The Princess and the Guard (Book 1)

Nine

Juliette forced air into her lungs. In and out, in and out. She tried to tune out the buzzing of the fluorescent lights above her. With all the money Odette spent, she would think it wouldn't be hard to get some lights that didn't make noise. She closed her eyes when Dr. Violet—the same woman from her not-actually-a-nightmare nightmare—turned around with her third syringe, the back of her eyes stinging.

The guard holding Juliette's arm turned it over. Juliette clenched her muscle, trying to make it as hard as she could for Dr. Violet.

"I don't know why you do that, all you're doing is hurting yourself," Dr. Violet said.

Juliette knew that, but it was the only thing she could do to fight back. The guards who held her down were strong. There would be no point in trying to physically fight. At least this way she wasted more of Dr. Violet's time.

She swallowed against the burn in her throat, afraid for one horrible second she was going to the sick, but Dr. Violet pulled the needle out and the nausea passed.

Juliette took another deep breath, her skin prickling with sweat.

"Should I have them step back, or are you going to throw another fit?" Dr. Violet asked.

Juliette put as much loathing into a glare as she could, first at Dr. Violet then at one of the guards pinning her arms.

"Didn't think so." Dr. Violet sighed, as if she were tired. As if she were the one who was being forced against her will to be poked and prodded. As if she was the one who would be throwing up later because whatever drugs she was administering would make her sick.

"Keep her arms away from her face," Dr. Violet told the guard, who nodded wordlessly. Looking at Juliette, she added, "I need to check your eyes, so keep them open."

Juliette thought to crush them shut, but she knew Dr. Violet would either jam her pen into Juliette's ribs, as she did the last time, or call Odette to come and whip her.

Juliette forced her eyes open, trying not to blink as a bright light shone in her eyes and Dr. Violet held an oddly shaped device against the bridge of her nose. It felt like she left it there an antagonizingly long time, but the light finally vanished.

For a few seconds, the room was an odd shade of green. Tears trickled down the side of her face, and her vision started to adjust.

Juliette could feel panic clawing up her throat, and she swallowed it down, letting out a shaky exhale. This was the second time in a single week she'd seen Dr. Violet. It was also the second time in a single week she'd fought off a panic attack.

"Can I have some water?" she asked. Her throat felt like it was made of sandpaper.

"You can go, I'm finished with you," Dr. Violet replied instead.

Juliette yanked her arm free of the guard's grasp. The guard holding her took a step back. Juliette's arms tingled as blood started circulating again. She took another deep breath, waiting until the dizziness passed, then pushed herself up. She fumbled with the hospital gown, trying to get if off, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

By the time she was dressed again and walking out of the infirmary, her entire body was trembling so much it was hard to walk. It wasn't just the effects of whatever drugs Dr. Violet had given her; it was rage.

Pure, white-hot rage.

Juliette ran back toward her wing of the palace. She didn't want to go to her room, so she paused in what was supposed to have been her library. It was empty, save for the few pieces of furniture.

Whipping her tablet out of her pocket, thinking to look for a ship out of the country, Juliette froze. Fare on a ship cost money. She didn't even know where the nearest station was. There was a private shuttle here in the palace, but there was no way she would be able to commandeer something like that to leave.