Upon entering the room, I took in the layout. It was like mine and Talia’s, although there were slight differences. Rowan had a much larger bed than we did, and he had one of those square moving picture screens they called atelevisionhanging on his wall.
I turned my body to face Rowan. He was looking at me expectantly.
“Is this your bedchamber?”
“These are my quarters, yes.” He then gestured to the bed. “Sit.”
I was reluctant to move until he sat in an armchair opposite the bed. I moved to sit, watching Rowan as he placed his hands on his knees and squeezed tight. He was nervous about something. Was it because I was in his room?
“What happened?” he asked.
“She asked about my family. That’s not exactly my favorite topic to discuss.” I folded my arms and looked away, pretending to examine the white walls that I was far too familiar with.
“Did you tell her about your gift?”
“No,” I said, hearing Rowan let out a sigh of relief. “But in truth, I’m not sure how long I could have held out.” I glanced back at Rowan and saw his face harden. Now he was angry. With who? It was unclear. His mood swings were unpredictable sometimes.
“You can’t tell anyone,” he said firmly.
I didn’t care much for his tone.
“I know that. I’m not a fool,” I quipped. “You didn’t need to send the redhead to tell me what I already know.”
“Renata came to see you?”
“Don’t act like you didn’t send her to scare me.” I rolled my eyes at his pathetic play of confusion.
“Telling anyone is too risky. It could mean that the Guild finds out. Marcum is a sly, manipulative coward. If he catches wind, all of his attention will turn to you. You don’t want that.”
“Strange of you to condescend one of your own people.”
“Marcum isnotone of my people. He’s the farthest thing from one of mine.” He gripped his knees even harder until the whites of his knuckles showed, and then he released his hold when he saw me staring.
“How am I supposed to lie with that gods-damned transmitter in my head?”
“You can’t unless you want to experience searing pain.” I flinched at the memory. “You don’t lie. Instead, you evade certain facts. The transmitter can only detect deceit, not omitted truths. Be vague as possible and learn to manipulate the conversation. Remember that they are the hound chasing a scent, but it’s you who has control of where that scent leads.”
“I felt like I was going to implode from the agony.”
The honesty of that statement hurt. I had experienced nothing so painful in all my years. It felt like lightning striking every nerve, lighting up my spine.
“The sessions make you confront your deepest fears and insecurities. They want you to hurt. It’s just another way they sort out the weak.”
And the weakdie. That’s what he had said before.
“How long do I have to do the truth sessions for?”
“Until Adina feels that you’ve conquered whatever past that haunts you.”
“What would she know of the past that haunts me?”
“It shows. When you aren’t so focused on keeping your guard up and replying with snarky comments, I can see it. You’re just as traumatized as the rest of us.”
“As traumatized as Veilers?” My condescending tone couldn’t be hidden.
“You know, not all Veiled Ones crave bloodshed, but all are required to act as if we do.”
“Well, some of you do itreallywell,” I mocked.
