Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
“Wakey, wakey, fishy.” My eyes fluttered open at the singsong voice. Brown eyes looked back at me only an inch away from my face. “Good morning. Glad to have you back.”
“Oh gods,” I muttered, taking him in before I tucked my face back into my arm.
Opie stood with his hands on his hips, wearing a pink loofah for shorts, two round scrubber brushes like a bra, and more cleaning pads for a hat and shoes, his beard braided with garbage ties. Bitzy was on Opie’s back wearing a swimmer’s cap, her large ears sticking out of it.
Chirp. Her middle finger sent me a good morning greeting.
“Yeah, good morning to you too,” I grumbled.
Chirp.
Groaning, I pushed myself up to lean against the wall. Last night I had fallen into a deep sleep, but terror trotted so heavily through my dreams, Lynx’s cries haunting my soul, I felt as though I hadn’t slept at all.
“Against my principles,” Opie motioned to the cell, “I swept it while you were gone. Can’t you tell? It’s so sparkly. I mean, I hate it, like really hate it, but you can’t deny my skills.”
I peered around, noticing not one bit of difference in the empty cage.
“Uh. Sure.”
“It’s in my genes, I guess.” He shrugged, his fingers playing with his loofah shorts. “Can’t fight perfection.” He held up his hand. “Don’t get all used to it. My soul almost died. It was a huge sacrifice. I mean, I hate cleaning.”
“As you say.” I rubbed my face, trying to wake up. “So . . . what’s the outfit for today?”
“Shower scrubbing.” He twirled around, grabbing onto his scrubber pad hat. “I made it last night.”
“It’s perfect.” I raked my fingers through my hair, rolling it up in a topknot.
“I know, right?” He rubbed his hands in circles over the scrub brushes across his chest. “Master Finn, our head brownie, said I looked foolish, and I’m an embarrassment to our kind . . .” Opie stared at his covered feet, sadness wrinkling his forehead.
“Well, this Finn sounds like a dreary asshole.” A wave of protectiveness soared through me at the thought of anyone taking Opie’s happiness away because he didn’t act the same as a typical brownie. “Miserable git. You just be you. The best-dressed brownie on the block.”
Chirp!
Two middle fingers waved in the air like a hallelujah, Bitzy’s head bobbing in agreement.
A smile grew on Opie’s face, and his hips started to wiggle back and forth like a song was playing in his head. “That’s right, baby. I make work more fun. I can tell they’re all jealous of my costumes.”
“Who wouldn’t be?” I winked at him, watching him twirl in his loofah like a ballerina. “Maybe you can make me a warrior costume.”
Chirp.
Opie stopped turning, his joyous expression falling.
“Oh, right.” He nodded at Bitzy. “I heard—” Whack. Bitzy’s fingers knocked him over the head. “Okay, okay . . . Bitzy heard,” Opie muttered. “How could she not with those ears?”
Whack.
“Hey!” He rubbed his head as her chirps rattled off, widening my eyes. “Sorry.” Chirp. “No, I mean it.” Chirp. “I wouldn’t say it unless I meant it.” Chirp. “There is nothing wrong with my tone. I said it perfectly.” Chirp. “I’m not a bad actor. How dare you!”
“Hey. Hey. Both of you calm down.” I held up my hands. “Bitzy, I’m sure he meant his apology.”
Chirp. Chirp. Double flip off in my face.
“Wow . . . in the nicest terms she just told you to fuc—”
“Yeah.” I nodded, stopping him from continuing. “I think I understood that.”
“So?” He faced me again, tugging up his pink loofah shorts. “Were you really put on the list?”
I tipped my head back against the cement, swallowing. “Yes.”
“That’s bad, fishy.”
“So I’ve heard.” And seen.
Since Hexxus’s announcement, I had shut down, going into complete denial. A few weeks in and I had already been beaten up, had my blanket stolen—fuck that bitch—got attacked in the shower, put in the hole, had to flagellate another inmate who wanted to protect me, and now put in line for the Games.
Games in which no one survived for long.
Let’s say my review of this place would be abysmal.
“There is no escape.” Opie pulled on his hat nervously. “Unless you live, but even the most successful fighter will lose eventually.”
“You are not helping.”
“You can’t do this.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“You will die.”
“I know.” I exhaled violently through my mouth, and a deep terror brushed over my soul. Death itself had just walked across it.
The morning bell rang through the block, followed by the clanking of doors opening, drawing my attention to the outside, my mind wanting to think of anything other than my fate.
“Well, I better go. Showers will be emptying out soon.” He shoved at the scrubbers like he was pushing up boobs. “Work time, Bitzy.”
Chirp. With her finger up high in the air whirling like a cowboy on a bull, they slipped through the bars and vanished.
Heaving myself up, settling in with the herd, I made my way to the bathrooms, going through the motions, but not feeling present in my own body.
“The trouble you get in without me, little lamb.” Kek jumped on the counter next to the sink I was using. “You can’t seem to stay out of it, can you? I need to wrap caution tape around you.”
I cupped cold water in my hands and splashed it on my face, trying to wake myself up. Peering to the side, I noticed Kek’s blue hair was down and wet, her uniform clean.
“Oh look, Stanky Fish’s bodyguard is on duty,” a snide voice cut in, pulling my gaze to the metal reflection of the mirror. Tess and her gang stood behind me in their pyramid formation around her. “Move. I need the sink,” Tess snarled, moving closer.
There were dozens of other sinks she could have waited to use, but she was trying to make another stand against me.
I sighed, not bothering turning around.
Kek let out a howling laugh. “It’s as if you enjoy getting your ass pummeled, Tessie.
” She leaned back against the mirror, showing they were no threat.
“It took three of you and a surprise attack to take her down the first time. The last fight? Well . . .” Kek motioned to their still deeply bruised faces.
“At least no one owns me. I don’t need a demon to protect me in exchange for sexual favors,” Tess sneered.
“If this girl was offering sexual favors for protection,” Kek motioned to me as she sat up, leaning closer to them, threatening, “you’d be dead right now.”
Tess swallowed nervously.
“I might do it anyway because you are really pissing me off, human.”
“You have no power here. You can’t do anything to me,” Tess huffed.
Kek slid off the counter with a malicious leer. She was slight compared to them, but confidence and strength radiated from her.
“You are all talk,” Tess snipped, but I could see her take a stunted breath.
“You want to try me?” She got in Tess’s face, Tess’s two friends lurching forward in defense.
“Whoa,” I hissed, stepping between them, my eyes sliding to the guards who were watching us intently.
Moving in, my chest bumped against Tess’s.
“Back. Down. Try throwing your weight around somewhere else. But wait, that’s the problem, isn’t it?
You’re losing your hold on the nonexistent position you pretend you have. ”
Her nose and mouth wrinkled, fury spitting off her.
“At the end of the day, you are nothing here. Another human who will die with no fanfare or recognition. Disappear as if you never existed.”
“You think you will be remembered?” she hissed, knocking back into me.
“Your rich mommy and daddy crying over you?” Her eyes scanned me.
“You came in here dripping with privilege. Painted nails, creamy skin, silky hair . . . I can smell money on everything you do. How you speak, hold yourself, your entitled arrogance . . . You never had to suffer a day in your life. I bet you’ve never even set foot in the Savage Lands.
It’s probably just a story that gets you rich people all excited with the possibility of danger.
You never had to work eighteen grueling hours every day to put food on the table.
Watch your child die because you couldn’t get medicine.
” She stepped even closer. “This place is a holiday for me. So, come at me. I will show you how we survive there.”
“Hey!” a guard yelled at us. “Step back, or you all end up in the hole.”
Tess’s lips hitched, but she retreated, glowering. “I can’t wait to watch you die. No one can protect you in the Games.”
The three of them sauntered away, her claims sticking to me like burrs.
I had come from wealth and privilege, never stepping even close to the Savage Lands.
While I had endured loss and sacrifice, I had no idea how it felt to watch a child die because you could not afford medication. To not have food on the table.
Istvan threw feasts with mounds of food for guests to impress them. So much of it was tossed out after or given to the livestock.
“Don’t let her crawl into your psyche. We are all here, and there is no rich or poor inside these walls. We all ended up in Halalház, which makes us on even ground now.”
“Even?” I snorted. “There is nothing even about this place.”
She pinned her mouth, nodding. “Come on, little lamb. Let’s go get food before it disappears.”
Kek left my side the moment we entered the mess hall, heading to her demon group, where food already waited for her. Grabbing a tray, I scanned the space, landing on someone I wasn’t sure how to deal with.
Lynx sat at a table with other fae, but her head twisted to the side, staring at me.
Her muscles were rigid, as if just breathing inflicted tremendous pain.
Underneath her top, I saw the extra layers of cloth wrapped around her, keeping her skin together along her spine.
Her dark eyes watched me with no emotion.
Keeping my expression blank, I stared back at her. She deserved to hate me, no matter how it all started. I would always be the one who held the whip, who left the permanent marks on her back that would be a constant reminder of me. How could you even start to apologize for that?
I had learned at an early age to pick your battles. Know when to stand up and when it was smart to bend—because bending kept you from breaking.
I remained stumped at her decision to cover for me.
I had been taught fae weren’t nice simply to be nice.
Kindness for humans was not in their nature, so her actions didn’t settle well with me.
I couldn’t stop wondering what she was up to.
Though Lynx seemed so innocent, not some deceptive manipulator.
If anyone was out of water here, it was her.
But weren’t those always the ones to be careful of?
Lynx’s lips rolled together, appearing like she was going to turn away from me, but instead she gave me a slight nod before returning her attention to her group. It was all I needed.
Forgiveness or maybe understanding. She must not entirely blame me, which was more of a relief than I expected.
I let out a gust of air I didn’t know I was holding and headed to my table with a half scoop of oatmeal and a mug of lukewarm coffee.
Eyes fixed on me from every direction, watching the soon-to-be-dead human, the Games ticking down the minutes of my life, a clock hanging above my head.
But only one pair of eyes sliced through all the curiosity, burrowing into me as if he projected himself right next to me, taunting me to turn and look at him.
A sensation fluttered inside me like living bugs, and the need to peer back at him clawed at the back of my head.
The impulse was so powerful my flesh broke out in shivers, my jaw locking together.
Don’t look, Brex. Don’t give him the satisfaction.
With every step, the need grew stronger, the sense of his presence right next to me.
My eyes watered as I resisted, swimming upstream against the current.
Finally making it to my table, I sat across from Tad, purposely putting my back to the enigmatic man across the room.
Was it completely my imagination, or was he stalking me without even moving?
I had no idea what piqued his interest, if it was anything besides boredom, but I couldn’t deny an acute awareness of him, like a ghost rubbing up against me. The impression of him right next to me.
Tad snorted into his coffee cup, shaking his head.
“What?” I grumbled.
“A simple pebble can cause a tsunami.”
“Are you taking your meds, old man?” I shoveled the oatmeal into my mouth, not even letting it settle on my tongue before swallowing. “And why aren’t you sharing them?”
“You,” he said, setting down his cup with a clink next to his toast, “weren’t supposed to get on the list.”
“Like I asked to be.” I stabbed my spoon into the watery oats, sourness filling my stomach at the truth. I was going to die soon. And from what I’d seen at the Blooding . . . in a very painful, horrific way.
“Is there any way to get off it? Scrubbing toilets? Good behavior?”
“No.” Tad tapped his fingers against the mug. “Once you’re on it, it’s final.”
And final meant final.
“How many come before me? I mean, I have a while. Lots of people are on the list before me, right?” I gestured around, trying to swallow, fear closing in my throat.
“They go to a lottery system when they run out of marked people, which would have happened tonight for the Blooding tomorrow,” Tad spoke softly, making every word feel like a boulder. “Rodriguez killed the last one on the list.”
My nose sucked in a violent swig of air. “Which means?”
“You just got bumped to the top,” he replied. “You will fight tomorrow night.”
He said fight, but I knew what he actually meant.
You will die tomorrow night.