Page 2 of Mind Maze

But I will.

The man I hate pats her on the head and squats beside her. My hands curl into fists as rage surges inside me. Sometimes I wish I could pummel his face into a meaty pulp. He’s always stronger and steps ahead of me, though. I never can win with him.

She tenses when he pulls the doll from her grip, whispering something to her. It appears he asks a question that she very quietly answers. Then they both stand. I stare at the doll in his hand, wishing he’d just give it back to her already.

How will she cope if he takes it away?

They both approach me.

“I’ll take good care of Calista,” he murmurs, voice low and barely audible.

Boiling hatred nearly causes me to explode on him. His next words, though, snuff out everything.

“You’re being adopted, kiddo,” he says to me. “I’ve done all I can do.”

With those words, they walk away. I stare after them, rooted in place, unable to move. Unable to save her.

Adopted?

I thought I was broken, ruined, and useless.

That’s what he told me over and over again.

What about her?

Will she be adopted too?

When I finally snap out of my daze, I race toward the doors they disappeared into. A couple of men, one dressed in a nice suit, block my path. One of them is plain and someone you’d never pick out of a crowd because he’s so unmemorable. The other has striking gray eyes and a bright smile.

“The name’s Orion Crowne,” the man says, grinning. “Ready to get out of here?”

The other man nods in approval. “Just need to swing by the boys’ home first. Make things official.”

Orion seems to ignore him, so I do too.

“Everyone has a momentous fork in the road of their life. This is yours, young man, where the direction of your life changes into something you could never begin to dream of for yourself.”

My heart pangs, the loss of my own father more prominent than ever. He always had anecdotes for life. God, I miss him.

“It’s not like I have a choice,” I rasp out, bitterness on my tongue.

At least not yet. Not until I turn eighteen.

Orion nods at the other man to leave us be. Once the man walks away, Orion clutches my shoulder, giving it a fatherly squeeze.

“The world can be yours. I’ll teach you everything I know and give you all that was taken from you. There’s freedom in that.”

He may be offering an escape from this place, but he can’t give me my parents back.

“Her too?” I ask in a small, unsure voice, casting a glance over my shoulder.

Orion cocks his head to the side, studying me intently. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

I bristle with irritation. “So the worldcan’tbe mine?”

He’s a liar just like the rest of them.

“It can. If that’s what you want, I’ll teach you how to get it. I’ll give you the tools, resources, and knowledge. That much I can assure you.”

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