Page 35 of Exile

His cell is out, resting in his palm. "It's not ringing."

"Lack of service," I reply, remembering I experienced the same thing last time I was in there. "If she moves around, she might be able to find a small bit of reception."

Grey nods. "Take us down there," he orders Smith sternly.

Dropping the man, he lands on his feet, huffing quietly as he adjusts his lapels. "Fine," he concedes, snatching his staff card from the desk. "But don't touch me again, Theo."

"I'll break your fingers one by one," I promise, the two of us following as he takes off into the hallway.

Both Grey and I know the path well, only pausing to let Smith open the doors to the dark stairwell. When we finish descending, Grey shoves Smith out of the way, tapping softly on the door.

"Little killer?"

"… Grey?"

I position myself next to him, listening as I hear Avery shuffle around inside. Her muffled voice becomes clearer when she's by the door, a hint of relief in her tone.

"Grey?" she says again. "Is that really you?"

"It's me," he confirms. "And Theo."

Even through the metal door, I hear her sharp intake of breath at the news. A rare smile, only reserved for her, falls onto my face. "Are you okay, Aves?"

"Yes," she murmurs, but there's an air of uncertainty.

I don't voice my concern. Solitary confinement is a fucked-up place to be—we already know that. From the start, I knew she'd never be able to deal with it as well as I can—or Grey. But sending her into a panic and being flustered is not going to help any of us.

Grey's façade cracks a little, his guard finally lowering. His eyebrows furrow together, his hand resting on the door as if he can feel her through the metal. "We're not going anywhere," he says confidently. "One of us will stay here the entire night."

"You don't have to do that," she murmurs sadly. "You'll get caught."

"She's right—" Smith cuts in but I hastily snap my head toward him.

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

Avery clears her throat, surprised. "Is that Dr. Smith?"

"Unfortunately," I confirm to her, still locking eyes with the psychiatrist. "Hewon't be stayingthough."

Grey squats down, running his finger along the gap at the bottom of the door. "What happened, little killer?"

I wait for some kind of recall, but when Aves starts cackling on the other side, Grey and I share a look. It's a chilling laugh, one full of sarcasm and disbelief. Still, I can't stop the smirk that appears on my face and neither can Grey.

"Whitface tried to bribe me," she finally reveals. "My freedom from Lilydale in exchange for an annulment."

"What?" Grey growls, turning to face Smith. "Did you know about this?"

"Of course I didn't," he huffs.

Avery, obviously listening, hums thoughtfully. "It's Whitface and Alexander coded. Be nice to Dr. Smith."

I sneer at the psychiatrist, wanting nothing more than to cave his skull in. "No."

Grey sits on the ground, making himself comfortable. Pressing his back against the metal door, he rests his hands on his curled-up knees. "You didn't sign it," he answers matter-of-factly.

"Of course not," Aves replies, clearly holding in a laugh again. "But I did stab him through the hand with the pen."

All of our eyebrows forget gravity exists. A small chuckle breaks free from me, while Grey stares ahead, impressed.