Page 19 of Scarlet Wars
I didn’t soften it. “You’ll likely get raped, and I’ll get killed.”
Amy stilled, her face draining of color as the weight of what I’d said settled in. I cursed myself for being so direct, but there wasn’t room nor time for sugarcoating here, not with the stakes as high as they were. At least I felt numb. It was the only thing keeping me together.
She stared at me for a long moment, her breath shallow. Then, flatly, she said, “Well, that’s one risky hell of a Plan A.”
I snorted despite myself. “Yeah, not exactly foolproof. But it’s the best shot we’ve got.”
I straightened my spine. “It’s the only shot.”
Amy looked down, her fingers twisting the edge of her blanket. “What if I can’t do it?” she whispered, so quietly I almost didn’t hear her.
“You can,” I said firmly. “You’ve been surviving this long. You’re stronger than you think.”
Her gaze flicked up to meet mine, and for a moment, something shifted in her expression. Determination. Fear. A mix of both. “Fine,” she said, her voice steadying. “Let’s do it.”
As if on cue, the door at the top of the stairs creaked open.
“Witch,” he called out with mock cheer. “How’s my disgusting miracle worker doing today? Ready to make some magic?”
I gritted my teeth and forced my will to survive into action.
“I did it!” I yelled back, hoping for the best outcome of this insane plan. “I did what you asked me to do.”
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would split my ribs. Amy’s eyes darted to mine, her unbound hands hidden behind her back. My throat was as dry as sandpaper.
Please let this work.
Dave barreled down the stairs like an unhinged animal, too feral to notice Amy’s cuffs were gone. He stopped at the bottom step, his lips twisting into something that might have been a grin on someone sane. On him, it was a grotesque display of teeth and madness.
“Amy,” I croaked, hoping she’d catch on to my cue.
She gave an almost imperceivable nod.
“Dave,” she purred. “You were right. I should have listened to you. I see it now.” She remained seated, her body slumped into an almost submissive manner. “You’re everything to me.”
His face lit up, and my stomach churned. There was something terrifying about the way his joy twisted his features, as if every muscle in his face was pulled too tight. A predator preparing to pounce.
“Prove it,” he growled, as he stepped toward her.
Amy hesitated, her gaze flicking to mine for the briefest second before her lips parted. “Kiss me,” she whispered, barely above a breath.
For a moment, the room went still, the silence almost louder than the blood roaring in my ears. Then Dave surged forward, both his hands gripping her arms as his mouth collided with hers. Amy’s face twisted, a flicker of revulsion threatening to break through, but she held the line.
I forced myself not to move, not to flinch, even as my instincts screamed at me to stop this.Second-guessing a plan is a fast way to die, I reminded myself.
Her fingers brushed against his side, trembling as they slid into his pocket. I held my breath, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it. Dave’s groan rumbled through the room as he deepened the kiss, his arms tightening around Amy.
Then he froze.
My stomach plummeted. His head tilted slightly, as though some distant instinct was whispering to him. My nails dug into my palms, every muscle in my body screaming to act, to do something, but I didn’t dare move.
Amy hesitated for a fraction of a second, her hand still in his pocket, before she leaned into him, her lips brushing his cheek in a sickeningly intimate gesture. “I’m yours, Dave,” she murmured, faking a lover’s confession.
It worked. His suspicion melted into a smug, twisted grin, his grip on her arms loosening just enough. Her hand emerged from his pocket, the small, glinting key clutched between her fingers.
She didn’t miss a beat. With a casual grace that betrayed the terror locked in her rigid posture, her fingers tightened around the key. Without hesitation, she slid it across the floor toward me, the faint scrape of metal on stone slicing through the suffocating silence.
The cold metal skidded to a stop, inches from my hand, and I snatched it up, my movements quick but silent. Within seconds, my cuffs and chains fell to the floor with a muffled clang.
