“YOU ARE WORTHLESS!!” the dark-haired man screamed, then raked his hair for the nth time. “Why can't you get this right!!”He yelled, overturning the metallic table that held some silver appliances causing me to flinch from my suspension, but as I did, the metallic hooks that pierced my flesh tore further at my skin, forcing me to stay still in my suspended position.“Bring the blood in!! Follow the motion of energy in your body! Feel the pulse!!!” he turned, his purple eyes glowering only anger, but I could barely keep my eyes open to observe him further.There was blood on the floor, and the only thing that clued me in on whose it was was the dryness that covered my skin. Three hooks pierced each extended hand, and one large one pierced my upper back, using the pinched flesh to keep me suspended in the air. How my skin had not torn, I had no idea, but I was no different from the meat hung to dry in a butchery.

READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.“Okay, so we looked at your body while you were passed out.”“what why!!!” Maloney’s hands instinctively flew to his chest.“To tell you that you have absolutely no body muscles, you are just as frail as you look outside.”“That’s not where my strength is!!”“I’ll say.”Maloney’s cheeks grew red, and I wasn’t sure if he was blushing or feeling hot. I mean, he had passed out from a fever.“What do you usually do, for money, I mean?” he asked, and I cocked my head to the side.“We steal? Isn't that obvious, or are you just trying to be polite?”“N-no, I just didn’t want to assume.”“Assume what? Hmm, you are way too thoughtful for fieldwork. I am normally the brains of the operation but starting now; I will be your shadow.”“My shad

Dalia. Finally, finally, I finally know where Rocco keeps going. It was twelve minutes past midnight. Dalia had been in her car for hours, parked outside an old abandoned apartment complex in the woods. If her father hadn't coerced her to date a possible gang member for his investigations, then she wouldn’t be freezing her ass off instead of partying with Jeremy!  Now she has to wait for Rocco to leave the building, storm inside like a jealous lover, catch a glimpse of red dynamite, a rookie in the underground market who dealt in illegal trade and had ties to the Elistar family, formally known as Elis. She dealt mainly ammunition to small gangs and blank currency, a means of trade in the black market because ritts did not cut it there. Still, she popped out of nowhere seemingly overnight and stirred not only the main gangs but also the government by threatening two members of parliaments. Dalia had suggested to arrest and

"Pretty…" I muttered as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.-So this is the power of makeup?-I was in a cosmetics shop that had way too many varieties of what I thought were the same shade of lipstick. How does one even determine what's for them?? I don't foresee Carre or anyone in the house helping me.I frowned.Should I just hire an artist? I mean, I could, but what are the chances that they will not turn out to be an undercover agent.Also, where the hell would I even find one?I could ask Maloney to dig into the internet. He could look at their backgrounds. I wasn't allowed to use the internet or sign up for anything. Maloney always did that for me. Still, what if the ones he selected were not professional and the makeup turns out badly? That could ruin the mission.I need to look older than I currently am, which needn't sound ironic since it was my birthday, but this last stunt needed to work. I am tired of having D

“What's this? A peace offering?” I asked, frowning at the cheap trinket she offered “No, you idiot, this is a birthday gift from me.” “I mean, I prefer money, but….” I said, then reached for the trinket. As soon as my hand touched the object she held, her pink eye turned golden, and as though that wasn’t bad enough, it began glowing. A chill crept up my spine, forcing me to still in my spot. The sounds that often framed nightfall were silenced, and even the air’s stillness could be felt. -The hell is going on? I can’t…move my body? - “Isn't it about time you wake up?” Milossa spoke in a voice that did not even sound like her own. Her lips were moving, yes, but they did not match her words. “Vivanna, or should I call you Annabelle?” the voice said, “You know of the tragedies that will befall you next. Last time your emotions were deeply disturbed, you had many people around you whose energies you could absorb, but right