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“So now you care about our welfare?” He steps toward me.
I step back, annoyed he might be right. “I care for the truth.”
Nothing here is as it seems. My world is spinning, and I am at a loss for what to do. I think it’s safe to say I’m no longer in the kill-zone part of my revenge plan. I’m not sure I want revenge at all. But I don’t know what I feel except that I need answers. Any more secrets and I’ll lose my mind.
“I’ve only given you the truth.” He throws his hands in the air. “You don’t want to believe it.”
“What was that thing?”
He stares. “It was a Nightmare. A Terror called a Cornertwister, also known as The Thing in the Corner. It lurks at the edge of your vision, induces paranoia, and can turn a person insane.”
I blink. Well, that certainly sounded like the truth. Who would make that up on the spot? My mind scrambles over the codex we’ve been given at the Nexus. “I’ve not learned about that one yet.”
“You wouldn’t. The Nexus only teaches what Titania and the Keepers want you to know.”
“Why did you burn it then?” I accuse. “Because it called Legion?—”
His hand covers my mouth. “Keep your voice down.”
“No one is here,”I shout with my mind.
He pushes me back, keeping his hand over my mouth. My spine hits a smooth surface—the column of a tree trunk supporting a flow line track.
“The streets are empty,”he returns.“But don’t be fooled into thinking no one will hear or see us.”
“What happened back there?”I widen my eyes, but don’t push him away. “Why are you afraid of the Keepers?”
“Wait until we’re at the keep.”
“Tell me now, or I’ll walk the other way.”
“None but my hive and you know I can speak mind-to-mind. It will look suspicious if we stand here staring at each other for too long.”
I lick his hand, hoping he’ll be grossed out and let go. He tightens his grip, so I shove him. He stumbles back, amused, as if this is a game. He even laughs and sways, as if he’s drunk.
Darting my gaze, I see a few stragglers approaching us from the restaurant’s direction. By the way they sing, and use each other to stay upright, they’re intoxicated.
“I don’t like being lied to,” I say quietly, folding my arms to distance us. “I don’t like being manipulated.”
He stills, knowing exactly why. “I’ll tell you at the keep.”
“Don’t you get it?” I hiss. “I don’t trust you. Why would I return to the keep?”
I have Tinger. Rory’s blade is with Geraldine. That’s all I need.
“Fine.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “But we’ll have to occupy our mouths to explain why they don’t move as we stare longingly into each other’s eyes for long minutes.”
“Oh.”
I start walking, hear his laughter, and stop as fumes shoot from my pores. I can’t work out if this is another way to make fun of me or if he’s serious.
They took me to a restaurant inside a Willow tree for a meal I adore. None of them ate. Fox was supposed to gather souls to sustain the others, but instead, he was on a murderous rampage... maybe because of something I said.
They all saved my life.
Half the time, they’re looking out for me, the other half lying. I’m not sure I’ll ever trust anyone again, but I expect direct answers if I ask a question. That’s the only way forward. I blink into the darkness, realizing where my train of thought just took me.
Iwantto trust them. I don’t want to murder them. What’s wrong with me?
