Page 11 of Blood Day

This was the last class of our night, ending just two hours before dawn. Most would stop by the cafeteria for their dinner bags—something I’d missed last night and regretted when I’d seen my small rations for breakfast—and would take their meals back to their rooms.

I would go without.

For him.

For a chance at surviving his course.

Although, he’d made it rather clear that he enjoyed watching me fail.

This was all probably a game to him, a way to taunt his prey. But I didn’t have a choice. It was this or death, and I wasn’t ready to embrace that yet—even though he’d suggested just yesterday that I should.

Recalling all his statements sent a shiver down my spine.

I made my choice, I reminded myself as I straightened my shoulders.This is what needs to be done. Strip. Kneel. Beg. Whatever he requires.

Stripping wasn’t a problem—I often had to remove my clothes for class or other activities.

Kneeling wasn’t an issue either—I prayed on my knees to the Goddess before breakfast daily. It was a required activity for all the humans, to chant our thanks for allowing us to live.

Begging would be more difficult, primarily because I didn’t know what Master Cedric wanted from me other than failure.

And failure wasn’t in my repertoire.

I removed my clothes, as he’d told me to do, and fell into a submissive kneeling pose on the mat—thighs slightly spread apart, hands behind my back, and head bowed. Sometimes the Masters required us to sit back on our heels, but I wasn’t sure if he preferred that or not. So I knelt with my thighs and upper body perpendicular to the floor while keeping my eyes downcast as a show of respect.

Then I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

I started counting seconds, then minutes, and eventually just focused on my breathing.

Master Cedric hadn’t left, his presence a dark shadow in the room. However, I sensed his focus wasn’t on me. I couldn’t say how or why I knew that, just that I felt free to breathe for the moment because those cruel, cold eyes weren’t directed my way.

Was this a test? A way to ensure my resolve?

I could remain like this for hours; I’d done it before.

But surely he wouldn’t force me to remain in this pose all day. The windows of this room overlooked one of the campus’s many deserts, marking it a prime location for sunshine.

I would melt in here.

Become dehydrated and pass out.

Maybe that was his intention.

I swallowed, uncertain of how long I would last under those circumstances. Not with how little I’d eaten over the last twenty-four hours and how terribly I’d slept last night.

“Let’s see how well you were paying attention today, Prospect,” Master Cedric said, his tone and words causing goose bumps to pebble up and down my arms. “Show metonight’s lesson. We’ll see how poor your technique is and go from there.”

My heart raced in my chest.Tonight’s lesson. The assignment he gave us for practice. He’d just executed it twice for us to memorize.

I usually practiced these dozens of times before performing in front of him.

And he wanted me to do this without any practice at all.

“Now, little flower,” he demanded.