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“If you had a chance to get away from here, would you take it?”
She looked at him then, her eyes wide. “Of course I would. Who wouldn’t?”
Riley, for one,Cy thought. But perhaps that pet had a better life in the Varney household than the ones here with the Bathorys.
“There is life outside here, Summer. I’ve seen it.”
“Ask me what you want to ask me. But keep your voice down.”
Cy took a risk. He was being foolish, he knew, but God, he wanted so badly for an ally. And this beautiful, inviting woman could perhaps provide that for him. “Are you...do you know of the Veritas?” he whispered.
Again, those lips turned up. “That is a dangerous word in New Avalon.”
“It’s a dangerous word anywhere. But Veritas means truth. And the truth is that living like this, it’s no life at all.”
“It’s the only life we have.” That smile remained. Cy felt strangely warmed by it.
“Is it?”
Summer met his eyes. “The life we have now is ruled by fear. The humans here fear the Bathorys. They respect them. Thorne can be...good to those who please him. And cruel to those who don’t. Most of the pets here are just happy to not be among the livestock.”
“Like Wren.”
“Like Wren. He’s a good boy. I fear for him. Lord Garrison likes his meat tender and young. Not much older than he is now.”
Cy’s stomach clenched at the implication. “He’s a child.”
“You think that matters?”
Wren raced toward them, giggling, carrying three apples bundled in his arms. “Show me!” he breathed, and Cy reached out to take the fruit and balance them precariously before tossing them in the air. One by one, the apples danced in his hands, sailing effortlessly upward before landing back in his palms. As he watched Wren’s amazed expression, he marveled at how juggling was so like life. Eventually, an apple would have to fall.
After several passes, Cy gracefully allowed the fruit to land in his arms, gesturing for Wren to take them back.
“Where did you learn to do that?” Wren’s eyes were wide with wonder, and a smile spread across his boyish face.
“I taught myself when I was about your age.”
“Could you teach me?” His expression was bright and childish, full of innocence.
There were a great many things Cy could teach this boy. But juggling wouldn’t help him survive. It wouldn’t get him out of here, wouldn’t set him free. But maybe it would make his life less miserable, less fraught with fear. If he could give Wren some semblance of joy, perhaps he could make some small bit of difference.
“Of course I can. Do you have the patience to learn?”
Cy saw Wren glance at Summer and grin. Turning back to Cy, he nodded. “Yes!”
“It’s not an easy skill to master. You’ll need to keep practicing.”
“I can do it!”
“Hold out your hands then. Give me one apple. We’ll start with two and go from there.”
That night, afterWren had fallen asleep curled in his lap, Cy was enveloped by a sense of foreboding, heavier than a thick fog. It wrapped around him like a blanket, heavy and claustrophobic, but as Summer eased herself down on the cot beside him, the waves of anxiety lessened, if even for a bit.
Cy caught himself staring at those plump, upturned lips, wondering what they tasted like. Foolish. He didn’t have time to entertain ideals of romance. But the truth didn’t stop his desire. He’d been attracted to both men and women in his lifetime, but it didn’t escape him that Summer looked so much like Haven. Likely that was part of her allure.
“You’ve made him so happy,” Summer said softly, so only Cy could hear.
“Children are easy to impress.”
