Page 44 of Echoes

It's very similar to my own room, except straight away, I notice one key difference. Lilydale is notorious for its hideous floral design—the bathroom, the outdoor gardening, even my own room is covered in roses. Damon's room is still covered in faintly painted flowers, however his hosts the stereotypical lily that I had expected to see when I first arrived at Lilydale. The only other time I've seen a lily here is when I was first invited to thesociety's meeting—the blood stained lily on my bed as a welcome present.

Design aside, Damon also has more belongings and furniture stashed around his room. A laptop is on the desk, along with a suitcase in the corner. Even from here, I can see his bathroom is filled with stuff—products, belongings. My room feels like a prison… but his feels like a college dorm.

Am I surprised? Of course not.

"So, we have an hour," Grey says, breaking my train of thought.

I snap my gaze back to him, nodding slowly. "I guess so. I'm sorry though—I had no idea you were here. I didn't know where I was going. Damon just came and told me to follow."

Grey nods in understanding. "It's fine. I should have known when he vanished earlier. I assumed he was just off running errands."

"He was," I confirm with a small smile. "I was the task."

"How have you been?" Grey asks softly, ignoring my comment. "I didn't see you today."

I try not to read too much into his use of singular presence, just giving a shrug in return. "They locked me in my room. Probably just another ploy to make me crack."

Grey's expression darkens. "Have you eaten?"

"Of course not," I laugh sarcastically. "But at least I was allowed to shower today. That's a plus."

He pauses. "They have been denying you showers?"

"Only a few times…" I trail off, face scrunching up at their latest tactic.

Grey notices, stilling. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," I sigh. "Just Whittingham trying to test limits."

"Tell me."

It's a demand, softly spoken but still housing enough power to bring an entire room to their knees—including me.

I stare at him apologetically. "The guards passed me a razor in the showers tonight. I think they were trying to coax me to end my own miserable existence."

I say it jokingly, trying to lighten the mood, but Grey stands up quickly, crossing the room to me.

"He didwhat?"

The words are like a venomous stab, making me flinch. But it's a relief to know that it's not aimed at me this time.

Leaning down, I slip off my shoe, pulling back the sole. I trust him with this. If anyone knows what to do with a weapon, it's him.

Picking up the blade, I hold it up between us, watching his eye twitch as he scans the blade with narrowed eyes.

"That motherfucking cunt," he hisses, quickly grabbing the blade from my fingers.

"Yeah…" I answer, slipping my shoe back on. "They know I took it though. They did a search in my room."

Grey lowers his hand, closing his fist around the metal. "But you hid it," he points out, awe in his tone.

I nod. "I told them it fell down the drain hole, but I figured they wouldn't believe me. I'm not sure what to do with it."

"I'll look after it," he answers softly. "Hold on, I think Damon has some snacks stashed around here."

He lingers in front of me for a brief second, before pulling himself away to start looking through the desk drawers. There's a whole stack of candy bars inside, my stomach growling in excitement at the sight of food.

"Will he mind?" I ask wearily, leaning over to take a closer look.

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