The Azuli by Cassidy Shay (best beach reads of all time TXT) 📕

nod again. “Then you will be pleased to know that we did not kill him.
My head jerks up and he sees the panic and fear in my eyes. In some situations, I would have been relieved to hear this. But in this case, I know that he might be a lot better off if he was dead. “Now, now,” he says calmly. “Don’t worry. He isn’t being tortured, either.” Relief rushes through my bones, filling my veins. I let my body relax, and he gives a little laugh.
“Let’s get on with business. As you know, when you stepped into that room, you remained unconscious for a few hours. While you were asleep, we ran some tests. And I’m afraid that we can’t exterminate you, at least not yet. You see, one of the tests revealed a very small thing is growing inside you.” I look at him, completely puzzled. “No, you do not have a tumor, and you’re perfectly healthy,” he says, reading my thoughts. “You’re pregnant. I was curious when I saw those results, especially because a report from Dr. Pender revealed that you had taken a fancy to Collin. Your report answered that question, of course.” He looked to the side of the room, as if embarrassed that he was discussing something like this instead of torture tactics, or whatever it is that he deals with all day.
“You are now the first ever Azulate to successfully conceive a child. You should have a plaque, if you want one. But because of the experiment, we can’t have you exterminated. It would defeat the whole purpose. Instead, we are reconstructing your face, so that others are unable to recognize you. Then, you’ll be sent to Floor 6, where you will have a new partner to help you raise your children. How does that sound?”
I don’t say anything. Before I answer him, I need some time to process this information. I am going to have a baby. The baby belongs to Carl. Because he raped me. And now the Azuli Academy is going to set me up with another man so that this can happen all over again. Will the cruelty ever stop?
“I’ll do it on one condition,” I say.
He starts laughing. It’s real laughter, not the cruel, evil laughter that I’ve grown accustomed to. He is genuinely amused. “You’ll do it no matter what. We can force you to do anything we want you to. If I wanted, I could force you to be my wife.” He wrinkles his nose a bit. “I do think my real wife would object, though.”
“You can’t force me to do anything.” I stand up from the chair and lean across the table. “You need me for this. For all you know, every other couple could be unable to conceive a child. Until you know for sure, I’m your only hope. You work for me. If I don’t get what I want, I can simply kill the baby, force myself to miscarry.” I lean back, but remain standing. “Before I agree to your plan, I want to see Collin again.”
He mulls it over for a minute, and then nods. “Alright. I’ll take it.” Although he probably knows I was bluffing when I said I would kill baby, he doesn’t want to take the chance. “You have to promise that you’ll cooperate, though. Okay?” I nod. “And you will be introduced to your new groom, and married again, before seeing him. But I promise that you’ll get to see him, alive and perfectly healthy. Understood?”
“Yes,” I say. He slides a piece of paper over to me, and holds out a pen. I read it, and find that it is a brief summary of our agreement. It was typed up before the Warden came in, so it only says “the conditions agreed upon by the two parties.” Although I know he could deny ever agreeing to let me see Collin, I also know that he won’t. There is too much at stake, and he knows it.
I take the pen from him and sign my name. With only a couple seconds and a handful of letters, I sign my life away to the people from which I swore I would escape.

Imprint

Text: Cassie Hoene
Publication Date: 08-19-2011

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To my teachers, friends, and family members who always pushed me to be the best writer that I can be.