I siphon from her. Not her magic, not her abilities, but the strength she wordlessly offers me.
Before we reach the door, Rion steps into my path. His eyes search mine as he tilts his face to the side. “You poisoned yourself to run.”
It’s not a question, it’s a statement, one I can’t deny, but I hate seeing the hurt in his eyes. I can sense myself softening toward him, but before I reach for him, I remember why I did it, why I ran in the first place, and I quickly shake away the gentleness.
“Yes,” I answer, confirming my action, and hesighs, his lips setting in a thin line as his stare continues to pierce mine.
“Was it worth it?” he asks, making my breath stutter. But I don’t crumble. Instead, I clear my throat and hold my head high.
“Right now, no. But everything happens for a reason, and when I figure out why this all happened today, I’m sure it will have been worth everything.”
TWO
ELODIE
Water cascades over me, but the spray does nothing to wash my troubles away. If anything, they cling to me more tightly than ever. I’ve never been more lost than I am now. So lost, I don’t know if I want to be found. Who would even rescue me now?
I shake my head, sending the water in every direction before I tilt my face up, holding my breath as the downpour washes over me. I’ve scrubbed every inch of myself from head to toe. Twice. The blood is gone, my hair is softer than it’s ever been, and my skin has a pink hue from my harsh treatment of it, but I still don’t feel clean.
I feel defeated.
My mind is warped. There are so many factorsin my life that I can’t comprehend; it’s impossible to focus on one thing at a time.
Kael.
The Sanctum.
Rion.
Walker.
Thorne.
Scythe.
The Vale.
Institute Thirteen.
Everything leads me back here, to this place I didn’t even know existed until a few weeks ago, to this place that has become my prison.
Swiping my hands over my hair, I sigh as I step back from the spray, considering what I’m supposed to do with myself, when Ocean’s voice cuts through the air.
“Okay, you’ve hidden in the shower long enough, Roomie. Time’s up.”
My eyebrows gather in confusion as I glance through the fog to see her standing in the doorway. The shower glass is steamed up, so she can’t see me, but the pointed look on her face tells me she wouldn’t care if she could.
“I’m not done,” I mutter, and she shrugs.
“This pizza and ice cream say you are,” sheretorts, lifting her hands to reveal a giant-ass tub of ice cream, along with a ridiculously large pizza box. Before I can even consider where she got them from, my stomach grumbles. “And before you try to give me some crap about not being hungry, I’ve taken that potion before. I know it leaves you starving,” she adds, her eyebrows rising higher as I run my tongue over my bottom lip.
She’s not wrong. That’s about the only thing I can agree to right now. Perhaps I’m not thinking clearly because my stomach is doing somersaults and distracting me. Maybe pizza and ice cream do sound good.
“I’ll be out in five,” I relent, and she shakes her head, but the corner of her mouth tips up in a soft smile.
“You’d better make it two or I’m starting without you.” She turns away without another word, leaving me to consider whether I’m actually mad at her or not.
The moment I learned you could request leave flashes through my mind, the betrayal I felt simmering in my veins. It was Rion who dropped that nugget of information, not her, but the guilt was true in her eyes when I hightailed it to her. Did she tell me I could request leave? No. But she did something more than that. She helped when Ineeded it most. She helped me run, even if I didn’t get very far, and now that I’m back, I wonder if now is the time I need support. Even if that’s the case, she’s still the one here, silently willing to be at my aid without question.
