The Master and The Marionette (The Pawn and The Puppet series Book 2)

“Do you want to know the only terrible thing about what we just did?”

Dessin’s question wakes me from nearly drifting to sleep. I blink up at him, raising my eyebrows and scowling. “Um. Not really, no.”

“The little Grey bastard got too close to the front. I didn’t notice until it was over though.”

I laugh. “Oh. I guess that would be a trigger for him.”

He rolls his eyes.

It wasn’t twenty minutes after, as we lay next to each other, panting, recovering from the rigorous entanglement of limbs, that Dessin was in urgent need of being inside me again. I was still dripping, ready for him to work himself in again. And it was lazier, like he was in no rush, had all the time in the world. Taking his time, teasing me with slow strokes.

I don’t know how we’ll go another night without doing this. How we’ll be able to look at each other and not collide like passing waves on a shoreline.

But when I turned over to get some sleep, Dessin folded himself behind me, curling around my body with his giant arms to keep me safe and secure while I tried to sleep.

Only, he hasn’t been able to close his eyes. I can practically hear his thoughts bouncing off the walls of his brain.

“Have you always been like this?” I ask.

“Like what?”

“An insomniac.”

He sighs against my hair. “Not always.”

“I’ve seen you sleep very little since we ran away. And I’ve noticed the headaches.”

“It’s nothing.”

Liar.

“Symptoms of when there’s tension—among the other alters, I think.” His tone is hard and clipped, like he’d rather talk about anything else.

“Anything I can help with?”

He chuckles. “You already have.”

This deflates me more than he’ll know. Is that what all of this was for? To release pent-up tension for him? To relieve him of stress?

The notion gnaws at me while we remain cuddled on his small bed.

“Is it safe for me to go back to my room?” I ask.

He hesitates before responding. “You’re not going back. Not yet.” Those arms tighten around me. It’s misleading. It’s dangling a carrot over my head. I have to remember what Kane said to me after our kiss. He doesn’t see me that way.

“I am.” I make an awkward attempt to wiggle out of his arms. “The priest will visit me again this morning. I’ll get him to bring Judas to me again.” I shake my head, looking over my shoulder at a shirtless Dessin. So handsome with his jawline of stubble, huge swollen chest, glistening, tan skin. “I’m ready to leave. This place is a cancer.”

Dessin nods as I sneak back to my room.

Moments before the guard wakes back up, moments before someone comes back in my room.

The priest, dripping in sweat.

“Child!” he exclaims, rushing to my side. “Judas, the chosen! They won’t let him speak with you alone as God has intended, but he gave me a message to give to you.”

I straighten in bed. Thank God.

He slips out a rolled parchment from his white collar, passing it over to me. I do my best not to look too eager, faking slight interest, placing my fingers delicately around the roll.

Skylenna,

They say when the Lord has given you a dream, it should not be ignored. Have you read the script from the Bible—what book was it? Ruth. You should read the passage “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” Must I be the only man that God has chosen in this asylum to do his work? Leave it to me. I accept this responsibility. Will you let me know if He passes on other dreams? Find me if He does. You need only speak through one of God’s children, the priest. Soon, please.

Judas

(And there’s a symbol of a burning tree).

There has to be a message buried in this. I read it over and over again, trying to find a hidden phrase that maybe I would know.

I nearly forget the priest is still in the room, hovering over my bed. He raises his eyebrows expectantly.

“He’s going to do everything in his power to follow the Lord’s request of him.” I smile, nodding. “Thank you, Father, for having the courage to do God’s bidding.”

~

After the asylum falls asleep on this night, the howls and moaning of its patients dimming as the moon reaches the top of the sky, I knock on our wall three times to signal to Dessin that I need him to come over.

It takes him three minutes.

He closes the door quietly behind him. And that tall, broad frame, devilishly handsome eyes, and powerful presence brings a violent rush of heat between my thighs. I have to pinch my knees together, take a deep breath, and avert my eyes just to focus on why I asked him to come. But before my gaze bounces away, I swear I see his hands clench into fists.

“Judas sent me a message. But I can’t figure out what it means.” Truthfully, I’ve gone over it a hundred times, although I won’t admit that.

Dessin holds his hands out to take the letter from me, but as I place it in his palm, our fingers glide over each other, causing a wave of friction, a small jolt of adrenaline.

He sighs, reading it quickly. Blinking. Looking away. Then reads it again.

“An anagram,” he says.

I wait for him to continue.

“The first word of each sentence is a message…” But his pause, his slow hesitation, twists my gut. His eyes snap up to mine, mouth parting as if I’m supposed to know why he’s suddenly taken aback.

“Skylenna…”

“What? What did he say?!”

His throat bobs as he looks down at the letter again. But it’s too late, I’m on my feet, snatching it from him. Pointing at the first letter of each sentence, reading it out loud.

They say when the Lord has given you a dream, it should not be ignored. Have you read the script from the Bible—what book was it? Ruth.

“They—Have—Ruth,” I say slowly, then stop. Read it again. “Ruth!”

Dessin paces.

“Who is he talking about? Who has Ruth? Is the asylum holding her as a patient now too?”

But Dessin wouldn’t be worried about the asylum. He could break anyone out of here in his sleep. No, something is poking at him. Something has him flustered.

I begin reading the rest. You should read the passage “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” Must I be the only man that God has chosen in this asylum to do his work? Leave it to me. I accept this responsibility. Will you let me know if He passes on other dreams? Find me if He does. You need only speak through one of God’s children, the priest. Soon, please.

“You—Must—Leave—I—Will—Find—You—Soon.”

Dessin stops pacing to examine me. “Demechnef. They’ve taken Ruth as a way to lure you out. And if they lure you, they know I’ll follow.”

I’m on my feet, letting the letter slip from my fingers. “Dessin.” My voice is a husk of sound, a broken echo through the wind. What have I done? I thought I was without loose ends when I ran with him. I’ve been alone, without family. I never thought my actions would hurt my friend.

Ruth. Sweet, kind, doe-eyed Ruth.

“We’re leaving now.” He aims for the door.

“Will they—do you think they’ll hurt her?”

Dessin stops, hand hovering over the handle. “I’ve seen them do worse for less.”