“Nothing.” He broke eye contact. “All those mind tricks I’ve been playing on people must be catching up with me.”
Violet didn’t so much as breathe differently when she turned her attention back to her soup and began eating. He studied her for a few more seconds before he started loading up his plate. I still felt his attention on me, his power trying to get through my mental shield. I’d been working on it since he came on the scene four years ago, for something exactly like this.
Is that you, Av?
I stayed silent. Just because we were friends before didn’t mean I could trust him. Eva was my best fucking friend and she threw me to the wolves—maybe. I wasn’t about to blow my cover with someone I barely knew.
Does she know you’re here?
I still gave him nothing.
Come on man, give me something. Everyone’s worried about you. Why are you hiding?
His powers pulled back.
“Where’s your washroom?”
“Door on the right.” Violet pointed behind her.
“Thanks.”
Whisper stood up and disappeared down the hall. As much as I hated to leave V alone with the poisonous weasel, I followed. I slipped in behind him before he closed the door.
“What the hell is going on?” He kept his voice low. “I know it’s you, even if I can’t get into your head. I know your walls. Ice castle? Not subtle. Talk to me, man.”
“Someone I trust set me up to die last week, forgive me if I don’t trust easily.” I stayed hidden, letting my voice echo through the shadows.
“Does V know you’re here?”
I didn’t answer. He sighed.
“Her shields are even stronger than yours, I can’t get shit from her. Please, just tell me what the hell is going on. And if you could show yourself that would be great too, this talking into open space is unnerving.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“Because Violet is the best thing to happen to us villains in a long time and I would rather die than be a part of something that would hurt her. But if that’s not enough for you, I can let you in my head. You can see for yourself.”
“I wouldn’t trust anything in your head. You manipulate minds for fun.”
“Then I don’t know how to convince you.”
Trust him.It was Violet’s voice in my head. For a second I considered it was a trick from Whisper, but heat washed over me as the words hit me.We need someone on our side, against The Culling, against the new unknown group.
How do you know what we’re talking about?
Not sure. I felt him trying to root around but he couldn’t get in. He left images at my gate.
I sighed and stepped out of my shadows. Whisper gaped at me.
“You… Two powers?”
“Yes, yes.” I waved him off. “Only you and V know. If it gets out that I’m alive and I have two powers, I’ll know it came from you. And I’ll make your death agonizing. Do we understand each other?”
“Your secret is safe with me. What the hell is going on?”
“We don’t have time for that right now. Get rid of Po—Hemlock, then we can talk.”
“So V does know you’re here? You’re the boyfriend she told Hem about?”
