I want to shout at him that I wasn’t. I want to beg him to believe me, but instead, I just sit in silence and question what the hell I’ve done. They bring food for me, yet I notice they don’t bring anything for him. Though I’m not hungry, I’m thirsty, so I reach forward, but my hand knocks right into the plastic cup that tips over at the brush of my fingers.
“You can drop the act while in here; half the cameras in this place are broken.”
I slide the tray over to him as the saddest peace offering possible. But hey, food won over Torin.
“I don’t want this shit,” he says.
“Did they feed you already?”
“What the fuck are you talking about? If you push that tray into me, I’m going to cram it up your ass.”
“Doubt it’ll fit.”
“One way to see for sure,” he growls.
“I’m going to say this one more time just so you can ignore me again. Two hundred years ago, I guess I was killed by a god and reincarnated into… this, and I remember nothing from the time before.”
“Yes, and then I killed you thirty-seven years ago, just like I’m going to kill you again. I’m going to kill you every time your useless face pops up?—”
My head snaps in his direction, even though I can’t see him. “This isn’t the first time I reincarnated?”
“Stop with this bullshit act. Any more of this nonsense and I’m going to shut you up for good. Now tell me more about this god.”
“Not until you tell me more about this other life I had. Like… I reincarnated right after Torin killed me? I guess it makes sense that I wasn’t just like… floating for two hundred years, but… was I still working for that god?”
I realize that I’m starting to feel hot again. Immediately, I reach for the hourglass that is no longer there. And if I have another attack right now, they’re going to sense the magic inside of me. I grimace and try to choke down my discomfort.
Even though I can’t see anything, I feel like it has to be morning. The god remained silent for the entire night as I lay curled up in the corner, trying to handle being away from the hourglass for so long. I’ve tried to ignore my misery but as the hours have stretched on, it’s only become worse.
I try to sit up but my head swims, and I have to lean against the wall to stabilize myself.
“I need the hourglass. I really need the hourglass,” I beg as my heart begins to beat wildly. It feels like I’m out of breath, like I’ve just run a marathon, and my bodyachesfor that damn hourglass.
“What the fuck are you doing now?” the god asks.
“The hourglass they took from me, I need it.”
He scoffs. “I don’t know what stunt you’re pulling now, but it’s not going to work.”
Pain races through my limbs as I roll onto my side and curl up. It’s as though all I can think about is getting to that hourglass. It overrides all other thoughts.
“Don’t you dare die before I can kill you again,” he growls.
“T-Then you better get me that… hourglass,” I choke out as I try to crawl in the direction of the cell door. I need the hourglass before the magic grows out of control and they discover that I’m not as magicless as they seem to think I am. “Help. Please. The hourglass. I need it. H-Help me get the hourglass… and I’ll help you take down the rest of the horsemen. We came here because we were told there’s one here.”
He grabs me and hauls me up to my knees. “You know where he is?”
“No… but I can find him for you. I can figure out where he is if you help me.”
There’s a brief silence while I question whether or not the man is going to choose to listen before I hear him beating hishand against the cell door. “Get your asses over here before your prisoner dies.”
“What the fuck is going on?” a guard asks, finally caring enough to respond.
“I need the hourglass or the curse is going to kill me. Please, get me the hourglass.” I feel ridiculous begging for it. Begging for that damn horse, of all things.
“It’s already been destroyed. All magical devices are immediately destroyed,” he says.
“No… no, it hasn’t,” I counter, knowing that can’t be true because I can stillfeelthe presence of the horse, I just have no idea where he is. I can hear the guard walking away, leaving me alone with my cellmate.
