The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1)(38)

“Keep your voice down,” Eve whispered at him. “Mark, what do you think would happen then, after he ODs?”

“If we’re lucky he dies. Or falls into a vegetative state. If he’s dead I’ll bury him at sea. If he’s a turnip we’ll use part of those billions he stashed away to put him in a nice facility until his body gives out.”

“Lucky?” Eve practically hissed the word. “How would it be lucky that the only person on earth who can fix us dies or becomes a vegetable?” She didn’t mention anything about the billions they apparently didn’t have. There was just no point in giving Mark anything else to be pissed about.

Mark turned so that he faced her and spoke slowly, clearly. “Eve, he cannot fix us.”

“Of course he can!”

“Then why hasn’t he?”

“He needs those kids. He needs to study them and use his findings to create a vaccine that will fix us. You know this. He’s talked about it over and over again,” Eve said, trying not to sound as exasperated as she felt. Mark was the strongest of the brothers—the sanest. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t damaged. They were all damaged.

“What if he’s lying?”

“He’s not.”

“How do you know that?” He held up his hand as she started to answer. “No, don’t talk. Just listen for a change. What if Father has been lying to us? Maybe not all along. Maybe there was a time when he believed he could fix us. Then years passed. Almost two decades passed. And he realized he can’t fix us. Nobody can. What if he wants us to bring those kids here not as our salvation but as our replacement?”

Eve felt a shudder begin deep inside her and move outward, like an earthquake. She fisted her hands in the sand to stop their trembling.

“Then that would make him a monster.” She stared into Mark’s eyes. “Do you think he’s a monster, truly? Do you think our father, the man who created us—cared for us—loved us our entire lives is a monster?” When Mark remained mute Eve thought everything within her might shrivel and die. She wouldn’t be earth anymore, dark and fertile and rich. She would be desert. Eve didn’t think she could bear to be shriveled, dry, and cracked inside. In despair she asked her brother, “Don’t you love him at all anymore?”

Mark’s dark gaze had returned to the water, but at her last question his eyes found hers again. “I love him. He’s my father. I’ll always love him. But Eve, that doesn’t make him any less a monster. What you have to ask yourself is when will it be time to slay the monster?”

“Oh, god, Mark … I don’t know!”

“I hope you do know before he destroys us all.”

Eve deflated. Her shoulders sagged. She filtered sand through her fingers, trying to let the warmth of the sunbaked granules soothe her. “Okay, I hear you. And I suppose Matthew and Luke feel the same way?”

“It’s getting harder and harder to tell with those two. If I try to push them into talking about Father, Luke starts to heat up. I can’t tell if that’s because he’s as pissed as I am, or because he’s scared or still in denial.”

“Or maybe because he’s on Father’s side. You have to consider that, Mark.”

Mark sighed and splashed salt water on his face and chest. “I’m aware of that. It’s one reason I quit questioning him.”

“What’s the other?”

“I’m pretty sure Father would know something was going on if Luke lit our cottage on fire.”

“That’d be pretty obvious,” Eve agreed. “What about Matthew?”

Mark shook his head. “I think he feels the same as I do, but it’s even harder to tell with him.”

“He’s disappearing more and more?”

“Well, yes and no. He starts to fade away when he’s stressed, but that’s how he’s been for years. What’s changed with him started a decade ago.”

Eve nodded. “Yeah, when he realized his connection with the Internet.”

“It’s his thing, that’s for sure, and we all thought it was a great outlet and a damn convenient talent, but it’s changing him, especially this past year when we’ve been relying on him more and more to try to track Foster and Cora and the others.” Mark met her gaze again. “I swear, Eve, someday he’s going to disappear inside one of those damn computer programs of his.”

“I should spend more time with the three of you. I knew Matthew was struggling, but I’ve been so wrapped up in myself I haven’t wanted to face it. I’m sorry, Mark.”

“Eve, let’s be honest. You’re only wrapped up in yourself because our father is using you as a living drug for his addiction. When was his last fix?” Mark shot the question at her.

“The night we got back from Missouri.”

“That was three days ago. Three days. I saw him this morning, Eve. He looked like he was ready to crawl out of his skin. Do you remember when he used to only syphon your jewels when you’d manifested one because you invoked your element?”

“Yes.” Eve drew her knees up and hugged them tight, resting her chin against them. “How could I not remember? It wasn’t bad then. Father was only helping me.”

Mark snorted. “I think that’s more of his bullshit manipulation, but I know that’s an argument I’m not going to win. So, how long did he used to go between crystals?”