Page 120 of Death is Familiar

Well, I hadn’t been expecting that. And I hadn’t even gotten to the hard questions yet. My investigation and intimidation techniques were better suited to adults, who understood logic, which clearly that wasn’t going to work here.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” I got closer to the bars, noting all of Three’s belongings were inconveniently more than an arm’s reach away. “It’s okay, Three. Talk to me.”

“No! It’s not okay!” Three smacked the heels of her palms into her cheeks. “I can’t let you do what she did!”

Three was overtired, that much was clear, but I was getting somewhere. If I wanted to get information, it was time to press the issue. “What who did?”

“One! She… she…”

Warden White burst into the space, metal door clanging. “What did you say to her?!”

Interesting. He’d seen Three was upset on the surveillance camera but couldn’t hear what was said. “Nothing, I just asked for a blanket.”

“She asked why she couldn’t have one!” Three sobbed.

“Oh, my poor girl.” Warden White pulled the heavy ring of keys off the wall and unlocked Three’s cell, joining her on the ground inside, arms outstretched. “Come here.”

Three curled into Warden White’s lap, head cradled to his chest as he stroked her hair and rubbed her back. “What happened with One, isn’t going to happen with Two.”

Oh boy.

Very rarely did I want to be wrong, but this was one of those moments.

I’d already suspected One had been held in captivity—just like Three—but now it seemed something terrible had happened. Something horrible enough to scar Three, and cause this reaction. Which solidified my suspicions that One had also been held in the cell I now occupied against her wishes. And that she’d done something about it.

With a blanket.

“How can you be sure?” Three looked at White with ruddy tear-streaked cheeks.

“Because I know these things, Three. It’s all going to be okay.”

“I don’t want her to go. I want her to stay here.”

“She’ll stay here, Three. I’ll make sure of it.”

White was making promises he couldn’t keep. Because I sure as hell wasn’t going to stay here, waiting to be discarded after I was no longer useful.

An unexpected seed of a thought formed, slowly wedging itself into the corners of my mind with growing permanence. There was no going back now.

When I escaped, come hell or high water, I was going to bring Three with me.

28

Iwas on a timer. It was simple math. The more I progressed, the bigger I became, the harder it would be for me—and, now, Three—to escape.

That’s if Three’s questions, and constant singing, didn’t get to me first.

When Three was in a good mood she liked to sing the part of the song about birthdays:

So, it is written that there will be three.

Born on the second of January.

Their roles are pre-written; there can be only one.

Which will be the key, to the Seal of Solomon?

When Three was nervous, she sang the part about sacrifice: