LOGINKali's POVI was sleeping when the scream tore through the night.It sliced into my dreams, dragging me out of the dark. I jolted upright, my heart already racing before my mind caught up. For a second I thought it was only another nightmare, the kind Redpeak liked to feed me. Then the scream came again.This time I recognized it.Zara. It was Zara's voice.I rubbed my eyes, breath shallow, and swung my legs off the bed. Cold bit into my skin immediately. The quarters were quiet, as everyone else was already fast asleep. I staggered to the window and pushed the curtain aside with shaking fingers.My blood turned cold.Two guards were dragging Zara across the courtyard, her feet barely touching the ground. Her hair was loose, wild around her face, her body thrashing as she struggled against their grip. Moonlight caught the tears streaking down her cheeks.My heart dropped straight into my belly.“No,” I whispered, already moving.I grabbed my robe from the chair, barely tying it as I b
Zara's POV I stormed down the corridor with my hands clenched so tight my nails bit into my palms.Every step toward Maduro and Hera’s room felt justified. I was done swallowing my anger, done watching Kali flinch at raised voices and lowered gazes like she was less than a person. If Kali was not going to speak up for herself, then I was going to speak up for her. Maybe that would also give Kali a push to stand up to these people.I had rehearsed the words in my head. I would tell them exactly what I thought of their cruelty. I would tell them they didn’t own her. But I never made it past the door.I slowed when voices drifted through the thick wood, low and deliberate. Maduro’s voice carried first, smooth and confident.“We need both of them.”I stopped breathing.“But Emmett might cause a problem if we don’t give him Kora,” Hera replied.My pulse roared in my ears. They were talking about Kora and Kali.“The other three clans are on our side,” Maduro said calmly. “If Emmett tries
Kali's POVMy bones cried with every movement as I cleaned the kitchen.The ache had settled deep, the kind that no amount of stretching could chase away. My shoulders burned as I scrubbed the counter, my fingers stiff and swollen, knuckles scraped raw from hours of work. The smell of soap clung to my skin, sharp and bitter, mixing with the lingering scent of cooked meat and spices. I moved slowly, carefully, as if any sudden motion might cause me to shatter.I was rinsing a pot when Zara’s voice echoed behind me.“Why do you do this?”I startled so hard the pot nearly slipped from my hands. Water splashed onto my skirt as I turned, heart hammering. Zara stood a few steps away, leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded loosely across her chest. She watched me with an expression I couldn’t quite place. Not anger. Not pity. I swallowed and looked back at the sink. “I don’t have a choice,” I said.The words came easily. Too easily. They were well-worn, smoothed down by years of use
Ike's POV I trudged through the hall, struggling to keep myself from giving in to the pain.Each step sent a sharp protest up my leg, through my ribs, and straight into my skull. Blood soaked my shirt, warm and slick, clinging to my skin. The world narrowed to the sound of my own breathing, which was ragged and uneven, and the distant echo of my boots against the marble floor. I focused on that sound because if I focused on anything else, I would fall.The stairs rose in front of me. I took a deep breath before I gripped the railing and hauled myself upward, one step at a time, my vision swimming. By the time I reached the landing, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely keep my balance. I leaned against the wall, my chest heaving, trying to will my heartbeat to slow.That was when Emmett saw me.He hurried towards me with panicked footsteps. “Ike,” he said, grabbing my arm before I could slide to the floor. “What the hell happened to you?”I tried to straighten, to look like I
Kali’s POVA sharp ringing exploded in my ears the moment her palm connected with my cheek.For a second, the world tilted.Sound blurred into a high pitched whine, like metal scraping against glass inside my head. I didn’t even register the pain at first. I just stood there, frozen, staring at Kora as if she were someone I had never seen before.Her face was twisted in anger.“Are you blind?” Kora barked. “You just ruined my new dress, you freak!”My fingers went numb. The silver tray slipped from my hands before I could stop it. It hit the floor with a loud clang, followed by the sickening crash of porcelain as the two cups of coffee shattered, dark liquid splashing across the stone tiles.The smell of burnt coffee filled the air.“You bumped into me,” I said, the words tumbling out before fear could clamp my mouth shut.Kora’s eyes widened slowly, disbelief giving way to something far uglier. “Are you talking back to me, freak?”My heart pounded violently. Every instinct screamed a
Kali’s POV I stood by the window of my house, watching Ike drive away. I could not bring myself to feel bad, or I might feel shitty for the rest of my life. That phase of my life was over, I always knew it would be over. Now I was back to my hell, and I would deal with it like I always had, with I opened the wardrobe slowly, like it might bite me. Everything was still there. My old clothes hung limply from the wooden rail, faded and worn, the fabric thin from years of use. Dresses with frayed hems. Shirts that had lost their shape. Skirts patched at the seams. Nothing like the soft fabrics and beautiful clothes I had worn at Emmett’s place. My chest tightened. I reached for a dress I recognized immediately. It was a plain brown dress, with a pink patch at the hem. I stepped into it anyway. The fabric clung to me, tight around my shoulders and hips, uncomfortable in a way that made my skin itch. I tugged it down. Like I was trying to squeeze myself back into a life I







