Page 59

Chapter fifty-seven

Forest

“D o you plan on forcing your insufferable presence on me all night?” I question hatefully, looking at the sprawl of dresses on the table, each more revealing than the next.

“You have to choose one if you're going to be anywhere near the people that you saw earlier behind the glass,” he mutters, his arms crossed, his body leaning into the table. We are back in the room where the Teller prepped me. Xavier decided to take a personal interest in helping me get ready so he can proudly show me off to everyone who decided to bid against me. As long as I’m here, the punishments will keep coming.

That realization, along with the combined presence of Xavier and the collar, is more than enough to drain my grasp on the abilities I have.

“Let me know they're safe, then I’ll pick one of these fucking horrid dresses,” I say, my hands clenching the soft materials that lies in front of me.

Xavier grabs my chin, my head forced up to look at his face.

“I'm not in the mood to be making deals with you right now,” he begins, looking down at the dresses. “Any of these will do, although green is your color," he whispers, grabbing the dress on the far side of the table. It's a dark, vibrant, sage green.

“What am I even doing? I won. I figured your desire to watch me suffer had been satisfied,” I whisper, grabbing the dress of his choosing.

“Not that you need a reminder, but you killing your father was not my doing. I’m hurt you thought it was me,” he says, feigning distress. My fist rises, ready to clobber him in his smug face. He grabs my wrist, forcing it down and onto the table. My back meets the wood surface.

He leans over me as I look at him with contempt.

“Whether you realize it or not, I’m in your corner,” he begins, leaning closer. “And I've done more than you know to keep it that way, so you're going to put on that goddamn dress and give them all something to be afraid of,” he spits, his eyes narrowed.

“You want them to be afraid of me?” I question shakily. His chin dips in a nod.

“Fucking petrified.” His hand clutches my side. “This society was built on a glass floor. I want nothing more than to watch it shatter.”

I think of Adam and the hungry eyes of every Official that lingered up there watching as people lost their lives tonight.

Feeling his hands on me, an idea enters my mind.

The only way I get my friends out of here is if I play his game.

“I refuse to let anyone else touch me if I go out there. You can show me off like a prized pet, but I won't be treated like one,” I whisper, his hold tightening.

“A pet?” he questions, his lips close to my own. “God, you don't see what I do, do you?” His hands run up my sides. “It's easy, Forest,” he begins, pausing at my upper body. “If anyone comes near you, I'll kill them. I’m not showing you off like an animal they can ridicule,'' he says, his eyes snapping to my own. “I’m hanging a temptation in their face and savoring it right in front of them. There's not a thing anyone can do about it,” he whispers, his lips by my ear.

Turning his way, our noses brush, my stomach churning, begging me to escape him.

Just one slip into his mind is what I need. Just one connection and I have control.

Leaning closer, I brace myself to brush his lips.

Backing away in a blur, he creates space, moving once more in the blink of an eye. Breathing heavily, he covers his mouth. His body, which was once hanging over me, is now across the room.

“What-”

“Don't you ever try and do that again,” he commands, touching his throat in small strokes. “If you try to slip into my mind again, I will kill everyone you love.”

I close my gaping mouth, watching him slip past the old door, closing it and locking it behind him. Looking around the space, I grow frustrated, unable to stop the rage from overtaking me.

After flipping the table full of dresses and breaking several of the chairs in the room, I finally collapse to my knees and sit amongst all the broken and battered pieces.

The dress’s material is thin and made of luxurious satin that shimmers under the light. The bodice is made of a plunging neckline that dips low, exposing the top and sides of my breasts, accentuating my curves The thin, spaghetti straps add just enough support while adding to the overall seductive appearance. It gathers just above my waist before pooling down my legs which are exposed by two slits along my thighs. There is a thin mesh material over the skirt, adding to the ethereal look of it. My hair is down, styled in loose waves that fall to my lower back. I look at myself in the mirror, noticing the silver locks that now overpower the dyed brown pieces.

Opening the door, the Teller peers inside, taking her time to inspect her handiwork.

“Look at you,” she coos, glancing behind her.

“He's ready for you.”

I nod my head and move myself past her. While she wraps her hand around my arm, her other quickly tucks a small blade beneath the waistline of the dress. Her delicate fingers work quickly, the weapon is small, meant to be concealed.

“I’ve never seen anyone from the Lottery leave this place,” she whispers, her hand pressed over my heart. “I do hope you change that.”

“Why are you helping me?”.

“Call it foolish hope,” she says, as the sound of others approaching grows. “I pray my faith in you is not misplaced.” She urges me out of the room and into the arms of the Officials, waiting to escort me to another pit of monsters.

Their faces are shielded with masks of gold, each one intricate in design, meant only to conceal the features of each guest's face, but I recognize several of them already. They stand in awe, holding their champagne glasses tightly, watching me like I'm the main attraction of tonight’s events.

Teachers, doctors, and companions of my father all surround the area, chatting amongst themselves happily and excitedly. I feel disgusted the longer I look into each of them. I have to stop myself from physically lashing out when I see Max, his once kind expression now cold and vacant. Josh stands next to him with a smile.

Xavier stands out, his face exposed. He isn’t hiding behind a mask like the others, but I guess the Commander doesn’t need to. He sits in a chair closest to the glass barrier surrounding the pit below, his hand swirling a glass of liquor, standing up once he takes notice of my presence. Some women linger by his chair. Others take their time looking over my body, the dress making it impossible to look away. Giving me a quick look up and down, Xavier’s eyes land on the two men holding me.

“I said she was free to walk without either of you touching her,” Xavier says, their hands dropping from my arms.

“Respectfully, sir, we figured-”

Xavier holds up a finger, drawing in a deep breath.

“Say another word, and I snap your neck. Why don't you two go ahead and step away from her and grab yourselves a drink,” Xavier says. Both men hesitantly back away.

I stand still, my eyes on Josh and his wide grin. Lowering my eyes, I take several steps toward him, ready to smear his face along the clear glass.

Grabbing my waist, Xavier pulls me along with him. As he takes a seat back on the chair, my ass meets his lap.

“Easy, love. I want you to savor his demise,” Xavier says quietly, his hand on my thigh, giving it a slight squeeze.

Feeling uneasy, I focus on the feeling of the blade rubbing against my ribcage.

“How thrilling,” I begin, turning to look at him. His breath smells like alcohol. His hair is ruffled.

His shirt is open enough to show me his mark and the black tattoo on his chest. I pause, resting my gaze on its design with curiosity.

“Like what you see?” he asks, grabbing my hand. He lets my fingers trace along the parts I can see. “It’s permanent.”

“First, you stop me from kissing you earlier. Then you tempt me with the idea of giving Josh a long and painful death. You sure do know how to taunt a girl,” I growl, his fingers trailing up and down my exposed spine.

“You don't know the half of it,” he says, looking around the room with a sigh.

I try to find my friends in the crowd, taking the opportunity to focus my energy on connecting to one of their minds.

“I’m curious,” he says, directing his attention back to me. “How much longer do you plan on trying to reach out to your friend's minds?”

My heart sinks. Staying silent, I keep my gaze forward. Pulling me backward, he forces my head into his shoulder. His lips find my ear.

“I've been around longer than anyone in this room,” he whispers, his grasp tightening. “Don't think for a second that you have an advantage over me.”

Feeling my energy rise, I blink away the tears in my eyes, shoving down the hopelessness I feel the longer his hands roam my body.

“F-Forest?”

Fallan’s voice enters the back of my mind, quiet, barely even there.

Drawing a deep breath, I focus on our connection, feeling its fleeting presence.

“Where are you? Are you hurt-”

“It's dark. I can hear Officials speaking-” he says in a rushed whisper. Xavier’s hand grabs my jaw.

“A glimpse before they’re all gone,” Xavier hisses, leaning forward, my eyes panning down to the pit below.

My heart stops as each one of their terrified expressions comes into focus below. Much like I had, they each wear a bag over their heads, their throats covered with the metal collars meant to subdue their powers. The others I fought the Shifters with who survived were forced back into the pit. There’s no blade in the center of the space this time. Jolting forward, I watch the Officials rip away the bags for their heads. Fallan looks up at me, our eyes locking. Even in all of this mess, he sighs in relief, a slight upturn of his mouth at the sight of me.

His face is bruised, his body drained. Kai limps closer to Valerie and Hunter, grasping his still bleeding and injured leg, frantically searching the crowd for any sign of me and a way out.

Moving closer to observe, a few drunk men stumble into me, their hands grabbing my body for support.

“Hands off,” Xavier hisses, shoving the men away. His grasp on my hips becomes punishing as he forces us to stand.

Looking around the room for an exit, my eyes land on the entrance I came from. I think of how many people I can take down with my power, wondering if the glasses they hold can be broken quickly enough to lodge into their throats.

Xavier forces my head into the barrier. My cheek presses to the cold glass, his hand shoved against my lower back, keeping me pinned with his knee. Watching in anger, Fallan yells a threat lost in the distance between us.

“Listen,” Xavier hisses. “And watch.”

Snapping his fingers, a few of his men walk away. His grasp grows firmer as I squirm. The others look up to me. Valerie covers her mouth in concern. Kai’s eyes well with tears.

“Let me down there. Let me take their place,” I beg. He scoffs.

“Any more outburst from you, and you will join them,” he threatens.

Anything is better than being trapped up here with him.

The ones who have already fought step back, anticipating what is sure to exit the tunnel, the metal gate separating it from the pit now lifting.

Fallan looks away, his body in a defensive stance as he begins backing the others behind him. Staring down toward the tunnel, he opens his arms, keeping anyone he can pressed against the wall.

“How chivalrous,” Xavier taunts, my irritation with him growing.

The clawed hand of a Shifter makes its way from the dark, dragging its body along the ground, scouting the pit for its next meal.

Something hanging out of Xavier's pocket jabs me in the side. I look down to see a small device with a control screen with the words “ COLLARS ARMED ” displayed in bold, black text.

Enough of this.

My hand reaches into the side of my dress, grabbing the hilt of my blade. I use my legs to push off against the glass. Sending us backward and into the chair, I slide my hand into Xavier's pocket, pulling away the device.

Shoving me away, he lets out a noise of frustration. My body rolls onto its side before I quickly move to my feet. Xavier shouts to his men. Several Officials reach for the weapons at their sides, but Xavier screams at them to stand down. I find my name on the screen and switch the collar's connectivity to deactivated. The metal restraint clatters to the ground.

“Stop!” Xavier commands. The Official closest to me ignores the warning.

In an instant, the world slows. Grasping the Official’s mind, I command his heart to stop. His eyes roll backward, and his body crumples to the ground. I feel his life force leave his body and move through the air. I graze my fingertips across the translucent ribbons swirling in the space around me.

An instinct drives me to take a deep breath, consuming the ribbons hungrily. The intake isn’t enough to satisfy me and instead makes me ravenous for more.

The other Officials take a step back, not coming closer to me. Clutching the knife, my eyes land on Xavier.

“Call off the Shifter!” I order. Xavier’s hands are raised toward me.

“You're making a mistake.”

Throwing the blade across the room, the weapon lodges in Adam's lower stomach. His body doubles over, and he screams out in pain as I raise my palm and call the blade back to me.

“Call it off!” I hiss, glancing toward the pit.

The Shifter is at a standstill. The contestants below fearfully backed into a corner.

Xavier takes another step, my hand ready to drive the weapon into him.

“You won't hurt me,” he scoffs.

“And why would you think that?” I question, the smirk on his face disappearing.

For the first time, I see it happen. There’s a faint glow around his body before his figure dissolves into thin air. I brace for his sudden presence as he rematerializes behind me, swinging my arm at him in defense.

“I won't let you, Dove, ” he whispers, clutching my arm, his hand quickly swiping the blade from my hand.

I raise my free hand, thoughts of his pain fueling my fight.

“You do that, and I will ensure every one of them dies,” he says, holding his ground behind me.

Staying still, I heed his words.

“I can melt their brains with those chips quicker than that Shifter could get his claws into them,” he seethes, his grasp growing. “I do applaud your unwavering resolve to save them, though. A valiant effort, really.”

“Put the creature back in its cage,” Xavier commands, looking over at Adam and the lifeless Official on the ground. “Deal with the contestants. I want her and all of her friends in their cells,” he says, his fingers twisting into my hair. “Consider my generosity officially spent. You want a fight, Forest? Then you can have your fucking wish,” he says, dragging me along with him. He moves swiftly across the floor, draining all of my energy as we go. Grabbing my collar from the ground, he snaps the control back on, pressing the device's screen.

“I’ve decided on new terms to our fun little game,” he says, forcing me to look at him. “The only way you will leave that pit is if all your friends are dead and you are on your knees begging for me to save you.”

“I will never get on my knees for you!” I yell, forcing myself to stand tall.

“You’re a coward,” I hiss, his eyes growing wide with rage.

“I hope you get a good, final look at your friends in your holding cell tonight,” he jeers, dragging me along. Taking the knife, he cuts my side, carving a small X, branding me like livestock. “Because it's the last night you’ll ever spend with them.”

I claw at his grip as he drags me away from the crowd of elites.

Despite the blood I draw, he moves forward, my grunts becoming yells as the strain of his grasp on my hair only increases, sending a wave of pain through my skull and down my neck. I see the others being forced into their holding cells. I hang on to their familiar voices.

Forcing one of Xavier's guards into a wall, Fallan manages to break free. He barrels toward Xavier, ready to tear him apart.

“Enjoy your last moments together,” Xavier hisses, forcing me forward, my body colliding with Fallan’s, both of us stumbling into a cell.

Hitting the floor, we watch the door swing closed, our hands scrambling to find one another. His lacerated palms cup my face. Up close, I can see how badly he’s been hurt. My lip quivers at the sight of every cut and bruise. Running my thumb along his swollen lip, I press my forehead to his. He lets out a sigh of relief, pulling me to his chest.

“Pathetic.”

Hunter, Kai, and Valerie huddle close by, glaring out at Xavier contemptuously.

“The thought of you becoming a lifeless corpse brings me joy. See you soon, street rat,” Xavier says, his eyes on Fallan. He turns to leave us.

“Does it make you miserable?” Fallan questions, Xavier pausing his steps.

“Does what make me miserable?”

“Knowing you'll never have her,” Fallan snarls, his arms tightening around me.

Xavier says nothing, his hand touching his throat. Clenching his jaw, he gives me a final look, waiting for me to say something. I feel a well of emotion in my chest as I watch him, unsure why I can't stop the flood of tears from falling.

After a few moments, Xavier backs away, his front still to us.

“Death is a kind ending in this cruel world. Consider tomorrow as an opportunity to be free of a life I don’t wish on anyone.”

“Then why keep me alive if you’re doing everyone else such a kindness?” I spit, my eyes demanding that he answer me this time.

“Misery loves company, Forest,” he begins, his eyes panning to Fallan.

“And I’m the most miserable of them all.”