I felt Fuji’s Warriors behind me and one of them grabbed me. I screamed bloody murder and fought


    him.


    “I have to talk to him!” I screamed at the man holding me. “He will die if he doesn’t go. Please, Keeper,


    let me speak to him.”


    Shockingly the man dropped me and let me go. I felt him follow me, but he didn’t interfere.


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    I ran as fast as I could up the stairs to our dwelling. There was a swell of Warriors outside the front


    door. I wove between them and dashed into our apartment. Master Damien, Master Evan, Master


    Bane, and Master Kein were standing in the main room looking frustrated. I could see Christof in the


    bedroom.


    Master Damien yelled at me to stop ande to him. I ignored him and rushed into the bedroom,


    pulling the leather door cover closed. Thest thing I saw was my Masters’ faces go from shocked to


    furious. I didn’t have long.


    “Christof,” I panted, “you promised me. Don’t do this. We all need you.


    I need you. Think of me, you can get through this. Life is awful sometimes and you have to work


    through the bad parts to get to the good parts.”


    “Ciara,” he said looking a little stunned, “shouldn’t you be downstairs? How did you get up here?”


    “Doesn’t matter, I love you. Please just ept your Life isn’t what you thought it was, but it’s still good.


    There are still things you need to Live for. You won’t win or prove anything doing this—”


    I stopped talking when Master Damien’s enraged face appeared in the door way.


    The covering to the little room was thrown back and Master Damien stalked toward me. I remembered


    Andre and cringed. “It was worth it Master Damien,” I heard myself say. “Some things are worth a


    beating.”


    “I will not touch you, ve,” he ground out, “the General will take ash to your back until we feel you


    have had enough,” his face was indescribable it was so angry.


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    “Not now, brother,” Christof sighed from behind me, “we don’t want to bete for the coupling.”


    Uncertainty flitted across Master Damien’s features. He hadn’t been expecting that. Christof strode out


    of the room and called to his brothers to hurry up. Master Damien stood watching me for several Long


    moments. I didn’t back away, but I flinched when he reached for my arm.


    He passed me back to Fuji‘s owners as we walked by them on the walkway.


    As we went downstairs I chanced a nce up and saw my Warriors talking with the General. I watched


    them finish their conversation and head out the wall of thepound. With all my staring I got the


    attention of more than a few Warriors and they started toward me. Fuji‘s owners forced my head back


    down as they escorted me back to their apartments.


    The Keeperspound was subdued that day. Rose had seen the General administer oneshing and


    she didn’t want to talk about it. All the other ves looked at me with a mixture of shock and pity. Fuji


    paced around and prayed in her native Language.


    All their concern was nice, but it didn’t change anything. I would be beaten, probably within an inch of


    my life and Christof might still note back. When the Lunch bell rang I was d for it. At least no


    one could talk about it for the next Little while. I was wrong.


    Fuji’s Masters came to feed me and all the Warriors were talking about the morning excitement.


    Christof’s refusal to go and the reason for it, my strange behavior, and exactly what a beating from the


    General would entail. I had no appetite, so it didn’t really matter when they fed me the worms.


    “Eat up, ve,” the Warrior feeding meughed, “you’ll need the strength to heal once the General is


    done with you.”


    I started to retch a little and held it down. Getting sick wouldn’t make this any better.


    After Lunch the Keepers took us to the beach. Straightaway, I went into the water and scooted through


    my secret hole. I spent the afternoon diving deep outside the inlet. If I was going to beshed I doubted


    I would be enjoying the water anytime after that.


    When I went really deep I felt a strong current. I always managed to stay just above it. It was exciting


    and distracting to let it pull mea little. The fun almost made me forget the horror that wasing,


    almost.