Nada's Escape: Fighters' lies

30.2 Snatch

I clutch my third drink to my chest and giggle again at thought of Josef under an upended bowl of punch. I bet he didn't think I'd spend my time at the gala thinking about that!

I sigh and watch over the balcony as Macie herds Penny towards the doors. Finally. It has been over an hour since I told Macie about Josef's ultimatum. She'd been unimpressed and offered to stay with me. I had shaken my head and pointed at my refuge balcony.

Amy had returned about half an hour ago, whispering to me in the staircase that they'd snatched the key to the garages from Hart's office. They didn't need me to complete the heist.

I nod to myself. This is the right way to do it. The girls will all be waiting for me in the Warrior Circle at midnight. It's actually kind of perfect because they'll remember me here at the start of the Hunt. And the confusion of the Hunt will be the perfect time for me to slip away, and meet up with the rest of the girls. If we're really lucky the Hunt will last all night, covering our escape.

Finley casts another worried glance up at my balcony and I try to ignore it. He's itching to talk things out and this is just the worst possible time. So I sit, tracking Mildrith's begrudging steps on the dance floor, waiting for Darcell to return.

I hear two people making their way along the corridor. Probably more lovers. I try not to squirm as they pause close by, whispering in the shadows.

"You're sure she's had the carries?" says a man.

"Yes," replies a curt female voice. "It's just not taking effect. You'll have to take her by force."

A shiver passes through me and I put my glass down. This is not right ...

I push myself upright on the rail and the room begins to spin. Oh no. Something is very wrong. Can I feel my feet? Is the rail still there? I rest my gaze on the gold railing and it swims, the ballroom floor flying up to meet me. I clench my fist on the rail, blinking red spots from my vision. Blood runs back into my limbs and the world shudders upright again.

I turn toward the exit, the doorway already filled with two Huntsmen, one red one purple. I squint, vision blurred through the darkness. Or are those feyflies attached to my eyelids? They do seem to be fluttering a lot.

The shapes feel real though, as hands circle my arms, anchoring me to the ground. I try to yell but out of nowhere my throat fills with bile and I choke down that burn instead. I stagger between the hands as they shove me into the corridor. A third hand shoves a wad of cloth in my mouth. And there goes any chance of screaming, I think.

"Thank the mage," gasps the woman. I finally place her, between the voice and blurred purple dress. It's that Beatrice lady from the show. I wish I could spit on her. Instead I just slump again her, vertigo swamping me again.

They fucking drugged me, I think hazily. Josef finally pulled off the poisoning trick. Fuck.

I feel like a pin ball as the three of them bump me down the corridor.

"Quickly!" hisses Beatrice. "I'll distract the boy."

I use this as a queue to find a little reserve of fighter strength. I struggle, flailing my limbs viciously but I just feel like I'm being thrown around by a carnival ride. Head rattling, guts whirling, shoulders banging against the arm rests. Fuck.

"Darcey," I hear Beatrice croon behind me.

I'm not sure how I'm still conscious as they drag me out through the library. But I remember them nodding to a couple in the stacks. My head lolls and they ignore it.

They pull a cloak across me when we reach the outer door. The night should be dark but my vision is increasingly filled with those pesky red feyflies. I blink to clear them, but that only makes them flutter more. They can't be real. Why do they make my head ache so much? Why can I see them, even when my eyes are closed?

I snap my eyes open again, seeing a streetlamp streak past. Stay awake. You're in real danger. I focus on the hair of the one on my left. Curly, dark. He sneers at me and a sense of déjà vu engulfs me at the sight of his curled lip. My head pounds, a horde of red feyflies seeming to have taken up residence behind my eyes this time. I moan around the gag.