Page 20 of Dissent

The guy pushed a button on the dashboard. The trunk popped open in response. “Don’t be shy, sweetheart. Just hop in.”

“Just get in the car, Mara,” Chelsea urged through gritted teeth. And before I could argue with her any further, she grabbed my wrist and started pulling me.

“What are you doing? Let go!” I fought back, my voice shrill. Iknewthis was a damn set up.Helping me my ass!Who helped someone by shoving them in the trunk of a car? The murdering kind of people, that’s who.

“Shh!Keep it down, you idiot. Get in the car!” Her grip on my arm was too tight, cutting off the circulation to my hand. But there was no way I was getting in that car. This was a bad idea. I scratched at Chelsea’s hand, reopening the wounds from Belinda’s punishment. She shrieked as she let me go, drawing her hand to her chest, gripping it protectively as she muttered obscenities under her breath. I turned to run but didn’t get very far. I was so focused on Chelsea, I completely forgot about Mystery Man and slammed right into him.

Oomph!

“Sorry, sweetheart.”

WHACK!

A searing pain cut through my consciousness and total darkness consumed me.

11: Dissenters

Firesurroundedme.Icould feel the flames licking my legs, reaching up to ensnare my arms, but it didn’t hurt. A look around told me I was in the arena, surrounded by faces I didn’t recognize, except for one. Chase’s sweet eyes met mine, and although I was being burned alive, I felt nothing but calm. It felt right somehow. Being cleansed in the arena filled me with peace. Maybe I would finally get to see my mom. Maybe…maybe she would actually love me.

As the fire climbed up my legs and licked up my spine, I smiled. I looked for Chase one last time, but I didn’t find him. I foundher. Belinda stood out from the blurred faces of the crowd with that devilish smile she always carried. I cringed at the sight and then noticed my situation had changed. The flames that had brought me a sense of peace began to sting. And then I felt pain, the scorching burn of my flesh. As my heart raced, my skin began to charr all over my body. I let out a scream, but all I could hear was Belinda laughing and the sickening sound of melting flesh.

“Mara?”

My body sprang up into a sitting position as I panted, my heart pounding against my ribs. Quickly, I patted my body down, looking at my torso and arms to check for any evidence of burn, but I was fine. I was still dressed in the maid’s uniform, but I noticed my hair was no longer in the bun. It had fallen over my shoulders in a tangled mess.

“Easy now. You’re okay,” a voice ordered. I whipped around, recognizing Chelsea. She was sitting across from me, her own red locks cascading down about her face. She had changed out of my shirt and jeans into tan cargo pants and an olive-green, well fitted t-shirt. The combination highlighted the rich color of her curls. “You looked like you were having a nightmare, so I thought I would wake you up.”

My brain felt foggy and disoriented. Rubbing my eyes, I looked around—canvas tent, military grade. My cot rested at one end, and dozens more sat empty in a row against a wall. There was some furniture—a cabinet and several chairs. My vision blurred, so I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut before opening them again. I shook my head lightly to clear the fog.

Bad idea.

A familiar stinging sensation crashed through my senses, and I slammed my eyes closed, grimacing.Damn, I have a killer headache.My hand shot up to the side of my head where the pain was most prevalent. Gauze…gauze wrapped around my head.

“I’d leave that alone if I were you. If Doc catches you messing with it, he’s going to be all sorts of pissy.”

“Doc? Whatisthis? Where am I?” My head throbbed, and I felt awful. What the hell happened? Confusion was quickly morphing into frustration, and any patience I had left was almost gone.

Chelsea waltzed over to a folding chair close to my cot. Slumping into it, she draped her arms over the backrest. “Welcome to the resistance.” A smug smile crossed her lips. “This is the Med Tent. That idiot, Harvey, thought it would be a good idea to knock you out. In his defense, though, he didn’t realize who you were until I yelled at him. Sasha is going to kick his ass,” she relished.

“Who?”

She waved me off. “Never mind that. Allow me to simplify this for you since youobviouslycan’t keep up.” Lifting a finger in the air, she motioned all around. “This is Base Camp. You’re with the Dissenters.”

I froze.There’s no way, I thought to myself.I can’t possibly be… The thought trailed off.

If Raúl was going to spare me before, there was no way he would now. I looked down at my hands.What did I get myself into? “But…how did this happen? Wherearewe?”

Chelsea let out an exasperated sigh. “You know, they keep saying you’re smart”—she shook her head—“but I don’t buy it.”

I blinked.

“Oh god,” she groaned, rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. “Okay, look…I’m a rebel. Always have been. You were my assignment. I was placed at the palace as your personal maid.” Her face grew stern then. “You’re a bitch, by the way.”

“Hey,” I remarked with a glare.

“Nah, nah, nah,” Chelsea waved her hand, hushing me. “See, I’m not your maid anymore, so I can be honest. How about that? And youwerea bitch. See,here”—she gestured to the tent—“everybody’s equal. No classes, no one better than anyone else, none of that. And here, you’re onmyturf, princess—”

“Don’t call me that.”

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