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Chapter 55: Omittance
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The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 56: Unfortunate
NINESwallowing, he pushes my hair off my shoulder, then glides his palm into the nape of my neck. I stare at him. I stare deep into his midnight irises. I know better than to be here, to allow him to make me comfortable, warm, and content. I lived the last eight days as an Unfortunate should, and he lived his as a Fortunate should. We didn't intertwine, not for a second. And it was the loneliest eight days of my life. Irritation flickers in my chest. How dare he groom me. How dare he make it so my life is mundane and miserable without him? How dare he make me crave his company and his touch. I lift myself a little higher, moving my face in line with his. I glance at his mouth, then back to his eyes. They flash, igniting a fire in the pit of my belly. "Careful, Unfortunate. You shouldn't tease the man who's spent the last seven nights fucking you in his mind." My ears burn, and I can't help myself. I kiss him. I glide my hands around his neck and move into his lap. I wrap my legs
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 57: Caught
NINEMy eyelids flutter, and I twist under the blanket, searching for a more comfortable position to sleep on Kade's bed. Beside me, he sleeps peacefully, but I can't. Every creak and groan of the manor startles me awake, and the intimidating shadows of the enormous room morph into Vincent. And Michael. And Henry. And Elizabeth. Fear and guilt eat me up, and hot flushes of anxiety crawl over me. I should feel safe. I should be at ease, but I'm not because I'm breaking the law, and Vince knows it. No matter how powerful Kade is, he can't save me from the structure and laws of society. Intrusive thoughts of Vince send dread hurtling through me, further progressing my anxiety. If Kade ever finds out what happened in the bathhouse...I shudder at the thought of what he'd do. I shuffle my head on the pillow, moving closer to Kade. He sleeps with a frown, and my lips quirk at the crease between his brows. I reach out and graze the pad of my thumb along it. It smooths out, making my hear
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 58: Irreversible
KADEHer answer was the justification he needed. She cared for him, and as long as he took care of her, she was loyal to a fault. She would do anything he asked; of that, he was certain. He couldn't say the same about many other people in Freeport, and if he wanted to climb the ranks, if he took over the family, he needed loyal people around him. "We made a deal, Unfortunate, that night on the balcony. You remember," he said to Nine, ignoring the drop of blood rolling down her throat. She opened her eyes, and he saw her resignation. It was the same look she had in her eyes in Michael's recording. Vincent ambushed her in the communal Unfortunate bathhouse. She did the only thing she could do; get through it, and it'd be over soon. Nine gave her head a minute shake, but it was unavoidable. Michael would die tonight. The knife tucked into the waistband of the back of his pants dug into his flesh, and he welcomed it. Since he was a boy, he made a habit of sleeping with a knife, and a g
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 59: Enough
NINEKade deals with Michael's body alone, and I stay on the lounge, staring at the fire, watching the flames as they dance. Every second he takes is torture. I don't know if he's okay or if he's been caught. I don't know if the shock of it all is too much for him to bear. I said I would help him. I should be out there with him. Exhaling, I throw off the fleece blanket and swing my legs off the edge of the lounge. I sit up, wincing at the pain radiating down my neck and glance over my shoulder to the bed. I can't help him carry Michael's body, but I can help him clean. I can get the room ready for when he returns. I lift off the couch, unsteady on my feet, and walk to the bathroom. I go through the cupboards, looking for anything that cleans blood splatter and leaves no trace, but there's nothing besides hair soaps and razor blades. I leave the basin and enter the linen closet behind the bathroom door. I pick out a new fitted sheet and duvet and place them on the lounge. Then, I mak
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 60: Thirteen
KADEHe stuck to the cover of dense shrubbery and the long shadows it cast. His hands felt light without the weight of his father's body in them. His muscles trembled, and his thighs vibrated. The air was loaded with chaos, with the promise of much-needed rain, so he marched as quickly as possible, hoping to beat it. The walk back from the incinerator was much quicker than the walk to it. The scents of burning flesh and fabric still hung in his nose but lessened every second he spent in the fresh air. The incinerator was a big hike. Every major family had one of their own at the back of their property line. They burned trash, yard clippings, and the occasional Unfortunate. Lucky for him, it was trash day, so the incinerator was turned on at midnight to heat up for the day ahead. Michael's body didn't disintegrate immediately. It wasn't hot enough for that. It was a slow burn. Like hellfire, it slowly consumed the fabric, then Michael's flesh, then his bones. Kade ran his hands ove
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 61: Waste
NINE The rest of the night goes smoothly. When Thirteen comes out of the shower, I tend to her wounds as best I can without formal training, and she doesn't say a word to me. Kade glowers from the bar with every thank you she withholds, but she hates me, and I understand why she does. I accept it. Compared to her, I live a privileged life. I am protected in my ivory tower, away from the Fortunates who lurk in the shadows, waiting to hurt me. I'd hate me too. Once Kade is satisfied with her wound care, I set her up on the lounge for sleep. I add kindling to the fire to keep it burning, and I tuck myself in on the other lounge. I watch her for a long time before exhaustion takes me out. I don't know if she slept or watched the flames of the fire dance all night, but when I wake, she's gone, and Kade is somewhere by his bar, brewing coffee. The smell of it alone is enough to pick me up. I've always enjoyed the scent. I sit up and swipe at my face. My eyes are heavy as if suddenly fille
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 62: The Town
When he's made himself presentable, he snatches me by my elbow and pulls me from the room. Moderators are everywhere, lining the halls, clenching rifles in their hands. As we close in on the stairs, I peer over the bannister and see more moderators. They watch the uneasy house Unfortunates as they go about their jobs. "Kade," I whisper, terrified. "Don't say a word," he murmurs. He escorts me through the manor like a prisoner. His grip is tight and punishing, his demeanour different to what it was moments ago when we were enjoying a morning coffee. He rushes me out the front doors and into the bright morning sun. I squint and struggle to keep up with his long, purposeful strides as he ushers us into a breathtaking horse-drawn carriage. From its golden frame to its black woodwork, from its large wheels to the two sleek, black Dutch Draft horses with bright blue binary codes in their eyes, it's perfect. Like the carriage in every princess story I've ever read."You'll have to open the
The Unfortunate Trilogy Chapter 63: The Chambers, Part 1
The council speaks, but their voices fall before reaching my ears. All I can focus on is her, Thirteen, the timid blonde who slept on the mattress beside mine, the girl who fought for the mustard-coloured dress. The Unfortunate I grew up with but never knew."The council will take Kaden Sario's word as fact until Michael Sario says otherwise.""I find it convenient, brother, that Michael is unavailable—""Shut up," Kade snaps under his breath. The moderators leave, and Thirteen lies still on the floor, her breathing laboured, her blonde locks stuck to the blood on her face. "Unfortunate Thirteen, do you recognise the Unfortunate kneeling before us?" Rita asks. Thirteen surveys me with her one good eye. She shudders, then nods. "You spoke to this Unfortunate prior to fleeing from the manor, did you not?"She nods. "Did she aid or encourage your escape?"Thirteen closes her eyes, and her body settles. My heart stops. Is she...?"Unfortunate," Rita probes. Still nothing. I gasp as
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