Change of Darkness (The Change Series Book 3) by Jacinta Jade (best new books to read txt) 📕

stood impassively next to Baindan and Tamot as the hungry gaze of ten captives scanned them.

Yet seeing that the nine of them were empty-handed, their gazes quickly moved on.

And landed on those who had unconsciously isolated themselves and were still savouring their supper.

Two of the hungry captives made a dash for Annbov while the rest went after five captives from another unit who had split up.

Off by herself, Annbov panicked as she saw them advancing, and tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go.

Siray pressed her lips together as the female went down quickly, her arms flailing as she tried to ward off the blows of her attackers.

Off to the right, the other eight hungry captives were fighting it out with the five members of another unit—literally brawling over any scraps of food that might be left.

Siray’s and Wexner’s groups stayed close together, watching it all happen.

Nearby, another unit was doing the same, standing almost back to back in a tight circle, their supposed leader giving them instructions. It should have come as no surprise to Siray to see that, upon further scrutiny, the hard-faced female who had taken charge of that small group was, in fact, Melora. Standing quietly alert, whispering orders to the others, she was the very picture of authority.

Shouting off to Siray’s right side drew her attention back to the fracas.

The attackers had successfully overpowered the members of the other unit, seizing what food they had, and Siray exhaled slowly as she surveyed the five captives now lying on the stonework amongst settling dust. They didn’t appear to be too badly hurt—if you didn’t count the injuries they had already received that morning.

A few more scuffles broke out as the eight victorious captives argued over how to divide up their small winnings. Five of the eight walked away with a little food, while the others were left on the ground, in pain, exhausted and still hungry.

‘Mother save us, is this what it’s going to be like every day?’ Kinna’s murmur was quiet enough that she might just have been talking to herself.

Siray shook her head slightly, trying not to think about the days ahead. Doing so might shake her courage.

The sound of heavy footsteps coming from the direction of their accommodation made her turn her head slightly, but Siray couldn’t see anything in the corner of her vision. Yet she dared not turn her head any further, given the tension within the yard. She’d rely on the others to her sides and behind her to monitor those approaches.

Yet she knew who it was as soon as he started to speak.

‘Well, now that that has all played out, it’s time for all good trainees to get their rest. After all, it’s only a matter of spans until day two begins.’

His carefully chosen words had an obvious impact on some of the captives, and Siray steeled her mind against the despair stirring around her. One thing at a time.

She heard the sounds of more boots moving over the sand and soon saw that guards were fanning out across the yard to herd the captives back into their cells.

Moving with the others, Siray obediently walked across to the three-storey building, everyone quiet as they made their way up the stairs and into their allotted spaces. Siray’s unit split off into their cell, while Wexner, Tamot, and Kinna went into theirs, Loce lending a shoulder to Annbov as they followed the others inside.

Once Siray’s unit was in their cell and the door had been closed behind them, Genlie faced them all, her slim frame taut.

‘They’re going to make us turn on each other.’

‘What?’ Siray couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.

‘I think that’s what this place is designed to do. To loosen bonds. Make us forget what we were fighting for. To break us.’

‘You don’t know that.’ Siray tried to speak strongly, but she could hear the doubt in her voice.

‘I don’t know that for sure, but I have some strong suspicions.’ Genlie had a look in her eyes that Siray hadn’t seen before.

Baindan seemed to see something as well. ‘Tell us what you mean.’ His words were quiet, inviting.

Genlie looked down for a moment at the bare floor, then she raised her head to look at them all again. ‘When I’ve fought the Faction, I’ve found that they have a certain ruthlessness. An all-out approach that almost always borders on being tactically wrong. Now I’m thinking that this training, this approach they have to weeding out the weak, might be the reason why.’

Siray narrowed her brows. She’d had some experience fighting off the Faction but didn’t really have any solid combat experience. At least not compared with the others. She turned to Baindan, her eyebrows raised in question.

‘It’s true.’ Baindan nodded. ‘When they fight, they go all in.’ He turned to Genlie. ‘And you think it’s because of exposure to these methods?’

Genlie nodded, brushing back strands of blonde hair from her face. ‘Maybe everyone we’ve been fighting didn’t start out as believers in this cause—whatever it is. Maybe they started out like us.’

Across from Siray but close by to Genlie, Kovi leaned against the stone wall and crossed his arms. ‘So, you’re thinking is that not only are we fighting to survive here, but we might not even be us at the end?’

Genlie nodded, her eyes fixed on Kovi, and a silence filled the room.

Siray scanned the faces around her. Baindan, Genlie, Kovi, Zale—all friends. Each one a Resistance member she had fought with, and all people she would fight for. How could she possibly be turned against them?

‘So what can we do?’ Zale, with his active mind, was already looking for a resolution.

And Siray was ready with an answer. ‘We escape.’

Kovi, Genlie, and Zale looked at her doubtfully.

‘And I just so happen to know someone who’s great at planning escapes.’

She glanced slyly over to her left.

Baindan gave her a slow, knowing grin.

CHAPTER SEVEN

SIRAY’S UNIT SPENT most of the evening debating several ideas for breaking out