Page 63 of Devil May Lie

Madden had purposefully allowed those people at the race to get too close to him, sensing Berga’s gaze on him from the crowd. He’d wanted to test the waters, see if Berga was the type who would withdraw at the sight of potential competition to protect himself, or if he’d get jealous and speak up. It’d seemed like it was going the way of the latter, at least up until he’d started hallucinating.

“What does he see?” He’d been speaking to someone when Madden had rushed over, someone who wasn’t really there. “It’s a girl…” That was all he’d been able to gather. Someone who’d clearly caused Berga a lot of trauma.

Bay hesitated, glancing between him and the unconscious Butcher before coming to a decision. “It’s his sister.”

Madden couldn’t help but frown. He didn’t recall there being another child to Berga’s parents. But then again…The Obsidian family had only appeared on his radar when he’d been in middle school and considered old enough to attend formal functions. Bay had said before this all started when Berga was a young child.

“She died,” Bay said, clearly seeing Madden had come to that conclusion on his own already. “It was an accident, but his parents never quite got over the loss, and in the beginning, they blamed Berga because it was easier for them that way.”

“What?” He’d always thought highly of Ford and Vista Obsidian.

Not anymore.

“No one speaks about her,” Bay kept going. “At first, because his parents didn’t want to hear it, but later for worry it would set Berga off.”

“Does everyone in the Satellite know?”

“Probably to some degree. They’re all very close, even if they don’t always seem like it. But I don’t think he’s explained it in detail to anyone except for Flix and Baikal. Flix was there that day, so he saw everything take place after the accident himself. He was friends with the both of them, so he didn’t take the loss well either.”

Was that why they were so close? Had they bonded over that shared tragedy?

There was a shout from outside, but before Madden could fully rise from the bed, it was followed quickly by a massive explosion.

As if tonight couldn’t get any worse.

Chapter 16:

Berga wasn’t sure what he should do. He’d spent the better part of the past ten minutes wiping at the blood on his knee, but all he’d done was make it worse. Now there were smears of red all over his fingers and palms.

He was huddled in the corner, just beneath the stairs leading up to the second level, debating whether or not he should duck into the bathroom when he heard footsteps approaching. They were soft and light, followed by the hum of a tune he also knew by heart, having heard it so frequently.

Doll House Awakening had a beat that started bright and full of potential, only to lead the listener down a tunnel of despair before bringing them back up to the light. It was an emotional song.

Or so he’d been told.

Berga didn’t really much care for things like that. Things like music and ballet. But his sister adored them, and he adored her, so he’d memorized it and sat through all of her practices. She’d gotten the lead role in her school’s upcoming show and had been preparing earnestly. With only three days left to go, the excitement in the house was practically abuzz.

Maybe that’s why Berga had been so careless. He’d gotten up too quickly from the coffee table in the living room and had hit his knee against the edge. It was bad enough to draw blood, but he’d hurried out of the room before he’d made a mess of the carpet.

“Oh no,” Beryl appeared in her pink tulle skirt, probably having come straight home from practice. She stooped down before him and inspected the gash on his knee. “You hurt yourself, silly!”

“It looks worse than it is,” Berga said. “I made it worse.”

She took in his hands and hummed in agreement. “Come on, I saw mom put the extra bandages in the basement.”

The door leading down to that level of the house was right behind her, so it was a quick turn. She had it open and passed beneath the threshold before Berga moved an inch.

The light source to that area was all the way at the bottom, and even though he was six now and more than capable of taking care of himself, their parents still warned him against going there alone. He didn’t really mind, since stumbling about wasn’t really his idea of a fun time anyway.

Beryl never seemed to care though. She’d pop in and out of the basement without hesitation, so whenever he needed anything, she was more than willing to grab it for him or have them go together.

“Bergie,” she called to him, moving in the dark, “hurry up, you’re getting it all over! Dad will be angry with you again!”

Reminded of how he’d been scolded just yesterday had him shooting into action. They’d gone to Beryl’s favorite fast-food restaurant for dinner last night after her practice, and Berga had stupidly knocked her drink over into her lap.

She’d laughed it off since she’d only been in one of her practice outfits and had more, but their father had gone on and on about responsibility while their mother had struggled to blot the stains out of the tulle—purple, then.

“I like the pink one better,” Berga found himself saying, though the second he stepped onto the landing of the stairwell, it got too dark for him to make the color of her skirts out. Vitals had good night vision, but he was too young for his to really kick in yet.

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