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The room is small adorned with two twin mattresses on the floor covered in patchwork quilts, an oil lamp, and a bookshelf. A pair of pants and a shirt are laid out on each bed, folded in a neat package.
Grayson scratches his neck before picking up the pile from Tanner’s bed. “I’ll store these for now. Your fighting clothes are on loan from Everleigh, and Bastian thought you might like a few books to read. The quilt belonged to Levi’s grandmother.”
The gifts almost make up for the possessions taken by the leadership in Avren. A deep pang of loss fills my chest with the realization that this is my home, and I’ll never see the streets of the city again—at least not in the same way.
“Do you like to read?” Grayson picks up a book from the shelf and leafs through it. “I took it for granted when I was in school. Thought it was a waste of time when I could play Suda with my friends. You never know what you’ll miss until it’s gone.”
“I do.” The titles are as unfamiliar to me as my current surroundings. “My mother read to me from the time I was small. I spent many hours locked away in Avren’s library, perusing the sewing pattern books and classic literature.”
“You mend?”
I should have stayed quiet.
“Before my mother died, I was on track to open a dress shop in the Settlement.” I stare down at my hands, ready for the questions to end. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
He places the book back on the shelf, shoving it into an open slot. “Yeah, sure.” He walks to the door and hesitates before opening it. “Don’t become a recluse because of Evie and Bastian. They’ll come around.”
Do I have a choice?
“Good night, Mari. And please call me Gray.” The door creaks as he closes it, and I’m alone for the first time today.
I hold the ledger to my chest, drawing in a deep breath before placing it on the shelf with the other books. I turn down the quilt and slip beneath the covers, pulling them up just far enough that I can look out the window at the stars above. In the city, although the ceiling above was glass, they always kept the lights on, blocking out the starlight. The stillness settles me as I drift to sleep, deflecting nightmares of the creatures that lurk beyond these walls.
CHAPTER FOUR
Arooster crows. It’s a foreign sound, but one I know well because my friend Mel imitated it often. I’m not sure where he heard the bird’s early morning decree before. I turn toward the wall, keeping my eyes shut tight.
The floorboard creaks before a shot of ice-cold water hits the back of my head. I shoot up. By the light of a match, Bastian’s head floats in the darkness, pure joy etched in his smirk.
“Get out of bed. We’ve got to get an hour’s worth of work in before the others join us.” He tugs the quilt from me and tosses it onto the other mattress.
I groan. In Avren, no one wakes before the sun is in the sky. And I thought I was going to have a private lesson with Bastian. It is bad enough looking like a weakling in front of him. “The others?”
“The morning is the best time to train others in the village.” He hands me a bow as I stand up. It’s difficult to see in the dark, but the smooth wood feels comfortable in my hand. “Most of the Supes sleep until twilight, although a few enjoy the long shadows of the afternoon.”
“And what do you expect to train me to do with this?” I hold up the bow, accidentally whacking him in the shoulder.
“Watch what you’re doing!” He steps closer, the sound of his breathing less than a foot away. “You need to protect yourself, so you don’t put others out with your complete and utter uselessness,” he hisses, clearly annoyed I clocked him a good one on the cheek. “We’ve got better things to do than babysit you for Grayson.”
I’m sure he does—like a couple hundred reps lifting a rock over his head to continue to build up his arm and chest muscles.
I pull on a boot, wanting nothing more than to lie back down and forget this entire nightmare is happening. Citizens of Avren don’t fight. We dance, paint, bake, sing, and read, but the Council has strictly forbidden physical altercations.
Bastian stands near the door from the sound of his breathing and occasional sighs. This is as painful for him as it is for me.
“What’s it to you if I die?” I pull on my second boot, wanting nothing more than to lie back down and wait for the sun to rise. “You’ve made it clear since I arrived yesterday that you don’t want me here.”
The door creaks open. “I’ll meet you outside.” And then he’s gone.
I mutter several curse words, unable to put up with Bastian’s crankiness while dealing with my own issues. I’m an orphan in a strange world where, apparently, supernatural creatures want me dead. If I don’t learn to fight, I’ll die just like Tanner. The image still makes my blood run cold.
Outside, a flower garden filled with a vast array of colors takes my breath away. The rich perfume of the blooms fills my nose, more aromatic than any of the scents sold in Avren’s shops. Bastian sharpens a blade on a rock, his back turned to me. He wears a black, tight-fitting shirt with enough give for his large shoulders. Unlike the night before, he has his hair tied back. Sparks fly as he runs the edge of the metal over the hard surface. He’s a warrior ready to take down an army of supernatural creatures.
I watch for as long as I dare before clearing my throat. Grayson coaxed him into training me, but Bastian’s made it clear that he doesn’t care if I live or die. I’m a Citizen—as much an enemy to the Undesirables as the Supernatural beings. “Are we going to do this thing?”
He shoots me a sideways glance, sheaths his knife, and picks up a quiver resting against a tree. He starts on a trail into the forest, making me wonder how much I can really trust this guy. If he kills me in a remote place, he can always blame it on a vampire or a werewolf.
I take a step into the forest. What else do I have to lose? My whole life is gone, and I’m a stranger in a place I never knew existed.
