sincerity. "Hector and Theseus are back," He said, seeming to dismiss Ace's disobedience for the time being, "Find them and have them meet me in the tower. I want updates on the state of things down there." Ace gave a quick nod and headed towards the door. "Oh," Strafford added, turning to face the teenager who had stopped and was waiting for his next words, "and tell Mystic tha' she's awake now. She'll handle the rest."
" Brilliant ." Ace gave her a brief smile, then disappeared from the room, leaving her at the mercy of Strafford's misty gray eyes.
He stared at her for several long minutes, just taking her in. She felt like a specimen in a jar, his gaze was intense . She didn't know if she should speak or just stay quiet. It didn't seem to matter much as she was sure nothing she said would make him stop looking at her as if she had three eyes.
He knows I'm a freak , she thought.
I keep telling you you're not a freak , A voice giggled in her mind.
I talk to voices in my head , she replied, Of course, I'm a freak. And he knows it .
Strafford lingered by the doorway for a minute, then slowly moved towards her, all the while still chilling her with his severe stare. As he got closer, her nose tingled from the fragrance he brought with him. He smelled wonderful––very floral, like nature. But she didn't think he would appreciate being told that.
“Are you hungry?”
She was starving. But eat? Food? She wasn’t sure she could manage it right now. She shook her head.
He nodded once and held out his hand. "Give me your arm."
Her instinctual reaction was to curl her limbs in closer to her body. Strafford raised an eyebrow at her hesitation, as if he couldn't understand why someone like her would even have the guts to disobey him. "Give me your arm," He repeated in a deep, calm tone. " Now ."
She didn't understand why his command didn't offend her. She had never been one for taking orders, least of all from people she didn't know. But somehow, she knew he meant her no harm, so she unfolded her arms and offered him the right one. She was surprised by his gentle touch. He pushed up the sleeve of her robe and held her arm like it was made of porcelain––one slip, and she would shatter into a million pieces. It was a nice surprise though. For some reason, she had expected to be manhandled.
Strafford ran his fingers across her skin, sending chills plummeting down her spine. He examined a few fading bruises she hadn't noticed with several soft touches.
"They're healin' faster than expected," He muttered, almost as though he were talking to himself. "Dr. Life will be glad to hear it." He caught her eye for a second before looking away as his fingers moved up to her shoulder.
She felt a rising sense of panic at hearing the word "doctor". "Who's Dr. Life?" She asked as Strafford pushed back the collar of her robe and examined her neck. A frightening thought crossed her mind, one that hadn't registered before. Was this a hospital? Even worse, could this be a psychiatric hospital? She looked around. A very, very, nice psychiatric hospital with fancy furniture and male supermodels as nurses? After years of fits, had her mother finally committed her? She had to have heard about the incident at school by now. If so, where was her mother? Shouldn't she be here?
"Who's Dr. Life?" She asked again.
Strafford stopped for a moment, looking at her as if she had just asked the dumbest question he had ever heard. "Life…is the doctor," and left it at that.
I already know that , she wanted to scream at him, but the comment lost all of its steam when he glanced up at her from under his lashes with those stupid beautiful gray eyes. The words deflated on her lips like tires.
"Do you think I could get some real clothes or something?" She tried to look away but couldn’t even manage that.
Strafford stood straight and gazed down at her, the lit sconce above her head giving his gray eyes a foggy glimmer. "Scared I might catch a glimpse
" Brilliant ." Ace gave her a brief smile, then disappeared from the room, leaving her at the mercy of Strafford's misty gray eyes.
He stared at her for several long minutes, just taking her in. She felt like a specimen in a jar, his gaze was intense . She didn't know if she should speak or just stay quiet. It didn't seem to matter much as she was sure nothing she said would make him stop looking at her as if she had three eyes.
He knows I'm a freak , she thought.
I keep telling you you're not a freak , A voice giggled in her mind.
I talk to voices in my head , she replied, Of course, I'm a freak. And he knows it .
Strafford lingered by the doorway for a minute, then slowly moved towards her, all the while still chilling her with his severe stare. As he got closer, her nose tingled from the fragrance he brought with him. He smelled wonderful––very floral, like nature. But she didn't think he would appreciate being told that.
“Are you hungry?”
She was starving. But eat? Food? She wasn’t sure she could manage it right now. She shook her head.
He nodded once and held out his hand. "Give me your arm."
Her instinctual reaction was to curl her limbs in closer to her body. Strafford raised an eyebrow at her hesitation, as if he couldn't understand why someone like her would even have the guts to disobey him. "Give me your arm," He repeated in a deep, calm tone. " Now ."
She didn't understand why his command didn't offend her. She had never been one for taking orders, least of all from people she didn't know. But somehow, she knew he meant her no harm, so she unfolded her arms and offered him the right one. She was surprised by his gentle touch. He pushed up the sleeve of her robe and held her arm like it was made of porcelain––one slip, and she would shatter into a million pieces. It was a nice surprise though. For some reason, she had expected to be manhandled.
Strafford ran his fingers across her skin, sending chills plummeting down her spine. He examined a few fading bruises she hadn't noticed with several soft touches.
"They're healin' faster than expected," He muttered, almost as though he were talking to himself. "Dr. Life will be glad to hear it." He caught her eye for a second before looking away as his fingers moved up to her shoulder.
She felt a rising sense of panic at hearing the word "doctor". "Who's Dr. Life?" She asked as Strafford pushed back the collar of her robe and examined her neck. A frightening thought crossed her mind, one that hadn't registered before. Was this a hospital? Even worse, could this be a psychiatric hospital? She looked around. A very, very, nice psychiatric hospital with fancy furniture and male supermodels as nurses? After years of fits, had her mother finally committed her? She had to have heard about the incident at school by now. If so, where was her mother? Shouldn't she be here?
"Who's Dr. Life?" She asked again.
Strafford stopped for a moment, looking at her as if she had just asked the dumbest question he had ever heard. "Life…is the doctor," and left it at that.
I already know that , she wanted to scream at him, but the comment lost all of its steam when he glanced up at her from under his lashes with those stupid beautiful gray eyes. The words deflated on her lips like tires.
"Do you think I could get some real clothes or something?" She tried to look away but couldn’t even manage that.
Strafford stood straight and gazed down at her, the lit sconce above her head giving his gray eyes a foggy glimmer. "Scared I might catch a glimpse
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