Page 52 of Insatiable

“What did you hear?” I finally ask, keeping my voice low enough to avoid attracting attention.

Dade’s pale face darkens, and his eyes flash with intensity. I can see Quinn’s appeal in him, though he’s too dark for my taste. I almost shiver when he speaks. “The Games leaders are in a state of panic. They don’t actually want the contestants being killed off so quickly. The point was to watch them slowly starve to death. Apparently, that’s more fun for the people here, though I can’t think why. George planned this to last a couple of weeks at least, but now they are dropping like flies. That’s probably why the screens are off.”

Almost as soon as he finishes speaking, the screen goes back on. A cheer erupts among the people, but as Quinn’s face looks back at us in terror, I can’t find anything to cheer about.

“I can’t watch this here. I’m going back up to the room.” I look to Juliette as she stands up to follow me. Then my eyes turn to Dade. He looks dangerous. Manic. There’s something dark come over him like a mask. “You want to come up to my room too?” I ask tentatively.

He shakes his head, his face turned down into a grimace, and though I care about him on some level, I’m almost relieved when he says no.

This is hard enough without watching Dade give in to his demons.

24

AN UNEXPECTED ALLIANCE

QUINN

Inever expected to see any of the game leaders in the labyrinth, especially not Anthura, but it’s she who wakes me from an unsettled sleep. When I open my eyes, the walls of the labyrinth have gone, to be replaced by darkness. The little light there is shows Anthura looming over me, her arms crossed and an expression of fury on her face.

“Show me your hands!” she demands, her voice sharp and commanding.

I pull myself up and hold my hands out to her, which she grabs, turning them over roughly in hers. The last time she touched me, a burning sensation ran up my wrists, but this time they remain fine.

“Why do you want to see my hands?” I ask, my heart racing as I wonder if this is somehow related to the chocolate cake I consumed yesterday.

“Someone is murdering the contestants, and unfortunately, it isn’t us. I was checking for blood. What’s this under your nails?” She grabs my wrist and holds it up in front of my face.

“Chocolate frosting. Mud, maybe.” I feel a mix of relief and irritation. “So you’re saying that David’s death had nothing todo with you?” I suspected as much, but to hear it confirmed by Anthura is another thing. Seeing her mad about it is yet another thing. I thought she would find glee in watching us suffer, but I guess we’re messing up her plans—boo fucking hoo.

“Is this the same person that killed Michael and Lucia in Purgatory?”

She keeps hold of my wrist, and this time I feel heat start to build. I wrench it from her grip before she can blister my skin like she has done so many times before. “That’s what I’m trying to find out. There aren’t many of you left from my tower in Purgatory, but you are on my list.”

“I had no reason to kill Michael and Lucia,” I bite back. “Just like I had no reason to kill David.”

Her eyes narrow, full of venom. “Of course you’d say that, but here you are, in the games, trying to survive. I don’t trust you.”

“Then it’s a mutual feeling,” I almost laugh, rubbing my wrist, trying to dispel the lingering heat from her grasp.

She pushes her face so close to mine that I almost choke on her sulfurous perfume. “David isn’t the only one murdered. Anita was killed last night; Marybeth from the other tower was killed this morning. If I find you had anything to do with fucking up these games, so help me, I will hunt you down myself and make you wish you’d never lived and then never died.”

The menace in her voice sends a shiver down my spine. “You think I’m the one who’s messing things up? I’m just trying to stay alive, just like everyone else.”

“Survival doesn’t absolve you of suspicion,” she hisses, her eyes narrowing. “You’re too clever for your own good, and that makes you dangerous. Remember, the only way out of here is through the games, and the games don’t care who you are or where you come from. They only care about the bloodshed.”

“Then maybe you should be more concerned about who’s actually behind the murders rather than wasting time accusing me,” I snap back, trying to hold my ground.

Anthura steps back, her expression shifting slightly, as if I’ve struck a nerve. “Don’t forget who has the power here,” she warns, her tone chillingly calm. “You might want to keep your head down and your mouth shut if you don’t want to become the next target.”

I watch her walk away into the darkness and then the safety of the outside of the Earthery.

Then, just like that, I’m back in the labyrinth. Only now I have to contend with a murderer picking off contestants.

It doesn’t take long for the thought of murderers to be overtaken by crippling thirst. I didn’t drink yesterday and went to bed with a sore throat. Now the sore throat is back with a vengeance, and added to it is a monster of a headache. I need water. Just like the gnawing hunger yesterday, this feels urgent. I’ve not had any liquid for weeks, but in here, I know I need it.

So, murderers aside, my first job is to find a source of water. If I’m right, and judging by my thick head, I am dehydrated, then there must be water in here unless they want us to die of thirst.

I listen out for the sound of running water. I hear the sound of someone or something running. It sounds close, but distance is so relative here. I could be standing right next to someone in real life and not know it. I follow the sound anyway. The sound grows louder as I approach, my heart pounding in my chest. I can't tell if it's from fear or anticipation. Maybe both. The darkness seems to close in around me, suffocating and endless. Suddenly, my foot catches on something and I stumble, barely catching myself before I face-plant into the hard ground. I reach down, my fingers brushing against what feels like a small metal pipe. I follow it, hand over hand, until I reach a spigot. I twist the handle and water gushes out, splashing over my hands and face.I cup my palms, drinking greedily. It tastes metallic and stale, but in that moment, it's the sweetest thing I've ever had.

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