I looked… other.
Wrong.
Otherworldly.
Like an alien, I used to joke to myself.
Ha ha ha.
“So,” Warden Wild said, flipping through a thin file, “we heard about the… unfortunate incident that took your sister, Sable. I’m so sorry. Your mother must be devastated—losing such a child.”
I shifted uncomfortably.
“Oh, forgive me.” She tapped her temple with a manicured finger. “We’re not supposed to mention that, are we?” Her tone was mild, curious, as she scanned the notes. “Ah. Here it is.” Her smile sharpened. “Because you killed her.”
The words landed like a slap — not loud, but sharp enough to draw blood.
“I didn’t.” The word snapped out before I could stop it.
“Persephone,” she said smoothly, voice dripping with mock patience. “I’m not here to judge you. Every young person we take in at Darkmoor has faced… tragedy. Some more personal than others.”
She closed the file with a softthudthat echoed through the quiet room.
Her gaze lingered on me. “We don’t dwell on the past here. We reshape it.”
My pulse hammered in my ears. I couldn’t tell if it was a threat or a promise.
“We will reshape you,” she continued. “Your gifts—my, they do sound promising.”
“I don’t have a gift,” I said automatically.
“Lying doesn’t make it so, Miss Quinn. And there are three young men who could speak the truth of it…” Her smile widened. “If they could speak anymore, of course.”
Something hot twisted in my chest. Rage. Guilt. I couldn’t tell which.
“What do you want?” I forced out.
“Your cooperation.”
She folded her hands, stepping closer. “We’ve made an agreement with your father to keep your name under wraps. You’ll be known here as Persephone Harrin, provided you’re willing to work with our lead scientist, Dr Phillip Marr, in a series of tests.”
“You mean experiments,” I said flatly. “Are you seriously blackmailing me?”
“We could simply force you,” she said, unbothered. “But we prefer compliance. Cooperation.”
She moved behind her desk again, straightening a stack of papers that didn’t need straightening. “In return, we’ll keep your true identity a secret from the criminals and the monsters housed in other wings of this institute. You’ll attend classes, eat with the other students—perhaps even make friends. We’ll set you up with a uniform, books, paper – everything you need.”
“I want to keep my gloves.”
Wild looked at me, “We can discuss the details later.”
Her eyes lifted to mine, glinting with something predatory.
“Once a week, you’ll report for your sessions. Dr. Marr is… eager to understand exactly what you are.”
“Will you tell the others about—” I swallowed hard. “Will they know?”
“No,” she said smoothly. “In fact, we’d prefer you didn’t mention it. According to the records of every teacher in this building, you’ll be listed as anull.”
