I felt eyes all over us. Every bush and streetlight had me convinced there was a camera hidden inside them. Empty alleyways and darkened windows had my senses kicked into overdrive, knowing there were killers lurking somewhere within those shadows.

I fucking hated this.

Once more I recalled my abuelo’s words mentioning an initiation. That commercial basically showed me that we were here for entertainment.

So, unless we were being inducted into a goddamn circus, I was more confused than ever. Was this how a rat felt when trapped inside a maze? Put on display to be judged and tested?

A thought flitted across my mind, one that I instantly banished—that I refused to consider. I needed to keep hold of myself. The most important task was to find our friends and then find a way out of this forsaken city.

CHAPTER TEN

The Vesania Sanitorium resembled a medium-sized hospital. It’s exterior a smooth off-white color. Deep green grass spread out before it with flowers planted alongside the walkways. There were a shit ton of windows, some of them lit from inside and quite a few dark.

We stared at the building from the bottom of a rounded staircase, the first of two that would take us to the entrance.

“Can you usually walk right up to an insane asylum?” Mel asked.

“I think so. I don’t know. I’ve only seen them in movies.”

“I feel like it should be more secure than this.”

“It’s not supposed to resemble a prison,” Dion cut in.

Mel and I both looked over at him. This was the first time I’d heard him sound remotely angry.

“They’re crazy people. Would they even know the difference?” Mel continued, giving zero fucks about his prickly attitude.

“You just said it yourself. They’re people. Right now, my girl is inside with them and I would like to find her. Can we do that?” He veered around Mel and hurried up the stairs.

Note to self: Mental institutions were not to be discussed with Dion.

Nearly jogging to catch up with him, I hopped over the metal rail that divided each side of the stairs and blocked his path.

“What are you doing?” he spluttered, almost tripping over himself in an attempt not to run me down with his body.

“Stopping you from charging ahead. Again.”

“You need to stick with us,” Mel stated, coming up on his other side.

“You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“At this rate he’s going to get one or all of us killed by triggering something,” she reprimanded with a scowl.

Guess she knew he was the one that caused the whole fiasco when she’d been tied to the chair. His eyes darted between the two of us, mouth turning down in a slight frown.

“I’m sorry,” he intoned with a sigh. “I just want to get to Morrigan.”

“And we want to find our friends. If we work together, we can accomplish both a lot safer and faster,” Mel reasoned.

“Your apology isn’t necessary, but you staying alive is,” I tacked on a little gentler.

“Ya’ll are right. My bad. I got in my feelings.”

“Stop apologizing,” I huffed, moving out of his way while shaking my head.

I just knew that somewhere in the world, tides were turning. Hell was beginning to ice over. I don’t know why I was so inclined to keep him alive and his morale up, but I kept doing it without hesitation. When had I become the nice one?

The three of us walked the rest of the way together. When we reached the entryway, I cupped my hands around my face and tried to peer inside. Mel did the same with the other door.

“You see anything?”

“No dice.” She shook her head and straightened.

I looked to the sky and sighed. Of course, we wouldn’t be able to see in. Nothing could ever be simple here. At times I thought they made this too easy, and then others I felt as if they’d thought of every minor inconvenience possible.

I grabbed the door handle and looked at the two of them.

“Ready?”

“Let’s do it,” Mel replied resolutely.

“I’m good.”

Here we go.

I pulled open the door and stepped inside, holding it for them to enter behind me. It wasn’t an overly large lobby. On either side of the entryway were two large fiscus plants. To the far right was a massive fish-tank full of colorful salt-water fish. In the center of the speckled marble floor was a large I and S monogram. It would’ve been an ordinary reception area if not for the jester chilling behind the front desk waiting for us.

“Well, look what the devil’s dragged in,” she enthused, leaning forward in her chair.

I wasn’t sure whether to stare at her or the man she had down on all fours like a dog, complete with a spiked collar and nylon leash she was holding the end of.

“That’s the clown from the school, right?” Mel asked in a low voice.

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