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

she became sure that the guards were about to leap upon the male and deliver some brutal punishment.

‘Finally—someone brave enough to ask. I was beginning to think you lot would stand here all night.’

Like flipping a switch, Siray’s anxiety was instantly replaced by a burning hatred that roiled beneath her skin as Captain Raque strolled around one edge of their formation.

He halted before them, cruel amusement on his face. ‘Today, some of you performed well. And some of you did not. As I call your unit number out, you may move forward and help yourself to the food in the barrels.’

Siray felt her shoulders relax as a little breath escaped her lips. She had expected something far worse.

‘Oh—and you’ll find new training gear in your rooms, to replace the rags you’re currently wearing.’ Raque eyed them all contemptuously, his own outfit meticulous. ‘Unit six!’

Siray felt an immense sense of relief as her gut tightened. Her unit was going to be given first access to the food—yet being the first out of the ranks meant that she, Genlie, Kovi, Zale, and Baindan had both the eyes of all the captives and the guards pinned on them. Siray kept her chin level and her face expressionless as she followed Genlie’s tall form out of the formation and towards the barrels.

When they reached the container of food, Siray saw Kovi hesitate before reaching in for his meal just as Genlie drew alongside him. Hopefully, to everyone else watching, it only looked like Kovi was searching for the largest portion he could find. But Siray knew he was actually trying to fight down his male instinct to let his mate retrieve her serving first.

As Kovi and Genlie each stepped away from the barrel with a chunk of meat wrapped in thin bread, Siray decided not to risk Kovi’s almost mistake and automatically reached in for hers, realising as she did so that the barrels were only partially full.

Siray forced herself to step away, carefully cradling her meal as she strode after Kovi and Genlie, keen to remove herself from the vision of the other captives.

It helped that one of the guards briskly instructed them to keep heading across to a far part of the yard, and when they all reached a comfortable distance, they began consuming their portions.

Siray stayed standing as she ate, the experience earlier in the day having taught her that food here could come and go quickly.

‘Unit seven!’

Her mouth full as she chewed vigorously, a tense part of Siray relaxed as Wexner’s unit was called out. Now Wexner, Tamot, Kinna, Loce and Annbov would also get to eat.

Someone’s shoulder brushed ever so slightly against hers, and she turned her head a fraction, her body tensing and prepared to fight for the meal she was still consuming.

But there was no need. Stormy-grey eyes glanced her way before turning back to take in the rest of the captives still waiting for their turn to get food, Captain Raque still calling out unit numbers, now in pairs.

‘I’m assuming you noticed the trick with the barrels.’

Siray nodded, swallowing her mouthful quickly so she could respond. ‘I did.’

Baindan’s gaze jumped back and forth between the captain, the guards, and the captives. Like he was calculating something. ‘This could get interesting.’

‘I don’t suppose they would let us share?’ Siray asked quietly, nodding her head in the direction of the guards. After all, some other captives had already missed out on food earlier that day.

‘I doubt it,’ muttered Baindan in a low voice. ‘They’ve set it up this way on purpose. And don’t forget their motto …’

Only the strong survive, Siray thought. ‘Well, not much we can do but stay together, then,’ she said regretfully. ‘And eat quickly,’ she added, taking another big bite of her the wrapped meat as the number of captives waiting began to dwindle down to the last four units. Wexner, Kinna, Loce, and Tamot had joined Siray’s group, all of them busily chowing down on their still-warm supper.

Baindan grunted. ‘That way, we’ll be harder targets than they will.’ This time his nod was in the direction of another unit; the members had grabbed their portions from the barrels but then drifted apart, each effectively standing on their own as they gleefully consumed their food.

The moment Baindan had anticipated came sooner than expected.

‘Unit three and eight—off you go!’

The captives from the remaining two units exploded into a sprint, their hunger driving their bodies quickly towards the barrels.

Siray hurriedly chewed and swallowed as fast as she could, downing the remainder of her portion quickly enough that she knew she might have a sore stomach later. Not that she cared right now.

Her hands now empty, she risked looking away from the two units of starving captives swarming around the barrels and towards her friends.

Kinna was still eating, Zale urging her to hurry.

Loce looked like he was on his last mouthful, and the others were done.

Except …

‘Where’s Annbov?’ Siray raised her voice to pose the question to Wexner as she turned her eyes back to the commotion beginning to break out around the barrels.

In the corner of her vision, Wexner’s head shifted rapidly back and forth as he scanned the yard for the fifth member of his unit. ‘There,’ he growled.

Siray looked. Annbov had wandered off to a corner of the yard by herself. Apparently, the female didn’t fully trust her unit yet.

Kinna, who had finally finished eating, took a step in the female’s direction.

‘Don’t,’ Wexner told her quietly. ‘It’s already too late.’

As if on cue, Tamot, apparently still their eyes and ears despite his recent suffering, remarked, ‘Get ready.’

The last two units were exclaiming loudly to one another as they discovered that the barrels were empty—which showed that they still had enough awareness to know not to turn their growing anger and foul remarks directly on the guards themselves.

Which makes them twice as dangerous, Siray realised, if they can still think that clearly.

As one, the eyes of the two groups of captives focused outward, and Siray