Page 24 (1/2)

"Please don’t do this, Mott" I wasn’t above begging

"You chose this!" he yelled "Didn’t I warn you before?"

"What’s so ian asked

"It’s not about the rock," Mott said "The boy just wants to win This is his way of proving that Conner doesn’t own him"

"He doesn’t own me," I said

That elicited Mott’s first snap of the whip I’d prepared reat as this A scream burst froain and then a third tis collapsed beneath me, which pulled hard at my shoulders

"Where’s the rock?" Mott asked

Without waiting for an answer, he snapped the whip again I feltfrom the pain, as if a part of ed at the sound of strap hitting flesh The other part continued to screaold"

The whip snapped again, ripping like a claw into my skin, then Mott scowled "Get a towel"

"Conner said not to draw blood!" Cregan said

"He said not to leave scars Get ive hian disappeared for a moment while Mott cursed and threw the whip back into the corner of the rooan returned with a bottle of clear liquid and a cloth

"I’ll take care of this," Mott said "Don’t tell Conner anything more than you have to"

"Give rowl "I’ll find out where the rock is"

"Get out!" Mott commanded

When ere alone, Mott unscrewed the bottle I caught a whiff of it and shookwon’t be much better than the whip," Mott warned

He poured the liquid onto the cloth, then pressed it to ain and kicked Mott in the knee, and he stuet infected if I don’t clean this," he said angrily "I’ht now, so don’t upset me"

"If you’re my friend, then who are e Look in the mirror for the cause of your problems Do you think I wanted to hold that whip?"

He patted ain with the cloth and I cursed at him

"Watch your mouth, or Conner will have me whip that out of you too"

"It hurts!" My back was on fire and every nerve in my body felt it

"I don’t knohy Conner hasn’t killed you already," Mott said "He sees so, but his patience won’t last forever Give hie"

"No"

Mott wrapped the wet cloth around htly "You’re a fool," he said "If this is your strategy to becoive him the rock"

Before he left, he blew out both candles, leaving , half-naked, injured, and in complete darkness

They came to check on ht a bowl of stea soup He said he knew I hadn’t eaten much that day and that I must be starved by now All I had to do was tell theo

I told hieon floors Cregan said that could be arranged Then he leaned against the wall and ate the soup When he was full, he threw the rehed