Page 12 of A Harmony of Procellarum

His question gives me pause as he settles back down on the bed beside me, his cold cheek pressing into my shoulder. “I hated her long before that,” I admit. “But her torture was different. I knew she didn’t love me and that was fine. I went to school, I was fed, and mostly I was ignored. I could handle that. Now I’m here in this Hell and I’m helpless to do anything about it. It’s her fault.”

“I’m sorry your mom left you in this place, but I’m glad you’re here.” Soon after he says the words, I can hear his breathing deepen as he finally finds sleep. I envy him for the security he finds with me and that it’s enough to help him sleep soundly, because I don’t know the last time I had a full night’s rest.

He lets out a soft noise in his sleep when I slip out of the bed. Even his subconscious can sense my absence. I grab the blanket from my bed and cover him with it, hoping the two blankets together will keep him warm.

I leave the room to find Sister Jane storming down the hall, her eye intent on the room she left Victor in. She’s probably going back for round two, and I can’t have her discover I moved him and he’s sleeping. We have chores we’re supposed to be doing. So I imagine she’s my mother and I blurt out everything I’m feeling.

“You’re a useless whore,” I snap as something dark and slippery uncoils inside of me. “You’re fucking useless and I hope you die a lonely death with no one by your side.”

She stops suddenly, as if being struck in the face, and her features are coated in shock as she watches me with wide eyes. Her mouth hangs open, but no noise comes out.

I step forward as I continue, “One day, I will watch you burn in the fires of Hell while you scream for your God, who hates you as much as we all do.”

Her face darkens into something menacing as she comes forward, her jaw hard and pulsing under the clench of her teeth. “You’re just as evil as your other friend, and I believe I am here to show you the path back to God.” Then, as quick as lightning, her fist slams into my temple, throwing me off balance as I hit the wall. I try to push off the filthy wallpaper, but I’m met with a hard kick to the stomach, the force making me double over in searing pain. “I guess it’s up to me to finish what Father Robert was doing,” she growls as she grips my ear to haul me after her.

I heave through rolling waves of nausea as she drags me to the basement door, the same place Victor killed the priest, and I’d be scared if I weren’t doing this to keep him safe.

From now on, I will always keep him safe.

She opens it and shoves me inside, forces me to look at the altar where Haynes was tortured, where Victor was abused, and then my eyes roam to the pews where Victor slammed a hatchet into Father Robert’s head.

“If you keep up your shit, I will tie your little friend to that altar and continue what Father Robert was doing. Am I making myself clear?”

I nod as I struggle to swallow. I can’t let Victor come back down here. I don’t think he would survive it.

Chapter five

Tiny

Iwokeupthismorning to an empty room and a tray filled with breakfast. After I dragged myself from the small chair to the equally small bathroom to freshen up, I ate the food provided. If I die of poisoning, so be it.

Now I’m pacing my holding cell, wondering just why I’m here and what the purpose of my confinement is. If it’s to force Squall into some rescue mission, then they’ll be disappointed. I saw his eyes the last time we were face to face. He told me he cared, but he couldn’t give me anything more. He said he was emotionally void, that his insides only craved blood and depravity.

But now I know he was lying. He also craves a psychotic man.

Where is Torrent? How did he get out? Did they let him out?

I run my hand through my long hair, cringing when I feel the oil from a few days without a shower. My eyes skip to the bathroom, seeing the small corner unit shower and wishing I could hop in there, but I don’t have any other clean clothes. I must smell like the dead.

Which is a very real possibility.

I look longingly toward the rumpled bed and bite into my lip at the prospect of getting some sleep in it before Torrent comes back.Ifhe comes back. I drop my jacket to the chair and remove my boots that have been on for almost twenty-four hours, then I crawl up the bed as a moan escapes my lips.

“I’m so tired,” I whisper as my head hits the pillow, causing Torrent’s scent to plume up around my head. He smells like a forest of pine in the dead of winter, making me envision a small rabbit running from a timber wolf.

I don’t even have to decipher that analogy to know exactly what it means. I’m Torrent’s prey.

The click of a door permeates my fitful sleep as I quickly sit up to look around me. I’m still in this small room with a double bed and a single chair. I turn to look at the window sitting high on the wall, the one-foot by one-foot square covered by metal bars and reminding me of my prisoner status. Through the dusty pane I can see that it’s dark out, the sun having long gone down, and I am still here alone.

Maybe Torrent really is dead.

A delicious scent wafts under my nose as I inhale deeply, making my mouth water at the aroma of rich spices and bread. I get off the bed and head toward the door to find yet another tray with a pile of folded clothes beside it. The sight has my heart skipping a beat as my eyes widen. I spin on the spot, looking in each corner for signs of a camera. I’m being watched. There’s no other explanation. I know how I felt this morning coming out of that bathroom with the same clothes on my back as the day before, and I know it must’ve been written all over my fucking face.

“Fuck,” I growl, wanting nothing more than to throw the fabric on the floor and stomp all over it. I would’ve done it if I didn’t want to shower so fucking badly.

Satan humpers - 1, Tiny - 0.

I lift the cover off the tray and nearly moan out loud for all of Hell to hear me when I see butter chicken and garlic naan. This is my favorite fucking dish. So not only am I being watched in here, it would seem I was being watched before as well.

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