’s harder and takes a few extra seconds to undo.
By the time I’m done, Maverick’s already wrapping his fingers around the rope that’s holding him pinned to the ground.
A deep, angry snarl slips past his lips as he yanks it.
The stake it’s attached to rips up out of the ground, allowing him to stand.
I get to my feet too, eager to put distance between us and the chaos ensuing around the clearing.
“Everly.”
The air gets trapped in my lungs as Father steps around Maverick to glare at me. He’s wearing his best suit, the one he likes to don when he’s ready to celebrate. Maverick, fumbling with the rope around his neck, doesn’t seem to notice as Father steps up right in front of him.
“Everly, what are you doing?” he asks sharply. “Get over here right now. We’re leaving.”
The blood drains from my face. “Father? What are you doing here? No, I won’t go with you!”
I take a step back as he takes one forward. He doesn’t seem to care about the commotion happening all around us.
“Don’t you dare run,” he warns, his voice going arctic cold. “I gave you an order; you need to listen to me. Come here, Everly!”
“No, get away from me!” I screech, panic rising up.
Father storms toward me, his face twisting with anger. It’s alarming how fast he closes the short distance between us. Just as he reaches out for me, an arm closes around my bicep.
I look up to find my blue-haired menace behind me, his expression twisted in annoyance.
“Let’s go!” Rowan snaps as he tugs on my arm. “Into the woods!”
“But Father…?” I look back to find he’s vanished. Confused, I tuck my hurt wrist into my chest and attempt to keep my footing while Rowan continues to tug at me.
“Your dad’s not here, you’re just tripping,” Rowan assures me through clenched teeth. “The drugs in your drink will make you see things for a bit. Trust me, he’s not here.”
I glare up at him. “I can’t believe you drugged me!”
“The drugs will make it harder for you to focus, meaning no escaping Serenity Falls tonight, princess ,” Rowan hisses as he tugs on my arm harder. “Now come on. You can have your trip back in our room.”
“No, get off me!”
Rowan bends, shoves his shoulder into my gut, then heaves me up and over his shoulder. I squeal in surprise and then laugh as I’m suddenly bouncing against his back as he takes off. Just as Rowan dives into the tree line a bellow rings out above the other screams.
“ EVERLY !”
Rowan swears and picks up the pace. My laughter grows louder as happiness fills me.
“You better run, Rowan,” I sing cheerfully. “My Mavie is coming for me.”