Meanwhile I was flustered, barely able to see in front of me, and I just walked ahead toward the main table where Reggie stood by himself, ignoring the others calling for us to help them.
Stupid, stupid, stupid,I chided myself in my mind. I should have said something. A word—anyword.
Better yet—I shouldn’t have cared that he accused me of disappearing becauseI had!And if I went back in time, I’d do the same thing again, simply because it was easier. What was so wrong witheasy?!
Nothing.
Except maybe the way he’d held me. The way he’d taken me to his tub. The way he’d carried me to his bed. The way we’d both slept without moving an inch away from one another. The way we’d bothchosenthat,despite him having no trust, and me having no compassion.
Maybe.
“What’s, uh…what’s that?” I said, even though I didn’t really see anything in front of me yet.
Reggie nudged me with his elbow. “Look. It’s moving,” he said, and pressed his finger on a device unlike any I’d seen before.
It was like a ball made of these metal bands engraved with lines so fine I couldn’t see if they were letters or symbols or just decorations. The bands, possibly about twenty of them, were thinner than my pinky finger, and they were somehowconnected because when Reggie pressed onto the top, they all moved, spun around in themselves one after the other, then created the same ball from the other side. Reggie pushed one band and all the others moved in sync, so smoothly, like they weren’t made out of metal at all.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. What do you think it is?” Reggie asked.
“No idea,” I said, and leaned in to play with the circular bands as well. They moved so smoothly, it was actually really satisfying. Whichever way you pushed, all the other bands just rearranged themselves in the same way and the same speed.
“Maybe he’ll teach us about it today,” said Reggie, and he made to go to the others, who were dragging the tables to the center of the room while a few gathered all the scattered devices and put them into the boxes lining the shelves.
“Hey, wait.” I grabbed Reggie’s arm. “The other night when you were coming out of the workshop. What were you and Master Talik talking about?”
I’d been meaning to ask Reggie since then, but we never seemed to be alone for longer than a second. Right now the others were far, and none of them paid us attention—except Silas and March, but still they couldn’t hear us.
Reggie smiled, a little confused. “What? What other night? I’ve never been to the workshop at night.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m serious, Reggie. What did you guys do? Master Talik seemed pretty shook after—andyoudidn’t look well, either.” He’d been pale and he could barely stand. I’d thought he was going to fall on his face.
The smile on Reggie’s face faltered. He narrowed his brows, shook his head. “I swear, I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ora. What night?”
I was tempted to laugh. “Stop it, Reggie. I’mserious.”
“I’m serious, too!” He laughed. Put his hands over myshoulders and basically shook me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Then he turned around and left, and I stared after him with my mouth wide open.
I stared after him, too stunned to move for a little while, and my eyes locked on Silas as he took his seat behind the first bench. His jaw was locked and I could have sworn something flashed in his eyes, something like regret. Something likesorry.
Then the door opened and Master Talik came in, in tow with Calren.
My ears whistled as I went to sit with the others, eyes on Reggie and Silas and Reggie again. He was smiling, whispering something to Mimi and Seth, same as always—except that night.
That night that I’d seen him coming out of this very workshop, barely standing. I’dseenhim with these very eyes…
…had I?
Had this place really messed with my mind so much that I could no longer even trust my own memories?
“Settle down, settle down, everyone,” Calren said. “Apologies for the delay, but Master Talik is here now.” He dragged his usual chair to its spot by the door, a fake smile on his face before he unbuttoned his black jacket and sat down.
I sat on the last bench with Erith and Anika. March was in front of me with Levana and Helen, and he didn’t even look back at me like usual. No, his eyes were on Master Talik, who practicallystumbledthrough the room to get to his table in the front, and he looked more than exhausted. He looked almostdrunk.
When he made it to his table muttering hisgood day, Hands,he froze for a split second, too. Froze when he saw whatever that ball made out of metal bands was, and then hegrabbed it. Moved around the table while keeping the device half hidden under his apron.
By the time he made it to the other side of the table, it was gone. His hands were empty.
