Reversed

xx. twenty

Sophie had never been more relieved in her life to be waking up in her own bed. Even though her body still ached in a million places, she was just glad she was back with the Neverseen.

She slowly opened her eyes, wondering how long she had been asleep. She was in her room, but she couldn't remember how she had gotten there.

"You're awake," a relieved voice came from her side. She looked over and saw Ruy slumped in a chair against the wall, with bags under his eyes and unstyled hair, like he had run his hands through it multiple times.

Sophie tried to respond, but her throat felt like sandpaper. She coughed. "How long was I...?"

Ruy shifted. "Two days," he murmured.

Sophie sat straight up, but instantly regretted it when blood rushed to her head. She had to lay down again. "Wha—" She clutched her forehead. "What happened?"

"As soon as you got here, you transmitted to me, but you passed out. You've been asleep ever since."

Her voice still sounded like it had gone through a paper shredder, the pieces had gone through a recycling machine, and then been shredded again. "You stayed here?"

Ruy looked down at his hands, which only partially stuck out of the ends of his cloak sleeves. "I wanted to make sure the Black Swan didn't do anything to you that would kick in later," he said. "Also, Gisela told me to keep an eye on you. She wanted to be sure you weren't... manipulated... again, and working as a double agent for the Black Swan."

Sophie gave him an offended look. "Seriously?"

Ruy held up his hands, offering a lopsided grin. "Hey. Her words, not mine. She probably just thought better safe than sorry."

Sophie squinted her eyes, noting how his sleeves stayed in place even as he raised his hands.

Her eyes widened when she remembered the one conversation she had had with him in the Black Swan's hideout. "Ruy," she whispered. "What did Gisela do to you when I didn't come back?"

He gave a tired smile. "Nothing. Just a little reminder. It was gone after a day."

"Pull back your sleeves."

"Why?" He gave her an unreadable look, and hesitated. "I'm going to go tell Gisela that you're awake. She'll probably want to do an Empath test again to make sure you're absolutely fine." He started to walk towards the door.

Sophie reached out and grabbed his hand. He flinched at the contact, but she didn't let go. She slowly peeled the black fabric of his sleeve back.

Bandages with a glowy purple liquid seeping through were hastily wrapped around his forearms, but whoever had wrapped them had missed a few spots, and Sophie spotted some new, thin, angry white scars behind them.

The sight only lasted for a second. The red skin twisted as Ruy pulled away and covered his arms back up. He didn't meet her eyes. "I should go," he said briskly.

Sophie's lips parted, but nothing came out as her hand slipped back under the sheets. The door shut silently behind Ruy.

Sophie clutched her blankets, fingers working into fists. That had happened to him because of her.

Whatever Gisela had done, she would've made sure it would leave scars. Not like the matching ones Sophie and Ruy bore from one of her first missions. Not the kind of scar that made a person proud to have as a reminder.

No. What Gisela had done would leave the kind of scar that was a reminder. A reminder that made a person sick every time they saw it.

And Sophie hated that someone had gone through that because of her. Because the stupid Black Swan had decided to ruin everything, once again, and kidnap her.