“They’re misguided,” he says finally. “They think they understand your ability, but they don’t. They think they understand mine, but they don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
He quiets again, and I wonder if he doesn’t trust me or thinks I’m too weak to handle the truth.
“Neither, I just don’t want to overwhelm you.”
A brief smile breaks on my lips. “I keep forgetting you read minds.”
“I know.” His amusement fades. “They want the information in my head. They’re always looking for easier ways to get at it. Torture is grueling and inefficient.”
My stomach lurches. So the visions are true.
“Why do you fight them? Why not give them what they want?”
His expression hardens as he zeroes in on the wall. “I’ve been here for eleven years, Rebecca. We’ve been down every path you can imagine, explored every dynamic possible. We didn’t get to this impasse because I’m a stubborn idiot.”
Stupid question. Logical, but stupid. I shift beside him and take his sleeved arm. He doesn’t pull away, and I want to feel his fingers tighten around mine. The warmth of his skin. Those thrilling sparks. It would be a sweet moment, but I can’t bear the thought of another vision.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to question you. I know I can’t imagine what this has been like for you.”
“No, you can’t.” He shifts away, and at first I think he’s angry. But my apology dissolves when he reaches for the collar of his shirt. He yanks it over his head, and my blood pounds as my mouth goes dry. I force myself to focus on the arm he holds out. “See these tattoos?”
I nod. “I’ve been meaning to ask about that. How do you get them? I mean, they don’t let you off campus, do they?”
“No, of course not. Tattoos are one of the few things we agree on so they bring Cheri on-site when she’s needed.”
“When she’s needed?”
“Look closely.”
I gasp.
“Tattoos don’t raise as many questions.” He traces the enormous scar along his arm. “Shoulder to wrist. I have an identical one on my leg. That one’s easier to hide.”
“What happened?” I ask in horror.
He stares at it before replacing his shirt. “Clausen spared no expense insuring his most valuable asset.” My eyes widen at the implication, and he nods. “No one knows except the most senior staff and the surgeon and nurses who did the procedure. Nowyou do as well. You’ll probably see visions of it at some point anyway.”
“What is it?” I ask the terrible question before I consider the fact that he might answer it.
“I’m not completely sure about the technology. Spotty facts are in my head from my encounters with them, but not the knowledge to interpret them fully. The more I look into it, the less it makes sense with my understanding of current biotechnology, so I gave up for now. The basic idea is that they’ve implanted something into me to prevent an escape. There’s a barrier around the academy that I can’t cross. I only tested it once. That’s all it took.”
I shake my head. “Why would they do that?”
“I told you I was valuable.” He says with a smirk, but I can’t find the humor.
“What is it that they want? What if you just answered their questions?”
“You’re trying to understand something you can’t. It’s not your fault.” He sighs and studies the opposite wall, thinking. The colored hues of faded bruises on his face continue to remind me of his brutal existence, and I wish more than ever that I could see inside him like he sees me. I don’t understand, but I want to. “Look, once again I’ve already told you more than I should have. Every detail I give you is only putting you in more danger.”
“You’re worried about me?”
“I’m sorry for being cryptic. I wasn’t planning on sharing all of that.” He looks at me again. “You asked what their plan is, and you deserve to know that much. They want to use you to get inside my head. They think that if you can see glimpses of my past, you will eventually come across the information they want. They struggle to get it from me, so they’re hoping to find an easier path through you.”
Horrified, I shake my head. “I would never do that! I would never help them.”
He clenches his jaw. “Yes, you would. Under the right circumstances.”
