And yet, I feel the same discomfort as when I awoke in the hospital and the youngest healer said he’d been visiting my room daily. The better Hysan behaves, the less certain I am about him.
Even though I know my nightmares in the Sumber weren’t real, I can’t shake the sense of distrust that slid into my heart. The feeling that I should have trusted my instincts about him.
“So Ophiuchus is here,” I say, desperate for anything that will drown the doubt from my skin and mute the memory of Hysan pressing Skarlet against the countertop. It wasn’t real.
And yet, the distrust I feel now is real. Hysan lied to me so easily the night of the ball—that whole time we were together, he knew my mom’s story, and he didn’t say a word. Worst of all, I don’t even know why it’s so surprising to me, since he lies to his own people every day.
“He’s been unconscious this whole time, like you.”
I blink, and it takes me a moment to remember we’re now talking about Ophiuchus. “Where is he?”
“We have him secured in the mountain, and healers are monitoring his vitals. He’s physically fine, but he’s in a medically induced coma because we can’t be sure how powerful he is in this form. We also can’t be certain he won’t contact Aquarius psychically as soon as he’s awake. So until we know more, we’re keeping him sedated.”
I try to care, but I can’t even muster up some curiosity. At this instant, Corinthe is carving up Nishi’s skin, tormenting her to the point of death and then pulling back so the dream won’t end. Nishi will remain in overwhelming pain, without sleep or friends or hope, until I rescue her.
If her subconscious doesn’t break her first.
I’ve already lost my brother and Dad and Deke. I won’t lose what’s left of my family. There’s no care left in me for anyone else.
“Any word from the master?” I ask. “Any more Marad attacks? Anything on that front?”
“Nothing new, and Piscenes are still in their comas. More are dying every day—we still haven’t found a way to reverse the Psyphoning’s effects.”
I let out a heavy exhale. It’s getting harder and harder to tell apart the real nightmares from the imagined ones.
“I’m getting the sense you’d rather be alone,” says Hysan tentatively, and on the last word his perfectly pitched tone cracks.
I take a step toward him, and for the first time, I notice his face is blanketed in a light layer of stubble, like he hasn’t shaved in days. “How’s Neith?”
His shoulders slump forward, and his touseled golden locks fall over his eyes. “I have to inhabit him manually without activating his artificial intelligence in case Aquarius tries taking him over again. I’ve been keeping him disconnected from holographic communications and shielded from the Psy at all times. Since Guardians have to travel Veiled, I’ve just been claiming he’s in flight as often as I can.”
He sounds so tired, and a part of me wants to take him in my arms and comfort him. My feet carry me forward another step, but then the thought of his warmth makes my joints lock up in protest, and I come to a halt. “Does the whole Zodiac know Crompton is the original Aquarius yet?”
Hysan looks disappointed at the distance that’s still between us, but he answers my question. “The other Guardians present at the Cathedral plead our case to the Plenum and to their Houses. Any Zodai who wants to join our cause is either here or on their way here. But most remain skeptical, and since Aquarius hasn’t said anything yet, nor has the Tomorrow Party issued any statement, our accusations have been met with silence, which prolongs people’s indecision. I’m mostly worried about what Aquarius is planning during his silence.”
This time Hysan takes his first step toward me, and I realize we’re now close enough to touch. He holds out his hand for mine, and sucking in a quick breath at the prospect of feeling something, I place my palm on his.
But when our fingers interlock, the pressure feels just as faint as when the healer touched me. Like the numbness from the Sumber hasn’t worn off yet.
Or maybe I just came back different.
Less awake.
Less alive.
But there could be a way back. . . . Ochus once said the worst possible fate is being truly alone—no hope, or future, or escape, or loved ones—which was how I felt in the Sumber, until I found Nishi. It’s how she’s feeling now, nonstop, until I get her out of there.
According to Ophiuchus, the only thing that could cure that condition is opening up to someone. And now that Stan is gone . . .
Well, Hysan is all I have left.
Maybe if I confide in him about what I’ve been through, he’ll understand why it’s so important we rescue Nishi. Why she can’t wait.
“In—in the nightmares,” I start, staring into his leaf-green eyes, “I saw Nishi.”
Hysan’s brow scrunches with curiosity and concern. “You’re certain it was really her?” When I nod, his expression clears a little, and he says, “I’ve heard stories of people who claimed their consciousness were linked together in the Sumber, but it’s extremely rare—it usually just happens with twins. Your connection with Nishi must be very strong.”
I faintly feel his fingers tightening around mine, and I keep my gaze steady on his as I say, “Hysan, you don’t know what it’s like in there . . . there’s no time, no break, no hope. And Corinthe . . . she found me, and she . . .”
Sadness softens his expression, and he tugs on my hand like he wants to pull me into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Rho—”
“This isn’t about me,” I say quickly, drawing away and releasing his fingers. “Corinthe has Nishi now. She’s going to make her suffer until I save her. I don’t know how long Nishi can hold on. Every instant is a lifetime for her. We have to help her now.”
“We’re going to help her, Rho,” he says seriously. “I swear it. We’ll hold a meeting first thing tomorrow to get you up to speed on what’s going on, and then we can consult the other Houses on the best strategy for a rescue operation—”
“No, now!” I insist, anger coursing through me and making my voice shake. “When Blaze took Nishi, I told you I was afraid the Party would torture her, and you said they wouldn’t, that they needed her allegiance too much to hurt her. You were wrong. I need your help to fix this, and we can’t just sleep on it. We need to act!”
Hysan studies my eyes like he’s searching for something, and after failing to find it he says, “As you wish, my lady. I’ll go make the arrangements.”
He takes my hand again and brings it to his lips. Then he presses a soft kiss on my skin.
I wait for the Abyssthe-like rush that usually follows, but I don’t feel a thing.
When he goes out through the tent’s sapphire flap, I dart to my traveling bag and dig into its pockets until I find what I’m looking for—the Veil collar Hysan loaned me on Aquarius. I slip it around my neck, and without replacing the red robe with real clothes or even throwing on shoes, I activate the invisibility and chase after him.