“Come have a look,” Dawn says, gesturing at a full-length mirror.
I jump off the chair, and when I stand in front of the mirror, I notice I’ve lost weight, and my body looks firmer.
Then I see my face and my lips part.
Wow.
“It’s like you worked magic,” I whisper. “My eyes have never looked so green before.”
Dawn lets out a chuckle. “A change is as good as a vacation.”
I’ve never heard that saying, but I give her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
It’s surprising what such a small change can do to my face.
“The red around your eyebrows will fade quickly. Don’t worry about it.” She pats me on the shoulder. “Once you’ve settled in, you should come so I can do your eyeliner. We’ll only do it with a pencil to see if you like it.”
“I’ll come visit again,” I say as I walk toward the door. “It was nice meeting you, but I have to get going.”
“You can pop in any time, honey. Be careful out there,” she says, then her eyes turn serious. “Find a group of men who will protect you to keep the masses at bay. A girl looking as beautiful as you will draw attention.”
A shiver creeps down my spine as I nod. “I will.”
The door rings on my way out, and glancing up and down the street, worry blooms in my heart when there’s no sign of Chance.
Shit. Where did he go?
Chapter 2
Jai
Not able to find Chance or the girl he was with, I consider going back to Dawn.
I glance up and down the street again, my skin already crawling from all the men staring at me.
You should’ve stayed with Chance, no matter how uncomfortable it was watching him with Morgan.
Where did he go?
There’s a stabbing ache in my chest.
He just left me. I was in the store. If he had bothered to look, he would’ve seen me there.
Still, this is on me. I shouldn’t have left his side.
Even though I didn’t always feel safe in the ecocity, there were enforcers to keep the men from taking what they wanted.
But there’s no sign of any enforcers here in the main ward, and it makes a fear I’ve never felt before bloom in my heart.
Slowly, I start walking, sticking close to the street in case I have to run for my life. I glance around, hoping to find Chance or Raze, but there’s no sign of either of them.
Then again, it’s his fault. He practically forgot I existed after that woman threw herself at him.
There’s a shop where people are getting their hair cut. I see my reflection in the window and hesitate for a moment before continuing to walk.
At another store where hair is being cut, I stop again and wonder if I should ask them to cut mine.
It’s not like I have anything else to do. Right?
Yeah, you do. Look for Chance or Raze.
A man slows down as he walks toward me, and tilting his head, his eyes rove over my body.
Crap.
At first, I almost wrap my arms around my waist to make myself smaller, but then I remember my training. I fist my hands at my sides and lift my chin, then widening my footsteps, I hightail down the street.
“Why are you running, sweetheart?” he calls after me, a mocking chuckle following his words.
I only slow down when I’m sure I’m a safe distance away from the man.
Suddenly, I hear a crowd roar, “No mercy!” It’s followed by the familiar sound of fists and painful groans.
I peek down an alley and see stands where people are sitting, pumping their arms in the air as they repeatedly shout, “No mercy.”
Is it a training arena?
Curious, I walk down the alley and come up behind a stand. I move to the side of it and see an open space of grass and two men wrestling.
Standing next to the stand, the roar, and chants from the onlookers filling the air. The man on top of the other starts punching him until blood splatters over his face.
Geez. And I thought training with Idris, Kenzo, and Chance was bad.
Only when the poor guy is groaning in pain does the other one let go of him and rise to his feet.
His eyes sweep over the stands, then he says, “That’s how you drop an Insensate when it storms you. Any other takers for a quick demonstration?”
A demonstration?
The one standing helps the bleeding one up and pats his back. “Thanks, buddy.”
He glances over the stands, then jeers, “Come on. If you want to fight in the war, you at least have to have the guts to go up against me.”
Do I?
I was able to get free from Kenzo and Chance during training, but I’m not sure this will be the same.
Suddenly, the man’s eyes lock on my face, and I feel horribly exposed as if a teacher at the seminar asked me a question I don’t know the answer to.