“Thanks, but I think I’ll be fine,” I say, stepping out of his reach.
He heads back to the front door, turns to me, and smiles. “Remember what I said, Max. I can have whomever I want. That includes you.” He pushes a black button in the wall next to the entrance, the door slides open, and he leaves.
“What the hell is wrong with everyone?!” I shout once the door is closed, feeling utterly disgusted by Jack’s advances.
I’d rather have Brink’s horrid behavior over everyone else here in Icarian.
The Matron arrives a few minutes later with a breakfast tray. She sets it down on the dining room table and leaves. I only eat a little of it since I don’t fully trust anything here. I finish the eggs and take a bite out of the toast when I taste cinnamon. I immediately spit it out and toss the tray into the kitchen sink. I need to get away from everything, so I take the lift down, exit onto the courtyard, and begin heading down the stone road. I don’t get far when Jack falls in step next to me.
“Stalking me?” I ask, not breaking my stride.
“Just curious as to where you’re going.”
“Wherever the road takes me.”
He steps in front of me. “You won’t find an escape from here, Max. Not until the Patrician are ready to transport us.”
“So, what were you promised if you became a Patrician lackey?”
“Huh, you think it’s only about them?”
“Oh that’s right, you’ll play either side. Just like Troy, and just like your father.”
He punches me in the face. I’m in the process of grabbing my weapon when he swings me to the ground, placing his knee into my back. “You know nothing about my family.”
“I know your brother is a Dracken leader, or at least he used to be. My parents are dead because of your father,” I say, squirming under him.
“You’re lying. Troy would never side with the Dracken.”
“Then ask him why he has a dragon tattoo on his right bicep.”
Jack gets up. “I will,” he says, anger heavy in his voice.
He grabs me by the back of my shirt, lifts me off the ground, and we walk back towards our apartment building with him shoving me forward every few steps. We take the lift up to the sixth floor and Jack rings a bell outside of an apartment. Troy opens it up with a smile on his face when he sees my discomfort, but it doesn’t last long when he notices the look on Jack’s face. Jack shoves me inside onto the floor as he closes the door.
“This little whore says you have a dragon tattoo on your arm. Is that true?” Jack asks, stepping so close to Troy that he’s forced to back into the cube wall.
“Yes, but only because father told me to get it,” Troy answers, whimpering.
“Why would he do that? He knows we’re loyal to the Patrician.”
“It’s a safety net, Jack. You were already in Icarian when dad thought of it. He wanted to make sure he had sons on both sides of the playing field.”
“Yeah, in case he had to quickly change his allegiance,” I say from my vantage point on the floor.
Jack kicks me in the stomach, picks me up by my throat, and starts to squeeze. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”
A laugh escapes my lips. “That threat again? It doesn’t scare me anymore. The Patrician need me to get what they want from Pentras Tower, and I’m the only person capable of accessing the building.”
“We’ll have what they want soon,” Troy says, his confidence returned. “Lok will get it for us. He’s working on cracking the security protocols as we speak.”
“Then what? You give it to the Patrician and they let everyone here live, including you? Is that what they taught you at the academy?” I say.
“How do you know about that?” Jack asks, easing his grip slightly.
“People from Tarsus are not known for their secrets,” I respond. “The Patrician are parasites. They don’t care about you, only what will benefit them. Once they have what they’re looking for, your existence will be terminated.”
Jack squeezes my neck harder. My windpipe is cut off and I begin to black out. The ring at the door stops my execution. According to the monitor, Garrett is standing on the other side of the door. Troy signals for Jack to release me. I fall to the floor and begin to cough, gasping for air. Jack takes my arm, propels me over to the couch, and forces me to sit down.
“Say anything to Garrett, and I’ll have Troy gut you both,” Jack whispers in my ear.
Troy opens the door just as Garrett rings again.
“Hey, I was wondering if you’ve seen Max?” he asks.
Troy steps out of the way to reveal me behind the group.
“There you are,” Garrett says, stepping into the apartment. “I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk around the city. Maybe Jack could give us a tour.”
“I’d be happy to,” Jack says, jumping up from his seat, an eager tone in his voice that I know is forced.
I smile, stand, and the group of us leave. Once we’re down in the lobby, Jack takes us out to the courtyard and begins to tell us more about Icarian. I hold tightly onto Garrett as we walk, terrified of being left alone with Jack and Troy.
“Icarian is an ancient utopian city created by the Patrician to reward those most loyal to them. At first only retired party leaders or high ranking citizens were sent here, but soon after The Litarian Battles was established the winners were gifted with a life of luxury and leisure here. Anything we need is provided to us. You will find no Aedox or formal police of any kind in Icarian,” Jack says as we walk through various courtyards.
“What if a law is broken? Who
