“Besides, we haven’t been using our greatest weapon in a place like this.” Carefully, Niklaus massages my wrists under the shackles. “Your father manipulated the entire staff with what he knew about them. Spitfire, we aredecadesahead of these people. We’re at a huge advantage here. It’s time we stop tippy toeing around trying not to make detrimental changes to the future.”
I nod, but even that movement sends shooting pains through my spine.
“My head is so cloudy all the time, though. I can’t think.”
Niklaus slides his warm hand to the back of my neck, kneading his fingers along the places it aches. “Leave it to me, then. I swear to God I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”
The curling of his fingers sends both of our eyes locking again. Remembering what they made us do. Remembering what we had to do to save me from that hell.
“Sapphire…” He looks ashamed. Niklaus Demechnef looksashamed.
“Don’t.”
“No, listen—”
“If you didn’t do it, she was going to kill me. I know, I know that sounds dramatic—but Niklaus, I don’t have any nutrition in my body. I am dying from what she’s been putting me through. That woman is a psychopath. She would have pumped me with that shit until I dropped dead!” I grab the spaces on his wrist that are not covered by shackles. “You did nothing wrong. Yousavedme. You had my consent.”
My words only slightly ease the tension in his furrowed brow. But not by much. I can see it in his eyes… He’s going to hate himself for this for a long time. There isn’t enough reassurance in the world I could give him to change that.
“Can we pick a corner of the room to lie down? I’m so tired,” I say.I’m always so tired.
I try to stand, nodding my head in the direction of the left corner of the room.
“No. Not that one.”
I pause. “What? Why?”
He shakes his head.
“Tell me,” I push.
“Apple May was masturbating in that corner,” he says, staring up at the ceiling.
I choke on a gasp. “I’m sorry?”
“Don’t make me say it again.”
I fixate on the corner and make a sour face. How did I not notice that was going on? I mean, thank God I missed that disgusting detail.
“Are you sure that’s what she was doing?” I ask. His annoyed and repulsed expression is bringing back a little bit of joy to my soul.
He glares down at me. “Yep.”
“Because she could have been adjusting in her seat…”
“No, she was masturbating,” he says again confidently.
I laugh, draining myself of energy from the small sound. But it’s worth it. Nothing beats seeing Niklaus feeling uncomfortable by a woman publicly touching herself. Especially someone’s mother.
“Laugh it up.”
I can’t help my grin as he drags our chairs, connected to our restraints to the corner of the room. We lie on the floor and look up at the ceiling.
“It’s not adrenaline,” I say in a volume barely above a whisper.
Niklaus listens patiently.
“I don’t know what it is… Pain? No. Fear? No. Does it happen at random? I don’t know! I’ve been trying so hard to remember what was going on in my head before each occurrence since we’ve been in here. But it’s all disappearing. I can’t even recall the first time we traveled.” I’m out of breath, and my hands shake from the exertion. But Niklaus keeps listening.
