Under My Skin by Shawntelle Madison Page A

her, she checked on the medical equipment.
    “I wish I could’ve told you the truth from the beginning, my dear,” she said softly. “But it’s like this everywhere.”
    A spiteful part of me wanted to remain silent, but I asked a question instead. “Where are we—I mean within Myria?”
    “We’re in the far north. In the mountains.”
    Hardly anyone lived in the far north because there were not as many trade routes to the coastline.
    Des continued, unaware of my private thoughts. “Master Dagon forces us to do many things we don’t want to do. He keeps his household in line like his troops.”
    While her assistant brought over the tray of food, Des tried to pry more words out of me. “Miss Rebecca told me you come from the south, on the coast, right?”
    “Yeah. My home’s a nice place.” I wanted to say more, but the pain from missing my family made it hard to continue.
    “I come from a small town in that area. Not many people, but they’re good folks. I’ve worked in this particular house for the past ten years, but, before that time, I was employed in other homes as a nurse.”
    She continued. “Each house had a different member of the Guild, but everything turned out the same. The Master or Mistress would leave for a few days and return with someone new. The transfer ceremony would take place, most of the time in a family crypt or a private room. And that’s when the takeover began. A few kids last a week or so. Most of them succumb without fighting at all.” Des sighed. “I remembered another girl. You remind me of her, very sweet and innocent. My mistress couldn’t wait to get ahold of her. And she did. Day after day, the girl would wander the halls crying out for the voice in her head to go away. She’d claw at her face—pull out her hair. It wasn’t pretty. My mistress hadn’t made the best choice, but, after a week or two, she showed up more and more.”
    While Desdemona recounted her tale, I gripped the blankets. The General chuckled the whole time.
    “What happened to her?” I asked. “Did that woman take over her body?”
    “Yes. For each of my assignments, it always ends the same way. They invade your body, and your mind disappears forever.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    A few hours later, all I could think about was one thing: a hundred feet separated me from the comm-console in General Dagon’s office. I had to get help and find a way out of here, but with my healing wound and weakened limbs, the distance seemed too far away.
    An opportunity arose when Des changed my bandages on my back after dinner and Captain Belfry left the room. Thankfully, that monster didn’t return after Des left.
    Time to try something.
    The trip to the wheelchair was exhausting. I rolled out of bed and flopped onto the floor. My chin hit the ground pretty hard, but not hard enough for me to cry out. No matter how badly things hurt—I had a chance and I needed to act. I stared straight ahead and tried to cling to hope. The General was sleeping now, but soon he’d awaken and I’d have no choice but to figure out how to make sure I’d be the last one standing. I crawled across the floor and lumbered into the wheelchair. By the time I had the footrest in place, I prayed no one would walk into the bedroom.
    I had a chance to try to get to the console. As to what information I’d learn on the console, I was afraid to know. As I pushed myself across the room, my primary goal was to contact my parents and tell them I was being held here. But what good would that do? Even if I contacted them, what purpose would that serve? They couldn’t bust down the doors and free me. Could they demand to take me home with General Dagon stuck in my head?
    I listened at the doors to the suite and waited. With my ear pressed against the door, I couldn’t hear anything. Hopefully no guards. I held my breath and grabbed the knob. Without a sound, I turned it. The hallway was dark and still. I expected to see Captain Belfry or