Page 58 of Dark Reign

“I wasn’t made aware of any.”

That answer seemed to be what he expected. “Well, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after conducting a quick scan, I detected a strange anomaly in her brain waves.”

I didn’t know what that meant. He’d come in with a peculiar metal box that contained a device I recognized as one used when donors had fallen ill, but I had no clue what sort of data it provided.

Driskel cleared his throat. “Well, it seems your Doll suffers from a condition known as epilepsy. It means she’s prone to convulsions,” he clarified.

Human ailments weren’t common knowledge, so he didn’t seem surprised by my obvious confusion.

“My best guess is this information was intentionally withheld from you,” the doctor noted, “considering the strict selection process involved in the purchase of a Doll.”

He was completely right about that. From what I heard, it wasn’t uncommon for a woman to be rejected for something as simple as having too many visible scars. I could only imagine a condition likethiswas one that would warrant a prompt disposal without thought.

I stared at him, feeling tension spread across my brow.

“This isn’t uncommon,” the doctor said next. “If I had to guess, she and her Madam are aware that flaws among Dolls are simply not tolerated.”

I said absolutely nothing, taking a moment to let the doctor’s prognosis and his theory settle.

“By law,” Driskel continued, “the purchase of a defective Doll whose seller failed to disclose her flaws to you at the time of selection means you’re free to dispose of her.”

Levi, who’d been silent all this time, seemed to come alive with this realization, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. He saw this as a way out. I could easily use Driskel’s excuse to rid myself of the girl who’d been a thorn in my side nearly from the moment our paths first crossed. And while Ishouldhave jumped at this opportunity … it didn’t even feel like an option.

When I didn’t show signs I’d take the bait, Levi’s brow knitted together as confusion set in.

Elle passed a frantic glance my way before stepping forward.

“But … but epilepsy isn’t even terminal,” she piped, pleading Corina’s case. “Getting rid of her is a bit drastic. Don’t you think, Your Highness?”

For whatever reason, she’d taken a liking to Corina already, and seemed determined to defend her, even if the affection wasn’t mutual.

I turned from Elle and addressed Driskel again. “What about long term?” I asked. “Is this something that will worsen with time?”

“That’s not likely. Chances are, she’s dealt with this from childhood already, so the spells aren’t likely to increase or decrease in frequency.”

This put a spin on our dilemma I hadn’t foreseen. Already, I was dreading the burden of caring for a human. And now … she would have special needs beyond the usual.

“The decision is yours,” Driskel reiterated. “If you’d like, I can take care of this right away. One simple injection and she’d be out of your hair. From there, my orderlies waiting outside can load her body into the van for disposal,” he added with a sinister smile. “It would be like she never happened.”

Elle was completely still beside me and I knew Driskel’s dark statement hadn’t sat well with her. I shielded her from a lot, so she hadn’t been tainted by much of the harsh realities of our world. She was compassionate almost to a fault, almost childlike. So, it went without saying, she only tolerated the doctor’s crassness because she knew those were the rules and I wouldn’t have it any other way. One of her primary charges was to respect our guests.

Silas stood and took slow steps toward the window, folding both arms as he stared across the lawn. His expression wasn’t visible as he stood with his back to me, but I was well-versed in reading him. The doctor’s suggestion hadn’t seemed to be sitting well with him either. He’d been strangely optimistic where Corina had been concerned. In the few instances where someone suggested I rid myself of her, he staunchly disagreed.

“So, what will it be?” Driskel inquired, his intense glare stayed trained on me.

From the start, I hadn’t done any of the‘right’things when it came to Corina—from putting my neck on the line to save hers, lying for her. While I had no idea what the full scope of this condition would be, I couldn’t bring myself to take the easy way out now.

I lifted my gaze to Driskel. “Is she aware of what you discovered?”

He shook his head. “It’s not customary that I reveal my findings, and I didn’t deviate from that practice here today.”

So, she had no idea I knew.

I swallowed and, with a firm nod, I gave my final statement on the matter. “We’ll manage.”

With those two words, I practically sealed the transaction in blood by admitting that, despite Corina’s flaws, I still …wantedher.

Standing from my seat, I shoved both hands in my pockets, watching as the doctor updated his file with a notation about my refusal to accept his offer for disposal. And just like that, everything was set in stone.

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