Page 27 of Master A-0011

“It’s soon. Unbelievable, really. I know that, but I don’t give a shit. All elites are on the clock. You’d know this if your father wouldn’t have hidden you from the world. We do what we must for our line. Even marriage. Time is money. Time is power. It’s what keeps us all moving forward. And you speak of names. Of opinions and thoughts. I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks of me. But if you think I’d let anyone hurt you with words or anything else?—”

“Stop it, Ethan.Look at me. Really, look at who you want. It’s not their fault how they react. They can’t help but cringe or show their disgust. God, do your eyes even work?”

Time stopped as her hands firmly flattened to my cheeks. I saw nothing but desperation deep in her light-colored orbs. Desperation and survival for what sanity she had left. My life had been hard getting nearly beaten to death and constantly degraded by the males in my line, but I hadn’t lived a single moment of what she must have gone through. The surgeries. The physical pain. Yes, I had been isolated and rejected by my family just like her, but not in a cell all alone for years on end. Those feelings or the looks I was given didn’t exceed those close to me. Pearl got it every which way she turned. And that was when she was privileged enough to see people. She was a target, and I wasn’t naïve about that either. My monster loved the challenge it would cause. The humanity left in me hated it.Hated them.

“I think you’re beautiful. My eyes work just fine. Have dinner with me. Let go of all sanity and just fuckingmarryme. You speak of loyalty. What better display of devotion is there? Maybe I can make you happy. Maybe you’ll want to kill me before it’s over with. Our bond, our vows, are unbreakable. No divorce. No separation. Don’t you at least want to see what happens? LetPearl Mallorygo. Leave your past back with your name. Become Pearl O’Brien. Be mine.”

The vulnerability was back, but so was something deeper. She wanted to believe this.She wanted to believe me.As crazy as the entire situation seemed, I could see how hard it was for her to trust anything I said. I could also see how she changed when I said her full name like Elec told me to, and I was going to use it every way I could to make her want me.

“This can’t be real. It…No. This isn’t a very nice joke.”

“I killed twob’sfor the way they treated you. I just cut off the fingers of a chef who hit you. This is no joke.” I grabbed the ringlet closest to her face, wrapping it around my finger as I continued to gaze down. “Dinner. You and me. Marriage. Babies. Not some apartment underground, hidden from the world.A real home.A yard. A dog or two. Pearl.” My lids closed as I processed words I couldn’t believe I was saying. When I opened them, she was hanging on my every expression. She was…mine. “I’ve never wanted those things. I hated the thought of family. Mine was a nightmare. It’s taken me years to get this far. The Main Master has helped but picturing myself with you, watching you the last two weeks…there’s no one better suited to have this with. God, we could grow to despise each other. I won’t lie, it happened with my own parents. I just can’t believe that would be me and you.”

“I need to think. I’m just not sure I can do it. Not like this.”

The last of her words were breathless as her attention turned away from me.

“Like this. You mean with the scars.” My mouth twisted with aggravation. “The Main Master won’t let you leave with the one that matters most.” She jerked her gaze back to me. “He said you have another surgery soon. In a day or two, actually. He wants the one on your face lightened to the point of almost being gone. He wanted it gone completely but I wouldn’t let him.

“Wouldn’t let him?Ethan.” I watched excitement and horror battle on her face. “He can fix me? He can make it go away?”

“The scar stays, Pearl. He’s lucky I’m allowing him to lighten it at all. I like it. It’s you. I don’t want it gone.”

“But…But what about what I want?”

“Pearl—”

“No!I want it gone, Ethan. If he can make it go away, I can be normal. At least a little. Not pretty, but not hideous, either. Ethan, please.Please,” she begged, pulling at my shirt in alarm. “Let him fix me. I’ll never ask you for anything ever again.I promise.Please.”

I couldn’t talk as she held to me with such exposed trauma. It was in the way she clung to me like the ultimate savior. It was her full, quivering lips ready to continue fighting for a cause she would have easily died for. One she did technically die from in the outside world. Maybe it wasn’t by her doing, but it condemned her just the same.

“You said just the face. You like the scars. You wanted to make more. Do it. Make as many as you want, but don’t force me to face the world as a monster. Don’t do that to me. That would be worse than any fate down here. At least I fit in in this hell. Out there…o-out-ou-t t-there.”

“Shh.” I lowered my forehead to rest against hers, closing my eyes and breathing her in. I could take a lot. I could commit the most unspeakable acts. Not this. Seeing Pearl break shifted parts of me on the inside that I hadn’t even known were there. I hurtfor her. I wasangryfor her, and it was growing by the second as her name repeated in my mind. “You want the scar gone?”

Her arms wrapped around my neck, holding to me with all of her strength.

“I want it gone. Please make it go away. My body is yours. Give me my face back. It’s all I want. With a face, I have a life. No more laughing or pointing. No more disgust. If I don’t have a choice in going out there,I need this. There’s too many of them. Too many.”

My head lifted, my heart racing through another part of me I couldn’t hide. “Acknowledge right now that you’re aware of what you’re giving me. Your body…for your face. Is that what you’re saying?”

She pulled back, loosening her hold around me.

Seconds.

A minute.

Longer.

Pearl was smart enough to weigh her thoughts. I may have appeared her savior, but her deal was with the devil in me. She knew that as tears once again appeared in her eyes.

“Yes, within reason. I will never be your meal. You can’t take any of my limbs. No fingers or toes. You can cut me but not enough to kill me. And if you want me to be your wife…you have to be nice to me. You have to keep your vows. Every single one or there’s no deal. You can’t lock or send me away, ever. You can’t put me in another cell. I can’t t-take it. I c-can’t?—”

“Pearl, I’d never lock you away.” My head shook as I grabbed her wrist, leveling her hand at my mouth. “After what you’ve seen, I know how I must appear to you, but this world only holds part of me. The darkest part. You know my demons. You’ve met them. That stays at the Gardens. Yes, you’ll return here with me, and you know first-hand what happens, but you’ll come to the outside world as my wife. As mybest friendand support system.I need that for us. I need you to help me in both worlds. I know you don’t love me. I don’t love you either as one should, but I think given enough time, we could be somethinggreat.You’re the only woman I’ve been able to breathe around. The only one I know I’d never kill. God, I’d never be able to. And you’re more than beautiful to me. We can make this work. I’m not all horrible.”

More studying. More silence.

“That sounds nice. You said the surgery is in a day or two?”