Page 94 of A Silence So Divine

“Oh?”

I nod, humming my confirmation.

“Have you broken her?” The hopeful lilt to his question makes me want to wrap my fingers around his turkey neck, but I have to set it aside. Curran views her as evil, so I have to speak as if she is.

“Let’s just say she’s a lot more agreeable than she was the last time you saw her.”

Curran looks like he might burst at the seams with glee, unable to control the grin that stretches his lips. He leans across the desk, drawn by the prospect of torture.

“How did you do it?” He asks lowly, like we’re two school boys sharing secrets.

I consider the question, looking to the ceiling and feigning amusement. It takes a great deal of mental gymnastics to place my smirk. The idea of forcing Eden into submission makes my blood boil. Unsure I’ll be able to divulge the lies without betraying myself, I keep it vague.

“There’s more than one way to get a woman to do what you want. Even infected with the Darkness, she can’t help but ache for my approval.” Injecting my words with venom, I taste them on my tongue. It’s nauseating.

A bark of laughter bursts from his mouth. “You are truly diabolical, Bastien. I never should have doubted you.” He laughs, and laughs, and laughs. In order to match his smile, I envision myself bouncing his head off the desk.

Once upon a time, his cruelness surprised me. The first meeting I ever had with him was when I was twenty. He had heard of my eagerness to please, and my unparalleled work ethic. So what did he do? He put my allegiance to the test. Ordered me to kill an elderly man that had been diagnosed with dementia. They called it "Darkness induced hysteria". Said the devil himself was stealing the man’s memories. That his sickness was acurse.

He was the first person I ever killed. On the drive home, I threw up on myself. The only solace I found was knowing that maybe I ended some amount of suffering. And it was another day of safety for my brother.

In the back of my mind, I think of Eden and the shame she carries for taking lives.

How might she feel if she knew all that I’ve done?

So lost in my thoughts, I don’t realize Curran is talking.

“...wanted to run past you.”

I blink and clear my throat. “Sorry?”

Curran grumbles in exasperation, taking a swig from his mug. The slurping sound makes my nerves tick.

“I said, I’m glad to hear that, because I have an idea I wanted to run past you.”

Alarm bells go off like a gong in my mind, rattling me to my bones.

“What’s that?”

Curran leans back in his leather chair, fingers laced over his chest. There’s a glimmer in his eyes, and that can only ever mean one thing.

“Our annual Night of Indulgence is next weekend,” he reminds me. I nod.

“So what if you brought our new toy as a special guest? To…” His mustache twitches. “boost morale.”

Fuck that. Fuckno.

I’m white knuckling the arms of the chair. I lower them to my lap, out of sight.

It’s a terrible fucking idea, but I can’t outright say that. Maybe, if I come at the angle of a safety hazard, I can talk him out of it.

“I’m not sure that would be a great idea. You saw what she’s capable of—”

“Didn’t you say you have her under control?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then what’s the issue?” He’s angry now, words clipped. His eyes narrow, and I see it for what it is. A challenge. If there’s one thing the Reverend hates, it’s defiance.