72: Rose Garden

XANDER

“Are you going to get some work done or will you keep spying on your little hostage?”

I look up from the monitor long enough to glare at Donovan. Then I go back to watching Adriana’s clip.

She is reading a book Daciana found and has been giggling and laughing to herself. It was a marvel to watch her be herself in that way. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile as much as she was doing right now.

Not when she was here, though no-one expects that, or even with her mother. The few days I spent watching her through that mirror portal. She was never smiling like this.

A possessive part of me was jealous she was finding something amusing and I wasn’t the reason for that. But a more delusional part of me was just happy she looked this free in my territory. Forget that I had nothing to do with it.

That was how the voices in my head were in a constant battle with each other. The much darker and pessimistic side, and the hopeful and optimistic part. You could tell which of the two promo