I leave Veil to her silly deliberations, knowing that when I eventually return to the dining room, I’ll find an emptied vial in front of her vacant seat.
25
VEIL
As promised, Gemini escorts me to Animus almost daily. I soon realize that this small piece of freedom might be worse than being stuck in the house. On the plus side, I’m surrounded by people here, but Gemini’s menacing glare makes everyone steer clear of me. All it does is make the abject loneliness more acute.
And where is Zazel?
I’ve been here for a few days and have not seen them anywhere. I try to remember if they had a fixed schedule, but my mind has a hard time conjuring upanythingfrom before my kidnapping. However, the thought of Zazel discovering the truth of my disappearance has my skin crawling with apprehension. Maybe it’s better if my friends think I’m dead.
But even that morbid hope is futile when Gemini plans to have me perform onstage in front of a large crowd of Pravitians in less than two weeks.
I’ve been practicing for a few hours now with Gemini carefully watching me from his spot in the corner of the room. It’s a private space, and no one is allowed inside while I’m practicing. A floor-to-ceiling mirror spans an entire wall,and there’s even a trapeze hanging from the low ceiling. The apparatus is novel enough that I’ve started incorporating it into my routine, just for something new and stimulating to master.
When straining to execute a rather difficult sequence of movements atop the trapeze, I slip and almost fall. I curse under my breath as I dismount, pushing the small hairs sticking to my forehead away with irritation.
I’m breathing hard, both hands flat on the back of my hips as I stare into the mirror.
“What’s wrong, my beloved?” Gemini casually asks from behind me. His gaze is down, flipping through a tabloid magazine as he sits on the floor. His back rests against the wall, legs sprawled in front of him while he idly flips a coin over and around the fingers of his free hand.
My gaze finds him in the glass. The feeling of unease I’ve had since I woke up this morning sits heavily on my chest. That, paired with his new pet name, whichfeelslike so much more than just a pet name.
“Nothing is wrong,” I snap.
Gemini’s eyes flick to find mine in the mirror. His eyebrows rise in a hint of surprise, and a subtle grin appears at the corner of his lips.
Then, in the most embarrassing turn of events, I burst out crying. Shocked and mortified, I bury my face in my hands, keeping my back to him. But Gemini is next to me in seconds, grabbing me by the shoulders so I can face him, even though I’m trying my best to keep my face hidden as I hiccup through the tears.
“Veil, look at me,” he says with a slight bite to his voice. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Knowing he won’t let this go, I force myself to calm down before sheepishly lifting my head up to face him. “I don’t know,” I answer truthfully.
I attempt to shake myself out of his grip, but his fingers dig harder into my shoulders. I roll my eyes in exasperation at his refusal to let this go. Averting my gaze, I try my best to furiously wipe my cheeks dry from the damning tears.
“I’ve been feeling restless, like — like something is missing.” I slide my gaze to his. “There’s an urgency to the feeling, and it’s only been building as the days pass.” I chew on my lip nervously. “I can barely put words to it.”
Gemini is quiet. He studies me, as if holding a much larger piece of the puzzle than I ever knew was missing. And something about that fleeting sentiment has the resentment of still not knowing anything about my family’s history flaring through my veins, alongside the growing restlessness.
“How long since you last collected tithe?”
His question further irritates me.
“Speak plainly, Foley.”
He pushes out a small chuckle before speaking again. “When was the last time youstolesomething?”
Surprise prickles my skin like a fresh set of goose bumps, but it’s quickly subdued by how ridiculous I find his question. “How long since you kidnapped me? Then you’ll have your answer.”
Impatience flashes across his face, but he is fast to erase it away and laughs dryly before finally letting me go. His gaze turns arrogant. “Still hung up on that, I see.”
I’m about to fling my retort back in his face, but he beats me to it. He begins to pace in front of me, hands clasped behind his back. He looks especially dapper today, wearing a black velour suit, the top buttons of his dress shirt undone.
“Do you want this feeling to cease or not?” he hisses, clearly growing tired of my crossness.
I snap my mouth shut and let the silence temper the rising tension between us before muttering a small, “Yes.”
“Good!” he chirps, his mood shifting instantly. He snaps his fingers and points to the floor. “Sit.”
