Page 14 of Bite of Sin

“If there’s another way into their city, we need to find it,” Viggo said. “We could finish this in a heartbeat if we had that information.”

“We’ll send scouts out to look.” I downed the rest of my drink.

The humans thought the war was over. They had no idea we’d never stopped plotting. And they wouldn’t know until it was too late.

Chapter5

Kali

Something was wrong.

I had the tunnel entrance in my sights, but it was the chaos inside the walls that had my blood running cold. There was a curfew, and everyone had to be in their homes when the sun went down. Nights were deathly quiet in my city. But right now, I could see the glow of lights, and I could hear a voice over a loudspeaker. I rushed forward, my heart pounding painfully when I noticed the cover of the tunnel was moved. Which meant Helena or Warner had already gotten back.

Or people were leaving the city.

Either way, I needed to sneak back in. I wouldn’t survive long out here if I didn’t have my supplies. And I couldn’t leave without finding Warner and Helena. I was almost positive I’d lost the vampire once I swam in the river, but if he was trailing behind, I didn’t want him spotting the tunnel.

Once I was in the tunnel, I tried hauling the heavy cover over the hole, but couldn’t place it perfectly by myself. But it would have to do, and I wouldn’t be in the city too long anyway. Keeping my hand on the rough wall, I ran as fast as I dared through the darkness. My heart fell into my stomach when I stumbled to a stop under the exit. It was uncovered, just like we’d left it.

Dread clung to me as I grabbed the dangling rope and hauled myself up. My muscles burned as I held myself up while I slowly poked my head out, scanning the street. The second I made sure there was no one around, I climbed out and put the metal grate back in place. The voice over the loudspeaker was echoing, but it sounded like it was coming from the city center, where the monthly blood checks were held.

I stood still for a moment, considering my next move. Going to my place and grabbing my bag should be the first priority. But as the voice grew louder, I found myself heading the opposite way instead. What if it was about Warner and Helena? If they got caught outside the walls, the government would make an example out of them.

I began flat out running, cutting through the small yards, my shoes crunching on the dead grass, and soon, I wasn’t alone anymore as others were making their way to the city center. Forcing myself to slow down, I ran my hands through my tangled hair, hoping it didn’t look too messy. It was still damp from jumping in the river, but at least I wasn’t covered in specks of blood anymore.

“Kali.”

I spun around, seeing a man who was a Clover. He was older than me and was one of the people who trained me. Even if he couldn’t help me out of this situation, there was still a slice of relief to know I wasn’t by myself. I fell into step with him as we kept walking.

“What’s going on, Tim?” I asked in a hushed voice.

“Mandatory attendance.” He glanced over at me. “They think people are missing.”

Shit.One look at me, and I was fucked. Tim’s steps slowed as he studied me, a scowl forming on his face. My cheeks flushed, knowing he was not going to be happy. Going through the tunnel without informing the group would be a breach of trust.

“What happened to you?” he hissed, grabbing my arm. “Did you go into the woods? We had nothing planned.”

“Something happened—”

I snapped my mouth shut when a bunch of soldiers came around the corner. Long guns were strapped over their shoulders, and they marched behind us, trying to corral everyone toward the city center. Tim cursed under his breath, shrugging out of his zip-up hoodie before throwing it over my shoulders. I gave him a grateful smile as I zipped it up. It didn’t go much longer than the hem of my shorts, but it was better than seeing the tears in my shirt.

“Did they see you outside the walls?” he asked, leaning close to me.

“I don’t think so.”

“Who else was with you?”

I pressed my lips into a thin line. Even though I doubted it would stay a secret, I wasn’t about to voice Helena’s and Warner’s names. Maybe they could get out of this somehow. The people in the crowd were murmuring with curiosity as we entered the large space in the middle of the city. Everyone was here, and I felt suffocated as I was pushed forward into more bodies. We had over a thousand people here, and it was impossible to fit in this long rectangular space without being squished together.

Tim kept a hold on my arm to keep us from being separated as we moved with everyone else. I searched the crowd, trying to catch sight of Warner or Helena. Panic tightened the knots in my stomach when Norman stepped onto the platform. He was wearing the same black uniform that he’d had on in the forest, and he lifted a microphone to his mouth.

“Everybody, please be patient,” he bellowed. “There was a breach of security, and we need to account for everyone to make sure you’re all safe.”

Bile rose in my throat. This wasn’t about safety. It was about finding the people who’d witnessed them killing Lisa. They were trying to cover their tracks.

“How did you get caught?” Tim whispered furiously in my ear. “We taught you better than that.”

“I didn’t get caught,” I shot back. “I’m here. They have no idea who it was, which is why they’re doing this.”

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