Page 40 of Somber Prince

Lin sighed, looking relieved. “Well, if that's all they use these things for, it’s not so bad, I guess.”

Melanie pursed her lips. “Not so bad? What do we know about any long-term effects of those? What if there are some grave, lifelong consequences?” She tapped a black ribbon on my arm. “What voodoo magic did they use to implant these in your skin? What if it gives you cancer?”

“Or sucks your soul out,” Lin’s companion said with a mournful expression.

Lucia sat up on her cushion, looking uneasy.

“I should go,” she said, before leaving the courtyard.

Lin and her friend moved away too.

“They should’ve fought it,” Melanie said resolutely. “Instead of selling out for a promise of better food. You too, Dawn. You should’ve fought them when they put that thing on you.”

I rubbed my arms, remembering my struggle against the Guardians with the harness. Only they had never given me a choice.

“I tried to fight,” I said.

“Clearly, not hard enough. Honestly, you should be more of a badass, at least when it comes to standing up for yourself.”

“Melanie,” Elaine intervened, “you don’t know how it happened to Dawn, you weren’t there.”

“But I was there when it didn’t happen to me. And you know why it didn’t? Because I didn’t let it happen. You guys are just all pushovers. You too, Elaine.”

“Well, thanks.” Elaine got up. “I’m going to get some more water. Do you want some, Dawn?”

“No. I’m good. Thank you.”

“See?” Melanie pointed at Elaine’s back as my friend retreated. “The moment shit hits the fan, she runs away.”

“Feels like a smart thing to do,” I disagreed. “Shit has a tendency to smear and spoil everything.”

“Running away from arguments doesn’t solve anything.”

“Neither does arguing over the things that we can’t change.”

“I can change them. And I will.” Melanie’s confidence didn’t waver. “You two can remain stupid about this all you want. But I will survive this. And I will go home. With or without you.”

Elaine didn’t return to us after getting her water. I found her on the balcony of her room later.

“Sorry,” she apologized, as if I’d blame her for running away. “Your sister can be a little too much in large doses.”

“I know.” I sat in a pile of cushions next to her.

“I agree with her about going back. I just don’t see how screaming about it all the time is going to help us in any way. If anything, it’ll just alert the guards and the Keepers, and they’ll watch us more closely.”

“So, you’d leave if there was a chance?” I asked.

“Of course I would. I’m worried sick about my mom and dad. They’ve probably reported me dead by now. Remember how much your family was stressed when Ciana was gone?”

I remembered. How could I ever forget? There was no one to stress about me, though. Mom was long gone. And now, Dad was gone too. Sadness weighed down on me, crashing like a mountain, and I rushed to change the subject.

“They say we’re allowed to go in the city as long as we get a proper escort of guards and Keepers.”

“Really?” Elaine perked up. “We should do it. Maybe we can find a way out of the city?”

“Maybe, but there is only hot, dry desert out there, remember? And we need to have the portal open first.”

A little while later, the Keepers returned with dinner. They carried in trays of plates with greenish beige paste, something like mashed peas or lentils.

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