Page 166 of Blue Arrow Island
“The circle is sacred,” a man says, every one of the rib bones in his shrunken frame outlined.
Liquid fire pools in Virginia’s eyes as she hisses, “Fine. We’ll settle it in the circle. And it won’t be quick or merciful.”
I dip my chin. “I’ll make it quick and merciful, because I’m not a savage who feeds on the pain of others.”
She flashes a nasty grin. “Only the strong survive here. If that makes us savages, then we’re proud to be savages.”
Several people holler out their agreement, pumping their fists in the air.
“It doesn’t have to be this way.” I look around at their angry sneers. “You don’t have to starve and train yourselves into the ground. We have something better at our camp.”
“You think you’re better than us, bitch?” Marcelle glowers at me, her arms folded as she stands in one of the groups of people.
The rumble of discontent is louder now, most of the onlookers giving me disgusted glares.
“No! That’s not what I’m saying.”
Pax hooks my elbow. “Let’s go before you get yourself killed.”
He walks me down the path, deeper into the camp. When we reach their training area, he sits down on one side of a wooden table with built-in seats, gesturing for me to take the other side.
“What are you doing?” he whispers, his brow furrowed. “She’ll make you suffer just to prove a point.”
Conflicting emotions swim around in my head. I trusted Pax. I liked him. The aromium skewed my feelings for him, but there’s a part of the real me that still can’t bring myself to hate him.
I don’t trust him, though. My lips pressed into a thin line, I look away, refusing to answer him.
“Briar,” he says softly.
There’s a tug inside me, but I ignore it, shaking my head.
He’s not evil like Virginia, but there are two sides on this island, and he’s on the wrong one.
Hopefully McClain has the flowers now. Even if I don’t make it out of the circle, there’s hope of ending the games being played with people’s lives here.
48
Plants have their own form of chemical warfare called allelopathy, where they release chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants competing for resources. They can even release chemicals that make herbivores less likely to graze by affecting their nervous systems.
- Excerpt from a lecture given by Dr. Lucinda Hollis in her Plant Evolution course
“Don’t do this.” Pax’s tone is pleading, his gaze jumping from me to Virginia and then back to me again. “If you two could just get past your anger, you’d see how alike you are. This island needs both of you.”
It’s midafternoon, the burning torches placed around the circle flickering even though we don’t need their light. Dark eye sockets in the hundreds of skulls that line the space stare out at us vacantly.
They were people once, with beating hearts and dreams. They loved people and were loved in return. But then the viruscame, and life became a battle of survival. I have to believe most, if not all, of the people whose bones rim this space deserved a better death than the one they got.
“I’m nothing like her,” I snap. “Nothing like any of you. You eat your own people. You kill for sport.”
Gasps sound from the people gathered around the outer ring of the circle. Pax is standing between me and Virginia at the circle’s entrance, trying to talk us out of going through with the ritual.
I gesture at the Tiders watching us, many with spears in hand. “Why don’t they know what was injected into them before they were brought here? Or that one of the mystery meats here is human flesh?”
Pax’s eyes flash with anger. “That’s outrageous and untrue.”
“She lies,” Virginia says. “She wants to divide our people so she and Marcus can rule over us all.”
I scoff. “That’s so far from the truth.”
