Page 212 of Deviant

But then I hear it. A loud sound of a gun going off.

My hackles rise since there were no guns on the weaponry table back at the mansion. I didn’t question their absence because I knew that bullets were too clean and fast a kill.The Scourge’sspectators don’t want to see that. They want blood and gore, pain and misery. A gunshot would kill a person instantly, and what would be the fun in that?

But when I hear it again, my mind begins playing tricks on me, imagining someone hunting Elias down with a shotgun.

He told you to stay put, so stay put.

But I can’t. Not when he could be in danger. So, instead of keeping to my hiding spot, I slide out of the oak tree’s bark and begin my search. The full moon, or as Henry called it, The Hunting Moon, is the only light to illuminate my steps in the dark terrain. I keep my ear out for any strange noises, but all I hear is the late October wind blowing past me.

But then I hear it—the loud, chilling bang cutting into the eerie silence of night.

I don’t think. I just react and run toward it, hoping Elias is not on the wrong end of that shotgun.

But as I get closer to where I think the thunderous sound must have come from, tears start to prick the corner of my eyes when I see two legs sprawled out wide onto the earth, a shadowy figure in a black suit leaning against a tree, blood pouring down the sleeve of their dinner jacket.

My vision blurs with unshed tears as I approach the tree, and as I turn to see if the man in the dark suit is Elias, I feel someone come out from the shadows, place a hand over my mouth and pull me off the ground. From this angle I realize that it isn’t Elias sitting in a pool of his own blood, but David.

I don’t have time to feel even an ounce of sadness for him, since right now I’m too stunned to do anything expect but be terrified when my kidnapper starts to shout, “I’ve got her! I’ve got her.”

Bobby?

Needing to see his face, I wrestle in his grip to free myself, and when that doesn’t work, I bite down on his hand, Bobby shouting in displeasure when my teeth go so deep they almost meet bone.

“Damn it, Rowen! Why did you go and do that for?!” he yells throwing my body into the ground like I’m nothing.

I crawl back on my hands and knees trying to put some distance between us, when I feel a boot kick me to the ground.

“I thought I told you to grab her?!” Mayor Davenport, Mackenzie’s father scolds.

“I was, Warren. But she bit me,” Bobby grimaces, shaking his hand to take the sting away.

“Jesus fuck, Bobby. Get a hold of yourself and grab the girl before she runs away.”

And as soon as the Mayor says those words, I try to pull myself off the ground to make my run for it.

Only I don’t get very far when a triumphant Mackenzie appears right in front of me.

“Not so fast, bitch. You still have a part to play.” She smiles sinisterly, waving her knife in the air like she hasn’t decided where to stick it into yet.

I take a step back from her, only for Bobby to wrap his arms around me, trapping me to his frame.

“Bobby, let me go!” I yell while trying to escape from his clutches.

“I can’t, Rowen. I have to think of my little Brittany. I’m so sorry,” he says before tightening his grip.

“Ah, the things that fathers do for their daughters,” Davenport chimes in. “I’m sorry that it had to come to this, Rowen. I really am. You always struck me as a nice girl. But you see… there can only be one winner here… and that has to be my Mackenzie,” Davenport says unapologetically, as if he’s talking about the weather a not my impending murder.

“The Scourgewill never allow this. You’re all as good as dead. They don’t like it when people fuck with their rules!” I shout at them, feeling Bobby’s grip ease a little bit once I’ve stopped fighting his hold.

“Is what she’s saying true? Are they going to come after us next?” Bobby asks, frightened by my remark.

“Hogwash, Bobby. The girl is just trying to scare you. There is nothing in the rules that say a chosen can’t be assisted with outside help. The only rule that matters is that the winner ofThe Scourgegets to leave Blackwater Falls for good and take all their family with them. Mackenzie just needs to win tonight, and by this time tomorrow, we’ll be long gone and forget all about this place.”

“Don’t forget the money, Daddy,” Mackenzie adds, twirling on a strand of her hair. “You said I could keep the money.”

“Yes, I did, pumpkin. And I intend to keep that promise,” Davenport says smiling at his daughter before giving her a pretend little punch on the chin. “You did so good, pumpkin. I’m so proud of how you handled yourself in there. I was worried you wouldn’t make it to the final round.”

“Oh, you know me, Daddy. I’m very resourceful. David was easy to manipulate to help me through the first few games. Well, until he wasn’t. By the end he didn’t like playing with me very much. What a little wimp he turned out to be,” she says before spitting on David’s corpse.

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