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“Leave?”
She smirks. “You think I don’t know who you are? Who your sister is? I’m not a fool. I survived the Collector because I wasn’t just talented and beautiful, but because I was alsosmart. Your sister will come for you and you will return to your life just like you’ve wanted ever since arriving here. You’ll forget about the men you claim to care about.”
“You don’t know anything,” I retort, stepping into her space and pressing my finger roughly against her chest, refusing to acknowledge that she’s right, at least partly. “Back off from Jakub. From all of them.”
“Don’t threaten me. You’ve no idea what I’m capable of.”
“Oh I know exactly what you’re capable of,” I retort with disgust. “You’re a sadistic bitch with a sick obsession.”
She smirks, looking me up and down as though I’m nothing but a mere pile of shit beneath her shoe. “But at least I’mloyalto The Masks. I know a turncoat when I see one.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“We both know that when it comes down to it, you’ll choose your family over The Masks. All this bullshit about you caring for them ends when your sister arrives and tries to put a bullet in their chests.”
“Thatisn’tgoing to happen,” I reply firmly.
“You’re right, it isn’t, because the difference between me and you is this:myfamily is here within the walls of this castle and I willalways choose them,” she says, her fingers finding the ends of my hair as she leans in close and presses her mouth against my ear. “I will protect them and what we’ve built here, don’t think I won’t.” Pulling back she gives me one last lingering look before striding toward the door.
“When it comes to the people we love, we’re not so different, One,” I call after her.
With her hands wrapped around the handle, she turns to look at me. “Watch your back,” she warns, before pulling open the door and striding from the room.
“Mistress?” Five asks, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. “Are you okay?”
My shoulders drop as I let out an anxious breath. I’m not afraid of One, but I am afraid of what she’s capable of doing. “How much do you know?” I ask Five, cutting to the chase.
“All of it,” she replies with a sharp nod of her head. I suspected as much, but I need her to spell it out to me.
“And that is?”
“I know about what you and Thirteen have been doing, about what you have to do on the night of the ball. The Masks trust me, as should you.”
“CanItrust you?” I ask.
“Of course,” she replies instantly. “As far as I’m concerned you have earnt my loyalty by giving them yours. You can trust me.”
“Then I need to ask you a favour.”
“Anything, Mistress.”
“Please, just call me Christy.”
“Okay, Christy,” she replies, smiling a little.
I breathe a little lighter knowing that I have her on my side, and some of the tension in my chest releases. “One has threatened my family. She knows they’re coming for me but she doesn’t know anything other than that. I need her out of the way—”
“You want me to kill her?” Five asks, frowning. “I have been entrusted to protect you, and I have promised to do that, but she is still…”
“Your family?” I ask.
“Yes. I do not agree with her ways, but she is the glue that has held us all together these past years and I can’t turn my back on that.”
“I understand and I don’t want you to kill her, I just need you to keep her out of the way on the night of the ball, because if she hurts my family I will have no choice but to act, and there’s been enough blood spilt within the walls of this castle. For this plan to work, she can’t get in the way. Will you help me?”
“You have my word.”
“Thank you.”
