Page 142 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

Raven ruffles her wings, and I can feel her tension through the chamber.

I shove the door open. Furious with this monster. Furious to be back here again.

I won’t die here.

He smooths the mask over my face and steps back, laughing. When I turn, I see a person exactly my size wearing a bird skull mask. Robin hasn’t made a sound in years now, but I would know her no matter what she wore.

“My Nightingales.”

The shock goes through the chamber. Dove sobs. Merle climbs up on her throne, staring with wide eyes. Kestrel stands up, legs spread, her mouth open. Raptor snarls and paces to stand with Kestrel. Robin and I were both Nightingales?

But…I thought I was the only one? If Robin was one…more memories slam into us of us working together…Robin and Merle, the songbirds. Killers. Prisoners. Nightingales.

I turn and look at the other five nightingales. Some are bigger, some are smaller. But we all wear the same thing.

“Now, my darling songbirds, go and kill for me. Remember everything I’ve taught you, and know that I’ll be here, watching. If you do anything wrong, it’s going to cost you.”

The memory blurs, and it’s later.

I kneel beside Robin.

“You didn’t kill him,” she snarls, her eyes furious, betrayed.

“I couldn’t!” Her wrist is so thin under my hand, and I think she’s not eating enough. “I couldn’t kill him. He was just like us. You should take him for-”

He hits me with a closed fist. “Stop thinking. Stop talking. You are a disgrace, and you’re going to learn about what happens when you ignore your Father.”

He beats Robin first until she’s screaming. Then, he ties her to the table so she can watch him whip me.

The first blow of the whip should hurt the most, but that’s not true; they all hurt, and the pain only gets worse and worse.

I scream until I can’t scream anymore.

He undoes the manacles, spins me around, and stands there, staring at me in a way that is more terrifying than the whip.

“You have failed me.”

“Father, no, wait. I’m sorry. Please!”

He turns and walks out.

***

Some things are hidden even from me, I think in despair. We’re all reeling as the memory reveals who that little boy was. As we see those green eyes and that red hair. We know that face.

Sage. We chose not to kill Sage.

I try to swallow the horror of what happened and what almost happened. Did we know he was our alpha? Is it possible to know that young?

Saving Sage cost us Robin.

No, that’s not right. There’s more.

Robin explodes out of the manacles when he unlocks hers and launches herself at Father. She gets her thin arms around his neck and pulls, trying to twist. His mask comes off. I see pale skin, an older man, he has ugly blue eyes, mean eyes. He’s not ugly or handsome; he’s just a man. She sinks her teeth into his neck. I hear his scream, and then, to my surprise, he bites her.

“LET GO!” I scream.

They are locked together in a hideous fight, neither will give up.