I smile at that. “You’re right. We have much bigger problems than forgotten gods.”
With a last lingering look at the moon symbol, I return to the fire and sit beside Mordecai.
“What is Foreen?” Cadel asks reluctantly.
I stare at him, my eyes getting wider and wider. “You don’t know? You don’t know why you are here?”
He shakes his head, scowling in my direction.
“They’re going to kill us, Cadel. For being alphas, they are going to hunt us down like we’re animals and torture and kill us,” Jarek spits out; the bitterness in his voice is deep and filled with loathing.
Cadel stares at me for a long, heavy moment. I can see he doesn’t know whether he should believe Jarek. “What?”
“They brought us to Foreen to kill us,” I say gently. “Alphas and omegas are sacrificed to the beta god. She is always thirsty for our blood.”
“Bloodthirsty bitch!” Jarek says and pulls out a bottle. He takes a mouthful and passesit around.
I sip and close my eyes. Water.
Suddenly, I’m swaying.
“What’s wrong, Omega?” Mordecai barks, and I don’t even care that he’s used his alpha powers on me.
“Haven’t slept in days,” I murmur. “I’m just tired.”
Mordecai pulls me into his arms, and I’m too tired to argue, especially not when he feels so safe. I struggle a bit, but he just lets out a low rumbling growl, and I rest my head on his chest, listening to it.
“So, how do we get out? You said there was an exit?” Cadel says sharply.
“There is. A very hidden exit. But we’ll find it,” Jarek scowls at the ceiling, the firelight dancing over his face.
“There’s no other way out?” Cadel shifts his weight, and I can see he’s starting to realise how much trouble we’re in.
“No. They will come with weapons, horses, and a goddess. You’ve seen the walls; there’s hardly any food, little water. We will end up fighting each other before the end,” Mordecai murmurs. “They call it the Culling Grounds because this is where they are culling the alphas and omegas out of the world.”
I whimper, and instantly, he strokes my hair, making a soothing sound.
“Plus, there are the rumours of monsters,” Jarek murmurs softly. “Creatures so vicious that it’s said alphas have died just looking at them. But I don’t know how true that is.”
I’m stuck in a moment between sleep and wake. I can hear everything, but I can’t move.
Monsters. I’ve heard that. Wondered about it. I guess I will find out.
“Why?” Cadel asks in a hoarse whisper.
He sounds like he’s having trouble breathing.
“Why would they do this?”
“Because we’re alphas and omegas.”
“That can’t be the reason; it makes no sense.”
“Well, there’s a theory that alphas and omegas spread the Ravage Virus because it didn’t affect betas, or so they said. So, they kill us to stop the spread of an illness that hasn’t been seen in seven hundred years.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Cadel snaps. “No one can spread the Ravage but a god…”
I don’t hear the rest. Exhaustion drags me down and drowns me there.
