“Now, Karia will be shaken, possibly disturbed by the things my son has said or—God forbid—doneto her, and I believe she should be fully evaluated, both mentally and physically, by my own personal doctor before?—”
“No.”That word doesn’t come from me. For the first time, Sullen speaks.
I can’t look at my mother anymore.
My gaze comes to Sullen, his arm still a barrier to me hurting Stein. His jaw is clenched, chin lifted, dark eyes penetrating as he stares at his father.
I want him to corroborate my story. I want him to show his scars, even though I know he won’t and I could never ask him to do something like that. I want him to voice his support. To tell them he didn’t hurt me—and the moments he did aren’t their business, because I liked it. I want him to say he has been hurt by Stein Rule his entire life, that Mercy didn’t die from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that he can’t go back to the horror of Haunt Muren, or stay in this place to be tortured.
I want to turn and beg Sanford for his story. About Juliet, Stein’s psychopathy and lies, anything at all. He once ruled Writhe, too. His words should hold sway.
But no one here is even looking at Sanford.
It’s as if he doesn’t exist.
The fact hedoesshould be the very evidence everyone needs to believeme.The man didn’t vanish, like Writhe lore led them to believe. Here he is, living proof.
“Sanford,” I say frantically as Sullen stares down his father. I turn to look over my shoulder, a chill across the back of my neck like maybe he won’t be there at all. Perhaps he will have vanished. But I know people don’t do that. Not out of thin air. I open my mouth again, to implore him to say something. Anything.
But there’s… no one.
Heisgone.
Like he was never here at all.
Like… he was only a ghost.
How is that possible?
“Sanford?” I say again, spinning fully, searching the couches, the window even—it’s closed—the dark flooring. There’s… nothing. There’s no one.
That’s not possible.
There’s no way he disappeared.
And he was real. Sullen spoke to him, too. It wasn’t just me.
Where is he?
“Sanford.”I whisper his name, my heart racing inside my chest. Everyone else is silent. There’s no voices, no discussion. All eyes are on me.
And my face heats as I realize I look crazy. My credibility has disappeared, just like this man. No one will believe me now.
No one will trust my word.
I turn to Sullen, grabbing his arm, jerking on his shoulder. “Tell them he was here,” I say, my gaze searching his.“Tell them now.”
He seems dazed. His lips are parted, so beautiful and soft. He feels firm beneath my grip, but I get the feeling he is fading away. Vanishing, like his grandfather, right before my eyes.
“Sullen.” I plead with him, my voice splintering on his name. “Tell them he was right here. Tell them what he said.” My eyes sting, tears filling them, pressure mounting behind my sockets. “Please tell them. You can’t leave me. We can’t… separate. You can’t leave me like this.”
He only says one thing. One word. He sounds the way I feel; like he’s breaking.“Karia.”
“No.” I shake my head. I turn to face Stein again, and I don’t let go of Sullen. “I will kill you,” I say, my voice even. I step forward, and this time, Sullen doesn’t stop me. “I promise you, if you hurt him again,I will kill you.”
Two guards rush me at once, despite the fact I only took a single step toward their puppet master. They grab my arms, either side of me, gripping me so tightly I know I’ll bruise as they force me away from Sullen.
“Let her go,” he snarls before he reaches for one guard, balling the man’s black tech shirt in his fist, a vein in his throat just under his bandana pulsing. “Let her fucking go or?—”
