Page 73 of Beg the Night

The guards reached for their guns as I approached, but Director said, “Let him go,” and they parted for me.

One of them pointed to a door on the left side of the hall, and as I shuffled that way, he followed.

I scoffed. It’s not like I could escape. There were at least a dozen guards here, and my sister was seated next to the woman pulling all the strings.

I wasn’t going anywhere without her.

What I needed was a new plan.

Just as I placed my hand on the bathroom door, a high-pitched voice called out.

“Elijah, wait!”

I turned and frowned at my sister, who was running down the hall. “What are you doing?”

She stopped in front of me, panting, her cheeks flushed. The smile she’d been holding since the moment I saw her fell. “I know what you’re worried about.”

“Really? Aside from this fucking claiming bullshit, I now have to worry about getting you out of here. You were supposed to be gone, Mags! Far away. Somewhere peaceful! Happy!”

“You worry about me too much,” she said, chin lifted. “I’m fine. I’llalwaysbe fine.” She glanced over her shoulder at the guards standing a few feet away murmuring to one another. “I know why you don’t want to do this. But Athena’s strong, okay? She can handle it.”

My chest tightened, and I turned away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She gripped my arm, stopping me. “Yes, you do. Just like I know what used to happen with you and Father.”

Head hanging, I cursed. “You weren’t supposed to know about that, Mags. You were never supposed to know.”

“I understand that you love me and you’re trying to protect me. But I want to protect you too, okay?” She took a deep breath. “Athena is different. And if it helps at all, I think she likes you.”

Her words were like a knife to my chest. “No, she doesn’t. And even if she did, it wouldn’t make what I have to do to her tonight any better. It’s vile.”

“It’s survival. She’ll see it that way, too.”

Fuck.Survival? I didn’t want to make my first time with Athena about surviving. I wanted it to be about…about literally anything else.

I blew out a breath, my entire being deflating. “Go back to dinner. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Mags frowned at me, her deep blue eyes glassy with concern. It wasn’t the least bit surprising. She always worried, and it fucking gutted me. I was her big brother. I was supposed to be the one worrying.

She cared too much. It was why she had been so damn nice to Athena when she showed up in those dungeons. It was why she cared about our parents. Why she still thought there was even an ounce of me that was worth redemption after what I’d done.

I stood in the white bathroom for a minute or two, slowly willing myself to rein in my power. If my phantoms took over tonight, there would be no turning back.

I had to control myself. For Mags. For Athena.

When had I become so damn sensitive?

Once my breathing was steady and my heartbeat had slowed, I made my way back to the dining hall.

As I approached, the guards were all rushing forward.

And when a scream tore through the air, it took everything in me to keep my phantoms from exploding out of me. Because that scream. Fuck.

It was Athena.

Though, as I breathed through the panic, I realized it was more of an angry howl. I shoved past two of the guards and burst into the dining hall.

Just in time to see Athena throw her knife across the table at her sister.

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