Wait.Does he know this animal? Am I losing my mind?
“Now, Skylenna.”
I stand up, unable to look away from his distressed face.
“Younamedhim? Does he belong to you?!”
I jog to keep up with his pace as we descend the dark path we arrived on.
“He doesn’tbelongto anyone.”
We are stopped again by an obstacle standing between us and his motorcycle.
Two people.
A young woman and young man, looking close to our age. In the moonlight, I can see her auburn hair and her smooth, tan skin. The man is much taller than her, with a lean frame and wild black hair, down to his shoulders. They looked just as shocked to see us as we are to see them. The man looks at the woman and back at us.
“What’s your business here, friend?” Dessin speaks to the man. The man looks at the woman again, who looks as though she might pass out. He readjusts his focus back on Dessin.
“Going for a late-night hike, sir. How about the two of you?” He glances over at me and then darts his eyes to the ground. This creates suspicion in Dessin. I can sense him straighten up beside me.
“Mhm, yes, I can see that. Tell me, is hiking in a ball gown and tuxedo a new trend I’m unaware of?” Dessin’s eyes grow hard and cold in the moonlight spilling through the holes in the trees. How did I miss that? Why are they dressed up like they’re coming from a ball? My spine goes rigid, and suddenly I’m glad I’m standing behind him.
The man with the curly dark hair looks back at the woman for help. She says nothing. She merely stares at Dessin, eyes wide as if she knows who he is—what he’s capable of. Before I can close my eyes to blink, Dessin charges the man and pins him to a tree by his throat. His feet dangle, toes grazing the dirt as he kicks.
“Who are you?!” he growls.
The man chokes to try and get his words out, but nothing happens.
“We came to have sex in the woods!” The auburn-haired woman screams at Dessin. She’s panting, and her eyes are glossy with tears. “Leave him alone! We just wanted privacy away from my parents!”
Dessin looks back at her and then back at the man. Still unsure, still suspicious. Reluctantly, he lowers him to the ground.
“You’re too young to get caught in this world,” Dessin says to the couple but aims his glare at the woman. “I will spare your lives once. Do not run into me a second time.”
55. Checkmate
I could not sleep lastnight.
I tried to count the days we have left, but it doesn’t matter. We had a breakthrough on both of our ends. I showed him the ugliest side of me. And he lifted that veil, that cloak of mystery, for me to see his past. It wasn’t ugly at all. But it did make my heart twist and ache.
Instead of sleeping, I crawled out of my window and sat on the roof of Aurick’s mansion, looking up at the sky in search of Dessin’s stars. And as I stared up at the abyss of clouds blocking the moon and the empty atmosphere, my future became abundantly clear, as if the sun came peeking out at midnight, smiling at me.
There is no future left in this home.
This extravagant piece of architecture was never my happy ending.
It’s nearly time for me to go.
This has always been about fulfilling my sister’s dying wish, but it has turned into so much more. I’ve built friendships. I’ve created a bond with Dessin that I can’t break. And it’s evident that the asylum will never let them go. They will rot within those walls, decay into the foundation as if they never existed.
That only leaves me one choice.
Arriving late to the asylum, I step through the doors to hear my name being used in the dining hall. “Skylenna will throw a fit when she hears.” A whisper between conformists having breakfast. Immediately, I think something happened to Dessin. I take off running to his room. I pass Ruth, who flusters at the sight of me in a sprint. “What’s wrong?”
I ignore her. Almost to the door. Past Chekiss’s room. Past Niles.
I unlock the thirteenth door with a thrust of aggression.
