Chapter 20: Buried Secrets
“Gather around! The Alpha has new orders!”
The slaves and workers on the field stopped their work and gathered as they were told. The air was thick with the smell of dirt and sweat.
A tall guard stepped forward and unrolled a scroll, reading in a flat, bored voice. “By Alpha Zayn’s orders, if anyone finds anything unusual while digging—carved stones, metal pieces, bones with markings—must report it right away.”
He paused, then added, “There’ll be a reward. Extra food for anyone who finds anything useful.”
The crowd shifted quietly. Some people looked interested. Others looked suspicious, like it was too good to be true.
Lily stood near the back, her shoulder still wrapped tightly in a bandage, her body sore from the day before. She winced as her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten since the potatoes Victoria forced on her that had almost killed her.
She glanced around. The other workers were already bending down, digging faster, their eyes darting across the dirt like they were looking for buried treasure.
Her gaze dropped to the ground. It must be totems, like the one she had found. The one someone had stolen from her and claimed as their own.
Lily’s throat tightened. She couldn’t count on Martha sneaking her food anymore—it was too risky. Someone would notice eventually, and then Martha would pay the price.
If she wanted to eat, she had to earn it herself. She knelt slowly, wincing as her shoulder pulled, and pressed her fingers into the dirt with her one good hand.
She dug slowly and carefully. She needed that reward. She needed food. Energy. A chance to keep going.
Every small rock she touched, every shift in the soil made her heart race. She just had to find one. Just one.