Siren Awakened - C.R. Jane Page 0,26
refusing to let him get to me. I freaking died, and all they gave me was one day leeway. “I promise, it won’t happen again,” I said, biting the real words I wanted to say about him being a selfish asshole who didn’t care about anyone but looking good in front of the warden.
He stared at me, not saying a word. “Get out of my face. Tomorrow, you’re on lunch duty. Be on time or don’t bother returning.”
I nodded and started to retreat. “Thank you.”
Without wasting a moment, I headed out just as Mary approached me with a tray of food. “Here you go,” she whispered. “He’s really foul today, so count yourself lucky to not be working.” She grinned, and I could have hugged her for her kindness. Sometimes, a few words and a sweet gesture was all it took to make things better.
“You’re the best. Thank you.”
She hurried back to work, and I headed out into the mess hall with my tray. Just then, four people left their table at one end, and I hurried to claim one seat for myself. If I wasn’t working this morning, then I might spend it doing more research in the library.
I started eating the baked beans and scrambled egg, then buttered my toast. The flavors still sparked on my tongue, but not as flavorsome as they had a few days ago. I frowned, but it didn’t deter me from eating.
Someone sat in front of me. In fact, it was two women, both looking older, with silvering hair, but the age lines on their faces spoke of hardship. A spark of yellow flared in their eyes. Witches. I had no idea the prison had any in here, though not that it mattered, seeing as so many of the inmates’ abilities were muted. And I assumed the warden would not allow magic wielding inmates to walk around freely in his prison.
I smiled, then when they frowned, I regretted it.
“Bitch, you stole my dreamcatcher,” the woman with short cropped hair accused. “I let it go when you took my bag of herbs. Almost felt sorry for you, but I was wrong, wasn’t I, thief?”
I glanced behind me at first, convinced she must be referring to someone else. “Are you talking to me?” I asked, completely perplexed.
She shoved my tray of food off the table, and it hit the floor, the last bit of toast I hadn’t eaten now butter face down, and I sighed.
“I was going to eat that,” I snapped.
“No one cares about your stupid toast,” she snapped. “I want my dreamcatcher back,” she sneered, while her friend watched me like she might leap over the table any second to strangle me.
“Look, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Why would I take your stuff? I don’t even know where your cell is.”
Her friend slammed a hand to the table, her upper lip curling upward. “Stop lying. Why the fuck did you take her stuff?”
A small crowd clustered near us now, and the whole mess hall had fallen silent, staring our way.
A shiver raced up my spine.
“We saw you, bitch!” the short-haired woman snarled. “Now you can come clean and return my stuff, or I’m painting this table with your blood.”
A hooting cheer roused around us from everyone else wanting a fight.
I flinched at how quickly this was getting out of hand, and I had no clue what I was being accused of. “We can go check in my cell, and you’ll see I don’t have anything of yours. Maybe you saw someone who looked like me? I don’t know what to tell you.”
The women exchanged looks, the main one stating, “Looks like she’s not going to come clean.” They glanced my way, and my blood turned to ice. I wasn’t a fighter, but I wouldn’t sit back either. Except, I stood no chance against two of them.
I got up slowly, figuring my only chance to avoid a full out brawl meant heading back into the kitchen. And this was why I had to stop eating my meals in the mess hall. No one ever left me the hell alone. “Let’s talk about this. Whatever you are missing, I’m sure I can help you find it.”
“Fight, fight, fight,” some guy bellowed.
I cringed on the inside.
The witches were up on their feet, the short haired one pushing her sleeves up to her elbows.
I curled my hands into fists, ready to give as much as it took if I couldn’t get away quick enough.