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“I’ve never had a brother,” I say into the darkness of the stairwell. “I always imagined what it would feel like to have someone to confide in besides my parents.” Tears sting my eyes. This man, who barely knows me, wants to embrace me as his sister. I’m not sure what to think of that, but it ignites something deep inside me.
He keeps his hand in mine as we descend the stairs to my bedroom. The oil lamp burns on the bookshelf, casting a warm glow. He settles on the other mattress.
I crawl onto my bed and rest my back against the wall, watching him lay his head on the pillow. “Where do you usually sleep?”
He props his head up on an elbow. “This is my room.”
“You gave up your bedroom for two Citizens?”
He nods and gives me a smile.
“I don’t mind sharing with you.” I twiddle my thumbs in my lap, feeling more like the intruder than the owner. “Where did you sleep last night?”
He quirks the corner of his lip and points to the ceiling. “Bastian.”
A strange feeling of jealousy hits me as I wonder what it’s like to sleep in the same room as the Commander. Does he snore? Talk in his sleep? My mind drifts to what it would be like to share his bed, and I immediately put a stop to my internal wanderings. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Levi waves a hand at me and lays his head back down on his pillow. It’s late, and we’re both exhausted. After my beating, Bastian will have to let me sleep, even though I’ve been out for hours.
I stare up at the ceiling. All my life, I’ve known who I was—Maribel Nexis Windsong, future seamstress and owner of an upscale shop. Without the identity Avren, my parents, and the Council bestowed on me, I feel lost. The protection of the walls of the city is gone, leaving me exposed. Who am I without others telling me about my future?
Maybe I’m afraid to find out.
The sound of feet shuffling on the wood planks of the floor wakes me. I wrap the quilt tighter, building a cocoon and trying to block out the chilly morning air. I peek out through a break in the blanket. It is still dark, but I can make out Levi walking to the door and Bastian standing at the threshold. He clamps a hand on the younger man’s shoulder as he passes. Levi only hangs his head.
Bastian’s heavy boots clomp over the floor, and he stops at the foot of my mattress. “Wake up, Mari.”
“Go away,” I grumble as I bury my head beneath the blanket. The aches and pains from my injuries the day before are out in full force today. My left eye feels almost swollen shut.
When I don’t hear the retreat of his boots, I peer out.
“You can’t hide from a Supe.” Without warning, he rips the quilt from my body. “You need to train.”
Shivering, I clutch my pillow, trying to stay warm. “You’re an asshole. Leave me alone.”
“And you’re a stuck-up princess who’d rather lie around and degrade our lifestyle than learn to save her own life.” There’s no passion in his voice, only a matter-of-fact tone, as if he’s telling me about the weather. “Get yourself together and meet me in the yard.”
I mumble curse words, shoving my foot into my boot and lacing it up. This is not the life I want to live, but I have no choice. Either I walk away from Grayson and his band of orphaned misfits, or I embrace them. It’s all I have.
My fingers pull my hair into a messy ponytail as I walk across the yard to Bastian, who is sharpening knives again. “If you don’t use them, don’t they stay sharp?” Everything with him is a show.
“Who says I don’t use them?” He doesn’t look up from his task until he’s done. When he lifts his head, his eyes bore into mine. “You’ve been out for fifteen hours, which doesn’t make you the best authority on how I spend my time.”
I bite my lip to prevent any more quarreling with my trainer. “Thank you.” My pride is at basement level, and I’ve never really been good at expressing my feelings—not like Levi. “Thank you for saving me from Susan.”
He turns and lifts a quiver from its spot beside a tree. “She was out of line. I train people from the Grove because they’re our neighbors and we’ve got to look out for each other.” He adjusts the strap of the quiver across his chest, where it looks as natural as any other feature of his body. “She’s not kin and knows better than to threaten my family.”
A rush of cold sweeps through me, sending an electrifying shiver down my spine. When did this change happen? I don’t know what to say.
“Just because you’re kin, doesn’t mean I like you.” He lifts his head, hair sweeping over his eyes. “Levi might think you’re Redeemed, but with me, you need to earn it. The only thing you’ve shown me so far is how to get your face beaten into the ground. The city’s made you weak.”
“And you think that’s my fault? Life Givers created me in a test tube with the right mixture of my mother’s and father’s DNA. From the second I was born, people waited on me hand and foot.” Tears build as I recall my childhood—good times with my parents, my father leaving, learning to sew from my mother, my friends. “You’re asking me to do things that were forbidden in Avren.” I clench my fists, feeling an emotion building like fire in my veins. “You’ve got to have patience with me.”
“Yeah, well, it’s never been my strong suit. You’ve been here for less than two days, and you’ve already had a werewolf and a vamp on your trail.” He lifts the bow and hands it to me. “Be thankful I’m not the patient type.”
He tromps through the woods to the training ground. Afraid to follow too close, I keep a ten-pace distance, just far enough that he can hear me scream if I’m attacked. When we reach the open meadow, he digs into his pack and removes two apples, tossing one to me.
I sit down on a log and take a bite, still amazed by the freshness of the food in the wilderness.
