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And wounded animals fight hardest for their survival.

Blindly, I feel along the floor, my fingers making contact with the knife he dropped.

Rhenn notices, the corners of his mouth rising, and he grabs my wrist, flicking it in such a way which releases the blade. “Show me, Vix. Show me how dark you are.”

My body trembles, fear and confusion and anger thundering inside of me. They torment my mind, screaming at me to fight, to hide, to run.

But I do none of those things, dropping the knife instead. My whole life I’ve fought, and for what? What’s the point if all it gets me is my back against the floor?

“Vixen, Vixen, Vixen.” Rhenn takes the blade in his hand, slowly grazing its tip up my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. My eyes flutter closed, and I try to swallow the lump forming in my throat. His exploration continues onto my chest, directly over my rapidly beating heart.

This is it. This is where it ends. No solace. No returning home.

But the steel leaves my skin and he moves back, his legs straddling my own. “I suggest you go home now.”

And just like that, Rhenn rises, disappearing down the hallway and leaving me to suffer alone. I lie there, staring blankly at the textured ceiling. It’s all a game for him. He wants to see me crumble, shatter at his feet. What Rhenn doesn’t realize is down is where I’ve lived. I’ve learned to navigate it, survive it. He can’t break me, because I’m already broken.

CHAPTER TWELVE

SUMNER

Music hums through the room, too loud for my liking. It shakes the glasses on the table in front of me.

Two days after Rhenn littered the yard with my clothes, I discovered something unusual sitting on my doorstep: an oval slab of wood that fit perfectly in the palm of my hand.

My very own Thornlink. Though, I’ve heard most people just refer to them as a link.

After an hour of messing with it, I discovered that, yes, they are almost exactly like cellphones, only prettier. The grain on mine is filled with clear streaks and swirling shades of green, almost making it look like moss agate.

Figuring out how to charge it was a bit of a challenge. The back of the link has what looks like a thorn imbedded in its center. If pressed on, the thorn twists out. That fits into a small ceramic disk, which is a cordless charger that runs solely on the water vapor in the air.

So maybe not exactly like a cellphone.

It was on and set with a single number. His. I’d contemplated deleting it, or changing his name to something more fitting, like “Uber Grouch” or “Creep Next Door”, but I didn’t think either of those were clever enough. I had also made several attempts at calling literally anyone from my old contact list. Unfortunately, there was only one number I remembered, and it wouldn’t go through.

Now, I stare down at it, reading the new message from my co-worker.

Liya: I’ll totally know if you don’t go to the tavern. Try to have fun, will ya?

Sighing, I slip the link in my pocket, ready to wipe today’s shift from my mind.

“I said AB positive,” my billionth customer had snapped, shoving his drink across the table at me, causing thick red liquid to spill down the side of the glass.

My body shudders at the reminder that a Bloody Mary means something entirely different here.

After dragging myself back to fix the drink—and fighting the urge to gag from the smell of it—Liya asked me to take some iceberry shakes to another table. Simple enough…except I had no clue what an iceberry even was.

One mini breakdown and an entire plate of food crashing to the floor later, Liya decided to let me take off early for a mental break, insisting I check out the live music at Raven’s Tavern. I tried to counter her offer, suggesting I could really use more training, or at the very least, just go home.

Her ultimatum was brutal: either check out the tavern or drink the entire glass of the wrong refreshment I’d accidentally poured.

So, yeah, the tavern won.

I keep my head down, attempting to stay out of sight. I’ve already seen a few familiar faces, which leads me to believe the one face I’d rather not see might also be here. It briefly makes me wonder if I should have challenged Liya’s dare, but I’m pretty sure I would actually die if I ingested even a mouthful of that…bloody beverage.

“Who are you hiding from?” a male voice asks from beside me. I glance to my right, pleasantly surprised when I see Josten.

“A neck-hungry parasite.”