I scream and arch my back, clawing at my chest. Birds explode into the night, but the Fang roars his rage, an accompaniment to my shrieks.
“What did you do?” he bellows.
I’m dropped to the ground where I writhe, struggling and pulling at my naked chest. I curl into a ball, sobbing as it starts to ease.
The Beta’s Fang slaps him hard, then lands several more vicious blows on him. He steps back, smoothing back his hair like he’s trying to calm down. I squint at them, trying to keep out of their way. I’m covered in sweat, but even from here, I can see the gold knife he holds out.
“Eat it.”
The baron’s eyes widen behind the mask. The words seem to echo around us. I hold still, hoping he forgets about me while he’s using that tone of voice.
“But, my Lord Fang, I—”
“Open your mouth and swallow this knife!” he roars.
In morbid horror, I watch the baron stumble forward; his whole body shakes. He looks up at his superior and then opens his mouth. It’s tentative, terrified. His mouth stretches open as he inches forward until he’s swallowed a third of the blade.
“You’re taking too long,” the Beta’s Fang snarls. He grabs the beta’s hair with his free hand and yanks him down on the blade.
Blood, thick, dark, and red, pours out of the beta’s mouth. He cries out, convulsing, and then falls to the ground right beside me. I stare at the pool of blood as his heels drum on the ground.
The Beta’s Fang just sighs with happiness and, before I can think, reaches out, grabs my hair, and pulls me to my feet. I moan but grit my teeth on the sound.
“You! Carry her, and if anything happens to her, you’ll be eating my blade next.”
I’m picked up and held securely but with more caution. A part of me stirs with pity for the fallen beta. He didn’t do anything.
I don’t know what happened to me, but I do know it wasn’t his fault.
I wonder how many of my people he killed, and I squash that tiny part of humanity and hope it dies. I have no sympathy for the Beta’s Path.
They carry me swiftly through to a part of the city with one-story buildings, lots of open space, and huge intersections of multi-lane roads. The place they bring us to is a series of massive factories with huge fenced areas around it. Very much like the citadel,I think in unhappy realisation.
A part of me was hoping I’d be rescued. But it would be impossible here. Hard to get into and even harder to escape from, especially considering that all around the outside are tents with drums of fire. I wonder if anyone has escaped them.
Do I want to?
Yes, I know Jarek is gone, but I want to die on my terms in a place of my choosing. Not like this, not surrounded by them.
Betas in black robes gather as we walk in. Drawn by my white hair and the realisation that Kaida Keres has finally been caught again. They call out, swearing and laughing, but I block it all out.
Two massive sliding doors peel open, revealing a dark pit of shadow and blood in front of me. I can’t see anything, but I can hear what sounds like hundreds of people crying, screaming, shouting.
I look up, blinking as we walk into the darkness, and then I hear the sliding of metal. When I glance back, the doors are slammed shut. It takes long moments for my eyesight to adjust, and I wish, I wish to all the gods there ever were that they didn’t.
The screams and cries of the people in here didn’t even come close to what I’d imagined.
There’s an omega tied to a stake in a pit that is clearly meant for fire. The blackened area is thick with soot and char. She’s got broken legs, and I can see the glistening white of her femur pointing towards the sky. She’s given up, but I think I would have too.
I whip my head around and find three more alphas on their knees. As I watch, a beta brings a cleaver down and lops off one of his fingers.
Behind them is a pile of bodies, though I see one handless alpha struggling to dig out from under the others.
I’m breathing fast, struggling to stay in one piece and keep my mind from shattering into a million little pieces. I’m thrown to the ground, and when I look up, I see cages of omegas and alphas. They surge towards me, gripping the bars.
“It’s her.”
“Kaida Keres.”
