Chapter 8: Sway

Sunako sat across from Alexis, who eyed her with the same stare that Cain had.

Unlike with Cain, Sunako was disgusted with it and glared back, chin high and her eyes challenging.

"Miss…Sunako," he began, drumming his fingers against the hard wood table. "Are you aware that you have fallen for the devil?"

Sunako glared. "No, I figured that the devil was his father."

"He did not tell you his lineage?"

"I wouldn't either," Sunako growled. "If I had a father like you."

Alexis smirked. "What about his mother?" Sunako blinked. "Never said a thing about her, did he?" Alexis picked up a knife and examined it. "His mother was my older sister." He set the knife down and looked at Sunako. "Are you disgusted of him?"

"No," Sunako said. "It's not his fault you're twisted enough to sleep with your sister. I'm more disgusted by you. Even if Cain was born out of marriage or incest or whatever else, the one at fault is you."

As she spoke, the smirk that was on the Card Master's face had slowly vanished. "Do you not know of his crimes?"

"What crimes? Don't you mean you're crimes? You're the child abusing, incestuous, immoral lout!" Sunako shouted. "I may be odd, I've even been questioned if I really was human, but you…you're a demon! Go to hell where you belong!"

While Sunako ranted, Alexis stood and strode hastily towards her. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her out of her chair and out the door.

"Jezebel!" he shouted. He saw a maid and threw Sunako at her. "Send her back to Jezebel, right now, or so help me…" he never finished his threat as a maid guided Sunako away from the enraged Card Master.

Sunako bit her lip to keep the tears from streaming down her face. I won't give them the pleasure of seeing me cry, Sunako thought, I won't cry.

But, damn, it hurt…Sunako rubbed her head where Alexis had grabbed her hair and yanked her out of the dining room. The maid knocked on Jezebel's door. Cassian opened it.

"Finished already?"

"I got off lucky," Sunako growled, still rubbing her head as she entered. She sat in a chair and covered her eyes, breathing deeply. Don't cry. Jezebel was reading.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Cassian snapped. "Lucky is an understatement! I don't know what you said to him, but it's got to be by some miracle that you're still in one piece."

Jezebel looked up from his book. "What did you do?"

Sunako smirked. "I yelled at him and told him to go to hell."

"Yep," he said, "it's a miracle that you're still alive, if not broken. I'm sure you didn't get off that easy, though."

Sunako rubbed the top of her head and winced. "He pulled me out of the room by my hair."

Cassian winced and rubbed his own head. "I know the feeling," he said with a dry smile. Jezebel marked his place and set the book on the table.

"Next time, I suggest you keep your mouth shut." Sunako looked at him. "You won't be so lucky next time. It's still a fathom to most of us that you're still alive."

"Until they realize that you're in the Doctor's care."

"Next time, you might be sent to someone else—you'll be broken: tortured, raped, mutilated, and only God knows what else."

"How can you just let that man do what he does?" Sunako snapped.

"The same could be said to many people here," Cassian said. "We're all criminals of the worst kind. We work under Alexis Hargreaves and God knows what he's done."

Sunako stood and approached Jezebel, who had returned to his book. "Alexis Hargreaves…he's your father too, right?"

"Yes. He is."

"Has he whipped you too?"

Jezebel froze. He looked at her coldly. "That is not your concern," he growled.

"I've seen Cain's scars, Doctor," she said, sitting at the other end of the table. "And I know for a fact that a father does not hurt his children like that."

"How would you know?"

"My father would never have done something so cruel to me or any sibling I had—if I had siblings," Sunako said. "My father fought a bear once and lived. I don't remember the exact details, but from what I've been told, I wanted to make friends with the bear, so my father beat it into submission. He's always been a kind and sweet father, if not a little protective."

"What does any of this have to do with my relationship with my father?"

Sunako stood, "That man you call your father—Cain's father, Mary Weather's father—he may biologically be your father, but he does not deserve to be a father." She walked to the shelf and examined Jezebel's collection of oddities.

The Mad Doctor stared at the girl.

Was he totally convinced by what she said? No. Did she have a point? Yes. Was she brave? More stupid, but I guess.

Sunako had not realized that she had helped Jezebel reach enlightenment.