Page 7 of Cut Her Strings (Fractured Puppets #1)
Chapter 6
Sweet Girl
M y eyes glazed over and I brought a hand under my shirt, tracing the scar that Nightingale left. I never thought I would wake up after she plunged it in. She knew mine and Jayce’s secret. She was angry, jealous, hateful. The day she stabbed me, I had not seen anything in my sister’s face that I recognized. I almost didn’t believe it to be her.
I never truly processed this betrayal; I never needed to. Most everyone thought I was dead and it was always in my best interest to keep it that way. A dead girl wouldn’t be hunted down. Even if I wasn’t in the Resistance, my ties to Nightingale would have been enough to be captured.
I had long since buried anything related to my past, my sister included, and the thought of her began to make my mind swirl uncomfortably. A whirlwind of memories washed through me unexpectedly.
Specifically, the day Jayce and I decided we needed a code, and the day I gave myself to him. I was nineteen and entirely in love with my protector. At this point, I knew the world was not a nice place to us, and I knew that my sister was broken. I was no longer proud that our parents were working for the Government. It may have provided food and shelter, but it took my loving sister away.
Jayce had just returned from his third fight of the week. He was battered, bloody, and bruised.
“Who was it this time?” I asked as he walked into our one safe place: a room we found inside the walls. It held a single pallet and a desk with papers strewn all over it. We were the only two who knew of this space; I had not even brought my sister here. At this point, I didn’t recognize the girl I used to play dolls with or who would smile and laugh with me. She was gone, and all that was left was a shell.
Jayce wasn’t surprised to see me waiting for him; it was a ritual between us.
“Jeremy,” he grunted out.
“Jeremy?!” I exclaimed hysterically, “Jeremy Stone? Two hundred pounds of muscle, Jeremy?” At this point, Jayce was a man and built himself, but Jeremy was a burly beast.
“Why, sweet girl, are you worried?” Jayce walked to me, wrapping me in his scent. Similarly to his eyes, he reminded me of what I imagined the ocean smelled like in the rain—a crisp salt tang that left me practically salivating. It enveloped me, even through the harsh copper aroma that was ever present after his fights.
I lifted my hand to brush softly over his face, which was discolored in the evidence of his fight. “Of course I am! You are my everything!” I turned my head to hide behind my hair as I pushed the words out.
Jayce pinched my chin with his thumb and finger in a steel grip, turning me to face him. His eyes were serious, and he just stared into mine for a moment in silence. Something dark was brewing in the ocean. After a moment, he used his other arm to pull me to his chest in an embrace, letting my chin go. “Raven, you know this won’t be our lives one day, don’t you?”
I nodded against him and whispered something I had never spoken to anyone outside my family, “You know I love you, don’t you?”
He laughed, the vibration sending sensations through my body as his scent clouded my mind, “Of course, my sweet girl.”
“No, Jayce.” I leaned back a bit, pulling Jayce’s face down to mine. Even still, I was forced to reach up on my tiptoes to press my lips lightly against his. They tasted of blood, and I ignited. I was hyperaware of everywhere our bodies touched. Before he could react, I drew away, “I’m in love with you. You are my everything. Let me help you!”
A battle played out on his face. “I shouldn’t.”
My eyes closed in defeat; I knew he was everything I wished I were. Brave, strong, confident. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have; I know you and my sis-”
He cut me off with his lips and suddenly, I was pushed against the desk behind me and lifted onto it. He withdrew for a moment and growled. “It has never been Anadil. It’s you. It has always been you, but I am not good enough for you. I have made many mistakes; I have hurt many people. I am going to continue to hurt even more. Do you understand me, my sweet Raven?” At the time, I thought he was only talking about the fights. He wasn’t .
His face was only inches from mine, and I could see the truth in his eyes. Those liquid eyes that had always taken me to happier and better places were full of shadowed promises.
“I don’t care. I love you in your entirety,” I finally gasped out.
He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against mine. “Do you remember when we were younger and you were obsessed with birds?” I made an annoyed noise. “Hush, it was cute. You called me Jay, remember?”
“I do, and Sparrows were my favorite. I always thought you were bright as a Jay,” I pointed at his golden locks, “and I was dark like a Raven.”
Jayce chuckled against my forehead and gently caressed my dark hair. “That’s right. Now, at some point, we may get separated or something might happen. I want a way to always know it’s you and you to always know it’s me. You can write it, scream it, type it. Whatever you do, I will find you, okay?”
I closed my eyes. This didn’t sound particularly good; it felt like a goodbye. “Okay,” I whispered.
“Good girl. Now, what was that you used to say? Oh yes. Dark as a Raven, bright as a Jay?”
I smiled wistfully at that. “Yeah, when I was six.”
“Well, it left a lasting impression. But we need to add something that no one else will know, okay?” He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. “So this is what it’s going to be, and if you ever need me, I will find you. ‘Dark as a Raven, bright as a Jay. No matter where you go, I will find you. All you have to say is Sparrow.’ Repeat it for me now. Never tell another soul, either. Not even your mom, or dad, or even Anadil.”
“Dark as a Raven, bright as a Jay. No matter where you go, I will find you. All you have to say is Sparrow.” I whispered. “Dark as a Raven, bright as a Jay. No matter where you go, I will find you. All you have to say is Sparrow.” A single tear fell down my face. “I won’t tell anyone else. But you can’t leave me. I won’t survive it. ”
“It’s going to be fine, my sweet Raven. I will always find you.” His calloused hands stroked my cheek, wiping away the tear.
I couldn’t handle the anxiety settling into my skin. I lifted my head up and went for his lips once more. I tangled my fingers in his hair. “Promise?”
“Always.”
“How? How could you possibly be Raven? We watched Raven die.” 174 bit out, bringing me back to the present.
It took a moment to get my bearings. I stopped myself from reaching out to Jayce for comfort, that wasn’t our relationship anymore. I allowed myself a few steady breaths before focusing my attention on 182. He seemed the most amicable.
Emotions once more under control, I feigned confidence and cocked my head to the side. “I’m not sure what all I need to tell you to prove it to you.”
182 turned to 174. “She isn’t tall enough to be Nightingale.” He faced me. “Just show us your stomach?” 182 requested gently.
It sounded like 182 knew my sister from the past, and I categorized that information away. I carefully lifted my pajamas up to show the scar my sister gave me on live TV over five years ago.
The Resistance first infiltrated the country’s network and forced everyone to watch death broadcast live, but it was the Creators who took the idea and ran with it. They created these games very shortly afterward.
Several more scars joined the one on my stomach in the last five years. I paid them no mind, but Jayce choked in horror, jerking his head away from the bare skin and landing his attention on my eyes instead .
“Where have you been?” Jayce questioned. Palpable tension rolled off him in waves.
I dropped my top abruptly. “She told me,” I spat out, “as she pushed the knife through me, through” —my voice broke— “she told me what you had done. How you had planned it with her, how you knew it was going to happen.” I paused. “Even still, you were impossible to find. At least I tried.”
Jayce grimaced as if in pain. He closed his eyes and reached to pull off his mask. His face, to this day, was on every database there was. They updated it when he was sighted, all three times. I would never admit it, but I searched and found the images of him and used them for comfort. Even though he had hurt me so badly, he was all I had left of home and a time before everything changed. I had long since forgotten what it meant to have any sort of stability, and that is what Jayce brought forth. A want for stability, for a happier time when I was na?ve to the cruelties of this country. I planned on making it out of here, but even so, I didn’t want to hurt Jayce. I wasn’t sure I could ever fully trust him again. When every day was a mere possibility, it was hard to plan any sort of future. Especially now in these games.
He was a wanted man worth a million dollars alive, the Government needed information only he had. Evidence came to light that he had been an integral part of Nightingale’s attack but that he turned on her in the final hours. I knew in my heart that I was what had changed his mind. Maybe the outcome would have been different if he had stayed by my sister’s side. That didn’t change his part in what happened, but it twisted my anger towards him to grudging understanding. After I woke from my coma, I searched for years to find him, but he was just as good at staying hidden as I was. And honestly, I wasn’t sure what I would have done if I found him.
“Wowee!” 182 slumped back into his chair. The twins exchanged a look but remained silent. “We got a zombie sister and the most wanted man in the country. Not sure if that will help or hurt us in the end.” 182 appraised us both. “I’m not quite ready for anybody else to see my face, but how about a name? You can call me Levi. The twins and I go way back. I can admit to being the cause of distress in their life.”
At this point, 174 stood and swore, “Distress? Do you think what you did can be culminated into that singular word? I agreed to be peaceful until we escape alive, but after? I make no promises.”
182, or Levi, slumped his shoulders a bit. “I know. I could explain it to you, but that just wouldn’t change the outcome, would it now? All I can do is help y’all two survive and hope one day I can earn a modicum of your forgiveness.”
“Your life is tied to ours because of this game, for now. We will work together as we agreed, but the second that changes?” The threat from 174 lingered in the air as he sank back again into his couch.
173 raised his hands questioningly, and 174 responded with a small jerk.
They, too, left their masks in place. “You can call me Enzo,” 173 pointed to himself, "and my brother Maverick.” He leaned on 174. “Now with that out of the way, can we all come to an agreement?”
Jayce and I once more communicated nonverbally. He gave a slight shake, but I narrowed my eyes in disagreement. After another moment, he nodded, albeit begrudgingly.
“What agreement?” I asked.
“That we are going to be the five winners. We are the ones that are going to make it out of here alive, and we are going to do what we must.” Enzo paused and lowered his voice until it was nearly inaudible. “And then we are going to burn this fucker and all the Sponsors to the ground. ”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to fight any longer. It felt like an impossible task at this point, but I joined the others in nodding our agreement.
“Okay, the first thing we need to do is exchange knowledge. I imagine we have all watched the last four years?” 174, or Maverick, asked.
At this, I slumped a bit into my seat. “Not the first year. I was still in a coma when it played. I heard, though, and I watched bits and pieces when I came to. I know my sister was cited as the reason. She pissed off one too many with power.”
“A coma?” Jayce whispered.
I gave a shrug. “That’s right. I don’t know what happened after Nightingale stabbed me. Later, I learned my heart stopped beating on live TV, but due to the explosion, my body was never recovered. Did you even look for it?” I asked Jayce the question before I could stop myself.
“You have to understand…” Jayce began.
“I really don’t,” I replied.
“I know y’all haven’t seen each other in what I would guess is a long time, but can we play catch-up later? I don’t know how long until they put us back out on the killin’ floor,” Levi cut in.
“Sorry. Was there anything done differently in the first year?” I asked softly.
“It was quicker and more brutal, less of a mind game. It was also the only year the identities were known throughout and not just,” Levi frowned, “after their death. It was more a public execution than anything.”
I nodded. I may not have watched the first year but had heard the rumors. Several members of the Resistance were gathered up, and the Sponsors bet on the ‘winner.’ It was the beginning of the end. The makers of this game, known as the ‘Creators,’ used my sister’s destruction to start this shortly after. Their motivation was easy: money. While they had no known ties to the Government or the Resistance, they sought to profit from the strife.
It was evident the Sponsors in the first year were all those in higher positions within the Government, based on the contestants. It was made up entirely with members of the Resistance, from what I was told.
Maverick stood. “There was a notebook and pen in each of our rooms. Let me grab one.”
Enzo turned to us. “He is really good at finding patterns.”
“I noticed,” I replied, tipping my head. “You did a good job on the last round.”
“Not as well as you,” Enzo stated. I started to question that, but before I could, he explained, “There are screens in all our rooms; it was all playing on a loop. We were up for some time before you two woke up.”
Maverick returned. “Which brings us to the first point. If we want to be the ones to make it out of here, we are going to need allies, at least through the first several rounds.” He frowned. “We also need to know who to watch out for.”
“197,” I acknowledged. “I could tell he was playing the game as if it were chess, several steps ahead. While I simply wanted to win the game without inflicting harm or putting myself at risk, he was willing to take that risk. He went on the offense. It was both impressive and worrisome. “Him and his entire crew.”
Maverick paused in contemplation. “I would do your best not to let anyone else see your face. Once you get past the fact that you’re not Nightingale, you are attractive.”
I blushed even at the emotionless assessment. Jayce grumbled next to me, his fists clenching .
“Easy there. He is just stating a fact. We all see it; even with her mask on, she stands out,” Enzo cut in. "She is easily the smallest person here, and that might come in handy, but it could also make her a target.”
I had always been small, the main difference between my sister and me. Not noticeable at a distance, but up close it was clear I never hit the growth spurt she had. I was barely five feet tall and had long black hair with ice-cold blue eyes, not the epitome of intimidating; I could agree. “I can take care of myself, and I can fight.”
“Oh, my balls and I sure know that definitely gave me a scare when I landed in that square with you.” Levi laughed but sobered, eyeing my neck. “Sorry ‘bout the cut, darlin’.”
I reached a hand up to my neck, pushing my hair aside, to find a small bandage on it. Jayce saw it and snarled. He attempted to stand, but I put an arm across his lap to stop him. He allowed me to. Once he settled down, I grabbed his for reassurance.
“It’s okay. Sorry about your balls.” I gave Levi a half-shrug. I thought about the vicious petite blonde woman. “What about 32 and her group? She is well trained and definitively capable.”
“I’ll put them on here as possibilities,” Maverick replied. “Also, I’m adding 197. He was rough, but he would be a difficult adversary.”
“I understand. Admittedly, I do owe 197. He kept away from Jayce at my request.”
“We couldn’t hear, but we witnessed that interaction. He definitely appeared intrigued by you,” Maverick responded.
That meant everyone else had as well. That wasn’t good. “Anybody else you can think of?”
“After you left, most everyone used your method to leave. In fact, the last few groups had to in order to secure their points.” Enzo massaged his temples in thought. "There was one group, though—five of them—all men. They took out two more groups before securing their points.”
I closed my eyes. “Their numbers?”
“189, 190, 191, 192, and 193,” Maverick replied.
“Did it show how many were left after that last round?” Jayce asked.
A voice sounded through the room, and my eyes shot open. The previously black screen in the living room lit up.
“Good evening, my wonderful contenders. You are all officially awake and in your new humble abodes.” The Host’s face was taking up the entirety of the screen, and his voice echoed from speakers throughout our space. “By this time, you should all be acquainted with your roommates.”
He laughed at this.
“I know some of you have already learned, but there will be no killing or maiming until you are given approval. Regretful to disappoint, but your homes are off limits for killing, roommates or not.” He gave a Cheshire smile. “Don’t worry though, as in any other game, the rules are always changing.” Another pause and his head cocked to the side. “This year, we have some very special guests, so while your masks are removable in your homes, your images will be blurred out for the other Sponsors. We wouldn’t want any unfair bets, would we?”
It felt like he was speaking to me directly.
“Now, down to business.”The Host made a mock serious face and waggled his eyebrows. “We are all firm believers in rewards and punishment. Your first reward was your home. Excellent job to the four groups that impressed the crowd; you will be the most comfortable.” The screen adjusted so that just half of the Host’s face was shown. The other half held four groups.
Mine, Levi’s, 197’s, and the group with the five men Maverick mentioned .
“You will be both the most and least popular. No one can move in when you’re still living there, now can they?” Another laugh, almost like a hyena’s this time.
Jayce grumbled, “These motherfuckers!”
I squeezed his hand, pushing down my own sense of dread.
Half of the screen with our numbers morphed again, now showing only the number one-hundred twenty.
“Looky here! We are already down to less than half. That was a bit too fast!” The Host continued, “So we’ll give you all a break. Take tonight to rest and work on healing some of those broken bones. Tomorrow, you will mingle!” Another head cock. “And it seems we might just have time for a few one-on-one questions tomorrow. Sweet dreams, my lovelies! Don’t let the bedbugs bite, you little birdies. I hear they hate it when you keep clean!” More cackling.
The Host was clearly unhinged.
A noise had us all jerking to the door behind us; a hatch opened, and five covered plates of food were pushed through. It shut just as quickly.
I got up languidly with the men and walked to the food; each covered plate had a number on it. I picked up 20.
At Jayce’s hesitance, I shrugged. “I figure if they were going to kill us, we would already be dead.” I reclaimed my spot on the loveseat. Hopelessness crept in suddenly as a memory threatened to take hold. We were no better than pets. Simply existing to be fed and kept until it was our time to entertain the masses. I stamped the thought down as it teetered too close to the surface. I stared directly at the camera over the TV. “What are we supposed to do now?”