Read Sway's Demise for Free Online

in her eyes? Would she have been proud, and smiling? Sway would never know.
    She smiled, “I love you too, Isla.”
    “Good luck!” Dmytre flapped his hand from the table, crunching down on a carrot. Sway waved back and closed the door behind her. The street was empty and calm in the early morning. Sunlight was beginning to peek over the houses, and she realized she was going to be late! With a spring in her step from the delicious breakfast, she set off at a run.
    Stopping first at the craft storage closet, she found paper clips on the table suitable for picking the lock. It opened after a few moments of flustering and fiddling, and she returned the exact-o knife to the shelf.
    Back on course for the training facility, she tried not to let nerves get the best of her, mostly to keep the fish down. There was no way she was going to waste such an expensive treat by vomiting from worry.
    The morning was, once again, dry, and the resident hunters were up early, smoking some kind of meat. Her mouth salivated at the thought of Woodland Caribou Stew, though she was already full from the fish. Just thinking of a big bowl full of potatoes, carrots, and caribou, with a fresh slice of bread slathered in creamy butter brought a pang of hunger she knew didn’t exist.
    Quickening her pace, she returned focus to the day’s undertaking. The other six initiates were filing onto the retired soccer field when she arrived. With a hop and a skip she merged seamlessly in line with them, right behind Reese.
    “Cutting it a bit close?” He whispered as they marched to attention.
    Smirking, she whispered back, “I like to be prompt.”
    “Initiates!” The cell leader, Xander Blake, addressed them and they snapped into a salute. He was a burly, twenty-something with a close-shaved head, offset strikingly by dark brown eyebrows and gold eyes. He waited for the murmuring of the crowd to die out. “Are you ready for what’s to come?”
    “Sir, yes sir!”
    He paced. “You’re not ready. Look at you all, just children.” He pushed Leandra, the oldest of the cell, and she stumbled, but returned to attention.
    “You’re scrawny.” Moving on, he gripped Eli’s bicep and shoved him menacingly. Eli faltered as well, but returned to his position, towering over Xander by several inches.
    “You’re weak!” He poked the hilt of his Bowie knife into Reese’s stomach, who grunted in pain, but stood upright still.
    Then, he stopped in front of Sway, and her heart beat with fury.
    “You’re naive.”
    She straightened with a gulp.
    “How can I teach you?” Xander’s gaze bore into her, and a cold sweat gathered in her palms, “Initiate Way, how can I teach you?”
    “Sir, you can only instruct us as you’ve been instructed, tell us of your experience. It’s our responsibility to learn, and adapt, sir!”
    “You think if I tell you how I almost lost my hand, you could learn how not to?” He showed off the missing pinky on his left hand. “You think if I instruct you how to survive alone in the forest, stranded from your cell for a week, you could do it?” He pushed her shoulder and she stepped back to gain balance, then returned to her stiff pose. “Do you?”
    “Sir, I do, sir!”
    He leered, stepping back. “Sway’s got balls. Who else here has balls?”
    “Sir, I do, sir!” They all shouted.
    “Balls won’t save you! Brains will!” He screamed and they all grit their teeth, wishing they’d said nothing at all. They knew to expect that kind of talk, but it didn’t make it any less intimidating.
    “I need you to be smart initiates. Can you be smart?”
    “Sir, yes sir!”
    “No, you can’t!” He pushed Richard, an average sized young man with black curly hair.
    “Sir, yes I can, sir!” Richard retorted, his brow knit tightly in frustration.
    Xander laughed, and Sway knew what Richard said was wrong.
    Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her nerves, “Sir, I am , sir!”
    Xander marched to her with a look to kill.