The King's Cruel Game

g, the clubhous

asual touch from Rex

eeing the monste

to tel

keep alive behind the clubhouse. Her hands we

d, my voice ba

gile smile touching

er on the worn

talk. Somewh

ade her frown. She wiped

's wr

ubhouse, towards the woods

ugh that no one coul

out to tell you... i

her eve

Marcus' s comp

aged a

calculate

lost all color. She sway

ing her head. "No, Marcus

roke on the

e. Both of them. Th

spilled over, tracing paths t

... it was

n heart aching

To give us to Silas as som

er shoulders shaking. I kne

bed. "All this time, I t

her, two broken bir

finally asked, her voice r

solve forming inside me. "We

ade was a fortress. Rex an

be easy. It wo

romised, more to myself

es, a spark of her old fi

the morning sic

Rex yet. I hadn

The thought was a

nto this web of lies, with

the bathroom,

concern. Or what I no

ou okay

my forehead. "You f

y. "Just a b

yourself," he said, his voice lik

d. Did he know?

ve smile. "I know everything t

He couldn't. I

ht me a drink. A speci

his wife swears by this. Good for

s eyes intense. "

d with suspicion.

ed, it would r

smile. "T

wly. It tasted

nished the cup, his

d, kissing my forehead. "

ent down

a lie. Everyt

like another part of the