Reversed

li. fifty-one

Sophie clenched her fingers into fists to them from trembling. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

Ruy leaned against a tree, spinning a dagger around in his hand. He flashed a lopsided grin. "Not excited to see me?"

"No. I know what you did to me."

"If we're being technical, I didn't do anything to you."

"You can't be here."

He chuckled. "Such a warm welcome."

"How did you get in?"

"This place isn't exactly heavily guarded."

Sophie bared her teeth. "What are you doing here."

His eyes turned somber, the blues seeming to darken. "I came to warn you."

She had him pinned against the tree in a second, his dagger knocked to the ground and kicked aside. "Your opinion of me must be pretty low if you expect me to believe that."

A flash, and then their positions were reversed. "You have to listen to me." Was that a spark of worry in his eyes?

Sophie twisted free, kicking out at his knees. He bounced away, latching onto her wrist. She jerked her hand away and used the other to give him a blow that knocked the breath from his lungs.

He hissed through his teeth. Before she could blink, he was behind her, an arm braced around hers and his knees pinning her own into the dirt. "Sophie, if you stop fighting me, I could talk."

She struggled, but he wouldn't budge. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't capture you and turn you into the Council."

He laughed into her ear. "I don't think you're really in a position to do that."

"Fine," she gritted out.

He released her, and she stood up, brushing off her sleeves. He backed away, putting a good distance between them. Sophie glared at him from three paces away.

He didn't speak for a while, just stared at her with his arms crossed as if contemplating something. Sophie eventually had to drawl, "What's so dire you needed to sneak out to warn me about? Because I'm assuming no one knows you're here."

Ruy still leveled her with his gaze. It was another moment before he said, "You know I'm on your side, right?"

She snorted and looked away. "Yeah, right. What, are you telling me that you're a double agent?"

"No. The Neverseen is doing the right thing. I wish that you could still see that."

Some dark, twisted thing deep inside of her twitched at that, as if in agreement. Sophie shoved that part away. "There's nothing to see. Just the fact that you did what you did to me proves that."

Again, that calculating look. "I saw the blood you left in the snow under your window."

She thought she'd taken care of that. "So?"

"I covered it up."

Why? Curiosity dug at her, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of asking. "Am I supposed to be thankful?"

"Why didn't you levitate?"

Sophie's heart hammered uncomfortably, but she flashed a grin. "I prefer dramatics."

Ruy snorted. "You're insane, is more like it. That was a five-story drop."

"I'm still alive, though."

His eyes glinted. "You tried to levitate, didn't you?" Her heart kicked up again. No. "I know why you couldn't."

No.

Sophie took a step back. "I don't know what you're—"

Ruy stepped forward. "I also know why it hurt so bad when you tried to transmit to me when the Black Swan first captured you, and why you've been losing your recent memories. I assume that it hurts too much to Enhance anymore, too."

"I—"

"Have you been able to use your abilities at all lately? Tell me, how bad does it feel whenever you go to access one of your powers? Headaches? Pain? Nausea?"

Sophie froze.

He knew.

How did he know?

Was the pain . . . planned? Did it have a point?

Hope flared in her chest. Did that mean that it could be fixed?

She crushed it down, snuffing it out. No. This was the Neverseen.

She had escaped from them. She was naive to think that they would treat her with any kindness now.

Sophie clenched her jaw. "What are you trying to say?"

Yes, that was pain in his eyes. "I know what you're thinking. And you're right. It's all a . . . side effect."

Sophie forgot how to breathe. When? She wanted to scream. When would the Neverseen stop messing with her life?

"I'm sorry," Ruy breathed. "I had to . . ." he looked away. "I had to tell you. They'll kill me for it, but I had to let you know."

Sophie was too numb to even think about how he had risked his life for her. Because Lady Gisela would punish him—painfully. If she found out. But . . .

"What?" Sophie rasped. "What did they do to me?"

Ruy looked down, as if he couldn't meet her eyes and tell her at the same time.

But when she raised them again, Sophie almost had to take a step back at the anguish she saw there.

She wanted to tell him not to tell her. To spare her the pain, for however long the ignorance would last.

But she had to know.

She lifted her chin. "Tell me."

Ruy took a deep, shuddering breath. "Sophie . . . you're losing your abilities."