Page 36 of Beg the Night

“No, no. It’s stunning.” I spun and forced a smile. “You are an absolute gem, Margaret.”

Cheeks going pink, she shook her head as if she didn’t believe me. If I had a heart, it would’ve broken right then. Because it was always the purest souls that could not see the beauty they harnessed just by existing.

“You’re not half bad yourself,” she replied. “I can hardly believe you’re the same girl who refused to shower! Twice!”

With a roll of my eyes, I tied off the end of my braid, then turned and followed Margaret out of the bathroom.

The men had already been taken out of the dungeon, all of them dressed like Director’s little playthings.

As we stood in the empty room, dread coiled in my stomach. There was no way Director would pull all of her mystics from the dungeons and expect the night to go peacefully.

I didn’t have the first clue what powers these men possessed, but I was smart enough to know there was a reason we were hidden underground, enclosed in an inescapable cage.

Letting monsters out of their cages was never a good idea. Even if they were dressed up and told to play nice.

I had only been in hell for a handful of days, and I was ready to climb the walls. The rest of the population had been here much longer. Surely, they had to be itching to break free.

“All right, let’s get this over with,” I said, more to myself than to Margaret. Let’s somehow manage to survive the night, even though every single bone in my body told me death was very close.

As we approached the group of guards waiting for us by the door, Margaret buzzed with an alarming level of excitement. I couldn’t really blame her, I guessed. If I had been down here for months like her, I might have been excited, too.

I’d never been to a ball or anything like it. I’d never even worn a dress like this. I never had any reason to. Until the day I was brought here, my life had been quiet and simple. We’d spent most of our time taking care of the land, feeding the animals, and cooking. I couldn’t begin to fathom living in a world where people dressed up like this to—to what? Mingle? Pretend to like one another?

Sounded absolutely terrible.

“Get moving, ladies.” The guard who hurried us along sounded equally as robotic as he looked. As robotic as they all looked, dressed head to toe in black tactical gear. “You’re expected at the ball in five minutes.”

With a huff, I followed their lead, my arm linked with Margaret’s. As we traversed the tunnels and hallways that ledabove ground, I did my best to remember every twist and turn. Though I quickly discovered the guards were purposely backtracking, walking us in circles, doing their best to confuse us. On top of that, I was half certain my brain had shrunk while I’d been rotting away in the damn dungeon.

“What’s this ball for, anyway?” I asked.

For a long moment, not one of the five guards responded. I was ready to accept that I wouldn’t get an answer when one finally spoke up. “Think of it as a celebration for the mystics.”

Real freaking rich. “And why would the gifted be celebrated? All we’ve—they’ve—done is sit in the damn dungeon for months.”

Without looking at us, the guard scoffed. “You know nothing of what’s happening in the world, mystic. But you’re about to learn.”

When we approached the stairs that led above ground, my heart nearly stopped. The scent of the outside air ignited my senses like a distant memory. It tasted like freedom. Like hope.

“Do you smell that?” Margaret asked, sniffing the air. “It smells like…like…”

“Like fresh air.”

Her face lit up, eyes sparkling as she looked up to where the leading guard pushed the door open. “Let’s go.”

She scurried up the steps first, and when she hit the top, laughter bubbled out of her. When I stepped onto the dirt beside her, I found myself choking down my own excitement.

We were outside.

Outside.

“Don’t even think about trying to escape,” one of the guards barked as the five of them surrounded us. “Director isn’t stupid. She’s taken precautions to ensure the mystics don’t try anything.”

Curiosity piqued, I scanned our surroundings, noting the dense trees and the dark sky above. “What type of precautions?”

“The type you don’t want to have to discover.”

Vague. Cryptic. If I had power, I would blast this whole place to the ground, being sure to take everyone with it. Aside from Margaret, of course.

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