Page 62 of Us Dark Few

For a moment, she remained still. Her muscles trembled, and a substantial weight settled in her chest.

She had dreamed of Genesis since she was a little girl. Yearned to see the sun but never truly believed it would actually happen.

Realization dawned on her as his words slowly began to register.

Tomorrow, she would take her first steps on the earth’s surface.

Khalani seized control of her shaky limbs, abruptly grabbed the glass, and downed the alcohol in one gulp.

Not even the sharp burn woke her up.

17

Wade into my abyss so I may learn how to stay afloat.

Khalani left the Warden’s office in silence. Her feet moved through the tunnels in a weightless daze, like a ghost trapped in an endless loop of denial.

She replayed the conversation with the Warden over and over, struggling to grasp the idea of her visiting Genesis.

The demand was illogical. Unbelievable.

Outlandish fantasies weren’t supposed to escape the boundaries of imagination. But no matter how many times she reinterpreted the tense exchange, the conclusion remained the same.

She would see the sun for the first time.

Khalani thought of nothing else as she let the icy-cold water run over her head in the prison showers and while she sat ramrod straight in the library.

She chewed her nails and stared at the same sentence in Winnie’s book. Winnie kept peeking at her with concern throughout the shift, asking multiple times if she was okay.

“I’m fine,” was the only response she could manage.

But she wasn’t. The anticipation of reaching the elusive domed city was overshadowed by thoughts of the Governor. What were Alexander Huxley’s motives? Why had he singled her out?

Maybe he knew about the lies she told the Master Judge during her sentencing, and Khalani would be executed publicly to set an example. The Governor had done much worse.

Her parents’ once-bright faces—ever-present in her mind—darkened and warped into blank canvases, blood pooling from the corners of their mouths, reminding her of the Governor’s treachery.

Her fear shifted. Conviction set in her mind like a slab of cement.

If the Governor intended to kill her, she’d do everything in her power to take the bastard to hell with her.

After her library shift was over, she rounded her block and found Takeshi waiting outside her cell.

And he lookedpissed.

“You’re late,” he bit out in an irate voice, not even bothering to look at her.

“Sorry, misplaced my watch.”

Riling Takeshi before training wasn’t the most intelligent decision she’d ever made, but practicing self-control was the furthest thing from her mind.

“Maybe I should string you up in the pit the rest of the week, so you’ll remember not to waste my time.” His dark gaze swept over her.

“I might just take you up on that offer,” she murmured.

Takeshi’s chiseled face held more aggression than usual, marred by deep lines on his forehead. Something in her expression made him shake his head. His tongue darted out, and he licked his lips. Slowly. As if he were gathering patience with each long stroke.

“Don’t tempt me today,” he hissed, brushing past her shoulder.

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