The words were like a clap of thunder across my mind."What?" I whimpered.
"Yes. An asylum for the members of society that have money to not be abandoned on the streets but not quite right in the mind to be allowed to exist with the general public. They’re hidden there instead. Priest was what they called 'a lifer'."
"No." I shook my head. "No, no, no. Priest isn't insane."
"Isn't he? He murdered your boyfriend, Delaney. He ran him through with an axe and then came home like nothing was wrong."
I started to back up. The look on Moth's face was... murderous. He stalked me, pushing me back until I hit the wall.
"He confessed to me while we were there. After I saw his file. He told me all about how he had to do it because that guy was going to take his little Laney away. Priest is insane. I never really believed it until I walked in on him tattooing your name on himself."
My mind went blank, and then every moment since we'd arrived at The Vincent flashed through my mind all at once. "No, that was you."
"Me?" Moth laughed. "You think I wrote your name on my body forever? I don't even know you."
Tears slid down my face."You're wrong. It wasn't him. It was you!"
Moth pulled away from me. "Look for yourself." He lifted his shirt and pulled his pants down just enough for me to see the bare skin on his hip. My heart pounded in my ears, so loud it was deafening.
"You faked it," I accused. "You are an artist in training. You have the markers and other equipment to make it look real."
"Nada. Wasn't me. You've been duped. But couldn't be all bad. You seemed to like it both times."
Both times?Was he saying... "You're lying. Priest would never?—"
"Never what? Break out of an insane asylum and track down the woman who got him there? Of course not, that'd be absurd. But yet, here we are." He put his hands out and then let out a loud, belly laugh. It startled me so much I slid down the wall and broke into sobs.
Priest wasn't bad. He wouldn't have lied to me like that.Right?
"If you don't want people to know about us, just say so!" I spat.
Moth crouched and reached for my chin, pinching and tilting my head up."I wouldn't care if people knew we had sex, darling. But we didn't. It's easy to fool someone when they don't want to accept the truth."
"He couldn't fool me. I saw you behind the mask."
"No, you didn't."
"Yes, I did!" I shoved him back and stood. "You have no proof that it wasn't you." My hands balled into fists. My entire body shook with rage. It was one thing to sleep with me and go our separate ways. But to make me believe it never happened was insulting.
"Proof?" Moth scurried up off the floor and laughed dryly. "You want proof. Okay, fine. Put on some warmer clothes. I'll show you proof." He nodded to the dressers. I quicklychanged into my clothes. I couldn't believe I was playing along with his absurd ruse."You'll need a coat."
"Why? Where are we going?" I asked.
Moth's expression darkened. "To the maze."
Rule 39 - Delaney
Don’t follow ghosts.
It was still night, but Moth's insistence that it wasn't him under the mask gave me strength to leave my room with him. The wind howled outside.
"Do we have to go outside?" My mind went back to just yesterday when I almost died in the freezing weather. "You're not even wearing a coat."
"I don't need one. Come on. I want to know more about your therapy."
"My what?" I followed him down the stairs.
"Your shock therapy. What did it feel like?"
