Page 31 of Famine

“You’re doing it all wrong,” Famine says, his voice casual. I can feel him staring at me as though he’s committing my features to memory. That angers me too.

“Shut up.” I take a deep breath, gathering up my courage.

The horseman looks vaguely amused when he says, “You do realize I could stop you if I wanted?”

Thatcauses me to pause.

The horseman openly smirks. “Girl, have you no memory of my capabilities?”

I meet his gaze.

One moment I’m in control, and in the next—

The floor bucks, the hardwood splintering beneath my feet. I’m thrown to the side, my shoulder hitting the wall. By some miracle I manage to keep my hold on my dagger. I can hear Famine’s chair scrape back, and then he grabs me.

Pure instinct has me thrusting my blade forward, the point of my dagger burying itself into his chest. Famine grunts at the intrusion, grimacing as he glances down at the hilt jutting from his abdomen.

I let out a surprised yelp.

Shit, Istabbedhim. I actually stabbed him. I stare, horrified, at the weapon protruding from his flesh. The satisfaction I was supposed to feel never comes.

The Reaper grimaces. Wrapping a hand around the hilt, he drags the dagger out and tosses the bloody blade aside.

I reach for my other weapon, but the Reaper grabs me by the throat and hauls me over to the table, slamming my body against the polished surface, his scythe trapped beneath me.

Famine’s pelvis grinds into mine as he pins me in.

“Foolish—little—flower,” he clips out, leaning over me.

I reach again for the holstered dagger at my hip. The Reaper beats me to it, his hand skimming down my side as he pulls the weapon out. He tosses it aside then grabs at the longer blade strapped to my chest, giving it a cursory look before chucking it far out of reach.

Just like that, the last of my grand scheme is gone. For the third time in my life, I’m at the whim of the horseman.

“This was your plan?” he grits out, some of his blood dripping onto my chest. “To come here and kill me? You make a worse killer than you do a whore.”

I spit in his face.

In response, he squeezes my throat tighter.

“Unless, of course, youdidn’twant to kill me,” he says, searching my gaze. “You’ve seen that I cannot die, and you know what I’m capable of. Surely you’re not stupid enough to think you could end me—”

Somewhere in the mansion, a door opens.

He casts a hateful glance towards the sound. I use that moment to draw my leg towards my chest, and then I kick out, ramming the fucker in the gonads as hard as I can.

Famine lets out a pained grunt, releasing me to cup himself, and I use the distraction to dash from the room.

Get out get out get out.

I leap over the dead body, round the corner—

A man stands in the way.

Shit.

His eyes widen a fraction when he sees me. I try to stop my momentum, but I slam into him anyway, the two of us going down in a tangle of limbs.

I’m desperately trying to extricate myself when I hear Famine approaching. Before I can get to my feet, the man on top of me is kicked off of my body. The Reaper’s scythe goes to his throat.

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