Page 88

Praying to the gods that my distaste for his manners doesn’t shine through, I look into his eyes dispassionately.

“How do you feel, knowing that your sins have brought you here, Silla?” he asks, and my eyes widen just a little. I didn’t expect him to know my name. “The Queen sends her regards, little whore. Do you think she’d give me a promotion if I sent her a video of you choking on my cock?”

I’m sure my sister would do exactly that. She’s a sadistic bitch, though few know that side of her.

“Holton, your ride is leaving,” the Warden barks. The alarms haven’t been turned off, but all of the Queen’s burly men have left.

“To a missed connection,” Holton snickers, letting me go as he leaves.

Allowing the shudder free that I’ve been stifling, I run inside to pick up my dirty clothing before following the exodus of inmates that are going to wash their clothing and bedclothes.

This could have all been much worse, but dread follows my thoughts. I don’t know what this visit means or how things will change.

I spend the majority of the night cleaning up the mess left behind by the Queen’s Mission. I’ve heard whispers of these people, but have never seen them. They are responsible for security, as well as any errands that need a strong hand.

The staff give us instructions to clean up the mess and go to bed. The Queen’s Mission managed to make a mess all over FRC, so we all scrubbed, mopped, and cleaned.

The next day I’m about to drop on my feet, but I don’t know where I stand or what to expect. So I took a twenty minute nap in my room, showered in the dormitory bathroom, and got ready for the day.

My day is completely thrown off because Sidney doesn’t come to find me for our gardening session. Therefore, I convince myself not to expect Grayson to have time for lunch. I’m spiraling, I’m exhausted, and I need a little space. I have a couple of hours of free time, so I go back to bed, sleeping through lunch.

Banging on my door makes me groan. Is this my life now?

Blinking, I stumble to the door, pulling it open.

“Do you think you’re special?” Grayson barks outside and I shake my head.

“I know I’m not,” I respond. “My presence isn’t mandatory in the dining hall, so there’s nothing against the rules stating I can’t go back to bed. In fact, I’m sure a lot of people are doing the same at this very moment. Is there anything else I can assist you with, Warden?”

I’m cranky, my mind is a mess, so I fall back into habits I thought I had forgotten.

“Silla, let me in, Baby,” Grayson says so softly that my eyes begin to water.

“What?” I ask, shaking my head because I don’t believe what I just heard. “I’m not doing anything I shouldn’t be doing. You can’t bang on my door after basically calling me a tight pussy in training. Just… I can’t do this right now.”

Closing the door, I slide down in front of it, tears running down my face freely. I’m worried about Cinder, and the small, darkened room I’m in reminds me of how little control I have. Isaac started deep diving into the records of my trial, and they had absolutely no proof that I committed a crime.

While it shows that I didn’t fuck up while I was coding and hacking, it does show that I pissed someone off. I just don’t know what I did to set Cinder off enough to do this.

A heavy sigh sounds on the other side of the door before the Warden leaves, and I drop my head to my knees. He can’t threaten me to leave this room, or do anything at all to make me talk to him, unless Grayson plans to throw his weight around.

A quieter knock sounds, and I shake my head. “I don’t need to be anywhere for at least another hour,” I call out, my voice muffled. “I’m currently not feeling well.”

My words aren’t completely a lie. I’m starting to cramp, and though it’s impossible to keep track of my cycle here, I’m sure Shark Week is approaching.

I need to run by the infirmary for pads soon. I’m even more grateful for the more comfortable uniforms, because I have a feeling this cycle is going to be rough.

“Silla, can you let me in?” Andrya calls, and I growl under my breath.

I’ve noticed that there’s sadness in her eyes when she looks at me in class, so Andrya has begun to ignore me completely. Hey, whatever works. Except… I pride myself in being kind whenever I can be, so I force myself to my feet, brushing away my tears.

There’s no way I’m going to be able to hide the evidence of my emotions, so I open the door with my back turned away.

“Yeah?” I ask gruffly. “Did I forget to do something?”

“No… though Sidney looks like a kicked dog today. I think he realized that he missed time with you outside, so he’s extra moody today. What’s going on with you?” Andrya looks around the darkened room, frowning. “Do you have a headache?”

“No one slept in FRC last night outside of the staff, so I was catching a nap. The Warden loudly woke me up, as I guess is his right. I just don’t feel well,” I tell her, crawling back into bed.