AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I ignore Morticia and ask Lily, “How’s that book coming?”
She gives me a knowing look, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. “It’s good. Very insightful. Though, I’m still not sure how I feel about you just giving it to me. Is there really no way I can convince you to take it back?” She cocks her head to the side.
She’s asking whether I really want to just throw in the towel and let her win. “Yes,” I say to her. “The book never suited me anyway.”
“What book?” Morticia asks, the pointed look in her dark eyes feeling more intrusive than innocent.
“The Sun Also Rises,”Lily and I answer at the same time.
“That seems to be a favorite around here.” Morticia places a guiding hand at the small of Lily’s back. “Come, let’s go take our positions.”
“Good luck,” Lily says to me over her shoulder.
“Same to you,” I tell her, wondering if I’ll ever see her again after this.
We head to the Bidding hall where we made our first appearance instead of the rooms we’ve spent most of our time playing the games in. No assigned doors or rooms, no mysterious audience behind the one-way mirror. Here, there’s nothing to hide.
The lights are off aside from one spotlight affixed to the center of the stage, just like in the first Bidding. The chairs for the audience are filling with the games’ guests, and the Players and Advocates appear nothing short of confused. None of us have received any instructions. I notice a few Advocates leave their Players in search of someone to give them answers, but none of the Gamemakers are in sight.
“What’s going on here?” a familiar voice says from behind me as Carrick rushes in, his shirt ruffled, as if whatever he was in the middle of was interrupted by this event.
Interesting. Even Carrick wasn’t aware of this final game.
He sees me, and his expression turns livid. “What areyoudoing here?” He rushes forward, grabbing me by the arm.
“Same as you, I’m sure. For the final game.”
Carrick doesn’t bother to hide his rage as he leans in. “You’re disqualified. You wereprocessed.”
“Processed?” I feign ignorance, saying the word loud enough for those around us, including the Players unknowing of their own fate, to hear.
Carrick attempts to drag me to the side, but we run into the last person I was expecting to see here.
Laurence looks down at us. I’m immediately relieved to see him, my entire body responding to the sight of him. “Leaving so soon, Carrick? I thought you wanted to win.”
“What the hell are you doing here, Vale?”
“Well, since you won the bid on Player Ten, I was reinstated in my role as Gamemaker.”
“By who?” Carrick was starting to make a scene, people looking our way.
“Terrence,” Laurence states obviously, and there’s no further argument Carrick can make against the owner of the games and the Echelon Society.
Rendered speechless, Carrick scans the gathering crowd of audience members until he finds Vaughn, who he makes a beeline for, leaving Laurence and I alone.
Closing the space between us, I get close enough to smell him, and wish I could fall into bed with him, our performance at the second Bidding not nearly enough. “What are you planning?” I whisper to him.
He looks down at me, eyes hungry, but darkening with something far more conspiratorial. “Do you trust me?” he asks again.
“We’ve been over this, Laurence.” Our eyes catch each other’s as he waits for me to give him the answer he’s always looking for. I’m happy to give it again. “Of course I do,” I breathe.
He reaches up to run his fingers along my jaw, over my throat. “Then don’t worry, Blue. Just do what you do best.”
“What’s that?” I breathe, though it comes out more like a moan at the feeling of his touch.
He flattens his palm against my neck, tilting my chin up to face him. “Give ‘em hell.”
He pulls away, his touch lingering, igniting a fire in me that leaves me determined to accomplish what we set out to do: Take down the Echelon Society.
