My mind has always been on Sullen and before I thought we had any kind of chance, Cosmo has fucked me in his place. A substitute.
And while Sullen and I haven’t fully explored one another, I can’t imagine letting Cosmo touch me like that again. Not unlessI was drunk and desperate and there was no hope and I only wanted to hurt myself.
But that’s not the case right now.
Right now, I want to find Sullen.
I don’t even care where the fuck Cosmo is. I’m not surprised he isn’t here; he’s not in Writhe.
But I don’t want to be here either.
Von stops pacing, coming to stand beside the bed. I don’t look at him and instead keep my gaze trained on the cream-colored duvet. When I get a moment alone, as soon as I can, I’ll look for Sullen. I have no idea if Stein left with him, but I hold onto the hope he’s at least alive.
I just have to get out of this. I need to play my cards right. Writhe taught me a little something, it seems.
“Karia,” Von says softly.
I’m not used to his softness.
“Please talk to me. You mentioned someone else. Who? What did they say to you? What did Sullen Ruledoto you? What happened underneath the hotel? Please just… say something.”
I don’t. Not yet. I need to get my story straight, inside my own head.
But Isadora speaks in my place. “Sanford Rule, that’s who she said. Former leader of Writhe, and Stein Rule’s father. He’s been presumed dead for years.” Isadora’s tone is flat. I don’t know what she thinks of me. We are friends, and I know she must understand I don’t want her boyfriend, but she’s ambitious. Writhe is everything to her. It’s why she knows so much. She will put them before me, probably even before Von, which means I have no chance of appealing to her friendship.
“But his body was never found.” She adds this quietly, and a sliver of hope wells up inside of me. That maybe she would believe everything I told her.
“Okay, yeah,” Von says. “Yeah, the name rings a bell. Vaguely. Did you see him, Karia? Why did you think he was…” He clears his throat, and he sounds uncomfortable. “In the room?”
I grit my teeth.Because he fucking was.But I don’t say that. I have to tread very carefully. They are not my friends; not right now. And if I act insane, I’ll be treated insane. I won’t be allowed to breathe for even a second. Won’t be able to get the fuck out of here and find Sullen.
“And what did he say to you? What did he tell you about Stein?” Von presses.
“Your dad has his name carved over his heart.” I can’t hold that in as I turn to look up at Von with tired, hot eyes. “Why don’t you ask him?” It was part of some kind of initiation ritual. I know it isn’t fair to throw it in Von’s face. But I don’t care about being fucking fair right now.Nothingis fair.
Von’s gray eyes search mine. “Karia,” he says quietly. “If you don’t talk to me, if I can’t give Dadsomething,you’re going to be taken away from here to be evaluated.”
In my head, I hear Sullen’s single word of protest.No.
What did the doctor do to him? What is he doing to him even now?
“Did you know this hotel existed?” I ask Von quietly, forcing myself to speak something that isn’t cruel or full of bite. If I want to see Sullen, to get a chance to escape, I have to press on my allies, not turn them into enemies.
Weapons come last.
Von glances over his shoulder at Isadora. I see the look they exchange, and I know what the answer is before he turns back to me and speaks it.
“No,” he says honestly. “But it’s Writhe.” A small smile curves his lips. “There are secrets we’ll probably never know about them.”
“Have you ever heard of Burbank Gates?”
Von frowns. “No, I?—”
“I have,” Isa offers, her tone still flat.
Von and I both focus on her as she studies me, her arms crossed over her chest.
“He was a so-calledmad scientist.Serial killer, murdered most of his family.”
