“No,” I croak, voice rough and broken.
“This is a trick," she spits. "A way to get favor. To stay out of labor duty. You think we’ll coddle you now?”
“No,” I say louder, choking on the word.
Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back hard.
"It’s not a trick," I gasp out. "It's real. It’s—" My voice breaks. "It’s Traz’s."
Silpha’s eyes narrow to slits.
For a second, there’s real rage there. Real fear, too.
Because a child tied to Traz? That’s dangerous. That’s political dynamite.
She grabs the front of my filthy uniform, yanking me close.
"You think anyone will believe you?" she snarls into my face. "You think anyone will care?"
I stare back at her, breathing hard, every part of me trembling.
"I don’t care if they believe me," I whisper. "It’s his."
And it’s mine.
And no matter what they do to me now... they can’t take that away.
CHAPTER 9
KELLI
Morning comes heavy and mean.
I don’t sleep anymore. I just drift in and out of fever dreams, floating somewhere between pain and cold reality.
My stomach knots before I even sit up. Sweat slicks my forehead. I swallow hard, breathing through my nose like it’ll help.
It doesn’t.
The nausea surges so fast I barely make it to the rusted drain in the corner before I’m heaving everything I don’t have onto the cracked tile.
The sound echoes. Loud. Ugly.
Someone curses from the other side of the bunk rows. A few muttered insults. No one moves to help.
I don’t blame them.
I wipe my mouth on the sleeve of my uniform and sit back on my heels, shaking.
The world spins.
Through the dizzy haze, I catch movement at the doorway.
Silpha.
Arms crossed. Eyes sharp. Boots gleaming even in this pit.
I brace for it—a slap, a barked order, another humiliation to layer onto the growing pile.
