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I size up the elephant in the room last.
Cassidy stands between them, dressed in her white robe like she’s getting ready to marry the devil. Just like the other girl, she’s staring at me like I’m scum under her shoe. Her blood red lips are set in a scowl, and her hands are balled into fists at her side.
Though I’m keeled over on the floor, I straighten my body, sitting with my legs crossed. I meet her gaze with as much vitriol as I can muster, hoping she can see how much I fucking hate her from just a look.
I want her to know the feeling is mutual.
She might have found a chink in my armor the last time we were around each other, but I’ve patched it up. She can’t break me again—Alexander has already done it for her.
And I fucking survived.
They stare at me without a word.
“Well?” I finally say, moving to my feet. “Why did you drag me here?”
The floorboards dig into my bare feet—is this horridly rough floor by design?—but I soak in the pain. It narrows my focus.
Why aren’t they explaining whatever it was they want us to do? It’s not that I’m excited for it—I just want to get it over with.
I’m here alone.
Have they moved to assessing us individually?
My stomach flips at the thought of what these three girls will do to me. I can’t fight off all three of them by myself, especially when I left my knife behind. If this Trial is worse than the last two, I can only imagine how horrid it will be.
I ball my fists at my side.
Alize Moreau is strong.
It’s a pathetic thing to think in the face of something like this, but turning it over in my mind actually helps. It reminds me of who I was before the attack took my life from me, before it stole Dolores away.
I was about to do the bravest thing I had ever done in my life. I was about to confront my father and take my freedom—whether he wanted to give it to me or not.
I’m still that person.
I can still be brave.
A mocking laugh rises from Cassidy. “The hubris you have,” she scoffs. “Don’t speak until you’re spoken to,mongrel.” Her face contorts into anger. “You’re already on thin ice as it is.”
There’s an insult brewing behind my teeth, but I hold it in.Thin ice?So, almost being killed and forced into a fake engagement with my asshole of an ex-boyfriend isn’t bad enough as it is?
The other girl, the one whose name I can’t remember, speaks then.
“This is a disciplinary hearing,” she says. Her voice is deep and smooth as silk. “The other sisters-in-waiting are currently undertaking their Second Trial. You, on the other-hand, have violatedtwoof the Hemlock House rules and—”
Cassidy interjects. “Hold on, Victory.” She gives the girl a warning look. Ah,Victory. That was her name. No wonder I couldn’t remember it. “This is a disciplinarymeeting, we haven’t decided on what the course of action will be.”
Victory glares at Cassidy, her eyes full of more hatred for Cassidy than I expect. After seeing how Liz sucks up to her, I expected thatallthe girls treated her like their goddess.
I’m pleasantly surprised to find out I’m wrong.
“There isn’t anythingtodecide. Disciplinary action will be taken.” Victory says. “We have eyewitnesses. Almost the entire House knows of what happened. She will be kicked out, Cassidy.” A small smile graces her lips. “Unless you think you’re unable to dispense her punishment.”
The two girls look like they’re about to come to blows. Cassidy seems taken aback that Victory is standing up to her. Liz is practically cowering behind Cassidy, glancing between her and Victory in true lackey fashion.
IfIwasn’t the topic of discussion, it would be an amusing sight.
“What disciplinary action?” I say. Their angry stares move to me. “What did I do?”
