“Can’t say I like Frank, but this is fucking amazing,” she grunts.
Nearly everyone calls François “Frank” now—at least behind his back. I love it.
Inside, the steam is thick and the unusual sound of relaxed chatter fills the room. All the Digger women are there, stripped and showering. But Sky is still wearing her coveralls. This is the first time she’s braved the shower block.
“Barbie!” Lay calls out. “Look at this. Not a dick in sight. I might actually get the soap out of my crack today.”
“I’m happy for you, Lay,” I reply as I start to shrug off my clothes, my eyes never leaving Sky. “Come on, babe. Let’s make the most of this estrogen-only time. No one is coming in here.”
She shuffles around awkwardly, biting her lip, but eventually she starts to strip down to her thin, gray underthings.
“I heard the Guild is requesting more blankets,” Keisha laughs, as she aggressively soaps her sister’s back for her. “They’re all pissed as fuck. Pussies.”
“That’s not really funny,” Jolene replies as she moves through some weird yoga stretch, her red hair plastered to her skull. “Low temperatures interfere with your solar plexus chakra, and that’s where rational decisions are made. I can sense trouble ahead.”
“Whatever, let them try.” Layla rolls her eyes.
Keisha cracks her knuckles. “Yeah, let them fucking try.”
Alanna rinses off and swaps to wash her twin’s back. “We’d be happy to play. Don’t get enough of it.”
Those two are scary, but ever since they helped me in the North Gym, I’ve been hoping that meant I’m on their good side. No one wants those girls as enemies.
The water tumbles down on my head, warm and blissful, but I note Sky is still standing on the edge of the spray. “Get to it, Sky.”I make a “come hither” gesture with my head. “The water feels so good.”
“Especially if you invite it to cleanse your crown chakra,” Jolene adds, leaning into a deep lunge.
Not surprisingly, that doesn’t get Sky moving either. I grab my towel and move toward her, putting my body between her and the entrance to the room. “It’s OK, Sky. Nothing bad will happen in here now. ”
Suddenly, there’s movement from behind me. I turn just as two Guild girls march in, their boots clicking sharply on the wet tile.
“You sure about that, trash whore?” the first one growls. “I’d say plenty of bad things are possible.”
I scowl but don’t retort. I don’t want to start anything, not with Sky standing there half-naked and trembling. Both women are wrapped up in heavy navy peacoats—Guild-issue, I guess. Their exposed skin is mottled and goose-fleshed.
“Aww, look at the little popsicles,” Dot jeers, splashing a palmful of water in their direction.
“Fuck off, peasant.”
Keisha and Alanna growl in low, animalistic unison and start stalking toward the Guild girls.Fuck my life.Can’t we just have a pleasant shower without someone getting shanked?
Layla puts an arm out, looking like a sculpted, bronze goddess as she bars the twins from moving further. “Enough. This is not happening right now.”
Thank the Gods.
The tall Guild girl, who I think is called Elizabeth, glares at us all. “The upper floors are a godsdamn meat locker. It wasn’t even fifty degrees in my room this morning.”
“Fifty degrees?” Dot laughs. “Must be because y’all are frigid.”
I don’t do a good job of hiding my amusement, and Elizabeth wheels around on me. “You think that’s funny, Drakeward?We know all about you. Odessa told us how your pussy is on lockdown for a geriatric. Have fun with that.”
What the fuck?
I fail to have a good retort but luckily Dot has my back. “Odessa? That bitch is just jealous because her saggy cunt is so worn out.”
The Guild girl’s jaw tightens. “Funny. Well, Dimitry isn’t laughing.” She steps closer, trying to look intimidating despite the blue lips. “He’ll stop this, then you scum are going to pay for every minute we’ve spent shivering.”
“Is that a threat?” Layla growls, lifting her chin.
