Page 2 of These Dangerous Fates

A mixture of fear and irritation spreads through me. I could break his hold. A throat punch would drop him to the ground. A knee to the balls would incapacitate him. I do nothing, though. Instead, I swallow my pride and anger and let him pin me to the wall, ignoring the disgust that makes my gut churn threateningly. I’ve learned it’s best to just let it happen. Fighting back only brings more pain.

“What do we have here?” The shifter’s gaze slides over my body and a slow, cold smile spreads across his face. “Aren’t you a pretty little thing?”

Before he can do anything, a muscular body pushes the shifter away. “Back off,” Connor, the mage who owns the gym, growls. He stands between us, arms crossed, his face a mask of fury. “You don’t touch them. If I see you near either of these women again, I’ll revoke your membership. Got it?”

The shifter glares and mutters something under his breath before stalking away.

Connor turns to me and gently grabs my wrist. “Are you okay, Ellis?” His kind blue eyes scan me for injury.

“I’m fine.” I pull out of his grasp and rub the aching skin. “Thanks for that.” I can’t quite meet his eyes. He knows as well as I do that I could have taken that shifter.

He studies me for a moment more, irritation making a muscle tick in his jaw, before turning to Allie. He smiles at her and says, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for the help.” She smiles shyly back.

Connor and Allie have been crushing on each other for years. It was ultimately what got us a free membership to his gym. It was also the reason he began teaching us how to box. He’d intervened when Allie got assaulted behind the gym, and he decided he wanted to help us protect ourselves.

“Anytime,” he responds. “You know, I trained you girls for a reason. I hate seeing you pushed around like that. Why didn’t you fight back?”

“I’ve told you before. It’s no use,” I mumble as I move around him and head for the door again. “It only makes things worse.”

He stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “Then why do you keep practicing? Why keep up the skill if you’re never going to use it?”

I shrug off his hand and ignore the way it makes my skin crawl. “One day it will be fight-or-be-killed. Until that day, it’s best to just let it happen.”

Before he can respond, Allie and I exit the air-conditioned gym into the stifling heat of the city. More sweat immediately breaks out over my skin, and I desperately wish a breeze could get past the skyscrapers climbing to the sky, but they block any wind from cooling the overheated air.

As soon as we round the corner, Allie stops and grabs my arm. “You sure you’re okay?” She gently prods my reddened skin and moves my wrist around, checking for injury.

“Yes, Nurse Allie,” I joke. “I really am fine. I’ve had worse.”

Her blue eyes darken at my words. She knows I’ve had worse. Over the past two years, she’s been the one to tend to my many cuts and bruises. As an emergency room nurse for the only human hospital in Altair, she is more than capable of doing so. She also knows better than to say anything to me about my situation.

Releasing my wrist, Allie stares at me for a moment before shaking her head, a small frown tugging down the corners of her mouth. “Hey, let’s do lunch tomorrow,” she suggests instead of what I know she wants to say.

“River’s Edge?” I ask, fanning myself rather uselessly.

“Perfect! I’ll meet you at noon. I should go now, though. I don’t want to be late again.”

“Yeah, I should, too.” I give her a quick hug. “Be careful tonight.”

“Always!” She grins at me, then sobers. “You be careful, too.”

I walk away instead of reassuring her with words she knows aren’t true. We’ve had this conversation many times, but we both know there is nothing I can do about it.

I keep my eyes open, constantly scanning my surroundings as I make my way home. The city of Altair is the perfect example of what living in Lustros is like. During the day, Altair is beautiful. Elegant glass and steel skyscrapers line the streets and reach toward the clouds. The River Altair winds between the buildings, its blue-green waters contrasting with the gray and white of the cityscape. Bridges of twisting steel span the river, almost more artwork than useful structure. Shops and cafes line the streets, and pedestrians move about the city with few concerns.

At night, however, when darkness descends, the monsters come out to play. The bustling city of business and shopping transforms into a playground of depravity. In the shadows and darkened alleys, crime comes to life. The quaint shops and cafes close up. Bars and clubs on every corner open their doors and provide every kind of vice you can dream of. If you’re not a top predator, you do not want to be caught alone on the dark streets of Altair at night.

Already, the sun sinks to the horizon. Shadows are getting longer. The alleys darkening ominously. I hurry my steps through the city, heart pounding and unease slithering through me until I reach the outskirts. The sleepy neighborhoods surrounding Altair contrast sharply to downtown. They almost seem to not belong. Tree-lined streets with old-fashioned lamp posts that provide a soft romantic glow. Two- and three-story houses, oozing charm and character, sit on grassy yards that, during the day, are filled with laughing children.

My house is at the end of one of those streets. The richest street in Altair, to be exact. The farther down the street you go, the bigger the houses become. Eventually, the large Victorian-style homes make way for opulent mansions. My house is the largest. A grand palace that screams elegance and wealth.

Standing on the sidewalk, I grasp the ornate metal gate with one hand. From the outside, one would think the people living in the house behind the gate would have every happiness they could ever ask for. Inside the walls, it’s another story entirely. Memories haunt the marble halls. Memories that are more akin to nightmares, filled with death and bloodshed.

I make my way through the gate and up the winding path lined with colorful flowers. The pale colors and bright landscaping draw me in and feed me lies. The ornate wooden front door mocks me. This house is one giant illusion. Its sole purpose is to hide the truth behind pretty facades and welcoming accents.

I know the truth, though. No amount of paint and colorful flowers could hide the reality that’s hidden behind the front door.

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