Page 30 of His Curse

A few beats of silence pass, silence so loud it drowns out everything around us except the sound of my pounding heart.

Ronny is a great kid, though he’s not really a kid anymore, but he'll always be a pup in my eyes. The pup that followed me around like I hung the moon, and he's grown up to be a great fucking man. If this changes things, if I lose him too, I'm just glad I've gotten to spend so much time with him before now. I hope Ronny continues to hold onto what I've taught him; holds onto the good times we've had together.

If not?

Well, I have a hard time seeing this play out any other way.

"Would it be ok if I finished my Rite of Passage alone?" Ronny asks while staring holes in my head.

I clear my throat, nod, and barely meet his eyes. "Yeah. I won't say anything to your mom, but if she finds out I left—”

"I'll deal with her,” he almost growls.

I guess this played outexactlyas I thought it would.

Can't say I blame my nephew, though.

Learning his uncle is a monster—a murderer—totally changed his view of me, and I get that.

Doesn't mean it still doesn't fucking hurt.

Slowly, and with a heaviness sitting on my chest that I doubt will go away any time soon, I get to my feet and brush a little dirt and bark from the back of my thighs. I chance a look at Ronny and find him back in his position of meditation, his eyes closed and hands resting flat on his knees.

Yeah, I may have lost my nephew tonight, but I could not be more proud of him than I am right now.

He's a good fucking man and I'll always be proud of the fact that we share blood.

I turn to start back toward my cabin, even though I don't really feel like going home, and when I'm about six feet away I hear, "Thank you for sharing all of that with me. I love you, Agatanahi Waya."

A small smile pulls at my lips as I nod. "I love you, Ronin, and I pray you never forget that."

I know I sure as fuck won't.

Chapter6

Target Acquired

LARK

My heart is fucking pounding right now, beating so damn hard it might just pound right out of my chest.

Hopefully Kentworth can't hear it, and thankfully, he hasn't hooked me up to the monitor yet. He’s just strapped me down to the table and has been taking his sweet time with everything else. The minute he slips the heart monitor on he'll know something is up, so I need to get my shit regulated or else my plan isn't going to work.

I glance at the clock, and my pulse flutters a little more, thrumming a little faster as the seconds tick by.

The guards should be letting the others into the yard now, allowing all three halls, less the vampires, out for fresh air and exercise.

Just like I thought, Kentworth sent Jorge and the orderlies for me right after breakfast, and that means he plans to keep me here for most of the day—which was confirmed because as soon as I was strapped to the table he sent everyone else away.

It'll be just the two of us, like always.

Maybe it's stupid or some kind of weird Patty Hearst thing, but there's a level of comfort Kentworth and I share, a familiarity in his testing and in the way he does things, and since I don't typically fight him on that part anymore, he doesn't feel the need to have anyone else present for his tests. He just puts a couple of guards outside the door and calls it good.

Something that has made my time here a smidge more bearable.

Something that will work in my favor today.

"You seem well, Zitkala.” Kentworth turns from the table opposite from me, his clipboard already in hand, barely missing the way I scowl over how he insists on using my given name. "They didn't treat you too poorly while you were away?"

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