Chapter 3
Midair
The ship leaving town of Aria was not so small as Adam could have thought, but besided of him and Ceres there were no passengers.
„I made the pilot think we're his family." - said Ceres - „He won't make any problems."
Adam was silent. He watched Mistral becoming smaller and smaller. Ceres looked like she's about to fall asleep, but she hasn't.
„Why are you so afraid of sleeping in front of me?" - Adam asked suddenly. She laughed for a second.
„Because you're a psychopatic serial killer who was a leader of a terrorist organisation."
Adam chuckled.
„I still don't get why you did save me. I was basically dead."
„Would you prefer to be actually dead?"
„I'm not sure."
He had nothing left. White Fang returned to the Belladonnas. Blake hated him and apparently she was in love with someone else. If he stayed, they would arrest him and he would spent the rest of his miserable life in prison, because he had nowhere to go to.
He was a crazy madman, but he understood that.
„I can alter your mind to more pleasant things, you know?" - Ceres asked in a quiet voice.
Adam chuckled again.
„Why wouldn't you alter your own mind? I can see, Ceres, you are barely sleeping. You frown most of the time. Your fingertips are blue and…"
„That's enough." - she interrupted him - „My physical state is none of your business."
„I can see." - said Adam again, watching her leaving to her room.
She popped a few pills and laid her head to the pillow. Her head was killing her. It was obvious for Ceres she needed to go to sleep. She was out of Dust and her next refill was waiting for her in Vacuo. She could handle her Dust cravings pretty well, but what was worrying her the most was the stash of her sleeping pills. In fact, there was no stash left. The pills she popped a while ago were her last.
„I didn't think this through." Ceres whispered to herself as she was covering her shaking body in blanket. Adam's room was just behind the wall and she could hear him going to bed.
Ceres was happy she was leaving Mistral. The farther she was from Atlas the better. Moreover, the kids were heading in completely opposite direction and there was no risk of Blake and Adam meeting again.
Adam was not thinking of her lately. Ceres was aware of fact that he was thinking about escape but she was also sure he wouldn't leave without his precious weapon. And Ceres made sure the weapon was hidden.
She was lying on her bed and sweating, but the sleep just stubbornly didn't want to come. She wasn't sure what came into her life first: the insomnia or the Dust addiction, but now both of them were her faithful companions, with occasional spice of sleeping pills.
Adam got up from the bed the moment that sound touched his ears. He quickly realised there was no danger nearby, but he was sure he had heard a scream.
He left the room with a bad taste in his mouth. A second scream could be heard from behind door to Ceres' cabin.
He opened the door forcefully and he saw Ceres' body unnaturally twisted on the bed, and she herself was on edge of screaming again.
Adam rushed to the bed and catched her hands, forcing them to the bed. She was crying in her sleep.
„Run, RUN!" - Ceres screamed and tried to free her hands.
„Wake up, Ceres. Wake up!" - Adam said and seeing she was apparently not going to wake up, he shook her body firmly.
Ceres opened her eyes and for a brief moment her face was twisted with pure terror, but upon seeing Adam her face softened.
„I'm sorry." - Ceres murmured - „Had a bad dream."
She averted her eyes to him and Adam saw her rapidly disappearing and reappearing pupils. She frowned a bit and upon realizing she did this again, she immidiately looked away.
„Is it connected to your Altering?" he asked with curiosity - „The thing you do with your eyes?"
Ceres sighed, got out of bed and stretched.
„Altering is a semblance that I cannot control." - the girl admitted - „It's always on. And it makes people around me crazy."
„Is that why you developed an addiction to Dust?"
„I'm not addicted."
Adam chuckled.
„Look at yourself. Shivering even when it's hot. Blue fingertips. Runny nose you try to hide so desperately. Bloodshot eyes. I knew you were a drug addict the moment I saw you." - Adam said hoping she would break. But she didn't.
„If I wasn't intoxicating my body and mind with chemicals, you would be drooling yourself over by now." - Ceres said – „I took an example from Qrow Branwen. The thing is, I don't like alcohol that much."