Page 10 of Queen of Vengeance

I wasn’t interested in double-crossing anyone. There was only one thing I wanted… Vengeance.

Imade my way to the cafeteria once I could move again.

By then, it had to be close to sunset.

I hated having to wait all day to tell Dineta the good news. I was practically bursting at the seams.

I would have to brush up on my mixology when I got out of here. After seventeen years, I was sure to be rusty… It’s still better than Jax, though.

My insides burned with the rage I felt just recalling his name.

I heard from some of the newcomers to the cell that Jax was a Potion Master now.

A derisive scoff expelled from my chest.

That jackass couldn’t mix water and vinegar together, and now he is some kind of prodigy?

I hated that he got everything he wanted.

He deserved to rot in a pit after what he did to me!

Two guards escorted me to a table where my other cellmates sat.

Dineta’s face lit up, and her eyes filled with tears when she saw me. “Lea, thank Solara, you’re alright. I was worried when you didn’t come back for breakfast.”

I smiled a little wider than usual, but I couldn’t tell her in front of all these people that we were getting out of here. It would only end in a riot.

The sound of shackles pulled my attention away from Dineta. It was the sound of a prisoner on tray-dropping duty. He was shackled so that he couldn’t try anything while freely moving about the cafeteria.

My stomach rumbled almost on command, just from the sound.

After such a long day, I was starving.

The shackled prisoner came to our table and slammed the trays on the other end.

I glanced up at the prisoner as I looked over to see what sort of slop they were serving us.

She had a dead stare at me, and her mangled teeth flashed a disturbing smile.

Something about how she looked at me chilled me to my core. Did I know her from somewhere? Was she a friend or a foe?

She approached Dineta and me, dropping our trays before us while whispering, “Enjoy.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as she finally walked away from the table, and my body was allowed to relax.

Something felt wrong, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

I looked down the table at my cellmates, who didn’t seem to notice.

Even Dineta was already chowing down.

Maybe I imagined it. I had been here for so long that I could have become paranoid. I picked up my fork and stabbed the pile of beige-speckled slob in the middle of my tray.

The food never tasted good, but it was filling. That was good, at least.

I took a bite and was surprised to find the food was sweet.

Strange. It has never been sweet before.

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