ruined.”
“The second they win, the city is doomed. We do everything it takes to keep that from happening. Whatever it takes.”
Lao chuckled to himself. Of course the answer was obvious, it had always been in front of him. What is one life compared to an entire city?
Jynx must’ve sensed his hesitance. “It’s one life versus two hundred thousand. She’s just a Mouse.”
But she wasn’t just a Mouse and both of them knew it.
“Not just a Mouse,” Lao said. The irony was so stark, he had to laugh. “She’s human.”
MAVERICK
Maverick had never been a heavy sleeper. Even after drops, when his eyes drooped and limbs failed him, his eyes still opened at the slightest noise. But any excuse to awake from his nightmares was a blessing.
This time, it was the sound of Prince’s staggered footsteps. Maverick peeked out his tent to see Prince’s shadow swaying in front of Sasha’s tent. He crawled into the moonlight.
“At least I don’t watch her when she sleeps,” Maverick said in a hushed voice.
Prince jumped. He twisted his head to find Maverick. “Oh, it’s you. What was that?”
Maverick smiled. “You call me a creep, but at least I don’t watch girls while they sleep. What are you doing?”
Prince smiled back. “I was just wondering what it’d take to convince her that she snores.”
Sure enough, Maverick could hear the gentle sound of snoring from Sasha’s tent. If he could hear it from his tent on the opposite side of the circle, it must’ve been pretty loud. “I don’t think we can ever convince her of that.”
“What a horrible sound. But still, I like it,” Prince said, stumbling over his words.
Maverick nodded. “It’d be hard to sleep without it.”
“We’re finally this close to finishing our contract. Three years of being hunted, cut, and beat. And now, none of it will matter if we fail the next one. What the fuck.”
Maverick stared at Prince. “That’s why we can’t fail. No matter what. It’s why we bought the knives.”
Prince shook his head, his balance swaying. “That’s not why.”
Maverick scrunched his brow.
“I bought the knives to protect Sasha. So we can protect her.” The words came loud and clear. For a second, it seemed that Prince was faking his own drunkenness. But just as fast as he had sobered, he was drunk again. “Promise me you will,” he slurred.
“Okay, Prince.”
“I’m serious, no matter who or what, we’ll protect her.”
“I was going to anyways.”
“She’s already been hurt enough.”
Maverick nodded, “Hawk’s Lair was –”
“I’m not talking about Hawk’s Lair.”
The statement shut Maverick up. “Prince.” They had agreed to forget about it, but both knew they couldn’t. “Something like that, we can’t—”
“I don’t care. It almost destroyed her.”
Maverick remembered the twisting trail of blood that ran down Sasha’s thigh. It was more horrible than the cuts and bruises all over her body. The blood shone so radiantly that it seemed to be the only color on her. And with this blood came a new girl, one who was shy and timid, who shrank away from conflict and would cry endlessly into the night.
Maverick opened his mouth against his better judgment. “Prince, if you found the Hawks that did that to her, what would you do to them?”
Prince stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground in a sitting position. “I’d kill them of course. I’d break their necks. I’d let them know exactly why they were dying. They would never hurt her again.” His words were poison.
“Talk like that and I’ll think you’re The Slasher.”
“Maybe I am.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “You’re not crazy enough to be The Slasher.”
Prince fell silent. He stared into the shadows of Sasha’s tent. When he at last spoke, his words came in a low whisper. “You think that The Slasher’s trying to protect someone?”
Prince’s honesty caught Maverick by surprise. He found himself scrambling for
“The second they win, the city is doomed. We do everything it takes to keep that from happening. Whatever it takes.”
Lao chuckled to himself. Of course the answer was obvious, it had always been in front of him. What is one life compared to an entire city?
Jynx must’ve sensed his hesitance. “It’s one life versus two hundred thousand. She’s just a Mouse.”
But she wasn’t just a Mouse and both of them knew it.
“Not just a Mouse,” Lao said. The irony was so stark, he had to laugh. “She’s human.”
MAVERICK
Maverick had never been a heavy sleeper. Even after drops, when his eyes drooped and limbs failed him, his eyes still opened at the slightest noise. But any excuse to awake from his nightmares was a blessing.
This time, it was the sound of Prince’s staggered footsteps. Maverick peeked out his tent to see Prince’s shadow swaying in front of Sasha’s tent. He crawled into the moonlight.
“At least I don’t watch her when she sleeps,” Maverick said in a hushed voice.
Prince jumped. He twisted his head to find Maverick. “Oh, it’s you. What was that?”
Maverick smiled. “You call me a creep, but at least I don’t watch girls while they sleep. What are you doing?”
Prince smiled back. “I was just wondering what it’d take to convince her that she snores.”
Sure enough, Maverick could hear the gentle sound of snoring from Sasha’s tent. If he could hear it from his tent on the opposite side of the circle, it must’ve been pretty loud. “I don’t think we can ever convince her of that.”
“What a horrible sound. But still, I like it,” Prince said, stumbling over his words.
Maverick nodded. “It’d be hard to sleep without it.”
“We’re finally this close to finishing our contract. Three years of being hunted, cut, and beat. And now, none of it will matter if we fail the next one. What the fuck.”
Maverick stared at Prince. “That’s why we can’t fail. No matter what. It’s why we bought the knives.”
Prince shook his head, his balance swaying. “That’s not why.”
Maverick scrunched his brow.
“I bought the knives to protect Sasha. So we can protect her.” The words came loud and clear. For a second, it seemed that Prince was faking his own drunkenness. But just as fast as he had sobered, he was drunk again. “Promise me you will,” he slurred.
“Okay, Prince.”
“I’m serious, no matter who or what, we’ll protect her.”
“I was going to anyways.”
“She’s already been hurt enough.”
Maverick nodded, “Hawk’s Lair was –”
“I’m not talking about Hawk’s Lair.”
The statement shut Maverick up. “Prince.” They had agreed to forget about it, but both knew they couldn’t. “Something like that, we can’t—”
“I don’t care. It almost destroyed her.”
Maverick remembered the twisting trail of blood that ran down Sasha’s thigh. It was more horrible than the cuts and bruises all over her body. The blood shone so radiantly that it seemed to be the only color on her. And with this blood came a new girl, one who was shy and timid, who shrank away from conflict and would cry endlessly into the night.
Maverick opened his mouth against his better judgment. “Prince, if you found the Hawks that did that to her, what would you do to them?”
Prince stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground in a sitting position. “I’d kill them of course. I’d break their necks. I’d let them know exactly why they were dying. They would never hurt her again.” His words were poison.
“Talk like that and I’ll think you’re The Slasher.”
“Maybe I am.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “You’re not crazy enough to be The Slasher.”
Prince fell silent. He stared into the shadows of Sasha’s tent. When he at last spoke, his words came in a low whisper. “You think that The Slasher’s trying to protect someone?”
Prince’s honesty caught Maverick by surprise. He found himself scrambling for
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