Page 76 of Drop His Mask

The Host’s hand was raised to knock, but he paused, listening to their argument just outside the room.

“It’s perfect. One of their own representing the games! Don’t you see, honey? He won’t step out of line as long as we have the child. He’s close to her,caresabout her,” Harold responded.

“How do you even know thegirl is Anadil’s?”

“Now you don’t even want to trust our closest allies? Honey, you know how we got here. It was with their help. At some point you have to let this jealousy die. I sent her away just as you requested.”

“But now you’re bringing her back!”

“Sharon.” Harold’s tone turned harsh. “She is still a Sponsor, or have you forgotten that? She put Julian in this game and then he won. He’s now being titled as The Host. It would be disgraceful if his Sponsor wasn’t here to see it. If the others found out she was banished away.”

“She’s only a Sponsor becauseyouallowed her to be! She shouldn’t have left thatFacilityalive. You promised we’d be done with the disgusting citizens of Violencia. You made me live there for over a decade. And I stayed by your side through it all!”

“Silence!” Harold yelled.

The Host took that time to finally rap on the door in quick succession.

“Come in,” Harold called out. No evidence of his previous anger.

Before he could do anything else, Sharon wrenched the door open, glaring at him. “You better not fuck this up. Be the good and dutiful Host and remember what’s at stake.” She didn’t wait for a response before shoving past him and down the hallway.

“Sorry about that.” Harold beamed up at him from his desk. “Take a seat.”

The Host settled into the chair across from him.

“As you know, the other games are set to start soon, you will need to get the approval of all the Sponsors. While they aren’t happy with your hand in the previous Host’s death, upon watching the video they could not deny that you acted in just cause. After all, daughters are the soul sent from above.”

The soul sent from above?

“Why don’t they ever have women compete?” The Host asked. The question had been burning through him for a very long time now and he felt it was one step closer to fully understanding anything.

Harold took off his mask, setting it on his desk, before leveling The Host with a stare. “In your country, Violencia, there is a level of corruption that keeps the country’s secrets from you. It keeps you all so busy surviving that you never stop to ask too many questions. Admittedly, in some ways, it’s safer that way.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” The Host’s jaw ticked in irritation. He felt like he was always one thin layer away from the truth. Away from the answers he needed. But he didn’t know the right questions to ask.

And for some fucked up reason,Haroldwas the only one who seemed to want to inform him. To tell him everything. As if he enjoyed being the bearer of bad news.

“Just listen. In order for the answer to make sense, you first need to understand.” Harold stood up, turning to the large oak bookshelf behind him. Finding what he was looking for, he tugged out a map, setting it before The Host. “In the rest of the world, there are three large countries that take up the majority of the population; Grypheem, Luscinia, and the Isles of Sacerdos.”

The Host still wasn’t sure why he was telling him this, but he would take the history lesson. Growing up in the Facility, there had not been much information to pass along. They were aware a whole wide world existed, but they didn’t know anything about it or how to get there.

“About two hundred years ago, those three countries made a unanimous decision that would cause catastrophic consequences. But we don’t need to go into all of that right now. I am beginning to ramble, I suppose.” Harold sat back down, pointing to the very corner of the map. “Over hereis where Violencia is.” He traced along to another island. “This is where we are. And over here? This is Grypheem. It is the country that regretted their decision the most. That wanted to fix their mistakes and so they tried to. Unfortunately, it was already too late.”

“I don’t–” The Host paused, digesting the man’s words. “I just don’t understand, what does any of that mean?”

Harold exhaled. “I suppose without knowing the full story, I may have just confused you even more. But here’s the short of it. The women in the rest of these countries in Grypheem, Luscinia, and the Isles of Sacerdos, they are few and far between. Fewer and fewer girls are being born each year. For those that can afford it, they can still have daughters, but they are born outside of the womb. In laboratories. Genetically made up from DNA provided by their ‘parents.’ The few that are natural born, the ones that have mothers and fathers, arecherished. Special. Because of that, all women in those countries are protected and kept safe. They are not permitted to volunteer for these games. Prisoner or not.”

“Sparrow,” The Host whispered.

“Yes, Anadil presented proof that she was born naturally. A DNA test confirmed. She did not have the markers that girls created in laboratories have. Even in your own country, natural born girls are becoming scarce.”

The Host’s anxiety rocketed up and up and up. The infertility stamp. Another bomb dropped onto him. He had answers, but even more questions still. “If women arecherished, how are they allowed to fight in these games? Why can Violencia’s women be entered at all?”

Harold cocked his head, examining The Host. “While all natural born women arecherishedit is only those that are fertile that are above all laws and persecution. We provide proof that the players are infertile and deserving of their imprisonment; this has appeased the Sponsors. And dueto the lack of women in our own countries, the players that are women are often targeted for moreuniquegames.”

The Host let the splash of information settle on him, but his mind back tracked to what Harold had said before. “Wait,volunteer?”

Harold eyed him warily. “You really know nothing? It’s interesting to watch as the truth settles around you. You’re taking it all in stride, perhaps this is why dear Ana chose you.”

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