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Chapter 1

I feel like I' Being beaten to the point where I die so I can heal and start the process all over again Over and over and over

Life then death Life then death Life

I've been staring at the sa that I've memorized every small crack and divot The smell of the air is forever branded in er in my heart The day Gabrielle captured her; the one I've been beaten repeatedly by since by Gabrielle and his Watchers, ork for the Highers and guard The Colony I used to live in, like they're testing s about the Watchers since I've been here 1) Is that they're al as the va that I discovered during a fight I had with one and I ed to rip off the mask They have no skin At all Which ht and air and any sort of touch, which is probably why they wear the mask

And 2) Monarch helped create them But I wasn't surprised by that, since he help created al except for humans

Every bone in my body throbs as hers injected throughthe injuries and wounds harder to bare I can take it, though I can take much more, if I have to

I lift my head off the cold, concrete floor and examine my wounds My arms are dotted with blues and purples; bruised and scratched There's dried blood in , black hair and it also coats ashes at the same time that it feels like my nose and jaw are either broken or dislocated

I want to keep fighting, yet it's beco harder to endure the pain I'y left in me Finally, I let myself fall back down to the floor and my eyes drift shut

"Tellto die," I demand to Monarch as I stand in a small room with concrete walls

Monarch stands near the doorway in his white coat, his voice tre as he answers, "Because I messed up when I created hies his mind about his existence, he won't survive I'm so sorry"

"When does he die?" My voice sounds surprisingly choked I ball my hands into fists and step forward "Tell me," I demand

He ss hard, shifting his weight "Soon, unless you can change his mind about life and death"

Blinding pain radiates inn themselves into position, the ly intense,my existence I alive Gabrielle or anyone else the satisfaction

After what seems like forever, the pain subsides and I reers along s and arood as new Not even a scratch

I'm about to relax back, try to rest before it starts all over again, but then the lights suddenly flash off Darkness suffocates me, surrounds me, traps me even more than I already a me

I push to lass wall of lass then stare into the darkness, searching for whoever's out there My night vision is an excellent asset and I can see a lot, including the glass cages around me Each one appears empty, but I know they're not

"Gabrielle," I call out "I know you're out there"

He doesn't respond and I' with my head Thrives off it He's been after hers are supposed to have and now that I've become a Day Taker, he only wants to torture me more

As I turn around to sit back down on the floor, allow the darkness to blind ht of ers delve deeper into ainst my throat so forcefully that I know that the bones are on the verge of breaking

Then a hand winds tightly around ers leave hly over ainst their face, but they dodge to the side Itheir rock solid chest The stranger hops back, still holding onto hter I raise my foot to kick them in the shin, but theyme off balance, and I almost fall to the floor

Infuriation and frustration cause s out The pointed teeth slip sharply fro into the hand

The person tenses, but quickly relaxes "Shh" a familiar voice whispers in my ear

"Aiden" With one swift throw of ht, I shove him off and spin around His ars back intohere?"

He squints athis dark hair out of his eyes He studies rabs my hands and cups them in his, his skin notably warm

"Tristan cahers ca for wounds "That they had Watchers with them and that you and Sylas were captured then taken prisoner"

I nod warily "Yeah, but how did you get in here?" I turn around to look at the cage door behindit's open I also notice that it's really quiet Deadly quiet even

Where are the guards?

I turn back to Aiden and crossa little distance between us because I'est person and the fact that he got in here it doesn't es?"

He nods, his honey eyes relentlessly locked on me as a cocky smile spreads across his face "Yeah, there were quite a few Watchers, but I convinced theo take a break"

I take another step back as more suspicion arises "That doesn't even sound possible they wouldn't sio take a break because you told them to"

"You don't think?" he questions with a cock of his eyebrow "Actually, I can be really persuasive when I try"

Soht This isn't the Aiden I know Soh the dark and notice that he does look a little bit different His eyes are a hue darker and ale, healthy way It has a bluish tint to it, as though his veins have become more defined

"Oh ets slammed out of me "Why did you how did you? You're a Day Taker now?"

His smile is

my only answer

Chapter 2

"Why?" I whisper, inching farther away from him It's not like I'm worried that I won't be able to handle ht hioing to be like He could be a lot different froerous

"You tolda Day Taker was the wrong choice--that being huht and now" I pause at the lack of life in his eyes It's real He's really one of theely over this? "Why did you do it?"

"That's not iers enfold around my aret out of here before the guards or one of the Highers comes out and finds us" He then releasesme out the door

I sla anywhere until I find Sylas When we got separated and so happened to hi and he he needs our help"

Aiden shakes his head "No way We have to go"

I shake o without him"