“So tell me about you and Tane.” I watch her face closely in the mirror, looking for any reaction.
“Um, there’s nothing to tell.” She shrugs. “He’s my best friend and was my first warrior to recover. We’ve been really close since that day. Tane was lost when he first came here.” I know the feeling. “He only has a deep sense of loyalty to me because I brought him here. He thinks he owes me something. Even though it was his decision to join us.” She’s doing her best to remain impassive, but there’s a longing in her eyes that I recognize in my own when I think of Lachlan.
“I thought you guys were mates when I first saw you together,” I reply, cutting straight to the point.
Mathilda flicks the top of my head gently, and we both giggle. She begins braiding my hair into a coronet, leaving the front pieces out before braiding them too and tucking them back into the main braid.
“What was your life like before?” she asks.
I stare down at my hands folded into my lap. “Well, it was just me and my parents. We didn’t really ever have a home. We traveled all over the States. Do you know where that is?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes, and I grin. “Well then, you know it’s very religious there. Not ideal for making friends. But it was fine. I had my parents, and we had great adventures.”
“That sounds lonely,” she murmurs.
“It was. Even more so now that they’re gone. But enough sadness,” I tease.
I want to tell her about Lachlan, but if we’re avoiding sad subjects, I definitely don’t think I can bring him up without bringing down the mood.
The silence stretches on for a moment when Mathilda begins working on my makeup. She taps a red vial into her palm and dabs it onto my cheeks. The liquid smells strongly of roses and vanilla.
“What is that?” I assume it’s blush, but the smell is nothing like the makeup I’m used to.
“This is raour; it’s to color your cheeks,” she replies.
My eyes flutter close as I savor the aroma. “Oh, it smells divine.”
“All of these products are made here on the island. We should get you some while you’re here.”
I shift uneasily in the chair. I want to tell her I plan to stay, but I need to discuss the details with Odessa first.
Mathilda notices my shift and says quietly, “I know you probably feel an obligation to go back, but this could be your home, too. You are wanted here if you decide to stay.”
Wanted. I am wanted here.
Not, “please stay to save us.” Just, wanted.
Despite Julius’ cruel attempts to break me and his blatant disdain, everyone else has been extremely welcoming.
“Thank you,” I respond softly, my cheeks heating.
She ends her work with a light sweep of kohl around my eyes. “There. All done. Look!”
I sit up to check my reflection, and I’m shocked by the woman staring back at me.
I’m ethereal. My eyes glow in the mirror, set off by the subtle sweep of black.
“Whoa,” I breathe. I stare, barely recognizing myself. “You’re good.” I pat the thick braids and admire the gloss of my hair. “You’re really good.”
She laughs before patting some of the raour on her cheeks and sweeping on the kohl. “I’ve got to run to my room to change, but I’ll meet you in the throne room, ok?” she asks as she packs up the products and brushes.
“Sure, no worries,” I reply, still admiring the goddess staring back at me.
My confidence begins stirring under my skin, remnants of the girl I was before all this loss coming back to life before my eyes.
Mathilda walks out my door, calling over her shoulder, “Grab a pair of shoes, and I’ll see you in two seconds!”
I pad over to the wall lined with shoes. There are so many different strappy sandals in black, nude, and metallic to choose from. I slip on a black pair that has minimal straps reaching right above my ankle. Satisfied with my choice, I smile, excitement bubbling up in my chest as I walk out my door.
