The Dark and Hollow Places - Carrie Ryan [81]
The river’s a riot of slush with frozen water cracking and shifting around the edges. I can just see the shadow of the Recruiter’s body in the shallows, his skin already distorted and swollen.
A few boats stuffed with refugees from the Dark City float beyond range of the Recruiter crossbows. They no longer shout for help or beg to be let ashore; now they just watch us with desperate eyes. It’s impossible to tell how long it will be before the Unconsecrated swell from the Dark City and fill the river until they overwhelm the Sanctuary as well.
Elias races onto the platform, his steps reverberating across the old wood. “What’s going on?” he shouts, his face purple with rage. “You can’t do this!”
Ox turns to him, a blank expression on his face. He points at the decapitated Recruiter below. “She killed one of my men and there will be consequences.”
Elias stops, breath coming out in fast pants that cloud the air in front of his face in the cold morning. His lips are blue. “What? Annah couldn’t kill anyone!”
Everyone stares at me. There’s no use lying—it’s clear they know the truth. I raise my chin defiantly. “He was attacking me,” I spit at Ox. “I was defending myself.”
My confession is enough for Ox and he pushes me toward the ladder, but I turn on him. “It’s not my fault you can’t control your men. He practically ripped my hair out—he deserved it.”
Ox hesitates and Elias jumps forward, trying to yank me back, so I’m in the middle of a tug-of-war between the two men.
“You can’t hurt her,” Elias argues. “What about Catcher?”
Below us the Unconsecrated reach and moan, pushing against the wall. A few more wash ashore, bloated bodies almost frozen. They lie there, still and silent. Eventually, they’ll struggle to their feet as well, hungering for the living.
I scowl as Elias and Ox argue. I know what the result will be—Ox has already proven more than once that he’s not one to show mercy.
“She’s not going to be killed,” Ox reassures Elias and I snort even as my insides relax with relief. “She’s going to be put to work.” He swings his hand down to the shore. “We need someone to sweep during the day anyway.”
I swallow again and again as fear reaches deep inside me. But I refuse to let anyone know I’m afraid.
Elias starts to protest but Ox shifts forward, leaning his huge bulk against Elias’s leaner body. “For what she did to my man it shouldn’t even be a question,” he growls. “I’d kill her myself if I could. Do you want to argue that she shouldn’t be punished? You know me better than that.”
Over Elias’s shouts of protest Conall drags me toward the rope ladder. I kick at his shins and he pushes me over the edge of the platform until I have no choice but to grab the ladder or fall to the ground below. He holds the shovel out at me and when I reach for it he lets it drop, slipping through my grip and falling where the plague rats trample it.
Unconsecrated fingers brush my ankle, their desperation fevered with me so near. I don’t allow myself to scream as I grip the rungs of the ladder, no weapon to defend myself.
Elias leaps forward, shoving Conall out of the way and kneeling on the dock, reaching for me. Before I can warn him, Conall’s recovered and kicks Elias in the ribs and there’s nothing I can do.
With a grunt and a whoosh of air, Elias’s face crumples in pain and he falls to his side, clutching his stomach. He scrapes a hand against the platform, trying to push himself back up, but Conall steps on his fingers, grinding his heel into the wood.
“You questioning a direct order?” Conall asks, bending low so his face is flush with Elias’s. I can hear Elias groaning with the pain.
“Catcher won’t let this happen,” Elias mutters.
Ox laughs and pushes Conall out of the way before dragging Elias to his feet. Elias’s body is crooked as he tries to curl around the spot where he was kicked, cradling his injured hand to his chest.
When Ox speaks his voice is deadly calm and serious. “Catcher doesn’t control the Sanctuary, I do. We need only one of you