Dead Man's Deal The Asylum Tales - By Jocelynn Drake Page 0,56
strands. Muscles clenched and unclenched throughout my body as I struggled to keep my temper under control. The Ivory Towers were locked into the same mentality that had persisted for centuries. They had to be the top dog. They slaughtered countless innocents to maintain that position. There was no talking. No negotiating. No looking for other options. For them, the best defense was a crushing offense.
“We’re trapped, aren’t we?” I asked, unable to raise my voice over a whisper. I turned back to Gideon, who had dropped his head into his hands. “The Towers, the witches and the warlocks, they’ve been like this for so long that they can’t back down even if they wanted to. They’re so locked into this sense of entitlement that they can’t walk down the street like normal beings. Can’t stand in line at the grocery.”
“All were taken before the age of twelve and most by seven. I doubt there’s one who remembers what it was like to be human, let alone wait in line.”
“So I’m right. There’s no escape. They’re everywhere, suffocating the world with their hate until we all roll over and die.”
Gideon lifted his head to look at me. “We’re trying. We’ve found a few places around the world where the watchful eye of the Towers is . . . somewhat blind. It’s a place where we can live in relative peace with others.”
“It’s a pretty idea, Gideon, but what about the rest of the world?”
“You want to save the world now?”
“Fuck!” I shouted. Balling up my fist, I slammed it into the wall, denting the drywall enough to create a small hole. “No! I don’t want to save the world, but I don’t want to watch it burn either. I don’t want to see that look of terror in Trixie’s eyes because she’s afraid that the Towers are going to hit her town or attack her people again on a goddamn whim.”
“I want a better life for our loved ones as well, but railing at the fates and punching holes in the wall aren’t going to fix anything.” Gideon’s voice was calm, but there was a light in his eyes. I think he wanted to punch a wall or two as well, but he was holding himself in check. He was right. My temper tantrum was helping no one, but damn it, venting at least kept me from using magic to blow holes in things.
“Then where does that leave us? What do we do?” I snapped, struggling to rein in my anger.
“Survive,” Sofie said.
I had honestly forgotten that she was even in the room. Had I said anything that I shouldn’t have? I froze, my mind scrambling to replay my tirade. I trusted Sofie with my life. She was my friend, but I wasn’t willing to trust her with the lives of Gideon’s family. That was his choice.
The large cat made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat before she jumped up on the coffee table in front of Gideon. “You two think you’re so smart and sneaky, but you’re both babies,” she said. “The softer edge movement started well before Gideon arrived in the Towers. I wasn’t a part of it, but I kept an eye on it.”
“Why? To crush it?” Gideon demanded, sitting up straight. His voice hardened. I had a feeling that if Sofie gave the wrong answer, he wouldn’t hesitate to skin the cat right there. And of course, Sofie wasn’t the type to back down from anything.
She laughed at Gideon. “No. I guess I was curious. At my age, I don’t get curious about the actions of people much. I feel like I’ve seen it all. I might not have been at Gage’s trial, but when I heard that Peter had assigned you to watch over him, I knew that you had found your way into the movement. I always knew your visits were a way of safely transmitting information to Gage. I might be stuck as a cat and out of the Towers, but I’m no fool.”
The warlock frowned at the mention of Peter’s name. I hadn’t known him personally, and I had only seen him the one time when I stood before the council for my trial. He had been the one to cast the deciding vote to let me live. He had been the one to advise me to hide. Apparently, he had also been a part of the movement among the witches and the warlocks who wanted to live