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Finn didn’t stir
“There’s no escape,” one of the other prisoners said, the sole woed lady with sunken eyes, clad in a tattered sack dress A square chunk of skin was ed me, “Kill me Smother me”
“Evie, you stay put!” Jack ordered “You can’t help hi to sit back and let a man be butchered alive? In Arthur’s baseainst evil, that I could help others All I had to do was repurpose myself I’d wondered how ht in mind, I reached fora stern: “Da the other prisoners “Stop this, girl!” “They’ll coone anyway” “They’ll whip us for this!”
Selena snapped, “They’re going to kill every single one of us—or worse—and you’re worried about a whipping? You ned to your fate down here, but I’lyphs are getting brighter Free us all, and we fight”
Jack shook his head “You doan listen to her Sit your ass back down and act chained We doan uards coht take you instead!”
I wavered
“Bébé, we can’t help everyone Be smart about this” In French, he added, “That man will never survive, even if we freed hiht There’s no fighting the Teeth Not that I would be a help anyway They bring even uards when they harvest More than a dozen of the “But could youwould you put your handover my mouth and nose? Please I can’t hurt you, can’t stop you It’d be a lanced at Jack He shook his head firmly “You need to look like you’re chained” Whatever he saw in my expression made him bite out a curse, then mutter, “Hurry”
Lark said, “I can let you knohen they’re coan to sparkle red “They have a couple of rats that survived down here I’ve moved the his head into hed “I’ll make this better” I sounded so assured, while inside I was horrified, had no idea hoas going to do this
Tears welled asazed up at me with a dazed stare, as if I were a savior
Just before I leaned down, I ood-bye, then?”
“B-bless you,” the el”
My tears hit his face as our lips met My poison seeped into hi forever Aith grief, I straightened, a nebulous idea for
Jack’s broere drawn “Get back, now!”
I nodded, yet that idea kept insisting I acknowledge it What an evil plan, I thought, embarrassed even to consider it
But how better to deal with evil people?
“I have an idea” My hair was changing colors,The prisoners fell into stunned silence
Matthew finally spoke “Arsenal” He was telling ? Talk toclaws
Lark’s expression flashed with comprehension “Poison”
Selena nodded slowly, adaze “Fuckin’ A Do it!”
Jack repeated, “Hurry!”
“I’m so sorry,” I said as I sank my claws into Tad’s side Like a snake, I injected my venom into his chest uise the ashes
Silence fell over the cell No one dared speak The prisoners were terrified ofnew there
Lark said, “And now?”
I’d injected so ers felt like they’d been asleep for years Vision blurring, I whispered, “Noait” I’d desecrated a body and couldn’t tell if I was ashaan crawling back to , Evie!” Lark hissed “And they’re bringing him”
18
—WE GO NOW TO OUR BLOODY BUSINESS—
I’d just clasped round, when the gate groaned open
They did bring back a dozen guards—and also the Hierophant
He stood silhouetted in torchlight He had thick gold rings on each of his fingers but no icons on his hands He wore a black rain poncho With the hood down, it resehteen or nineteen, he was dark-haired with a bloated face, eyes like beads, and red, feverish cheeks
His tableau flashed over hih, two fingers raised, blessing his followers
The Hierophant cast the older prisoners a grandfatherly sed teeth—then did a double take at me
At my tableau His eyes met mine “What a little beauty” His voice was even-toned, pleasant Unlike his men, he had no discernible accent “I can see that the spirits surround you too”
Don’t look at him, don’t look at him “You’re sick All of this is sick”
“I’ aze toward him, no matter how hard I resisted I peeked up, saw he’d started perspiring He was trying tohis poas taxing
“My name is Guthrie, and these are my people You and I must’ve been destined to meet, for I’ve heard your voice in my visions”
My Arcana call
“Would you like to break bread with us, child? Commune with us?”
I had to think about his question before I could sputter, “N-never!”
If I ht buy me a second to use soaze would take hold like a disease, never ending until his death
Unless he made me eat
If I “broke bread” with him, if I committed that monstrous act, then I’d be doomed forever His control would last even after he died—
“What’s your na at er than me! Even as I orderedain
Guthrie’s beady eyes had turned a fil eyes I couldn’t seeth in you,” he told me “And uniqueness Yet there’s no need for individuality here In our commune, we’re all the same”