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This motherfucker.
Without thinking it through, I raised my gun and aimed even though I didn’t have a clear shot. I came just shy of a bullet to Renard’s temple thanks to the low visibility from the plants.
Shit.
Not only had I missed, I’d called attention to my position; so the next few minutes were spent in defense. When the dust settled though, when the bullets stopped… I was still standing.
The other twoThornswere not.
“I see your training has not escaped you,” Renard said, clapping as I stepped into the center of the courtyard with him.
I ignored him initially, scanning the second floor balcony area for the sharpshooters that were probably there. Why else would he be confident enough to be out in the exposed courtyard?
“You know… you always had complaints, especially when you first arrived, before young Ms. Pelletier managed to somewhat tame you. But I see you’re benefiting from everything you were taught. And so is yourqueen.” He chuckled, sending a fresh wave of nausea through me. “Tell me, does she enjoy the things you do to her?” he asked. “Does she know where those things were taught?”
“Shut the fuck up,” I said, aiming right at his head, but not firing.
Not yet.
“Oh, is that a sore spot for you?” Renard laughed. “Well, let me be the one to remind you, you should bethanking meyoung man!” he bellowed, getting too close. “What my brother and I didsaved you.”
I pulled the trigger.
Itriedto pull the trigger.
Before my brain could complete the task, music started—a melody I instantly recognized.
My song.
Only, it wassomuch louder than it had been in Alicia’s lab, so much…heavier.
Like my limbs were suddenly weighed down by the vibrations of it.
I had my “interruption” song going on that loop though, so the resulting effect was a dizziness that made me want to vomit.
But at least I was still connected to reality.
AtleastI was still aware of what was going on.
“Were you not expecting this?” he asked, and…fuck, my mouth wanted to answer.
I wouldn’t though.
It made me feel like my skin was turning inside out, rending my flesh from my bones, but I didnotopen my goddamn mouth.
“Oh.Oh!” he bellowed. “Did meddling Ms. Pelletier do this?!” he practically screamed, right in my face. “It doesn’t matter,” he murmured. “Whatever she taught you, whatever she did for you… it’s not enough.Youare not enough, becauseyouare only all you’ve ever been—nothing.I’ll leave you to think on that,” he said, a purely evil glint in his eyes as he walked away. “You stay right there.”
The insubordination was going to kill me.
Thiswas something we hadn’t gone over, maybecouldn’tgo over.
The real time mental toll.
If I’d gone in with a partner like Alicia had warned, it would probably never have come to this.
He was so confident I was harmless now that he’d even left me armed.
I spent long,longmoments trying to make myself pull the trigger on my gun, hoping that the sound would be the trigger I needed. I couldn’t get myself to do it though. I swept my brain for all possibilities on how to get myself out of this situation.
