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Ruth waves us into my cage. “Hurry!”
We take a seat with enough room for Skylenna to lie on her stomach, giving us access to the lash marks. Long welts fill with fluid, blisters peel open and leak small trails of blood. Overall, it looks like a bear clawed at her soft, tan skin. I peer between the bars to see Dessin swat away Niles trying to tend to his back. I noticed the rectangular scars on his back the first day in prison. I doubt he’s in as much pain as Skylenna, considering those kinds of scars usually damage the nerves.
“How’s the pain?” I ask Skylenna.
She gives me a feeble thumbs up, face pressed uncomfortably to the rough floor. We dab at her wounds with a bowl of soap and water. After the number of injuries, we’ve decided it’s best to keep supplies ready in case of emergencies.
“I thought some gossip might distract you from the pain,” Ruth sighs with mischievous eyebrows.
“I’m guessing there’s gossip to share after the ecstasy dance…” Skylenna mumbles.
A flutter tickles the inner lining of my stomach. I’ve never had girlfriends. Never gossiped. Always kept secrets. It’s how we were raised. But this feels…exciting.
“Yeah…” Ruth tucks a loose curl behind her ear. “But I’m feeling shy. Someone else go!”
“I was with Greyst—”
“Alright, fine, I’ll tell you!” Ruth whisper-yells. Skylenna laughs, and I pinch my lips together, doing my best to suppress my smile. “Okay, lately there’s been some tension with Warrose.”
“Oh?” Skylenna tries to hide a shudder as we clean the dirt from a rather deep wound.
“Yeah, okay, I know he’s big, gruff, and stupid…but we just have this banter, this chemistry.”
“He’s not stupid,” Skylenna snickers.
I apply ointment in delicate strokes, smearing it evenly. Skylenna’s quiet, closing her eyes against my touch. She has so much strength for someone so young. Her life has consisted of suffering, heartache, and loss. I would love to tell her about her future. About the many secrets I know that could put her mind at ease.
“No, he is an oversized imbecile. But also, he has really pretty hazel eyes, right? And his muscles are sort of massive,” Ruth says as she blushes.
“He is attractive,” I agree.
“We did some inappropriate things tonight.” Ruth purses her lips in embarrassment.
“We know,” Skylenna and I respond at the same time.
“You do?!”
“You almost sucked his dick at that dinner! And there were no sexually enhancing drugs in that food!” Skylenna lifts her head to grin at her best friend.
“You’re wounded and delirious.” Ruth guides Skylenna’s face back down to the floor.
“So, what happened?” I ask.
Silence.
“You had sex!” Skylenna gasps.
“Ew! No!”
Skylenna raises an eyebrow.
“He, well, he kissed me.”
“That’s sweet,” I say, shivering at the memory of Niles breathing against my mouth, kissing my cheek, my jaw.
“Not on my lips.”
Skylenna laughs, then groans at the sting of her lower back. “Go on…”
