Everything goes black.
I wake up on the ground with a pool of bile next to my face. I groggily get up and check the door.
It swings open with a nudge. I take the stairs three at a time, keeping close to the wall and shadows.
I’ll grab Bri, figure out how to get these cuffs off, and get the fuck out of here.
At the top of the stairs, an Oo’rahim sits on a bench to the left. The sad excuse for a guard is dozing off. His head bobs up and down as he loses the battle to stay awake. I patiently wait until his chinslumps to his chest. I shuffle my feet from the shadows to see if that rouses him. He doesn’t even twitch—completely knocked out.
I edge along the wall, moving from one shadowed alcove to the next. The distant sound of bells gives me the confidence to move without fear of running into anybody.
I turn left at the first tunnel and duck into a shadowed doorway. The door is cracked open. I look through the narrow space before stepping in and close myself in. Through the complete darkness my hand brushes against the rough material of robes hanging in a long line. I pull on a robe—not an easy task with my hands cuffed—and get a few warning shocks in the process.
It’s tight across my shoulders and hangs above my knees.
I must look ridiculous. No Oo’rahim would ever mistake me for one of their own.
I catch the sound of mumbling outside of the door. I shove my way behind the robes, crouch down, and lean my back against the cold wall. An Oo’rahim walks in with a flickering light.
I freeze. My pulse hammers in my ears so loudly it could give me away. The feet stop, turn, and face me.
I don’t breathe. I don’t move. Every second stretches on for a lifetime.
Then—finally—the light shifts. He turns back toward the door and slips out, taking the glow with him and plunging me into darkness once more.
I move swiftly and press my ear against the door. Through the hard wood I strain to hear the muffled voices.
“Where is she now?”
“She demanded to go back to her quarters. What were we supposed to do? Deny the goddess?”
Goddess? Did Bri convince these fucking idiots to worship her? In some way, I’m not surprised.
“She was not satisfied by our offers. We have failed her,” anothervoice says.
“We will try again, Brethren. Do not be dismayed.”
The bells trail off in the distance.
What is going on down here?
FIFTEEN
Bri
“But the prophecy?—”
“Your prophecy said I needed to be satisfied. I am. I’m totally satisfied. No need for anymore…whatever that was.” I cut him off, desperate to end this conversation.
“Yes, Your Radiance,” he says and bows.
“Please take me to my room.” I put some force behind my words. I’m tired of repeating myself and want to be left alone. This ludicrous situation was funny at first, but that wore off a while ago.
“Yes, Your Greatness. Please forgive us for our transgressions,” Boss says.
I pay close attention to the turns through the tunnels back to my room. There is so much going on here, and I’m getting the feeling that I only know half of it. The situation with Boss, the vague prophecy, and where the hell are all the women?
“Where are all the women? Are they in a different colony?” I ask again, trying to soundcasual.
