‘Oh shit, Dee. Bear’s fighting Judd.’
Dionne grabbed her arm, tugging her to Amber side to get a good view, but more inmates had gathered than usual, and none of the guards seemed bothered.
The atmospherein the gymnasium was way more serious, even Oxley had lost his characteristic smile.
Judd made the first move, Pirates on one side of the mat, cheering him on, Flames on the other, jeering at their enemies, but Bear went nowhere but straight into him, his solid chest taking a blow, then his head returning the gesture, smacking down onto Judd’s nose.
None of the moves were part of sparring, but the guards were too interested in the brawl to break it up.
Judd bounced back on one foot, his tongue pressed firmly into his cheek, blood trickling into his mouth, but he showed he wasn’t fazed, just ready for round two.
Bear ducked the flying fist, then straightened to assess his opponent’s rage levels. Judd always failed himself when too angry, and that was an advantage for anyone, but this time he was more unhinged, almost enjoying the pain inflicted, and that meant Bear needed to take him out of the game fast, because when Judd snapped, a weapon normally followed, and Bear wasn’t about to make friends with a shank.
The noise was deafening until Mr Lackly waved his clipboard in the air, trying to regain some control, but Bear took that moment to run at Judd, lift him by the legs, and slam him straight into the unsuspecting guard, bringing all three of them crashing down. The handmade knife in Judd’s waistband slid across the floor, where Varklee snatched it up, hiding it in his pocket, then Mr Kane pulled Bear up as the pips went for clean-up time.
The crowd dispersed, leaving Lackly groaning, Judd moaning, and Temple organising wagers on his way out.
Bear shot Scarlen a small smile as he made way for her to walk out the door ahead of him. ‘See you later,’ he whispered, acting as though nothing major had just happened.
Scarlen entered the shower chamber,only needing to wash her face, as this time Kylar hadn’t caused much damage. ‘I’m starting to feel fed up with this place.’
Dionne scoffed, splashing her face at a sink. ‘That’s what happens at the end of your first month here. By the end of your second month, you’ll be suffering too much with heartsickness to think about being fed up.’ She nodded as she patted her face with a towel. ‘Each month, you change. And by the end of your sentence, you can’t wait to rejoin your family.’
I doubt that.It was strange to think the king was sitting in the palace, knowing she was in prison, and not doing a thing about it to free her. She wondered if her brother knew where she was or had been lied to. She liked to think Milon didn’t know, otherwise it hurt more knowing he hadn’t done anything to help her.
‘I’m not sure where to go when I leave here, Dee.’
‘Come live in my village if you want. I’ll help you find work.’ Dionne sighed heavily. ‘I’ll need to find something for myself as well, as I can’t keep stealing and coming in here. My brother needs me.’
I’m not sure anyone needs me.Scarlen’s thoughts went to Bear. She wouldn’t be around to watch his execution, but if she went home, might she be able to stop it? Her father wasn’t one to change his mind once set, and he had made it quite clear how much he hated shapeshifters, but still. If she told him how much Bear had looked after her in prison, maybe he might feel the need to reward him somehow. She didn’t want to go back to the palace, to face her father, but for Bear, she might.
It was quieterthan usual out in the yard, and Scarlen blamed it on the bitter cold and the boredom. It had been a strange month, getting used to life in prison with so many people she had neverseen before. Back home, she knew the faces that came and went from her confined space. She wasn’t sure which was lonelier. Looking around, there were many a small group clustered here and there, but the emotion of loneliness was strong enough for all to notice.
‘Smithson,’ called Bear.
She approached the divide to see what he wanted.
He was holding a tiny stone he’d picked from the edging of the fence. ‘Want to play a game?’
‘What kind of game?’
‘I see if I can throw this through the fencing, and you have to catch it.’
She blew out a laugh as she laced her fingers through the holes in the barrier. ‘How do you win at this game?’
‘You don’t. It just passes time.’
There were many games inmates played for that reason, someone was always coming up with something new for yard time, as each yard only had one basketball court, and they were often occupied by gang members.
Neither of the gangs liked her much, so Scarlen had never bothered trying to join a ball game.
‘Go on then. Let’s see if you can get the stone over here.’ Scarlen watched Bear concentrate on his aim. He never smiled much, and when he did, quite often it was slight, as though something pulled back on his happiness each time it tried to break through.
There weren’t many stones to play with, as most had been gathered up at one point or another for other games, so Bear had the advantage of using such small pebbles. The first two bounced off his own fencing, which brought a smile to her face. The third hit the pathway between them, then the fourth caught her fence.
Scarlen bent to pick her own stone. ‘Let me try.’ Biting her lip and narrowing her eyes, she darted the object towards him,aiming for his chest. A hushed rumble of a laugh came from him as the stone shot through both fences and into his palm. It was nice to hear the sound come from him, but it hadn’t lasted long.
Bear held up his hand. ‘Caught it.’
