“I do not believe you. Ido not trust a single word that comes from your lying mouth,” Isnarl, cursing as Goldeneye steps forward, wrenching me out ofCondor’s hold.
Antero,I whisper through our bond. Do not react, do not even look at Falcon. If she thinks shehas gained power over your fears, she’ll make this a hundred timesworse.
Goldeneye positions me in front of thetraitor binds. My hands are bound on either side of my head, myfeet pressed a little wider than shoulder width. Panther is quicklybound in a similar fashion beside me. “What are they doing,Mynah?”
“Naming us as traitors andleaving us to die as a warning to the others in the House. Loyaltyis essential for survival.” My mind races as I wonder how long itwill take before I am mindless with thirst, desperate from hunger,burned beyond recognition by the unrelenting sun, and too weak fromexhaustion to stand. How long before myknees cannot support me?How long before my wrists strain with myweight? When willthe bones snap under the pressure?How long before the wild creatures of the forestcome smelling fresh meat?How much of their attacks will I endure beforedeath finally claims me?
Even worse, what if Wolfcomes to rescue us and has to fight? How will I endure watching him andhis people fight and die over my lies? A crack of the whip tears throughmy shoulder blades, ripping through stitches, the release of tautskin unraveling Fox’s handiwork in a bloody mess.
Falcon sneers as she brandishes herweapon once more. “It is a blessing really, making you bleed. Itwill bring the beasts to claim you before the madness starts. Youshould thank Condor for being so gracious. Personally, I wouldrather watch you starve.” When I don’t answer, the sharp end of thewhip slices the skin on my left side from shoulder to neck. Then Ifeel grubby fingers on the strings of my mask. “Tell Condor that heis benevolent, Mynah.”
The crazy part of my mind takes overmy mouth before I have the chance to really think over my words.“You take that mask off me, and Wolf will never appear. The onlyreason you’re doing any of this is to draw him out quickly. Tryingto get him to make a mistake? You’re the one who’s screwing up!Wolf will easily kill you from the shadows.”
Something sharp and hard as a rockcracks into my head. “Little Mynah, you are so foolish! If I takethis mask off you, Wolf won’t stop to think about his actions. Itwill probably speed up his demise. So, do you have something tosay? Or shall I just snip these strings and get it overwith?”
My jaw works with my hatred of thesetwo, Falcon for her viciousness and Condor for his pseudoleadership. “You can do what you wish. But I will never show eitherof your gratitude. Not even if the price is my life.”
I hear a soft chuckle as a hand shovesmy head into the fence, straining my neck as stars dance across myeyes. “What about the boy? Will you be thankful for hissake?”
I shrug my shoulders as best I can,wrenching my wrists in their binds. “You know he’s from Déchets.His family is important in that land. Kill him, and you’ll berisking a war. I doubt even you are that stupid,Falcon.”
Grouse laughs as she saunters up tome, a cup of water in her hands. “Boy, she’s got you by the seat ofyour pants, doesn’t she?” Grouse puts the cup to my lips, a haughtydefiance in her eyes when Goldeneye steps in and demands that shemove aside. “Mynah deserves this mercy. For Warbler.” Grouse evenwinks at me as he tugs her away. I wonder what punishment heractions will merit.
“Leave them for now. Seeif a few hours will soften her tongue,” Condor snarls, usheringeveryone back inside.
Panther is quiet beside me throughouteverything. Only when the door shuts and the last of the Housemates have gone to hunt does he dare to speak. “I am sorry, Mynah.I tried to alert you to the situation, but I guess you could nothear me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Iwince as my back catches on the fence, biting my lip until itbleeds to keep from crying out. “How badly are you hurt?” I managethrough panting breaths.
“Falcon did not attack melike that. Why does she hate you so?”
“It’s not personal withFalcon. She abuses everyone equally just because she enjoys it.” Istrain against the traitor binds, cursing when the leather cuffschafe my wrists. “Can you get your hands free?” I ask, silentlypraying that in the chaos, Falcon had neglected to tie him uptightly.
Staring ahead into thegravel road before the House of Vultures, I listen to Pantherstruggling fruitlessly against the cuffs. Minutes pass with noanswer from the boy. I should tell him tosave his strength. Yet I cannot bringmyself to stifle his actions. The passinghours will kill the fighting instinct inside him anyway.
As the sun rises to itsseat in the middle of the sky, the metal fence behind my backbegins to burn. At first it is just a warmth that almost soothes myaching muscles, but all too quickly the links grow unbearably hot.I press my wrists into the leather cuffs, attempting to arch myback away from the scalding chain metal. However, I quickly growtoo tired to maintain this position. I swear I hear my skin sizzlewhen it connects with the fence once more. This is how it feels to be cooking on the fire pit’sgrill, I muse, laughing hysterically as myback blisters.
The heat dehydrates my body within afew hours. I dream of cool glasses of water and bathing in theRiver Sangre. My tongue feels like I’ve swallowed a mouthful ofsand. My head pulses and throbs with my heartbeat. “Mynah?” Panthercalls out beside me, neither of us able to even turn our heads tolook at the other. “How are we going to get out ofthis?”
“Keep fighting against thebinds—maybe one of them will come loose,” I mumble, not even sureif I believe such good
