room before closing the door on Eli. Julia sat in the same chair as before. Lawly plopped down across from her.
“It’s good to see you, my little ice queen,” Dr. Lawless quipped.
She cringed. She was not an ice queen, and especially not his ice queen. She questioned his game. He meant to put her in a place of discomfort. She squinted at him. Okay, I’ll play it your way.
“Hello, Lawly,” she said, drawing out the nickname so she sounded like a cowboy.
His brows dropped. Julia could get under his skin too. She smiled. She tapped her fingernails on the table. He stood up and paced the room.
“I’d like you to tell me about the dream you girls have been experiencing. Valera told me you’ve been having nightmares.”
Julia shifted in her seat. Even though they’d agreed on telling him about the dreams, she didn’t like talking about them. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the vision of Danu ensnared by snakes. She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye. This was all part of his game. Bold move, Doc .
“It’s the same thing every night. Danu is being squeezed by snakes. She calls for help. I wake up.”
At the mention of Danu’s name, he rubbed his temples and shuddered. The dreams seemed to agitate him as much as it did her, but she didn’t understand his reaction. Julia stood up, needing to move.
“She’s suffering… suffering…” he whispered under his breath.
Julia stepped away from him. He was losing it. “Did you say something, Doc?”
“No… no… I’d…” he mumbled.
She decided to switch topics. His muttering was unnerving. “I managed to make an icicle in my room,” she chirped.
“Well done, uh… I think… we’re done for today, Julia. You may leave.”
Her time in the Academy hadn’t prepared her for this. She couldn’t figure out his plan. First, he called her down to train. She didn’t want to come, but she did. And now he dismissed her as if she were a child. She put her hands on her hips. She was done playing.
“I thought you were going to help me?”
“Tomorrow perhaps.”
“No, not tomorrow… Now.”
He spun around and charged at her, stopping inches from her face. Julia stood her ground, but fear bubbled inside her. The intensity in his eyes felt accusatory and dangerous. She could smell fish on his breath and the sweat on his skin. She clenched her fists and the hair on her arms spiked.
“I say when and where you train,” he hissed. “Go back to your room.”
An intense iron taste filled her mouth. Aether oozed into her pores. He had no right to treat her this way. She was one of the Trinity. She straightened her backbone, ready to lash out at him. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back a few steps. Suddenly, the door opened and Slammy Magee entered the room with a host of white robes.
“Remove her from the room,” he ordered one of his men.
Two white robes stalked toward her. She remembered one of them from when Parmelia came to her cell. His swollen eye looked painful. A sly smile spread on his face. She prepared to fight. Before they reached her, Eli trotted through the door. He approached her and touched her arm.
“You heard the man.” He winked. “Let’s go.”
The bruised man exhaled like a balloon losing its air, and his leer was replaced by a frown. She followed Eli out. Another white robe, slammed the door behind them. Instead of leaving, she stayed behind and put her ear to the door. Eli kept watch.
“I’ve been informed that you let the girls speak with Professor Scrod, and that those… deviants touched the relics. What were you thinking?” Slammy yelled at Dr. Lawless.
Eli touched her elbow. “We shouldn’t linger.”
“One minute,” she whispered, holding up her palm
Before Dr. Lawless could answer, Slammy continued, “Do you know what they could do with those relics? It would be the end of us! We have to control them until it’s time—
Eli took hold of her elbow. “Someone’s
“It’s good to see you, my little ice queen,” Dr. Lawless quipped.
She cringed. She was not an ice queen, and especially not his ice queen. She questioned his game. He meant to put her in a place of discomfort. She squinted at him. Okay, I’ll play it your way.
“Hello, Lawly,” she said, drawing out the nickname so she sounded like a cowboy.
His brows dropped. Julia could get under his skin too. She smiled. She tapped her fingernails on the table. He stood up and paced the room.
“I’d like you to tell me about the dream you girls have been experiencing. Valera told me you’ve been having nightmares.”
Julia shifted in her seat. Even though they’d agreed on telling him about the dreams, she didn’t like talking about them. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the vision of Danu ensnared by snakes. She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye. This was all part of his game. Bold move, Doc .
“It’s the same thing every night. Danu is being squeezed by snakes. She calls for help. I wake up.”
At the mention of Danu’s name, he rubbed his temples and shuddered. The dreams seemed to agitate him as much as it did her, but she didn’t understand his reaction. Julia stood up, needing to move.
“She’s suffering… suffering…” he whispered under his breath.
Julia stepped away from him. He was losing it. “Did you say something, Doc?”
“No… no… I’d…” he mumbled.
She decided to switch topics. His muttering was unnerving. “I managed to make an icicle in my room,” she chirped.
“Well done, uh… I think… we’re done for today, Julia. You may leave.”
Her time in the Academy hadn’t prepared her for this. She couldn’t figure out his plan. First, he called her down to train. She didn’t want to come, but she did. And now he dismissed her as if she were a child. She put her hands on her hips. She was done playing.
“I thought you were going to help me?”
“Tomorrow perhaps.”
“No, not tomorrow… Now.”
He spun around and charged at her, stopping inches from her face. Julia stood her ground, but fear bubbled inside her. The intensity in his eyes felt accusatory and dangerous. She could smell fish on his breath and the sweat on his skin. She clenched her fists and the hair on her arms spiked.
“I say when and where you train,” he hissed. “Go back to your room.”
An intense iron taste filled her mouth. Aether oozed into her pores. He had no right to treat her this way. She was one of the Trinity. She straightened her backbone, ready to lash out at him. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back a few steps. Suddenly, the door opened and Slammy Magee entered the room with a host of white robes.
“Remove her from the room,” he ordered one of his men.
Two white robes stalked toward her. She remembered one of them from when Parmelia came to her cell. His swollen eye looked painful. A sly smile spread on his face. She prepared to fight. Before they reached her, Eli trotted through the door. He approached her and touched her arm.
“You heard the man.” He winked. “Let’s go.”
The bruised man exhaled like a balloon losing its air, and his leer was replaced by a frown. She followed Eli out. Another white robe, slammed the door behind them. Instead of leaving, she stayed behind and put her ear to the door. Eli kept watch.
“I’ve been informed that you let the girls speak with Professor Scrod, and that those… deviants touched the relics. What were you thinking?” Slammy yelled at Dr. Lawless.
Eli touched her elbow. “We shouldn’t linger.”
“One minute,” she whispered, holding up her palm
Before Dr. Lawless could answer, Slammy continued, “Do you know what they could do with those relics? It would be the end of us! We have to control them until it’s time—
Eli took hold of her elbow. “Someone’s
Similar Books
It's Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens: Enjoying the Fruits of Middle Age
Phil Callaway, Martha O. Bolton
