Page 57 of Drop His Mask

Shoving them down as far as I could, I pushed a wall up between me and my emotions. It was time to complete this game.

It was time to get each other off.

Chapter 30

I Hate You

The Game Warden

Two Years – Seven Months Ago

“This will be your first time in charge of a game for our country. You need to prepare yourself,” Nightingale advised through the darkness.

“Why did you have me dragged here in the middle of the night? What is going on?” The Game Warden whispered. He was in her room, but he couldn’tseeanything. The Guard, Felix, had towed him from his bed with no explanation.

“I may not be around as often. Sparrow will remain safe, but I won’t be here to remind you of what all is at stake.” Nightingale’s tonewasn’t right.

Everything about this encounter wasdifferent. Off.Typically, she spoke haughtily, sitting on her chair and staring down the bridge of her nose at him.

In the darkness, he could hear the shaking of her voice, the quivering. Theedgeof pain.

“You need to explain to me what is going on,” The Game Warden bit out, finding his way to the wall, searching for a light switch. He was tired of her manipulation. Tired of the games. Tired of just about everything.

His function was to watch and ensure the rules were being followed. Between games, his job was to come up with new ideas, to suggest future cruelties to use.

The light flickered on.

Horror sunk deep into The Game Warden’s gut. “Nightingale? What happened?”

She was lying on her bed, her face covered in bandages, her arms and legs wrapped similarly.

“I haven’t fulfilled my obligations,” she griped through gritted teeth.

The Game Warden staggered to her, drawn by an undetectable force. “What have they done to you?” He fell to his knees before her, but he didn’t dare reach out.

Nightingale was the reason everything in his life had gone to shit. She almost killed Raven. She dismantled the Resistance.

“Oh, sweet Julian, your heart always did bleed for those suffering. The lights were left off for a reason, I didn’t want you to see me like this. I don’t want your pity.”

“Then why are you here? How did you end up here?” His forehead pressed into the mattress.

Nightingale laughed harshly. “It isn’t time for you to know everything yet.”

“Why do you keep saying that?! How can I help if you keep me in the dark? Am I not doing everything you told me to? Am I not ripping my soul apart just as you asked? What more can I give you? What more can I possibly do to prove to you I am doing EVERYTHING in my power to follow your plans? And yet you still keep me in the dark!” The Game Warden was shouting in her face now, staring directly into her familiar icy eyes.

The eyes that reminded him of the only girl he ever loved. Of the child he was indebted to protect.

Nightingale continued to cackle. A broken scratchy noise that ended in a groan. “There’s the Julie I remember. The fighter that didn’t cower no matter his opponent. The man that would risk everything for what he cherishes. The player that beat out all of his rivals and won against all odds. You’re doing it all for Sparrow. For my little sister. She’s quite high up in the ranks now, in the Retrieval Faction. They’re calling her the Shadow. But all she does is fall into bed with prominent men and sneak out in the middle of the night. My innocent little sister turned into such a little whor—”

“I hate you,” The Game Warden cut her off, he didn’t want to hear about it anymore. Nightingale would never speak of Raven except to hurt him and remind him of what was at stake. To taunt him with what she was up to outside of this prison. Of how she used her body to survive, for the sake of their country.

“Good. Use that energy and listen to what I’m saying. I need you to keep your eyes on Sparrow. She will be kept safe, but if anyone tries to break the rules, you need to enact their punishment. The Host especially. He has…disgusting habits. If you catch him attempting to act on them, you need to end his life. Do it publicly. Only once The Host is dead can another take his place. And once you do exactly that, I will return. It will be time for your escape.”

The Game Warden watched her carefully, searching for a lie or evidence of further manipulation.

“What does that mean?” The Game Warden lowered his voice.

What if…just maybe…what if…she’s not who I thought? That she’s telling the truth?

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