Page 62 of Blue Arrow Island
“How do you have electricity and plumbing?”
He considers before answering. “The camp was built with them.”
I glare at him. “You know what I mean. Were you guys brought here on a boat as prisoners, too? How do you know about aromium?”
He rubs his jaw, his mossy-green eyes intent on me as he picks up the knife. “Where did you get this?”
The information he wants from me is the only power I have. I’m not giving it up for nothing.
“If I can have it back—and keep it—I’ll tell you.”
He lowers his brows. “No one here is allowed to have weapons except our security team.”
I shrug and sit back in my seat. “Put me on your security team.”
There’s a shadow of a smirk on his face. “Not a chance.”
I focus my gaze on Nova, hoping she’ll be more reasonable. “I got here at the same time as Amira. I’ve been at Rising Tide theentire time until I escaped and Virginia tried to kill me. What is it that you guys suspect me of?”
Nova’s expression gives nothing away. “People who have nothing to hide hide nothing. So where did you get the knife?”
I decide to try diplomacy.
“Put yourselves in my shoes. I don’t trust anyone on this island. Every day since I got here, I’ve been fighting just to stay alive.”
“You wouldn’t be alive without our help,” Nova reminds me.
I glance away. That’s a fair point. “I’m willing to trade my information for your information. I think that’s fair, don’t you?”
Marcus exhales through his nose. “Tell us where you got the knife, and if I think you’re being honest, I’ll answer one of your questions.”
I laugh, genuinely amused. “Um, no? You only have one question for me and I have about a thousand for you.”
He shakes his head. “What makes you think I only have one question for you?”
“Why do you guys have so much food when Rising Tide is starving?”
His gaze sharpens on me as he holds the knife up. “An answer for an answer.”
My heart races as I keep my eyes locked on his. “You first.”
He looks up at the ceiling, the muscle tic in his jaw giving away his anger. “I’ve got better things to do than play games with you. Do you want to stay in our camp?”
The past few days have been the only time I felt reasonably safe on this island. I have lots of questions, but my instincts are telling me this is the best place to be right now.
I nod.
“If you want to stay here, there are rules,” Marcus says. “And you’ll have a guard for as long as I think you need one.”
I’m trying to keep my temper locked down, but I slip.
“Rule number one—you’re in control.” Bitterness seeps from my voice. “And I have to do everything you say. Does that about cover it?”
It’s been years since I got to go where I wanted. Do what I wanted. Fuck who I wanted. Be who I wanted. And I’ve had it with men asserting their control over me.
Marcus clears his throat. “You have to earn your place here. When Ellison clears you, you’ll get a job. You have to respect everyone in this camp, and I have the same expectation from all of them. No one gets special treatment here. And don’t lie to me. Those are the rules.” He waits a couple of seconds. “Do you still want to stay?”
I look down at the flowing grain of wood on the table, which shifts from amber to dark brown and then back again. Though I don’t have a choice, I’m pretending like I do.
