“Don’t test me,” Ric roared. “Be glad I’m not tossing you both out on your ungrateful asses.”
Rogue closed her eyes for a second, reminded of the moment she got kicked out of Prime. That sickening, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was back. How did it come to this? How?
“As it is, I’m ruling the whole thing an accident,” Ric continued in a calmer tone of voice. “You’ll be allowed to stay, both of you, but you will not be allowed to participate in any further activities.”
“Anything else?” Rogue asked.
“As your punishment, I’m sentencing you to a month of cage duty. You’ll clean the cages, shovel manure, and feed the animals. Perhaps, in some small measure, you can repay the damage you’ve done to our community.”
“And if I refuse?” Rogue asked.
“Then you’re welcome to leave,” Ric said. “That’s my final decision. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Rogue said.
Seth remained silent.
“I expect to see you both at dawn tomorrow,” Ric said. “Or, I want you gone.”
“Ric, please,” Olivia said.
“Don’t try to sway me, Olivia. My mind is made up,” Ric replied. “All that remains is for them to make up theirs as well.”
“What about Prime?” Rogue asked.
“What about it?” Ric said.
“Do I still get the chance to speak to the council, or is that gone as well?”
“You’ll get your chance to petition the council, and what they decide is up to them,” Ric said.
“Why aren’t we standing in front of them right now?” Seth asked. “We are on trial, right?”
“They left your fate up to me, and you can be glad they did. Or else, your punishment could’ve been a lot worse,” Ric said.
“Or, they know they don’t have the proof to convict us of anything,” Seth pointed out.
“You forget your place, Prime. We don’t need proof of anything to make a decision. You’d do well to remember that,” Ric said.
Seth’s eyes narrowed, but he refrained from speaking.
“I think we’re done here,” Ric said, nodding at Olivia. “I’ll either see you two in the morning, or I won’t. Your choice.”
Without further ado, Ric left the cottage. In his absence, a thick silence descended over the kitchen.
Rogue licked her lips and reached for a glass of water. The liquid quenched her thirst, but not the fire that raged within her chest. She raised her eyes to Olivia’s. “Who do you believe, Mother? Them or me?”
“I…I don’t know. Why would they do such an awful thing?” Olivia asked, pacing up and down.
“I don’t know why. What I do know is that I’m innocent, and so is Seth,” Rogue replied.
“Of course, you are. You’re my daughter, and I believe you,” Olivia said. “It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Rogue answered. Disappointment formed a solid rock in her heart. Even she’s turned against me.
“I simply can’t believe they’d endanger the entire community out of petty spite,” Olivia said. “Brittany’s mother could die. Jamie could die.” Fresh tears poured down her cheeks, and her shoulders began to shake.
Rogue looked away. Her mother’s pain was too much to handle at the moment. “Forget it, Mom. It doesn’t matter.”
But of course, it mattered. It hurt too. More than Rogue could’ve believed possible. My own mother doesn’t believe me. Do I even want to stay here anymore? Does Seth?
“What are you going to do?” Olivia asked. “Please, don’t leave. I don’t think I could stand that. I just got you back.”
“I don’t know, Mom. Nobody wants me here, least of all Ric,” Rogue replied. “And cage duty? So everyone, including Brittany, can laugh at me? I don’t think so.”
“Screw him, and screw them. You came here for a reason, right?” Seth said. “You came here for Prime.”
“Right,” Rogue agreed.
“Has that changed?”
“No, it hasn’t,” Rogue said.
“Then you should stay until you’ve had a chance to speak to the council. After that, it’s put to you.”
“You’re right, of course,” Rogue said, relieved to find the decision made. “But what about you? Are you staying or leaving?”
“I’ll stay,” Seth said.
“Thank you,” Rogue said, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.
He stood up. “But for now, I think it’s time I said goodnight. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
“He’s right,” Olivia said. “Why don’t you get some sleep? You look like you could use the rest.”
Rogue shifted in her chair. Her bruised hip twinged, and she knew they were both right. “Alright. See you tomorrow, Seth.”
“Tomorrow,” Seth agreed.
He reached out to squeeze her hand, and for a moment, their fingers intertwined. The knowledge that she wasn’t alone washed over her like a warm breeze. At least, someone had her back even if nobody else did.
Chapter 10 - Moran
Moran hunched behind a crumbling wall, her body hidden in thick shadow. She lifted her head to look over the edge, standing on tiptoe to survey their target: The storage facility holding the latest harvest.
Six guards patrolled the area, just like Steven had said there would be. Her sharp eyes followed the nearest, and she noted the way he dragged his feet. It was an hour to midnight, an hour before their shift ended, and the guards were tired, just like she’d predicted.
A piece of mortar crumbled beneath her boot when her weight shifted. The sound echoed through the silence, loud to her sensitive ears. For a second, the blood ran cold in her veins. But the guards didn’t notice, and she heaved a sigh of relief when they didn’t react. That was close.
Behind her waited Bruce and his team, twenty strong. Each carried a weapon and a backpack, their silhouettes bathed in silver by the moon above. They were ready to move at a moment’s notice. All she needed to do was give the signal.
Suddenly, a piercing wail cut through the air. The shivering notes vibrated through her skull and awoke a primal fear: The fear of attack by an apex predator. The kind that fought and killed with claw and tooth.
Moran forced herself to remain still, to ignore
