Page 94 of The Puppet Master
“You know, Sawyer, somehow, I think I’ll be fine. Believe it or not, you aren’t the only one capable of pretending to give a shit about something. Or someone.”
I glance at her, wishing she’d lift the scarf she’s wearing back over her mouth. The drones work by facial recognition, and while my face has already been wiped from the system, Luna’s hasn’t. If I were comfortable getting caught alone, I would’ve left her at the house. I’d rather not get caughtat all, if possible.
“Okay then.” I huff. “Glad you’re prepared.”
“Besides, you’ll be right there with me at the ceremony. Right?”
I flick my gaze at her perfectly straight face. Nothing in her eyes suggests that she’s testing me.
“Of courseI’ll be there… I just want to make sure you’re prepared. I’m notpretendingto care about you, Luna. I?—”
Her loud exhale cuts me off. I don’t even try to finish.
I stop abruptly and throw my arm in front of Luna to prevent her from going any farther. I keep my eyes focused in front of me. When she furrows her brow, I point at the spot of disturbed earth. “Bear trap under the leaves.”
I walk in front of her carefully and take her arm to guide her around the trap. When I look at her, she isn’t focused on the ground like I’d expect. She’s staring down at the burn scar on my arm, her face hardened like she’s annoyed. Or angry. Or full of hate. Probably a mixture of all three. She looks like she’s picturing me swallowed up by flames and wishing the fire had finished the job.
When she notices me staring, she points her gaze forward. We walk slower even as we’ve passed the heaviest section of traps. I know where most of them are. The cult might believe they’re clever for having them, but for someone like me, they’re nothing but convenient markers.
“I’d ask how you got your scars, but I know you’d lie.”
My burns inflame just from her words, like the fire is licking me all over again. It’s funny. At the time, I hardly felt it. So much adrenaline pumped through my system that pain, while present, was dulled. It was afterward that the pain became severe.
“Why do you think I’d lie?”
She answers immediately.
“Because you lie about everything.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I keep my eyes on the ground and look as though I’m concentrating on not snapping our legs. It amazes me that she doesn’t seem worried. It speaks to the work that we’ve done. Whether she likes it or not, her trust for me is deepening. At least physically.
“Is it a compulsion for you or do you just care that little about me?”
I’ve been content with ignoring her, but the pain in her voice has my ears perking.
“Neither.”
Luna laughs bitterly, kicking up leaves as she strides without a trace of sweat on her forehead. “Okay.”
A drop of moisture rolls down the bridge of my nose, tugging gently on the tip. I wipe it away with the sleeve of my hoodie.
“I lie when I need to lie, Luna. Don’t take it personally.”
“You lie because you’re a liar. You’re lying right now.”
And you aren’t?
I don’t voice the question, however fair.
Because I don’t think the lies alone are bothering her.
I saw the look on her face when she asked about the bracelet. Then when she accused me of sleeping with someone else. I’d say her jealousy was ridiculous if I hadn’t felt it myself when I found her alone with Thorne.
As a twig snaps up ahead, I grip Luna’s arm and drag her behind a tree. Footsteps draw close, then pass, the sound fading.
We should stay quiet. There’ll be more up ahead.
“If I told you how I got my scars, you wouldn’t believe me,” I whisper. And it’s true. No one would ever believe the real story. No one outside the island.
