Page 120 of Elas

None of them have wanted my name.

None of them have cared, but I have to say it.

I have to show them that someone inside this horrid place views them aspeople, even if my only weapon is basic decency. “Hi. My name is—”

“August?”

My eyes flip up as the woman steps forward, and that acrid sensation that’s bubbled in my gut all day ratchets up. My hand flies over my mouth as I fight to push it back down, my gaze searching her sunken cheeks and flaking, chapped lips. Umber skin that was once vibrant is muted, and green eyes that once were so full of light they were hard to look at are now flat.

A leader who demanded respect is diminished, a shadow of her former self.

“Taryn?” I whisper, staring into the eyes of the woman who’d commanded her camp with integrity. Someone admired by everyone she met, and who never backed down from a challenge.

She’s broken.

Defeated in a way that snaps my composure right in half as a tear streaks her face.

“August, what are you… how are you…” She sweeps my frame, recognizing the military-issued scrubs on my body and the device in my hand, and her lips pull back in a surprised snarl. “How could you?”

I glance over my shoulder, but the hallway remains empty. “Please,” I hiss, “it isn’t what it looks like. I can’t… I have to be careful.” She’s unsure, but leans in closer to hear my near-silent words. “Taryn, you know me. Youknowme. You know how much I need tohelp.” I stress the last word, and her eyes don’t dare to hope, but they relax. “What happened?”

She swallows, the sound so dry it makes my skin crawl, before she pushes up her sleeve. Once-toned arms have weakened and thinned, and a glowing mark shines just above her elbow. “Lillith,” she whispers, a wobbly half-smile pulling on her lips. “She was a guard in the prison at Glaston.”

“Was?” I ask, dread boiling in my empty stomach again.

“We had only been in that cell a few days when the mark showed up. She was so happy to have a mate. She told her commanding officer, and within a few hours, we were thrown in a van and brought here.”

“I take it you fought?”

A huff that’s almost a laugh blows from her lips. “Of course I did.”

“And Lillith? Is she…” Saliva pools in my mouth, another wave of nausea hitting me hard.

“She’s here. They let me see her every few days, but just for a few minutes.” That microscopic smile fades as her eyes glaze over. “Sometimes, I think it would be easier if they didn’t. Maybe then I wouldn’t remember what it’s like to be around her. Is that awful?” Her eyes meet mine again, imploring.

“No, Taryn. You aren’t awful.” I glance towards the double doors, knowing we’re running out of time. “I’m so sorry… I have to take you to the lab,” I say, my voice quivering. “It’ll be worse if they come looking for us. Theycan’trealize we know each other.”

She nods and takes a step back as I open the door, suppressing the urge to wrap her in my arms and give her a moment’s comfort. Instead, I offer her a shaky smile and turn to lead her to the lab, when she grabs my hand and stops me. “If you can get out of here, just go. Leave while you can. Save yourself.”

“You expect me to leave you behind?” I whisper, and her eyes pool with tears as her lip trembles.

“If whatever they’re injecting me with doesn’t kill me, then a bullet to the head will. We both know I’ll attack them again at some point.” I almost smile at the familiar rebellion in her voice, even as I fight tears. “I’m as good as dead, anyway, August. We all are.”

“Don’t say that,” I plead in a low whisper, glancing towards the door again. “You can’t give up yet, okay? You can’t—” A buzz blares in the quiet, and she assumes a passive stance again. We walk into the hallway as the Bemesse medic storms in our direction.

His nostrils flare when he sees Taryn behind me. “Should’ve known this one would take forever. She likes to fight.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Yeah, she does.”

Elas

Iwon’tbeableto stall much longer. My pen scratches across the transfer order, and I fight the urge to snap it in half and stab it through Gale’s neck. Watching him bleed out would be the most cheerful thing I’ve seen since we arrived in this cursed place, but I restrain myself.

Barely.

I can’t decide if the workers here are heartless, soulless monsters, or if they’ve become numb to the horrors of it. Screams permeate the lobby on the regular, and no one even bats an eye. Cleaning crews have passed through at least three times, the unmistakable stink of blood following them like a cloud.

And yet, two medics stand in the corner, talking and laughing as though none of this is happening.

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