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A perusal of the sofa showed everything exactly as it had been the day before. The two plaid pillows and matching throw hadn’t been disturbed. The chest and small dresser where Samael kept some of his things looked the same as well. Normally I’d have to resituate everything once he left.
There was only one obvious conclusion.
He hadn’t slept here.
I couldn’t be sure he got any sleep at all. It wasn’t abnormal for him to be awake for long periods of time now that he oversaw an entire faction. We’d argued about this on countless occasions. Him not taking care of himself, not the faction thing. I’d never criticize him for being a corrupted idol. I was one of his biggest fans.
Using my shoulder to ease open the bathroom door, I stepped in and shut it with a toss of my hip. I went through the motions of getting dressed, starting with a shower. I had to time it exactly right, so I didn’t end up beneath a sheet of ice-cold water.
It was quicker than usual since I’d just washed my hair the day before. I was somewhat lucky in that regard. The strands were naturally straight as a pencil and required little upkeep.
Once I was out and dressed, I tackled all the other essentials that came with being overly feminine. This wasn’t the easiest thing to do when you lived at an old lodging site, but I worked with what I had. Samael told me time and time again that he would make sure I got anything and everything I asked for, all I had to was ask. I refused to take advantage of the offer.
When I was finished, I took a critical look at myself in the oval shaped mirror. What I saw was an even mixture of my mother and father. I had Mom’s petite features and build with more definition in the hip and chest area. My height was right in between the two, so while I wasn’t short, I wasn’t tall either.
Deep green eyes stood out against porcelain skin that made the shade of my strawberry blonde hair seem more vibrant than it was. It’d finally grown well beyond my shoulder blades.
I’d chopped it a few months ago—much to Samael’s very verbal dismay.
I had been thinking of Mom and Dad a lot lately, my brother too, more than I wanted or liked to. Time hadn’t lessened the pain of their absence nor dulled the memory of the day everything I knew became something I’d known. I hated the feelings that came with reminiscing. Doubts and regrets met at an intersection with anger and sadness.
I turned away from my reflection and made my way out of the cabin. Before I could fully step onto the small porch, muggy heat pressed me backward.
It was always hot in the Badlands, but this July had been one for the records. It was freezing in earliest part of the morning and sweltering as soon as daylight fully arrived. I swear the sun was breathing fire from the sky.
I pulled the door shut behind me, and that’s when I finally noticed him. Obviously, I needed to work on my perception skills. He was facing away from me, staring out at the surrounding tree line at the far-left side of the porch. I’d seen him a few times before. I sifted through my mind, trying to recall his name.
“Um, Mack?” I guessed.
At the sound of my voice, he turned around with a friendly smile on his face, large enough that it showed off the double-dime gap between his front teeth.
“Hey, good morning,” he greeted, smoothing a hand over his blonde hair.
“Did you need something?”
“Just wanted to walk the prettiest girl on site to breakfast. I looked for you last night, but I didn’t see ya anywhere.”
Was this a joke?
It had to be.
A cruel one at that, because what he was so casually proclaiming would earn him a death sentence.
Lucky for him, Samael wasn’t around. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew he’d come this way, though. Our cabin was all the way at the end of the lodge site, a decent distance away from all the rest. He’d wanted privacy when we first arrived, because he’d hardly let me leave the bed. Mack heading this direction wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.
“Coming on too strong?” he asked when I didn’t respond.
“That’s…” I shook my head. “Who put you up to this?”
“What do you mean?” He blinked at me, seeming genuinely confused.
I had a hunch on who was responsible, but I’d sort them out later. I needed to deal with this first, which was the last thing I wanted to do right now, especially amid everything else I had in the works.
I contemplated killing him to spare myself a headache, but in a matter of a few seconds he had begun staring at me like a wounded puppy.
