Page 1 of Of Daggers and Deceit

RAYA

My eyes flew open to the sounds of screams, fear surging like a flood inside me. My foot kicked off my blanket as I lurched forward to my bedroom window, pushing it open to peer down at the tall, impenetrable rose hedge that divided the Outer Ring from the more privileged city centre. Yelling rang out across the space as families left houses, their curiosity and fear driving them towards the central gate within that same hedge that circled the Inner Ring of the Haven—the ring that housed the Omegas.

I whirled towards my wardrobe to quickly change into something more acceptable before sprinting down the stairs and sliding on some sneakers. Events like this were common in our ring, but it was a matter of seeing which one of us was set to be punished.

I charged out the door, down the orange-stained pathway, out through our gate, and into the chaotic fray of Alphas.

Dust kicked up with every step I took, the sun already blazing despite the early morning as the wails of children crying filled the air around me. I pushed past my lumbering neighbours and dodged and pivoted around larger Alphas with an urgency driven by my adrenaline.

Please don’t be family.

“Move back!” Guards barked orders to the watching crowd as I reached the edge of the throng and began to shove my way forward towards a better view.

“He needed food!” an Outer Ringer roared as I finally pushed myself to the front to see an Alpha between two guards, his cheek and arms already blooming with soft colour.

“A week in the cage should do you some good,” a guard hissed, and together, they dragged him towards the bars of the cage that stood threateningly near the gateway between the hedge. Every day, I passed that cage; sometimes it was filled, most times not. The threat of it was usually enough of a deterrence.

The Alpha they were dragging didn’t struggle or fight in their arms. He simply followed with his head hanging as the two guards tugged him towards his true punishment in front of all citizens of the Outer Ring.

The intention for punishment like this was shame, but when I flicked through the crowd of people gathered in a semi-circle around the spectacle, the only thing I truly saw in their expression was empathy and rage. Though I wasn’t one of them. I felt it just as deeply.

A guard unlocked the cage door with a key and threw the door open with a bang as together, they shoved the Alpha into his prison, kicking the back of his knees so he fell. My mouth opened to yell, the sight of his pain provoking me, but others beat me to it, their voices rising in protest as guards surged from the Inner Ring through the brass gate. My panic heightened, their weapons drawn in warning to the protesting crowd. More and more guards in their deep green tactical suits with that tiny red rose embroidered on the front pocket began to dominate the space. Our Supreme’s Omega Guard.

They formed a semi-circle around the cage and moved forward, threatening us with the electrical currents that pulsed from their weapons with every swing. Fear spiked inside me as I stumbled back to avoid electrocution, narrowly missing the singe of the closest guard’s weapon. The shouts died down after that, appeasing the guards who now stood just before us, the crackle of their weapons prompting us to stay on alert.

I noticed a petite Alpha beside me whom I’d seen on a few occasions but had never spoken to. She tended to keep to herself, just as much as I did, and still, she had ventured out to bear witness. We all did, as a sign of respect and comradery.

I leaned down towards her. “Excuse me—what was his crime?”

She looked up at me with a forlorn expression. “Broke into the Inner Ring to steal bread from the bin near the bakery. His Benefactor did not pay him this week. Apparently, this Alpha delivered a few less than perfect goods to his business. He tried to steal so his children didn’t starve.”

I frowned, fury simmering beneath my skin. This was exactly why I needed to do more to ensure the safety and survival of my family. Us residents in the Outer Ring were crushed between the rules of this city and the risk that it posed to us every year at the thinning of our shield, the only time our borders were breached.

“Why didn’t he ask one of us? We could share. I would have shared,” I asked, exasperated. My mum would have given everything she possibly could to keep his family going.

“Guilt, child. Shame and guilt. Why take from those who are already poor, when those who are rich have too much?”

I licked my drying lips, moistening them as I caught sight of my mum on the opposite side of the crowd doing the one thing I’d told her so many times to stop doing when we had an audience like this. Shit.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.” I ended the conversation abruptly, pushing around the circle towards my mother, fear spiking inside me as I saw the guards’ heads swing towards her.

I understood why she did things like this, helping. But I desperately wished she wouldn’t do things like this in the light of day, and definitely not when there were a ridiculous number of guards present.

I huffed, shoving an Alpha more forcefully as he failed to move out of my way quickly enough. The two girls she was tending to continued to scream and try and reach for their dad, whose wrists were now being chained to the posts situated within his cage.

Anger and sadness warred within me. I didn’t consider myself to be a terrible person, but I was protective. Selfishly, I did not want her to draw unwanted attention to our family for assisting an Alpha who was viewed as a criminal. It was better to blend into a crowd than become the main point of attraction.

I smiled triumphantly as, finally, I got near enough to wrap my fingers around her wrist, pulling her towards me. Her startled eyes flicked up to my furious ones.

“Stop what you are doing right now,” I urged as her jaw hardened.

“Raya, they will run to him. I cannot.” I wouldn’t waste time arguing with her here. We were bound to draw attention.

I huffed out a breath as I looked at the two children who appeared to be no older than eight and quickly took each of their hands, dragging them back through the crowd, citizens parting to help us through. Thankfully, my action had shocked the two children enough to stop screaming as they blinked up at me, tears glistening on their cheeks. I bent low, lining myself up with their faces, my hands gripping tightly to theirs. The bigger of the two began to quietly sob again, her face contorting with her distress.

“Shh, it will be okay,” I reassured as I pulled her in closer towards me, my arm now wrapping around her back protectively.

The smaller child blinked up at me, water glistening on her lashes.

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