The door unlatches, and Meridei pokes her head in.
“Oh.” She stiffens at the sight of me. “I was going to let you out when the screams stopped…”
“I see that,” I say, hatred welling up inside of me like a cannon of hellfire.
Do you have any idea what I went through in there? Who I saw? Does it mean anything that this will cause me nightmares for years to come?
“My condolences for seeing your departed sister in there. Though it does give me hope for the experiences of our patients. And I hope our little initiation didn’t deter you too much.”
I nod slowly, unsure if I may cry at the fact that she heard me yell out Scarlett’s name or laugh in pure, utter defeat.
“I do hope you’ll join us tonight. My mother and father are lending me their estate to throw a dinner party for the conformists. Isn’t that grand? All of us, together, outside of the asylum?”
It sounds similar to being waterboarded.
“Lovely,” I say.
“So we can expect you? Your presence is truly fantastical for us.” Her sarcasm bleeds through her tight-lipped smile, crinkling the corners of her eyes.
I nod again, drops of sweat spilling down my back.
She offers a syrupy smile before exiting.
The closing door uncloaks Dessin, showing off his cosmic smile.
“I do enjoy afantasticaldining party.” He flashes his teeth.
I wipe the tears from my cheeks with the backs of my hands, rolling my eyes as I sniffle away the aftermath of my blubbering. “If I’m in the mood for food poisoning or the electric chair, I’ll stop by.”
I’ve come to notice that when Dessin’s mind populates a new idea or an ingenious thought, his fingers flex, and his eyes dart around the room as if he’s watching his masterpiece play out in real time.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No, I already know where you’re going with this.”
“They’re going to keep terrorizing you,” he warns, gesturing to the isolation tank. “And what if next time, I’m not there to pull you out.”
Oh. That’s the fairest point I’ve ever heard.
“I have one condition.” I decide it would be smart to have a counterthreat to scare the other conformists away. Point a sharp object at them until they back into a corner. Dessin could be that sharp object.
“As do I.”
Wonderful. “No one dies.”
“Fine. But you stay home.”
“What? Why?” He wantsmeto stay home? I think I more than deserve to watch him avenge me. It won’t erase what they’ve done, but it will help ice my wounds.
“I’d rather keep you out of my line of fire.” His expression is absolute. There will be no negotiating.
“Fine,” I huff. But, I’ll say what I have to. I earned the right to watch whatever he has planned. It’s good for research. It will help me understand the radius to which his mind stretches.
As my fingers graze the handle of the door, I pause, close my eyes, and reflect.
“Thank you for being my guardian angel.”
38. Bigger Picture
Before I sneak over toMeridei’s dining party, I have one more person to visit.
