Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 869

Charles had always seemed a little too innocent in Clara's mind—almost like a kid who didn't quite understand the world or how sharp he could be. There was a kind of naive cruelty to him, like he didn't even know how dangerous he looked with those fierce, angular features. When he was quiet, he could really intimidate people.

Now he stood there, pale and shaken, maybe for the first time actually wanting to know the truth about where he came from.

They forced Clara out to the edge of the cliff. The boy beside her the experiment -had eyes as empty as a machine's, showing nothing, not even a flicker of emotion.

She'd thought she was strong, but against him, she barely lasted a few moves before he caught her by the collar, holding her still as he stared down at her. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, the age where he should have been full of life. But all she saw was numbness, like he was only half-alive.

He raised his knife, aiming for her heart.

Everything happened in a blur. Clara twisted just in time, so the blade drove into her shoulder instead of her chest. She kicked him, hard, in the stomach. He only staggered back a step, more surprised than hurt-surprised she was still fighting.

Clara glanced around. The cliff was at the very edge of the compound, connected to the wild mountains, but here it was just a dead end. The only way out was down. Was she supposed to jump?

He came at her again, knife flashing. She dodged, feeling his grip nearly crush her wrist.

She tried to steady her voice. "Did you see that man inside? The one called Charles? Don't you think you look like him? You're both about the same age. Maybe you're his brother? Haven't you ever wondered about your own past?"

He didn't pause. The knife slashed again, grazing her face. She jerked away, heart pounding, and her fingers brushed something in her bag-a piece of candy she'd brought for emergencies. Without thinking, she shoved it into his mouth.

of candy, something to keep her blood sugar up. But now, for the first time, she

hard, waiting, until finally he asked,

a kid learning to talk. His eyes were

and experimented on since he was small.

more.

the candy wrapper, turning it over in his hands, and

never tried any of them, right? I could take you out of here. You could have

the wrapper carefully into his pocket, repeating the word again

her, but she braced herself for another attack. After a moment, he looked down at the knife in his

a second, she thought he was going to stop. Then he lunged

"You. Die."

dodged, but her momentum sent her toppling over the edge of the cliff. Desperate, she

hadn't expected that. She pulled him over

one knew how deep it was, or

Clara landed, she found herself in a giant mesh net, slanted so that anything

the net breaking their fall so neither was badly

like forever-maybe two hundred