Page 124 of The Doll and The Domination

“He has a great number at his back!” I remember what I told him when I visited Knightingale and him on the beach. “He did what I asked! He gathered the colonies.” My voice breaks off at the end, twisting into a happy cry.

Dessin grins, kisses me feverishly, then pulls away in thought.

“Judas said there would be a war,” he speculates.

I look away. “Six months.” That was what our coded messages from him revealed. How long has it been since we were in that asylum?

“This has to be it.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “We’re going to make it out of here, baby. We can’t let DaiSzek do all of the heavy lifting for us.”

Electricity passes from my breath to his.

“It’s time we made our move.”

27. Buixezez

Dessin

Skylenna sleeps in my cage tonight, lying across my lap as I apply cream to those gaping slices across her back. The blisters and welts have gone down, the bleeding has stopped, and my girl only winces a little against my thigh.

“How’s that?” I ask her softly.

She groans in response.

“No more beatings when we get out of here, okay?” I lightly press cream into the longest lash mark down her spine, watching the fluid ooze out of her from the pressure. “When this is all over, we’re going to only know comfort.”

“Hmm,” she coos with her eyes closed. “Where are we going to live?”

“I told you I’m going to build you a castle.”

She nods. “That’ll take time. Can we start with a cottage in the Red Oaks?”

I feel Kane sigh close to me, letting his eyes fall shut as he imagines the beauty of a life in peace. “I’d like that.”

Everyone is blustering with excited conversation. The entire group took a sigh of relief the moment we were able to imagine DaiSzek striding in to save the day with an army at his back. Well, everyone but Niles. I watch him. He’s lying on his side, brows scrunched together, trying to sleep.

Since when does Niles stay out of socializing?

“What is it?” Skylenna brings me back, following my eyes. “What’s wrong with him?”

I shrug.

“Is he sick?” she asks again.

“Who cares? It’s Niles,” I reply coolly.

Skylenna doesn’t respond with words, only a glare that snags my attention and pulls a defeated exhale from my lungs.

“I don’t know,” I say, using my thumb to smooth the worry lines from her forehead.

“Oh? I guess you’ve lost that special talent, huh?”

My eyebrow lifts. “What are you talking about?”

“The infamous Patient Thirteen who could study the body language of his victims, examine their strengths and weaknesses based on the way they walked, a spot they scratched. Right? I guess you’ve lost it.” She shrugs, settling back down on my lap with a yawn.

I roll my eyes to the ceiling. “Well played.”

She smiles against my leg.

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