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RAIKA
Again,I didn’t sleep well. Minsi had spread out in my bed, leaving me a tiny corner, but mostly it was because of my stupidity. I had sent Shane away and then gone after him. What did I expect to find? That he would have waited for me to change my mind? He wasn’t a puppy.
After three half-slept nights, I felt like a freaking zombie, but I groaned and pushed through. Minsi, however, asked to stay in bed and I allowed her. It wasn’t as if school was the most important thing now, was it? I insisted she studied so she would have something to do, something to focus on other than our brutal reality.
Quietly, I took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. I did take something for Minsi to eat once she felt hungry, because I knew she wouldn’t leave my bedroom today. And if she did, it would be to go to her own room. She wouldn’t wander the house with Dixon following her around.
Since Minsi stayed at the house, I didn’t need to go to the library with her for her lessons, so I headed straight to the school and arrived a couple of hours before Rue was allowed out of her classroom. By myself, I got a head start on lunch. Rue had done so much for me in the past few days, she deserved a break, even if a small one. Looking back, I didn’t know how I had convinced Conri to let Rue help me, but I was glad I did. I wouldn’t be able to handle all of this on my own.
As I washed the vegetables, my mind wandered.
What now? What were we supposed to do now? What was I supposed to do? Just go on teaching the little I knew about English, math, and history to Minsi, reading books, and cooking lunch every day? Until when? Until I grew old? Until Conri decided we were a nuisance and killed us all? I didn’t understand the devil. Not that I wanted to, but … why keep us here like this?
By the time Rue joined me, I had fresh bread baked, and a chicken and rice bake in the oven along with some roasted vegetables.
“What am I supposed to do?” she asked, looking around.
I shrugged. “Keep me company?”
But there was plenty to do. Rue and I got the paper plates and plastic utensils, and when the food was ready, we served a hearty portion to each plate. We piled those onto the cart, grabbed apple juice from the fridge, poured them into paper cups, and then took the cart to the classroom cells.
As usual, the people in there were eager for the food and most of them didn’t even seem grateful for it. It was like it was my duty to come cook for them, to serve them, since I was the pack’s omega. They had no idea I had to fight to be allowed to serve them real food instead of being treated to scraps like dogs.
Lonan was in a foul mood today. While he ate, he kept mumbling about Conri and me, and insinuating we were planning something together. Serge indulged him, adding fuel to the flames. I ignored them.
Tyren took his plate from Rue, not me. My chest constricted upon looking at him. He was fifteen now, a smaller, shorter version of Shane. If allowed to have a normal life, I bet he would turn out to be as tall and strong as his older brother.
I knew his anger wasn’t only toward me. Shane had been his hero, or so I heard, and like me, Tyren believed Shane had left of his own accord. That he had chosen to leave us behind.
At the same time, I wanted to tell him what I had found out, even if I was having trouble believing it myself. I knew I shouldn’t. Shane was gone again. Telling Tyren the truth would only make the wound fresher.
At the last cell, I served Lucille, Dom, and their other three older cellmates. Lucille leaned against the door and watched me from across the bars. “What’s with that pout? I haven’t seen you like that since I used to bother you.”
I frowned at her. “Bother me? You bullied me, just like everyone else.”
She flinched. “That’s the past.” She had never apologized for what she had done, for all the hurtful things she had said, and I knew she never would. There was too much pride in her personality. I was relieved she hadn’t joined Lonan and Serge in harassing me even now. “Something happened?”
I stared at her and a sudden urge to tell her everything hit me hard. I had never had a friend other than my mother, Minsi, and Rue, but my mother had been my mother. Minsi was too young, and Rue had been more of a mentor and protector. I hadn’t really talked to any of them.
But, like with Tyren, telling her everything now would only bring more misery to all of them. No, I could live with this misery on my own.
“Everything is the same,” I said. As normal as it could be when you lived in the conditions we did.
“How’s Minsi?” Dom asked.
“Conri was a jerk to her last night. She had another panic attack.”
Dom cursed under his breath.
Lucille shook her head. “He really is the devil.”
“I’m glad I learned how to deal with it and help her out. She slept in my bed, though she asked to stay in today.”
“Poor girl.” Dom dropped his plate and punched the wall beside the door.
I took a glance at the other doors around us. “She isn’t the only child here having to grow up like that.” Though she seemed to be the most affected by the night of the attacks. After all, everything had started during her birthday, and she had been kidnapped by the witches.
Knowing all these kids were growing up in cages broke my heart.
