Page 33 of Anomalies

“Holy shit, you’re on time,” Pax grins, perched against the porch railing. “Should I be concerned?”

My only reply is a scowl, exhaustion wearing on me too deeply to bite back at his jab, but normally I would. Pax has been on my watch since Selumira three days ago. The Captain and the rest of his coven left through the Banyan the morning after our glorious night of dancing, and Pax stayed back to keep an eye on me.

He’s honestly not bad to talk to, I just didn’t get enough sleep to banter.

“Come on,” Pax whines, following me as I storm down the porch steps. “This is when you tell me to fuck off.”

“Fuck off.”

His laughter makes my migraine swell.

All of Pirn is still sleeping, the amber lights that hang above cabin doors slowly dimming as the sky gets brighter, the horizon line being kissed by rising sun rays. Going into a lesson with the Dame exhausted means I’ll probably need to be carried to breakfast, but being haunted by shadow men doesn’t seem like an excuse she’d accept.

I could switch cabins. But what if it’s me he’s haunting? Despite his horrific appearance and the blood-curdling terror I feel when he appears at the foot of my bed, he hasn’t…hurt…me. Yet. He left me… jewelry, as eerie and ominous as it is…so maybe he likes me? In a creepy stalker kind of way?

Chiaros, I’m only making my headache worse.

I feel Pax watching me as we walk. “Wanna talk about it?”

“About what?” I reply through a yawn.

“Whatever’s got you in such a testy mood.”

“Testy?” I glower at him. “Really?” He hums his confirmation, barely holding back his smile, his brown eyes bright in childish amusement. “What are you, twelve?”

“See? That right there,” he points an accusatory finger in my direction, splitting into a full grin before he can even get the word out, “Testy.”

I shove him off the path with all my might, but he catches his footing in time to avoid crashing into the thick bushes lining the walkway. Then he laughs, a deep, full-bodied laugh that, despite all odds, makes me smile.

Callan might have killed me for shoving him like that, and Devon would have snapped me like a twig, but Pax…Pax is different. He reminds me of Jude.

A few more morning walks, and I might even consider him a friend.

The Banyan tree comes into view as we crest the hill into the heart of camp. The golden basin from Selumira has been taken away to wherever it is stored until the next full moon, and the only evidence of our celebration is the turned-up dirt.

The dark webbed branches of the Banyan are shaded, and the rising sun barely hits the roots that sprout up through the dirt. Through the tangle of tree limbs, I can see the smooth trunk coated in deep brown bark. It’s sleeping with the rest of camp.

“Do you wish you had gone with them?” I ask, nodding to the trunk of the Banyan. “Your coven.”

Pax shrugs, the material of his white shirt bunching over his broad shoulders. “Of course I do. They’re my brothers.”

A few beats of silence pass between us. “So, you drew the short stick then?”

“No one drew sticks, Lucina,” Pax assures me. “I’m the only one Callan trusted with your watch.”

My brows bump up. “Seriously? He’s suspicious of me too?”

Pax avoids eye contact, and that answers my question.

“But why?” I ask, slightly annoyed. “I passed the Banyan tree’s judgement; my soul is ‘clean’ or whatever the fuck he called it, and I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Besides asking him to jeopardize the secrecy of Pirn to get a message to my loved ones.

But he agreed to it, which means he’s just as guilty of breaking the rules as I am.

“You’re a stranger, Lucina, and we haven’t seen a new face in years,” Pax says plainly, starting up the stone path that leads to the Den.

“But I’m not⁠—”