Shady

Sadie snorted. “No chance I’m giving you five months three days and five hours of my life.” (Feel free to have Emily roast her with a dramatically longer approximate if ...

“So how close to done is he?”

“By which you mean compliant?” Sadie asked dryly. Meyer flopped down in the passenger seat.

“Mm.” She shuffled into the back of the black sedan waiting out front for them.

“…so who is ours?”

“…is that not the two of you?”

Sadie looked at her warily. “And what’s the plan for today?”

“I joined for money,” Sadie reminded her, striding through. “So there’s gonna be more of that involved?”

“… then yeah, I guess,” Sadie agreed with a shrug and reluctant nod. “Where are we going?”

“Depends. Is there coffee wherever we’re going?”

"Hate to break it to you, but not being a morning person isn't a character flaw," Sadie grumbled, still squinting in the bright light.

Sure enough, once they got there they ran into a group of people from the Trials. There were two huge guards, though different ones from the one they’d argued with ...

"They're probably waiting for us," Sadie grumbled, rubbing her face. She walked to the door and pulled it open, glaring at the world through slit eyes.

Sadie mechanically rolled out of bed and grabbed her clothes, then trudged to the bathroom. She emerged three minutes later with an empty bladder, clean teeth, and questionably combed hair ...

Sadie, despite her reluctance and defiance, was slowly starting to wake herself up. She was just so tired. Why in the world did the trials need to start this early? ...