Chapter 12: The Night Before
467 Words
The sun gone. Didn't care. Didn't miss it.
I sat. On the throne. Alone. Dark hall. Quiet. Too quiet. Like everyone holding breath. Waiting. For me.
Tomorrow. Shadow Fang.
I kept saying it. In my head. Over and over. Tomorrow. Shadow Fang. Tomorrow. Blood.
The words didn't scare me. Maybe they should. But no. Not anymore.
Ryder came in. Walking slow. Boots loud on stone. He stopped. Looked up.
"The warriors ready," he said.
"How many?"
"Twelve."
I laughed. Mean. "I said ten."
"Twelve came."
"Who?"
"The ones who lost someone. The ones who hate Damian more than they scared of you."
I nodded. Good.
"They know where?" I asked.
"Yes. Shadow Fang. The camp. The girls."
"And?"
"And none of them ran."
I stood up. Walked to window. Looked outside. Dark trees. Moon hiding. No light. Good. We needed dark.
"We leave midnight," I said. "Tomorrow."
"We'll be ready."
He didn't move. I turned.
"What?"
"Lila..." He stopped. Rubbed his face. "What if they not there? What if Damian lied?"
I thought. Damian's face. His eyes. The fear.
"He didn't lie."
"How you know?"
"Cause he's more scared of me than them."
Ryder nodded. Said nothing.
I walked to dungeon. Guards moved. Same. Fast. Quiet. Scared.
Damian awake. Sitting on floor. Back against wall. His arm – the one I bit – looked worse. Swollen. Black. Infection maybe. I didn't care.
"Tomorrow night," I said.
He looked up. Eyes tired. Red. Dead.
"You still going?"
"Yes."
"Then you still stupid."
I grabbed bars. Leaned close.
"Tell me something, Damian. Before I go."
"What?"
"Did you ever feel bad? Even for one second? When you sold them? When you watched them leave?"
He was quiet. Long time. Torches crackled. Water dripped. Rat ran past my foot.
"No," he said. "They nothing. Omegas nothing."
I didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't nothing.
"You wrong," I said. "They someone. Daughters. Friends. Girls who trusted you."
I let go. Turned.
"Lila," Damian called.
I stopped.
"When you die in Shadow Fang... I won't cry."
I smiled. He couldn't see.
"I know," I said. "That's why you in cage. And I'm not."
I walked back. Ryder still there. Waiting.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"No."
"Anything I can do?"
"Pray. If you believe that."
He laughed. Not mean. Just tired.
"I don't."
"Neither do I."
We stood. Quiet. Two broken people. Broken hall.
"Lila," Ryder said.
"Yeah?"
"If we don't come back... I want you know..."
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Don't say goodbye. We coming back. All of us. With the girls."
He looked at me. Nodded.
"Okay."
I sat on throne. Closed eyes.
Tomorrow night. Shadow Fang.
I kept saying it. Over and over. Like prayer. Like promise.
Tomorrow night. Blood.
Tomorrow night. Seven girls.
Tomorrow night. No mercy.
No mercy at all.
- Writer
