The Gender Game 2 by Bella Forrest (audio ebook reader .TXT) 📕

After I finished, I started sorting through what I had left. It was hard to focus. Nausea coursed through me, forcing me to stop a couple times, sucking in air to try and calm it down. I concentrated on sifting through my supplies while I considered my next move. Getting organized helped me focus.

I strung the key to the egg on a piece of fabric and tied it around my neck. I put the gun into one of my pockets, and slipped the clips into my back pocket.

Then I started to put everything back in the bag, but paused when I picked up Lee’s letter, my eyes reading his words again, considering them.

Lee talked about us being pawns, and maybe I had been one. But even a pawn could capture a queen. Maybe there was a way I could do everything I wanted, using the egg. I breathed out, letting the thought roll around in my head.

Then the dizziness was back, and my stomach writhed. I couldn’t hold it in. Leaning over, I had the good sense to rip off my mask before my stomach started heaving, pushing out all the food and water in my stomach onto the mossy ground of the forest. It took several minutes before my stomach was empty, and when I finished, I wiped my face off, and pulled the mask back on, sucking air through the filter. I leaned back heavily on my knees, ignoring the compulsion to lie down.

With shaking hands, I untied my makeshift belt and slid Lee’s pants down over my hip until my bandage came into view. I untied it, removing it from the bite.

The skin around the bite was red and inflamed. Looking at it, I felt the wound throb, sending tendrils of pain up and down my leg. I touched the skin around the wound. It was hot. I pushed down a little bit, and bright yellow fluid leaked from the puncture marks.

A wave of disgust coursed through me, and I had to turn my head to keep from vomiting again.

It was definitely venomous. All of my symptoms were clear indications and it had become obvious to me now that I had two options, both of them equally dangerous for different reasons.

I needed medicine. I might be forced to make a sharp change of plan.

Both Patrus and Matrus would likely have what I need, but they wouldn’t just give it to me. The instant I turned up in either place, I would be seized as either a terrorist or a murderer.

I thought of the egg. That was potentially my ticket. Both sides wanted it, and I had it. I could use it to barter for treatment, and possibly immunity. I just had to decide which place to make my deal with.

If I chose Patrus, I ran the risk of them not honoring their deal. In fact, I doubted very much that King Maxen would take kindly to a woman having anything over him. He was a proud Patrian male. If I showed up and demanded treatment in exchange for the egg, he would likely take it from me, and kill me anyway.

Then again, if I went to Patrus, maybe I could locate Viggo and ask him to help me. If he was still alive…

I pushed the thought of Viggo being dead from my mind. But even if I did find him, there was no guarantee he’d help me. Depending on how many holes Patrus had discovered in Lee’s and my tracks, Viggo might be in prison, soon to be executed.

If that was the case, maybe I could use the egg to save him and me. I pulled the object out of the bag, watching the light reflect on its silver surface.

I wanted to hope that would be the case, but I knew in reality that it would never happen. King Maxen wouldn’t allow me or Viggo to go free, nor would he lift a finger to help me.

Returning to Matrus made sense. The Matrians would be more reasonable with me since I was a woman, and would likely honor their deal. Not to mention, the only evidence that they had on me was from when I touched Queen Rina’s shoulder in the office, after her death.

I had Lee’s letter of confession—that would help to exonerate my name. And I still had the egg, which I could barter. If I was smart about it, I could clear my name and claim my brother, and maybe get transport down south of Veil River to The Outlands in search of somewhere for both of us to live.

I shuddered as a quiver of fear raced down my spine. That was a desperate thought.

No one knew what was in The Outlands. Several expeditions had been sent throughout history, with not a single person making it back. There had even been an unprecedented cooperative effort made with King Maxen’s father, King Patrick, and Queen Rina, to send a group comprised of both Matrians and Patrians. They had been given the most powerful transmitter both countries could produce, enough food and water for months, and weapons. For a week, transmissions were coming through regularly, and reports were printed for citizens to track. Then transmissions went dead, with no more reports coming in.

Eventually, both sides had given up hope of return. Some believed that the Patrians had turned on the Matrians, killed them, and wound up dying themselves. Then again, I was certain that the Patrians were sure that it was the reverse. Either way, it didn’t matter. No one returned from The Outlands.

Still, I had limited options. Given the time I’d already spent in The Green, it was clear that this place was death. The Outlands were an uncertainty. What was certain, was that I could never again live in Matrus or Patrus. As a pawn, I was a liability—they couldn’t let me live long enough to potentially expose them, even if I didn’t know the full extent of the egg’s