The Letting by Cathrine Goldstein Page A

“Of course not, Lulu. I didn’t know anything. I never would have done this job if I knew.” She nods at me. Thankfully, I think she understands me and believes me. How I wish he would too.
    Moments later, he walks through the door of the cabin. “Thank you,” I whisper.
    “I didn’t do it for you,” he snaps. He turns away from me and holds out his hand for Lulu. She slips her tiny hand into his, and he holds onto her protectively. The other three girls watch, in complete shock. Phoenix and Lulu walk quickly and quietly out the door, leaving me with a longing, a yearning that runs through my body like a strong electric current. My body aches in response, and it is suddenly impossible to stand. I sink to the floor, at once jealous of both of them. I am jealous of their ease together, I am jealous of Phoenix taking my place as protector of Lulu, and mostly, I am jealous of her proximity to him. All I want is to walk in the middle of the two of them, holding both of their hands, loving both of them. Gretchen must understand.
    “Ronnie,” she warns, walking to me. “I don’t know what you’re thinking but it can never happen between you two. He has spent his entire life on a quest to topple you. Even if he wanted to be with you, which he doesn’t, he never could. Too many people are relying on his hatred for you. The entire rebel movement is based on it. You need to understand how this will work. He will take you to the Letting himself tomorrow so he can get his foot in the door. Then he will bring down the Letting and everything around it. He will starve the Inferno of the blood they so desperately need. Then he will get to Farnsworth. And when it is all over, Ronnie, he will be our new governing leader, and you will be dead.” I step back from her, horrified. “It is the one way it can go, Ronnie. You and I both know with your toxic blood, you should have been dead seven years ago. The fact that you lived this long is a gift. You should be thankful you’ve had this much time.”
    I nod my head, knowing she is right. Tomorrow, I will be drained and left for dead. I will die a slow and painful death and yet, I deserve much worse. But she is wrong about one thing. These past seven years have not been a gift. They have been nothing short of a curse. I nod again and turn to walk out of cabin O to compose myself and prepare for tomorrow’s Letting as best I can.
    “Wait.” I turn, startled by a voice I barely recognize. It is Raven.
    “I’m sorry, girls,” I stammer. “All of this…You shouldn’t have heard any of it.”
    “I knew all of it anyway,” Raven admits.
    I watch as Gretchen moves closer to Raven, hovering over her like she might try to silence her at any second.
    “Phoenix would never let you die,” Raven states, in her simple, childish way.
    “Of course he would,” Gretchen snaps, laughing at Raven.
    “No,” Raven protests. “No matter how much he hates you, he would never let you die.”
    “Oh really?” Gretchen asks, sounding exhausted from the conversation. “And how would you know?” Gretchen is too possessive when she talks about Phoenix. There is…something there.
    Raven stares up at Gretchen with two piercing blue eyes, and I see it immediately. Raven no longer needs to explain, but she says it anyway.
    “I know, because Phoenix is my brother.”

Chapter Eight
    I stare at Gretchen, dumbfounded. Is it true? How did Gretchen not know? Does Phoenix know? He couldn’t. He saw Raven just a few minutes ago and said nothing. This is a precarious situation. Everything will change if Phoenix is suddenly fighting for blood instead of just a rebel movement. I look back at Gretchen, and see the thought reflect in her eyes. She has realized exactly this, at precisely the same moment as I.
    “Ronnie…no,” she shakes her head.
    “You’ve got to be kidding,” I respond, the pitch of my voice rising. “Of course he needs to know.”
    “No,” she snaps at me. She walks right up