Page 28 of The Omega Trials: Part Three

Though I can’t say I feel the same. Seeing Merigold in our common room, our one safe space, rankles me. I don’t hide it from my tone when I ask, “What do you want?”

“To propose an alliance because believe it or not, we’re on the same team.” I can tell she’s trying hard to keep her tone diplomatic, but she still can’t help lifting her nose in her signature haughty way.

Ecker barks a laugh. “Yeah, okay, well, great to see you, Merigold.” He’s still chuckling as he opens our wing’s front door. “Have a good day.”

“I’m serious,” she insists. “I want everyone to know what that worthless piece of shit did. I want to break him down until he’s nothing but a blubbering puddle of piss.” She practically snarls.

It’s such a departure from her usual posh affect, it leaves us all a little stunned.

“Well, then.” Ecker huffs an impressed chuckle.

Titus continues to eye her skeptically. “Who?”

She looks at us like we’re idiots. “Yves, of course.”

The time it takes for Penelope to get the drugs is the most awkward fifteen minutes of my life. We sit in silence, Merigold and I periodically glaring at each other while the boys stare into space or otherwise act like all of this is perfectly fucking normal.

After Merigold named Yves, we were all ready to laugh her out of the room. How dumb did she think we were to fall for a trap that obvious? But then, Bishop remembered a truth serum was used during the Fortitude Trial. Merigold agreed to take it, so we called Penelope to see if she could get her hands on some.

When she returns, she has with her a small black case, something that looks like what a diabetic would keep their insulin pen in. She hands it to Bishop, who unzips it to reveal three syringes filled with liquid.

“I believe the middle one is the truth serum, sir,” she points out.

“Youbelieve?”Merigold snarks.

The low-simmering anger in my chest comes to a boil at her tone. “Donotspeak to her like that.”

Merigold sits back, offended. “Well, I’m just saying that before you inject that shit into me, you better be sure it’s the right one.”

“I’d be happy to stick you with all of them just to be safe.” I give her a terse smile and she huffs.

Penelope shoots me a grateful look then adds with more confidence than I’m used to hearing from her, “I am certain it’s the right one.”

Before we get into it, I give Merigold one last warning. “You realize that if you’re lying about this or this is a trick in any way, I will claw out your eyes and wear them around my neck like a string of pearls.”

She grimaces in disgust and scoffs, “God, you really are feral.” I lift my brows, unfazed. She waves her hands. “Yes, yes, fine. Make them into earrings for all I care.”

“Very well.” Bishop slides out the middle syringe then asks her, “Where do you want it?”

“My arm, I guess.” For the first time since she strutted in here, she sounds hesitant. As she pushes up the sleeves of her sweater, old bruises dotting her wrists become visible. I recognize them immediately as the handprints I saw following the Loyalty Trial, where those pigs held her down.

“This should work, probably don’t even need a tourniquet.” Bishop assesses the purple vein in the crook of her elbow. He stops himself before touching her, remembering. “I don’t have permission. You have to do it yourself.”

He extends the syringe to her, and she looks squeamish. For a moment, I expect her to back out; then she exhales determinedly and snatches the syringe. “Let’s get this over with.”

She doesn’t flinch once, inserting and injecting the full dose. I’m impressed until I look at her bruises again and remember she, like me, has survived much worse.

Chapter 16

What Happened to Eric Cyan

Sinclair

“Well, start talking, buttercup.” Ecker flops onto the couch, pulling me down with him. Bishop sits down next to us while Titus remains standing, arms crossed.

“Can I sit?” she asks, exasperated, as if appalled we haven’t already invited her to.

Titus shrugs, looking like he couldn’t care less what she does. She takes one of the armchairs with a humph.

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