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“I remember everything.”
A chill snakes up my spine, but he continues.
“When that happens, it will influence you, too. I don’t know how exactly to describe it, but my victims, they’re—”
“Willing?”
Nox grimaces. “Eager.”
My stomach churns, and I recall the day I sliced my finger. How I felt as Nox stalked toward me, like I’d give him anything he wanted in that moment.
Like it would feel good to let him hurt me.
“Don’t trust my feelings. Got it. Shouldn’t be too difficult, considering they’ve always led me astray, anyway.” I try to plaster a carefree grin on my face, but it doesn’t quite stick.
Nox runs through a few more self-defense techniques, and all I can do is nod my head in understanding.
Neither of us has the energy to start up the game again.
Because one of us ends up dead tonight.
And my money’s on me.
The musclesin my legs are trembling, my feet aching, my entire body longing to rest, to at least sit for a while, but Nox won’t let me.
He says I need to be on my feet. Need to be ready.
I’ve resumed my position next to the bell, even have one hand on the rope and the other on my makeshift stake.
The rough fabric of the rope wobbles from how my hand trembles.
So does the stake.
I’m not sure how well stakes work when they’re wobbling, but something tells me it tends to affect one’s aim.
“Blaise?” Nox says, and my heart gives a leap. He went quiet half an hour ago, and I’ve been waiting for some evil force to overtake his voice. I’ve even been repeating his last words to me in my head, in case they ended up being his last.
Or that last I heard, anyway.
But he sounds like himself, and the way I cling to his voice like a wet terrycloth to the mouth of a glass jar is shameful, but I’m done being embarrassed.
“Yes?”
There’s a quaver to his voice, so low it’s almost imperceptible. “I’m going to hate myself for asking you this.”
My heart throbs, and I beg it to stop, to slow down. Try to remind my pulse that it’s going to get the both of us killed.
“Ask away.”
When he turns his brilliant blue eyes on me, I know, I know I’ll grant any request he offers.
“I’d like to be selfish with you.”
My heart stutters.
“Just one last time.”
I’ve hardly nodded my head, and he’s cleared the space between us. The force of his body slams me up against the wall, but his palm braces the back of my head against the impact.
