Over time, I’d learned that she hated me, but I hadn’t known how much untilnow. She’d relied on me, but she’d found another way to take care of her family by getting rid of me. Something she’d probably been wishing she could do since the day I was born.
The silence stretched on endlessly; Bailey shifted in my arms. Burrowing closer against my neck, he let out a contented sound that caused tears to flood my eyes. I hadn’t given birth to him, but I loved him as if he were my own. Gage and I had been the ones to raise and take care of him, and I knew before any words were exchanged, I would never see either of them again.
“River Dawson?” the colonel inquired.
“That’s her,” my mother confirmed when I stayed mute.
My nostrils flared, and I strove to remain calm with Bailey in my arms. “I’m twenty-two,” I said. “Too old to volunteer.”
“That’s not why we’re here,” the colonel replied.
“I’mnotvolunteering.”
“Doesn’t matter, not with this.”
I glanced at my mother; I didn’t ask her why she’d done this because I already knew the answer, but I wanted to choke the woman.
“It does matter!” Gage said angrily. “Noone is taken to the wall against their will.”
“These are different circumstances,” the colonel replied.
“What circumstances?” Gage demanded.
“It’s been brought to our attention your sister has certain abilities.”
Gage gave a snort of disbelief, but before he could speak again, my mother did. “She does. I’ve seen them myself. She’s scared me since she was a child. She has the Devil’s eyes.”
My teeth grated together at this statement, one I’d heard countless times over the years. My eyes weren’t a normal color, but violet wasn’t exactly something I would associate with being demonic. However, her words had perked the attention of the military man and woman; their eyebrows rose, and they exchanged a pointed look with each other. Something about their expressions caused my blood to run cold.
For the first time, real panic hit me as I looked back and forth between the military personnel and the Guards beyond. I would never be able to shove past them to escape.MaybeI had somehow managed to set those curtains on fire all those years ago, but I had no idea how it worked or what would happen if I tried to set something on fire now. I couldn’t take the chance of anything happening to Bailey.
“The only thing about me that frightened you was I was yours and you were supposed to take care of me!” I snapped at my mother.
“She sees things she’s not supposed to! I know she does,” my mother accused. “She told me so herself!”
Right then, I would have given anything to go back and kick six-year-old me in the throat.
“She’s a lunatic; everyone around here knows that. If not for my brother and me, she wouldn’t eat. She barely moves out of that chair.” I thrust a finger at the torn and stained recliner in the living room.
Bailey squirmed in my arms; I rubbed my hand across his back in order to calm him. “It does not matter, miss,” the military woman replied. “You will come with us.”
“I am the main food supply and caregiver to my siblings.” My tone remained calm, but my heart raced and sweat dampened my palms. All I wanted was to turn and bolt out of here, or set my mother on fire. If it wouldn’t confirm to them I was different, I may have done it, if I could figure out how to do it.
I’d never hated her before. I’d never had any respect for her, and I’d disliked her, but I’d neverhatedher. Now hatred festered inside of me like rotten fish, and if I had a chance at getting to her, I would have beaten her to within an inch of her life.
The man’s eyes flicked to Bailey before going to Gage who strode forward to stand behind my shoulder. “That’s true!” Gage declared. “That woman has nothing to do with us. Without River, we would have died years ago.”
“Because your sister will be coming with us, food will be supplied to you from now on,” the colonel replied.
I could feel Gage’s growing agitation as he shifted behind me. I risked a glance at him. His hands were fisted at his sides, a vein in his forehead throbbed, and a thin layer of sweat coated his flushed face.
“She’ll throw us out on the street!” Gage retorted and thrust a finger at our mother.
“As per the rules of volunteers’ families and the agreement with your mother, you will be taken care of.”
The blood pumping through my veins felt like ice. I found it increasingly difficult to breathe as the realization sank in that I had no choice. I glanced toward the back door. Even if I could get away and make it out of this house, there was nowhere for me to go, nowhere for me to hide. We were on anislandfor crying out loud.
And what of Bailey and Gage? I couldn’t leave them behind with my mother. I couldn’t take them with me, and if I could somehow manage to escape with them, running and hiding was no way for them to live.
