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Relief spreads through me. I’m thankful we didn’t have any Supe run-ins.
Bastian opens the door wearing a tunic and woolen pants. I’m surprised it’s him and not Levi. He gives us a curt smile and heads back to an armchair beside the soft glow of an oil lamp. A book lies open on the ottoman. “How was the first shift?”
I remove two rolls from my pocket but leave the meetok buried at the bottom. I toss him a roll, which he catches in one hand. “As mortifying as I thought it might be.”
He bites into his roll, muttering something indecipherable and plops into the armchair, picking up his book.
I hold the other roll out to Evie. “Thank you for bringing me home.”
Ignoring my gesture, she turns to Bastian. “Where did the other two go? I thought they wanted to give Mari her surprise.”
“Meeting of the minds,” he says, not taking his eyes from his book. “The Sillaby Wood Church.” He glances at her, and a silent message passes between them, making me feel like an outsider again.
“It can wait until the morning,” she says, plopping down in a chair at the table.
Instead of questioning them about the other two or my surprise, I stretch my arms above my head. “I’m tired. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Without looking up, Bastian says, “Bright and early, sunshine.”
I mutter multiple curse words under my breath as I stomp to my bedroom. On top of my late work assignment, I’m still required to train at ungodly hours in the morning. My trainer might be the death of me.
With my head on the pillow, I avoid thoughts of Flynn. What I need right now is sleep, and replaying my time with him might keep me up for hours. The sound of the lonely song of a musical instrument in the other room lulls me into a dreamless sleep.
The clomp of his boots on the floorboards wakes me before sunrise, but today I don’t protest as I roll from my mattress.
Before I can tie on my boots, Bastian reaches for my hand and leads me to the common room. My eyes are drawn to a leather fighting suit, including pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and vest, shining in the light of an oil lamp.
He drops my hand. “It was Evie’s idea, but we all agree that you can’t wear that horrible canvas getup anymore. It gives us a bad reputation.”
I circle the table, running my fingers along the well-crafted seams, the crisscrossing straps to hold weapons I haven’t earned, and the soft leather. Never in my life have I worn something that will cling so closely to my body. In Avren, we wear tailored clothing, but it is still modest. The canvas outfit made me look like a sack of coal used to heat the city. But this one outfit might change my entire outlook on my current life—like maybe I can be as strong as Bastian, as badass as Evie, and as crafty and deadly as Grayson.
“Where did it come from?” I ask, daring to lift it from the table to admire the handiwork of the tailor. I want to make new fighting gear for my family, but I don’t know where to start to get the material. Whatever I can afford with my meetok won’t come close to this.
Bastian lifts a shoulder, his dark hair tied back for our early morning session. “We pooled our credits. Like I said, thought you should look the part. Maybe you’ll hit a target with your arrow today.”
I go back into my room. Levi’s not there. His bed is still made like he didn’t come home at all last night. My gut twists in concern, not liking the feeling of not knowing where my brothers went for their meeting. I pull on the new clothes, and they fit as snuggly as I had expected.
I step out of the room and head outside, where Bastian waits for me. He has his back turned, sharpening his knife. Once again, I admire him, Flynn miles away in my thoughts.
“Are you ready?” I ask, feeling like I have nowhere to hide in the skintight leather clothes.
He turns and my cheeks flame as he assesses me. “You look good.” Then he heads into the forest.
I don’t know what I expected. A positive appraisal from someone who detests me is better than nothing.
CHAPTER TEN
“Levi didn’t come back last night.” My statement pushes the boundaries of my relationship with Bastian, but if I’m part of this family, I need someone to open up to about what’s going on.
“He didn’t.” He keeps his back to me and continues his trek to the practice field. Instead of expounding, he changes the subject. “We’ll head to the Grove today after our archery lesson.”
Fantastic. I can’t wait to spend quality time with Bastian’s girlfriend and her squad.
“Why can’t we continue our private lessons? I need to save my energy for my job in the city.” I tug at the leather on my thigh, trying to keep it from riding up my crotch as we walk.
He stops. His shoulders move up and down with his breaths. “The less time we spend alone together, the better.”
“Because you can’t stand me?” Heat rushes to my extremities as anger builds. I have tried everything to fit in with Bastian and Evie. I’ve followed their directions, staying out of their way as needed.
