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

around for a second, collecting myself. My anger was overriding me. I needed to slow down and gain some perspective.

There was a long silence between us, and finally, I broke it, turning back around toward her. “Sit down. You need to eat something.”

I was surprised that she actually sat and I moved over to my backpack, pulling out a few tins. I used grabbing them as a distraction, so I could slip a pair of cuffs into my pocket without her noticing. She’d balk if she saw them, and I was not in the mood to overpower a girl who was recovering from the brink of death.

I handed her one of the tins, which she snatched out of my hands. I watched with a mixture of revulsion and fascination at how quickly she gobbled it down. I knew she’d be hungry waking up, but not that hungry. She asked for another one, but I shook my head. “Wait for that to settle. We have a limited supply and I want to make sure you’re not going to vomit it up before I give you the next one.”

I handed her the water and watched her take long pulls from it. Once again, I took it away from her before she was willing to stop. She accepted it though and, after wiping her mouth, she lowered the mask back to her face.

“Thank you,” she said. I nodded, setting the water canteen on the ground in front of me. Samuel decided to remind her that he was there, by placing his head in her lap. She made a cooing sound, and began rubbing his head. He squirmed into her lap, his tongue lolling, and I felt an irrational surge of jealousy toward the dog.

“How did you find me?” she asked as she rubbed Samuel’s belly.

“Tracker technology,” I replied.

“What? Via the tracker Lee put on me?” She frowned hard. “He said he removed that software from his computer.”

“It seems your husband couldn’t be bothered.”

She flinched. “Please don’t call him that.”

“Why not?” I taunted. “You were married.”

Violet narrowed her gray eyes as she looked at me. “I understand that you’re angry with me for my part in the bombing, and setting you up, but there is no need to be cruel, Viggo.” Her tone was icy. “Be angry, don’t be cruel.”

I considered her words and knew she was right. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t care if she found me cruel, but it didn’t work. I did care.

That was the whole damn problem.

“Fine,” I said begrudgingly. She inclined her head to me in a wordless thank you, and I tipped mine back at her. “So, explain to me what happened.”

Violet’s eyes met mine, her face guarded. “Well, it seems like you know a great deal. I’m guessing you read Lee’s letter?” I nodded. She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Well, I had no idea about most of it. The bombs, yes, but I didn’t know so many people would get hurt. I never realized how good at lying he was.”

“Who’s Desmond?” I asked.

Violet shrugged. “That’s Lee’s middle name. Do you know Lee’s story?”

I shook my head.

“Lee’s mother was from Matrus,” she explained, “his father from Patrus, and he was born on a boat in the middle of Veil River. His mother gave him the middle name of Desmond. I think he was writing to himself.”

I frowned, mulling that over. “You think he had two personalities?”

“It’s the only thing I can think of—I think he went insane and was trying to punish the two countries that wouldn’t accept him.”

“But they did accept him,” I said. “Matrus trusted him to spy for them, and Patrus obviously believed his patriotism. He could’ve done anything for either of them.”

“He felt like a pawn, Viggo. I get that feeling, even if I don’t agree with what he did.” She cast me a sidelong glance. “So should you,” she added softly.

My jaw clenched at her declaration. I ignored her small jab, focusing on the task at hand. “Why did you come here, Violet?”

She sighed, and rubbed the back of her neck. “Lee and I… well, when I discovered he had killed the queen and Mr. Jenks, I went to confront him. He was already taking off on that stupid flying motorcycle, so I… I grabbed on. We fought, and then he tried to drag me off. I upset his balance and he fell. I killed him. After that… I just sort of… I don’t know. I was in shock. I had read his letter, and opened the egg, and –”

“You opened the egg?” I interrupted.

She nodded, pulling out the key that hung around her throat. “Yeah.”

I stood up, holding out my hand for the key. Violet eyed me warily, her gray eyes searching mine. Eventually, she folded, and untied the cloth securing it to her neck.

I walked over to the silver case, and fit the key to the hole. There was a hissing sound, and then it opened. I stared at the orange colored case, and at the small, barely formed embryo for a long moment, and then turned to Violet, who shrugged.

After several seconds of examining the strange embryo and the container, I pulled the key, sealing it up. Violet looked at me expectantly when I approached, and I returned the key to her, not wanting her to end her story prematurely.

She took the two ends of her makeshift necklace in her hands and began securing it to her neck while she continued, “Anyway, Lee was heading north, and I didn’t know how to fly the damn thing. I crashed into The Green, got bitten by a centipede and… well… you know the rest.”

“Why were you heading back south?”

Violet shrugged. “I figured… I figured out the bite was venomous and I decided to bargain the egg with Matrus for a cure. And for my brother.”

“And if you hadn’t been bitten?”

She tilted her chin up. “I would’ve carried on north. To find my brother.”

I had heard