The next day Kristina comes in with the food instead of shoving it through the hatch in the door. She seems quite chatty. More like her usual self. Merle decides to ask her something that she was brooding about the day before. Being back in the dungeon had made her remember.
'Back when I was first brought down here, Darius came down a couple of times and one of those times he said something about this being about me. About how he could leave them alone, meaning my parents, but he could never leave me alone. What do you think he meant by that?' As she's speaking she thinks of Kristina greeting her at the castle door that first evening. I know who you are, dear.
Kristina shrugs. 'That just sounds like Darius being Darius to me. Anyway, I don't think I'm really meant to talk to you about that kind of thing.' And she taps her forehead and winks.
'What's that supposed to mean? Darius is in your head. He's using his psych-powers to spy on us?'
'Great,' says Kristina. 'Now you've said that he knows we know. Hi, Darius,' she says. 'Merle, say hi to Darius.'
Merle actually finds herself waving a hand and mouthing 'Hi,' before she stops herself. 'So,' she says to Kristina. 'He does know I'm here then? Locked in the dungeon.'
'Yeah,' says Kristina. 'In fact, I'm meant to move you back to your room right now. It seems there was a misunderstanding about that.'