Chapter 36
Elora
Elora sat beside Amara in the common room, her eyes distant as her fingers traced patterns on the rough wood of the table. She was only half-listening as Amara chatted about the day, her mind focused on the plan that was soon going to unfold. Every detail Tehvan had laid out for her. Today was the day. She would escape this merciless place one way or another.
“Elora,” Amara whispered, nudging her slightly. “Gerard’s staring at you again.”
Elora blinked, snapping back to the present. She didn’t bother to glance in his direction; she could feel his gaze, a cold reminder of her dwindling time. If he was watching her this intently, it meant her trip to Thorn’s study was imminent. She had to tell Amara. Tehvan wouldn’t approve but imagining Amara’s reaction, her sadness, when she just disappears left a pit in her stomach.
She turned to her friend. “Come with me.”
Amara raised an eyebrow but didn’t hesitate, following Elora out of the common room and down the hallway to the empty sleeping quarters. Elora led Amara silently to the back corner, where theirbunks were tucked away, out of earshot. She met her friend’s gaze, the seriousness in her own eyes seeming to spark worry in Amara’s.
“I’m going to escape, Amara,” Elora whispered, balling her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
Amara’s face paled. She shook her head slightly, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Escape?” she echoed. “Elora… If you’re thinking of hurting yourself…”
“No,” Elora reached out and squeezed Amara’s hand tightly. “Not like that. I mean off the island. Away from here. I have a plan.”
Amara stared at her, her mouth slightly open in stunned silence, as if the idea were too impossible to even consider. “But… nobody escapes the island. The guards, the boats, the currents,Thorn.He’d never let you go. How…?” She trailed off, desperation flickering in her gaze. “How could you possibly get past all that?”
Elora reached beneath her pillow, her hand closing around the cool, smooth glass of the vial, and pulled it out, holding it between them.
Amara’s eyes widened as she took in the faintly swirling liquid inside. The contraband that would get Elora into severe trouble if discovered. “Elora… what is that?”
Elora’s voice was barely a whisper. “A sleeping draught. Strong enough to knock Thorn out for hopefully hours. When I go to his study, I’m going to use it. Tonight.”
Her lips parted as if to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She glanced down at the vial, then back at Elora. Her hand hovered at her chest, fingers curling slightly as though she didn’t know whether to clutch her collar or reach out to snatch the vial away.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Her voice trembled. “You’re really going to escape.”
Elora nodded, gripping the vial tightly. “I have to. I can’t stay here, Amara. I can’t keep letting him… use me.” She swallowed, her throat tight. “This will be the last time we see each other. Either I’m leaving this island or… I’ll be joining the others in the ash pit.”
Amara looked away, blinking rapidly as she processed Elora’s words. Her eyes glistened as she reached out, grasping Elora’s hand. “You don’t have to do this alone. Maybe… maybe I can help.”
Elora shook her head, grasping her hands back tighter. “No. If you get involved, Thorn will come after you, too. I can’t risk that. You have to stay out of it, please, Amara.” She forced a small, sad smile. “But I needed to say goodbye. I couldn’t just disappear without… without letting you know.”
They stood there in silence, hands still clasped, each absorbing the weight of what was about to happen. Amara pulled Elora into a fierce hug, her voice a shaky whisper. “Be careful, Elora. Don’t let him catch you.”
Elora hugged her back, letting the comfort of her friend’s embrace sink into her memory. “I won’t. I promise.” She squeezed a bit tighter. “Thank you. For everything.”
Elora and Amara clung to one another, neither wanting to let go, when the sound of slow, mocking applause broke through the silence.
“Well, isn’t this sweet,” Gerard drawled, leaning against the bunk with a smirk. “I hate to break it up.”
They held each other a little while longer before Amara reluctantly stepped back, her face carefully blank as she avoided Gerard’s gaze. As Amara released her, Elora swiftly slipped the vial into her pocket, clenching her hand around it to keep it hidden. She fought to keep her expression neutral, praying that Gerard hadn’t noticed the quick, subtle movement.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Gerard sneered, gesturing for Elora to follow him. “Thorn’s waiting. Don’t want to keep him in suspense, now, do we?”
Elora glanced at Amara, their eyes meeting in one last, silent goodbye. Amara’s face was a mask, but her eyes shone with barely contained resignation, a message Elora understood without a single word.I’ll miss you.
Chapter 37
Elora
Gerard led Elora back to the familiar, cold chamber where Thorn usually drained her. Her mind raced as she clutched the small vial in her pocket. She had imagined she would be returning to the chamber with the Al’teran, where Thorn would continue carving those cursed markings into her back. But instead, she found herself here, in the sterile room.
Thorn stood at his workbench, facing away from her. He turned when he heard her enter. “Ah,ithas arrived,” he said, his voice smooth but with an underlying edge. “Tell me. How have things been? Did any claws extend on their own? Did your teeth grow into daggers while you slept?”
