The Prize of Dysprosium

Chapter XX: Actual Miracles

"I'm fine," I say before Anton can ask and take his hand to drag him back to my room so I can get into some clothes before he begins calling for help or telling me to lie down or something.

"You're a horrible liar," he says with a sigh.

"How dare you," I joke as I drag on my jogging pants. "I'm a terrific liar."

"By omission," Anton says. "It's not the same thing."

I roll my eyes and reach out a blue t-shirt towards him. "Here. It might fit."

Anton takes his own caked one off and pulls on mine. The sight of him in my shirt does something weird to my stomach and I have to keep down a smile. Then I feel guilty for feeling happy. Then I think that Garmen would probably want me to be happy. Then I decide that emotions suck.

I'm just about to ask Anton the question which makes my hands shake of whether he's going back to his mother when there is a knock on the door. This is cause for suspicion in itself. People don't usually knock without entering immediately after – no-one but Carrie-Ann anyway.

"Come in," I say. The door swings open and Brice's face comes into view. Well, half of his face because he's covering his eyes with his hands.

"Is it safe?" he asks with a grin. "No funny business going on?"

"For heck's sake," I say and slaps his hand away from his eyes. He's still grinning though. "What?" I demand.

"Barooba asked me to check on you," he says. "She wants to talk to you."

I suck in a breath through gritted teeth. I'd completely forgotten about Barooba. She's probably finally had enough of me. Maybe she's waiting downstairs with a load of Pacifiers here to arrest me as the molester of Father George. He'll be spreading psycho rumors about the Cave now. He probably won't tell about his penis being bitten off, but if it was me I'd get this place closed at once.

"I should go downstairs then," I say.

"I'll come," Anton immediately says, but I shake my head at him.

"You can't," I say. "If there are people to arrest me they can't see you here. Just stay in my room, I'll be fine."

"Still a horrible liar," Anton grumbles.

"Only to you," I say. "Please stay. You can't save me if you're arrested too."

"Fine," Anton sighs. "But if there's any more biting I'm coming down and getting myself arrested too."

I smile at him and kiss him gently. He doesn't want to let go of me, I can see it in his eyes, but he does anyway because I've asked him to. I follow Brice out into the hallwa and downstairs, walking past a few of the others who are already finished with breakfast, and straight to Barooba's office where Brice leaves me to knock. After a second the door opens and Barooba steps aside to let me enter. I do and sink down on the bed as she closes the door and sits in the chair. She takes her glasses off and looks at me for a long time where none of us say anything.

"Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?" she asks. I briefly contemplate staying silent out of sheer habit, but I can't see any reason to, so instead I start talking. I don't tell her about the test. But I do tell her about Anton and how I went completely psychotic when I saw Father George, which ultimately led me to impair him for the rest of his life. Barooba doesn't say anything as I talk, only listens and spins back and forth in her chair a little.

"So there might be Pacifiers on their way here right now to arrest or shoot me," I say. "Although there might not, because then Father George would have to admit that he's been here and gotten a prostitute to suck his dick."