Page 26 of Bleeding Hearts

“Pick one,” the masked person commands.

I glance from them to the cards and back again. A tall girl at my side snatches one as if she’s worried if she doesn’t, she never will. She peeks at it, her face paling. “No, please, let me pick another!”

“No. The card you pick is yours. This way,” the other masked man calls, and he leads her to the first coffin and stares at her. “Get in.”

She looks back at us, the card clutched against her chest. “I’m terrified of snakes. Please let me grab another.”

“In or leave,” he commands cruelly.

She peers into the coffin, closing her eyes for a moment. “I need the money, I need the money, I need the money,” she chants as she bends down and slips into the coffin.

“Lie down,” he barks. “We will not shut the lid until everyone else is inside.”

She nods rapidly and lies down, disappearing out of sight.

Snakes?

What is she talking about?

“Choose,” the distorted voice comes again, and when I glance back, I feel the person in the mask watching me. No one else moves, so I step forward, my hips bumping the table. I can’t backout. If I do, I’ll be out of the games, which means I can’t keep Lally safe nor tell Silent Rose and people will die. I have to do this.

Gathering my courage, I lift my hand and hesitate, sweeping it through the air above the cards. “Choose,” they snap, growing annoyed. Swallowing hard, I glance down at the cards and press my hand to the one closest to me. I blow out a breath, terrified of whatever is on the other side. Somehow, I know it’s going to be bad.

I peer up into the masked face as I slightly lift the card from the table, making it bend in the middle. The first look at the drawing on the other side freezes me in place as I stare at the picture of a large black spider.

Spiders.

Oh god, I can’t do this.

I can’t?—

“That one’s mine,” a voice snaps, and I jerk my head up to find Lally at my side. She glares at me and snatches the card away. “I was going to pick that one. Find another card, loser,” she sneers as she steps back.

My heart trembles, fear flowing through me as I glance at the masked man, but he says nothing. He lets her have the card.

Did Lally see the picture?

Did she know?

My eyes track her as I select another at random.

She is just trying to piss me off, right?

Clutching my card, I step back as she marches to a coffin on the other side, her chin up and a cocky smirk on her lips the entire time.

Fuck, I love this woman.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Iclimb into the coffin before the masked man can tell me to and lie down. As soon as I’m out of sight, I drop my fake smile. My chest heaves with panic just from being trapped here, but even worse is what I’ll be trapped with.

The card crumples in my hand as I stare up at the starry night sky, hoping whatever she got is better than this one. I saw it the moment she started to flip it, the drawing obvious, but what was even more obvious was her fear.

I know how terrified of spiders she is, and I couldn’t let it happen. I might not want her in my life, but I still want to protect her. I can’t love her, but I can do this. I can take her terror away if she’s determined to play Risk alongside me.

I don’t have much time to think about Alice though. I have to worry about myself because another announcement sounds. “All the cards have been chosen. Your coffins will now be filled with what is on your card and sealed, and then the clock will start.”

I just need to survive five minutes.