Page 108 of Rite of Unity

My tablet buzzed, and I stared up at it blurrily.

Your chaperone is arriving.

“Finally,” I groaned aloud.At some point, I’d begun talking to myself out loud.

I glanced down.Should I change?Did it matter?Paul had said they couldn’t film me until after.I stood, stumbling toward the door.Stopped.I checked the time.Eight-o-seven.

Not time yet.

I stared at the screen on my tablet, touching it every time it went dark until eight-nineteen appeared in small white letters.

Reaching for the handle, I ripped the door open, bursting into the hall.I had never been so glad to see a hall filled with doors.

At the bottom, a chaperone, all in gray, stepped forward, holding up her palm.A small black pill, opposite to the one I’d taken forty-eight hours ago, glared up at me.

I reached for it, stuffing it in my cotton mouth and pushing past her into the kitchen.I tipped my head under the faucet, twisting until cool water filled my mouth.I let it run over my face, shocking sense into me.

I straightened.“Ready.”

She couldn’t hear me, but she read my lips and stepped back, giving me space.

In the driverless car, she stared straight ahead.

“I had a friend in school who became a chaperone after she failed her third Rite,” I told her.

I bit down on my tongue to stop any more of my thoughts from spilling out.

She said nothing.

We reached the building I’d been to twice before and stepped out.

A dull place in the back of my mind screamed at me to be careful, to stop talking, but words continued to pour out of me.I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d said or if the words had been said to anyone in particular.

In moments, I was sinking onto a table, exhaling a relaxing breath.Soon.Soon I could sleep.

“Maryn Veil, daughter of Joel Veil?”

“That’s me!”

“Recite your data.”

I rattled off my family history, remembering to include the two additional family members Joel had never told me about.Strange that he hadn’t told me about them.Why hadn’t he told me?

“That is a question for your father, girl.”

Had I said that aloud?Why couldn’t I stop talking?

When the nurse said nothing else, I sighed again.I was getting better at keeping my thoughts inside.

A man blocked my view, shining a bright white light in my eyes.“Ow.”

He smiled.“Good morning, Miss Veil.I’m Doctor Millin.I’ll be conducting your trial.Would that be alright with you?”

I grinned back at him.“You’re nicer than the other doctors.”

He chuckled.“Well, thank you.”

“Are you going to put another leech up my nose?I don’t like that.”