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The Unfortunates(48)

By:Skyla Madi


As we approach a rogue vine, Kade reaches for it and holds it to the side for me to pass by unhindered. A friendly gesture? I never thought I’d see the day. Before I step past, I glance up at him and he smiles faintly down at me. It causes every organ in my body to malfunction for a brief second. The exchange is nothing revolutionary, and yet, I can’t help but feeling it’s the start of a new chapter in our relationship, one that leads directly to my freedom.



∞ Kade ∞



He walked behind her, cringing every time the bottom of her bare feet pressed against twigs and cracked under her weight. It looked painful, but she never made a noise as she soldiered on. He guessed her body was weathered to the harshness of the Earth just like her soul tolerated the people that inhabited it. Kade heard stories about the Unfortunate camp, but could never gather the courage to see it for himself. He was a coward compared to Nine. She had to live in the camp. For eighteen years she was stripped of all hope, told that she didn’t matter and felt alone, waiting for the day she’d be sold to a Fortunate and destroyed. For her to come out of a place so dark and still find the nerve to be curious and sarcastic is courage beyond anything Kade had ever witnessed. He loved it. It made him feel like he was given Nine for a reason, as if she was made for him. Everything Nine did was tailor made to suit Kade’s preferences. From her bright, violet eyes to her plump lower lip, from her long auburn hair to her generous, perky breasts. Add her killer smile, kind heart, and unpredictable nature, and Kade was sold. He wanted her. If this evening taught him anything, it was that Nine was perfect… but she could never be his. Even if Kade decided to keep her after this was all over, he couldn’t. Someone like her would only be worth it to him if his hands were the only ones to touch her porcelain skin.

“Ah, Master Kade.” A female voice pulled Kade from thoughts that go against everything he was setting out to accomplish and he glanced around the open field at the back of his house. It seemed his father decided on yet another spectacle. Whenever his father came in from the city, people flooded the Sario residence to eat almost every meal. He flicked his stare in the direction of the woman who spoke his name. Kathryn Milano, head of the Milano house and wife to John Milano. Like Nine, she also had long, auburn hair and bright eyes—they weren’t violet, but they were bright nonetheless. If she wasn’t forty-something years old, he’d have thought them sisters.

“Kathryn,” he greeted her, with a slight bow of his head.

Immediately, her sights jumped to Nine. “She’s yours?” she asked, her smile widening. Now that Kade recalled it, Kathryn and her husband weren’t at the branding ceremony.

“Yes, she is.”

Nine kept her own gaze on the grass, clasping her hands behind her back. Kade knew she hated it when other Fortunates spoke about her or treated her as if she was some kind of show dog. Unfortunately, she’d never be able to get away from that.

“Can I talk to her?”

Kade stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. A strange request, but not an invasive one. “I don’t see why not.”

Nine lifted her head, her gaze zeroing in on Kathryn’s flowing, golden gown. Kade noticed Nine was always looking at dresses, admiring them.

“Hi, Nine,” Kathryn said, her beaming smile widening further.

Nine smiled politely. “Good evening.”

No conversation followed the brief exchange and Kade frowned, watching the way Kathryn admired Nine. Her eyes glistened and not once did her cherry-red lips cover her teeth.

“She looks healthy, much healthier than the others.”

He nodded. “She’s a prized possession, to say the least.”

Kathryn’s smile faltered for the briefest moment and Kade managed to hide his frown underneath a neutral expression. What’s her deal?

“Yes, well, I hope so.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I best be getting back to dinner. It was nice talking to you.”

Kathryn turned and just over her shoulder, Kade spotted Albert, sitting alone at a table with a glass of wine.

“Wait,” Kade said, deciding to seize the opportunity to tell Albert about Nine. “Do you mind if Nine walks with you? I have something I need to take care of and I’d hate for her to walk alone with my brother sniffing around.”

Kathryn grinned over her shoulder, elated by the offer. “I don’t mind at all.”

Nine glanced at Kade and he flicked his head in Kathryn’s direction. “Go. I’ll have Portia bring you dinner shortly.”

With a not so certain nod, Nine parted ways with a polite ‘Yes, Master Kade’ and left with Kathryn. He exhaled and brushed his hands over his grey suit, hoping he didn’t have any dirty patches. Had he known he was going to run into Albert tonight, he wouldn’t have sat with Nine on the grass. Even in his head, it sounded wrong… as if he was betraying his own people. Oh well, there was no time to think about that now. Kade pushed forward, preparing his speech in his head. He didn’t have much material to work with. He figured he was going to lead with a casual conversation, then dip into some mine talk in hopes that Albert would bring up the situation with Sario mine number two all on his own. From there, all he has to do is drop Nine’s name. If it didn’t work, Kade was going to have to feed Albert alcohol and get it done tonight. There was no other way.