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“Um…”
What did I even say to that? Sure, Captain Byron was good looking but he was also kind of an ass. And he was an Alpha. Even if I had a thing for him – which I didn’t because I barely even knew the guy – his status meant there was no way we could be together. He was destined for a woman who was also an Alpha. And that definitely wasn’t me, considering I was human.
“Yeah, I mean, I get it, but that’s not my type, you know?” She turned back to the clothes. “I prefer guys who know what they’re talking about.”
Before I could stop myself, a bubble of laughter escaped my mouth.
Lucy smiled, meeting my eyes again. “What?”
“It’s just…” I shook my head, stifling a yawn. It sounded like she was calling Byron an idiot, even though I knew that wasn’t her intention. “Nevermind. It doesn’t matter.”
Lucy smiled back. She unzipped the other suitcases and began to unpack. “You said you lived with your mother,” she said. “Did you ever have your debut?”
I tucked hair behind my ear. “Um, no.” I began to rub my wrist with my fingers, twisting it in my grasp. I stifled a yawn, trying not to think about it.
Every girl wanted a debut.
Most of them, anyway. That was what every eighteen year old lived for – the thought of being a woman. Of being eligible to marry.
But Mom never impressed that upon me. She didn’t even mention a debut, despite the few romance novels I had read and reread vicariously in the cottage. My heart squirmed at the realization I had left them behind.
Along with my mother.
Maybe I could go to Master Grey. Maybe he’d be able to let me go back and grab some things. Maybe we could even take my mother’s body and burn it the way she would have wanted.
“Are you all right?”
Before I knew it, tears crawled down my face. I thought I had run out of tears after last night, but apparently, my body replenished them.
“Y-yes,” I forced myself to say, rubbing my face with my hands.
I could feel the grime coating my face. The last thing I wanted was to drag more dirt across my skin. I needed that bath, I didn’t need to sit around, talking to indulgent teenagers – even if I was a teenager myself.
“No offense, but you don’t look okay.” Without warning, Lucy stood up, straightening her legs before siddling next to me on the bed. She reached her arm out and wrapped it around my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “I watched my parents die in front of me at the hands of the Vrykolakas. I don’t know why I’m still alive. Even to this day, I have nightmares. I think they’re searching for me, ready to finish the job. But they don’t. And I’m safe here.” She lifted a shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. What matters is, I’m alive. And I’m here. You’re stronger than you know.”
“You don’t even know me,” I snapped, staring at the ceiling and rapidly blinking my eyes to encourage my tears to stop.
“No,” she agreed. She didn’t even seem affected by my abrasive tone. She continued to keep her hold on me, offering warmth and comfort even if she didn’t know me. Even if I didn’t think I deserved it. “But we don’t need to know each other to help each other. I can clearly see you’re hurting. And if you’re hurting, I’m hurting. Because you’re here at the school. We’re like a family. At least, a family of my own choosing. And I don’t like to see people in pain.” She stood abruptly. “Come on. I’ll show you where the bathing room is so I can draw you a bath. How did you want it? Hot?”
A hot bath sounded wonderful. I nodded.
“Good,” she said, springing up. “Come on, then. I woke you up early so you could enjoy it too. Just because we have access to clean water doesn’t mean we can spare a lot of it, so using a bath is a privilege we all earn throughout the course of the academy.”
“Where do people go to bathe on a more frequent basis?” I asked, wrinkling my nose at the thought of carrying sweat and grime on my person for too long.
She slid outside my door, carrying a grace with her I hadn’t expected. “Oh, everyone gets a turn at the stream,” she said. “We go in groups. There’s an assignment, of course. But the water isn’t hot unless the sun’s warmed it, and if you’re assigned an early morning shift, then…” She let her voice trail off. “But winter is coming, which means we’ll use the bathing rooms more frequently. Master Grey doesn’t want us to feeze, of course.”
We stepped into the hallway and headed down to the left. The green carpet was easier to pick up in the light. Golden vines and leaves weaved through the color, making it stand out more.
Lucy kept silent during our walk. When we reached the end of the hallway, she jutted her thumb to the left. “This is where Captain Byron sleeps.” I noticed his room had the only double doors in the vicinity, which meant his room had to be huge. “In case you need him for anything.”
She moved to the right. Next to his room was the bathing room. Lucy knocked three times. When there was no answer, she twisted the knob and opened the door.
Steam immediately hit my face. The subtle scent of lavender and vanilla tickled my nose. It reminded me of spring. My muscles instantly relaxed as Lucy led me inside. I sighed. I was still raw, still upset over losing my mother, but my body seemed ready to unload, if only temporarily.
“I have a couple of towels for you here.” Lucy began gesturing wildly at everything, from the window to let out the steam to the bottles of shampoo and conditioner for my hair. There were towels on a wooden stool as well, but all I had eyes for was the large porcelain tub at the center of the room nearly filled to the top with water, causing the haze of steam. “There’s a change of clothes for you. Actually, it’s your uniform, so just be careful. You want to look your best. Morning meal is in an hour, so take your time but make sure you’re present for the food because once the kitchens close, you’ll have to wait for lunch.”
Unless you’re Captain Byron, I thought as I walked over to the tub.
