The King's Cruel Game

ater, the cr

dull ache. Then

ng to read, trying to i

gave me. W

nsified, stea

r, a cry esca

un to another town. N

I neede

the door, ca

ous clench. I felt a sicke

oo

h God

alf-conscious, a pool of red s

brought oth

pain, fear, and the frantic, h

r in a nearby town, on

grim. E

emptiness inside me

by wa

s b

hand gripping mine, her fa

ned late

om, hollowed out, st

lling of road d

She stood up when he entere

ex asked, his voic

Clare said, her voi

pression was hard to rea

ething

aid, more a stateme

metimes," I whispered, the wor

n the edge of the bed

e said, his voice low, almost a caress. "M

il

hit me li

hestrated. The tr

as using it

child with me, his

That go

this. Subtl

iled" by the ambus

me. He' d kil

s if to touch my

es nar

ing up. "Silas' s cat is sick.

. Her

More important than the

ut without

hut behind him, a

her arms around me as the

and suffocati

rayed me. He' d des

with a smile, unde

he was more depraved than