Page 1 of The Hate We Breathe

---

PROLOGUE

JULIET

Madness isn’t doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Madness is something else entirely. It’s obsession and broken pasts coming together to form a future that you know you’ll never be a part of.

I close my eyes and realize that I can't breathe.

There's no oxygen in my lungs, yet it lingers all around me, unwilling to give me a taste. As if even the air in Silverwood hates my fucking guts. It wouldn't surprise me if it did.

I’m fucking insane. Because even choking on nothingness doesn’t stop the smile from spreading over my face.

Nothing surprises me anymore.

"Well?" That voice holds no pity. "What's your choice? You… or him?"

Really, they should be asking—me or them.

And isn't that the question? That's always been the question. For the last several months, I've been asking myself that same thing over and over again.

Me or them? Me or them? Me… orthem?

I didn't know until this moment. I never would have guessed what my answer would finally be. Now that we're here, though, I can't see how I would have made any other choice.

It's them. It was always going to be them and it will always be them.

My lips part. I inhale, but there's still no air.

Fuck. It's not like I'll need to breathe for much longer anyway if I can’t pull this off.

Life as I know it is over.

I'm done.

Finished.

All because I let the Scorpion Kings turn me into everything I said they wouldn't.

They made me theirs and because of that…

I have to die.

So, here it goes.

Life or death?

Me or them?

I choose them.

I said I’d never die for a man. Well, now that it’s about three of them—it’s timeto eat.

Those.

Fucking.

Words.

1

---