Page 37 of Hunting Ground

The look of approval she gives me makes me think I’ve said the right thing, and Elaine slowly folds her arms over her costume, her gaze going back to Ben’s corpse. “He had a wife,” she says at last. “And a kid. Didn’t tell me that, just told me that I had to abort the baby. Said we couldn’t take care of a child. I didn’t know that was because he already had a family and I was just making things more complicated.”

“Oh.” That’s…much worse than me spilling water on a man. “I’m sorry.” I hate that I feel a pang of pity for Elaine, and I wonder if maybe she’s not completely at fault for this.

Men are trash, in general, after all. Ben was just proving the rule, instead of being part of the exception. But I push all that misandry out of my head, reminding myself that just because I support a woman’s wrongs doesn’t mean that I should support this wrong specifically.

“What about you? Jonah never gave us details.”

“Of course he didn’t.” I don’t hesitate, and my voice is dry. “Because all I did was dump water on him after he was being gross at the motel I work for.”

Her startled look tells me that she’d thought it was something significantly worse, and when I turn to face her fully, something in her eyes darkens. I can see the moment she makes a decision, though I can’t help jerking backward when she takes a step towards me.

“You killed Jonah,” she murmurs, reaching out to brush some dirt and blood off my face. I wince when her fingers get too close to the wound on my cheek, though I set my teeth against giving her more of a reaction than that. “I never liked him. And we’re tired. This year was over quick for most of us. Not a big deal. Just works out that way sometimes. Actually, I think you’re the only one still alive. Well–” She glances away, towards the staff only room with its door padlocked. Even from here I can see the dull shine of the chunky lock, and I wonder what’s in there.

“Last one?” I repeat, confused. Hadn’t Adrien said Lily was here?

“Except for the bride’s victim. Once we found her participant, we brought her back here, and brought back the bride’s body. Never had any of us die before.” She doesn’t seem very upset about it and she pins me with her gaze again. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Sable?”

I hold her gaze, and manage a soft, “No.” I’m not sure if she believes me. Her eyes narrow, and she studies me with something I can’t name. But it must satisfy her, because she looks away and gestures at Gideon.

“Go get her. Let’s do something fun to end the night.” That sends a shiver through me, and I look around, hoping I’ll see any sign of the guys.

Surely they haven’t left me. Even though I’d made a questionable, poor decision in coming here. Maybe I deserve it if they have, since I’d been hardheaded enough to want to save Lily.

Elaine grabs my hand suddenly and I flinch, expecting the worst, only for her to tug me out onto the polished wood of the roller rink, the disco ball spinning above us and casting wild squares of light all across the roller rink. I hear music distantly, and when I look up, I find that Jeff is leaning against the half-wall of the rink, captivated by his phone.

None of them look particularly phased or worried about my existence.

“Do you want to live through the night?”

For a moment, I’m sure I’ve misheard. But when I turn to look at Elaine, she’s staring at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

“Yeah? Yes. That is…absolutely.” Especially if I’m not about to get rescued.

“Then I’ll spot you the entry fee. All you gotta do is hold up your end of the obligation.” Her smile grows friendly, and somehow that makes me feel worse.

“I’m confused.” There’s nothing in her words that make sense.

Especially when I hear a scream, and Lily is dragged out of the staff room by her hair, her face bloody and arms not much better. Her clothes are torn in places, and when she’s dragged along, I can see her limping, trying to keep up as her face twists in pain.

“You want to live, you do it as a member of our little club. We’ll of course trade information later, so long as you don’t decide not to.”

Decide not to. As if I have any other option.

Jeff only stops when he can throw Lily to the floor at my feet, and when she looks at me, her eyes go wide and hope flashes through them.

“Sable!” she gasps. “Holy shit, you’re alive!”

Elaine doesn’t comment on her knowing my name. In fact, she seems almost disgusted by it. Her face twists in a sneer, and she lifts one booted foot up to shove Lily back onto the floor so she has to catch herself on her arms with a cry.

“It’s not standard, obviously. Normally we’d go through a process and you’d have to submit your reasoning. It’s all very official. But she doesn’t have a hunter, and to live, you need a participant.”

The meaning of her words dawns on me suddenly and I turn to look at her, my eyes going wide as fear floods my chest. “Wait–But I already killed someone. Multiple someones,” I remind her as my hands grow colder at my sides.

Elaine smiles sweetly and unsheathes my knife that I’d given her before handing it back to me, clasping my fingers around it with her own.

“You did,” she agrees. “And now you have to kill one more. Just one woman that was going to die tonight anyway, Sable.” Her voice is gentle, almost pitying. Everything in them seems to want to console and comfort me. “Does it matter what she did? Look at it this way.” Her fingers tighten on mine.

“Either you kill her, or I do. And I’m sure I’ll make it a lot worse for her than you can dream of. And after that, if you can’t?” She steps closer, until her face is close enough to mine that I can feel her breath on my face.