Etta

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

'I don't know why they think you're going to find her any quicker,' Frederich said, handing over a steaming bowl of porridge. 'The guards are annoyed. It's really not your job.'

'You reckon?' Etta took the bowl from him and dug in with a spoon. 

'Yeah, they should be out there finding her.' 

'Sending me alone is pretty reckless. Doubt I won't be followed.' 

Frederich scoffed, rolling his brown eyes. 'You don't want your freedom?' 

Etta didn't answer. She'd mulled the idea over in her head for most of the night, only managing to drop off for a couple of minutes at a time. She knew they wouldn't let her go alone even if they made out they would. What was stopping her from catching the first bus out of there otherwise? Frederich's words melted into her mind though. Freedom. That was what they were giving her if she returned, that was what was keeping her off the bus. 

'You won't be followed,' Gorj mumbled, bringing a stack of pots from the store cupboard. 'The Draytons don't think you'll last five minutes out there alone. You'll come crying back soon enough.'

Etta raised an eyebrow. She didn't let Gorj's words bother her anymore. He was scum and she was better than him. 

'And how do you know so much about it?'

'You're not the only one with ears in this place, lanista.' He dropped the bowls on the counter. 

'Now, now, kids.' Frederich looked over his shoulder. 'You certainly are not the only ones with ears.' He'd said it quieter than his usual jolly boom and Etta realised they'd been talking louder than they should. 

Frederich busied himself on the other side of the counter. Etta didn't watch what he was doing, instead she glared at Gorj until he rolled his own eyes and stomped into the mess hall. Apparently he was a kitchen boy now. How the hell he'd escaped the Harena she didn't know, but a pang of jealousy ripped in her stomach. Maybe it was a reward for giving up Matilda's name, maybe not. The Draytons seldom rewarded anyone. 

She turned to leave when Frederich piped up, 'Not just yet, Miss Etta.' 

'I have to get ready...' she began but he shook his head. He pinched something from a small pot and dusted it onto whatever he was making. 

'Done.' He grinned. He folded it into a square with some dry material and pushed it across the work surface. 

Etta blinked down at the package. 

'The Draytons might not believe in you, sweetpea, but I do. You'll find that girl.' He gave her a wink. 'And we can't have you doing it on an empty stomach can we?'

He'd packed her lunch. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him but she held back. She also had the sneaking suspicion that she wanted to cry. She swallowed it down in a gulp. 

'Thanks.' She held the parcel between her palms and gave him a small smile before stalking out of the kitchen. She could feel his eyes on the back of her neck. 

As she turned a corner she noticed the slaves in the courtyard. Fighting each other even though it was the off-season. The off-season was a few weeks where Etta could remember that she was something other than a killing machine. She still trained, course she did. In fact, once she picked out her fighter early on and secretly trained them so she'd be ready when season rolled around. It hadn't really worked in her favour though and the Draytons found she'd cheated. The memory sent a shiver through her veins.