Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Basically, I’d taken a metaphorical step back from our dynamic, becoming friendly-but-distant.
In the beginning, it had earned me a few narrow-eyed looks from him, but he hadn’t otherwise reacted. Not even the second night when we slept in the same room down in that bunker. I had worried that I would again wake overflowing with restless energy, leaving us no choice but to spar again, but thankfully no such thing had occurred.
Before proceeding to put my plan in action, I’d suspected that following through with it wouldn’t be easy. I’d been correct to think so. After all, how could one find it simple to resist letting their eyes settle on someone so pretty to look at? And how could you force yourself to let someone ‘fade’ into the background of your attention when you had such a finely-tuned awareness of them?
With extreme difficulty, as it turned out.
At this point, his narrow-eyed looks had progressed to full-on Quit this shit glares. He was no doubt of the opinion that I was being childish, or he might even mistakenly assume that I was being passive-aggressive. On the contrary, I didn’t believe in making others pay for things they had no control over. It wasn’t his fault that he seemed to resent this relentless thing that had sparked between us.
“Here you go,” said Glory, yanking me from my ruminations.
“Thanks,” I said, curling my fingers around each tankard. It was at that very moment that Bevan appeared at the bar.
“What are you having?” the barmaid asked him, perching a hand on her hip.
“A pitcher of beer.” His weary gaze cut to me. “You look like shit.”
Of course I did. I hadn’t slept in two days. Neither had he. “You look worse.”
He sighed. “I know.”
It had hit every candidate hard—particularly since we’d really needed sleep last night. The earlier part of that day had been beyond tiring. We’d been split into several groups and taken to different spots within the Pines where no beasts roamed. Talon and the Marshalls had then ordered us to make our way back to the city … which would not have been so bad if they hadn’t also hunted us down during the journey.
They had inevitably caught us all eventually. As a ‘punishment’ for not making it back home, we’d been then left in an ice-cave for the entire night, where it had been literally impossible to get any sleep.
Talon and Ajax had stuck close so that anyone who couldn’t handle the confinement or cold temperature could be released. Only two candidates had quit, just as only two had quit after their stay at the bunker. And so the number of candidates was now down to forty-three.
“How’s Seneca?” I enquired, remembering how shaken she’d been after being immersed in a tub of cockroaches earlier. She might be a complete tool, but I’d still felt bad for her.
Concern creased his brow, but it quickly smoothed away as he lifted his chin. “She’ll be fine,” he stated, clearly unwilling to let others see her as anything but strong.
“Good.” Lifting my tankards, I went to walk away.
“You should watch your back,” Bevan recommended, gripping the pitcher Glory placed in front of him. “Atticus is … not himself.”
And so might finally act on all the hatred he felt for me. “Thanks for the advice. Though I have to wonder why you’d warn me.” Bevan and I were civil to each other, but not in the sense that we’d offer each other advice.
“Two reasons. First, if I can convince you to be careful, he’ll then skip the opportunity to do something that could get him killed—I don’t want him dead. Second, you saved my life once. I don’t like to feel indebted to people, so I’m returning the favor by warning you that you need to be cautious with your own life. Now we’re even.”
I gave a slow nod of understanding. “We’re even.” I blinked as someone abruptly appeared in the small space between me and Bevan. Talon, I quickly realized.
As the Cardinal silently placed an order with Glory, Bevan tipped his chin at me in goodbye and then scampered.
Good idea. I turned, meaning to cross to Khalida.
I didn’t get the chance.
Talon smoothly slipped in front of me, blocking my path. He folded his arms and planted his feet, his stance all business.
Staring at his throat, I inwardly sighed. He did this occasionally, placing me in a situation where I was forced to look at him whether I liked it or not.
I raised my gaze to his, finding it brimming with irritation. Nothing new there. I gave him a too-quick, somewhat distant smile. His glare intensified tenfold, and a muscle in his cheek ticked.
Whereas I would once have teased him about the whole glaring thing, now I only politely said, “Excuse me.”
His dark expression didn’t change, and he made no move to let me pass. An effort to provoke me, no doubt. But I wasn’t going to reproach him. Or joke with him. Or anything.