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I tried to keep that in mind as I paused at the doorway of what looked like a huge shed. I looked down when I felt someone take my hand. Kade looked up at me, still looking a little tired, but there was something else in those eyes. “C’mon, Mum,” he said. “I’m hungry.”
Aidan smiled and then started to show us around. “Food’s over there. Just help yourself to whatever you want. You can go back as many times as you like, no one cares. They’ve got a bloody nice dessert bar from memory,” he told Kade with a wink.
“Mum, can I—!”
“After you’ve had a proper meal.”
“Drinks are over at the bar. You don’t need money,” he said when my hand went to my bag. “C’mon.”
It felt like everyone’s eyes were on me as we walked inside. They weren’t, they couldn’t be. There were hundreds of people in here, small families and large. They had to have better things to do than look at me. My fingers tightened around Kade’s when the first group looked up. Some smiled to see Aidan, but that soon fell away when they saw us.
Everything I had dreaded walking down here happened. Eyes went wide before darting away, wanting to look at anything but me and Kade. Mouths went to ears, and while I couldn’t hear what they said, I could guess at it. Warrior, I told myself. I wanted to drop my eyes to the concrete floor, take in the legs of the trestle tables, the shoes of strangers as I followed the backs of Aidan’s feet, but I focussed on holding my head high and looking straight ahead, which was perhaps why I didn’t notice the stranger when she approached.
“Aidan, darling! I haven’t seen you in ages!”
My head jerked to the side to see a beautiful blonde woman greet him with open arms. He smiled sheepishly, moving in to hug her. She seemed to just enjoy that for a moment, and why not? Like everyone here, Aidan was a good-looking man. Was she his wife or girlfriend? Probably not, as she took us in with a smile when he pulled back, catching a glimpse of us over his shoulder.
“And who do we have here? I’m Rene
e, Aidan’s mum, and I am so glad to meet you!”
Mum? Goddamn, I needed to find out this woman’s beauty regime. Aidan looked like he was somewhere between twenty-five and thirty, but so did she.
“Mum…”
“Oh shoosh, if you’ve finally got a lady in your life, I want to know. Don’t mind Mr. Grumpypants. What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Mr. Grumpypants? I cocked an eyebrow at Aidan, who did indeed partially resemble his nickname. He looked a little flustered, his muscular arms crossed over the front of his broad chest, but I stepped forward and took her hand. I was done hiding. It hadn’t helped before, and if this was like any other small town, clearing things up with his mum would clear things up with the whole community.
“I’m Felicity, well…I prefer Flick. This is my son, Kade. Aidan and Peter found us by the side of the road just outside of town. We’ve had some car trouble, and…” I didn’t need to explain. Anyone with two eyes could see what I’d gone through. “Ophelia gave us a place here, up on the hill.”
“Near Carissa’s place,” he explained further.
I expected her to brush me off then, mouth some platitude and back away, now that I was not who she thought I was. Instead, those clear hazel eyes studied me, seeing something, but I knew not what. She saw my injuries, but her smile didn’t so much falter as soften. Then she straightened and stepped forward, linking her arm with mine, and looked down at Kade.
“Well, I’m just glad my boy was able to help you two. C’mon, we’re just sitting down to eat. I’ll introduce you both to some people, including your neighbours.”
The first thing I noticed as we followed Renee over to a long table was the ratio of men to women. Females seemed to be in small numbers here, placed between clusters of men. Kids sat with adults, a little boy and a girl looking up as we took a seat.
Multiple mates, my Tirian reminded me.
“Everyone, this is Flick and her son, Kade. Aidan and Peter found them beside the road having car trouble on the way back to town, and they’re staying in the empty place next to yours, Carissa.”
Was there a hint of steel in Renee’s voice? I wasn’t sure, but people looked up from their meals and conversations to smile and greet us, like we were just any two people joining the group. I sat down, Kade and Aidan on either side of me.
“So, Flick, what do you think of Sanctuary?” asked one of the men across the table from me.
It’s weird and alien, and I only just woke up here hours ago, I thought.
“At the moment, it seems like a dream come true.”
I’d meant it as a sign of gratitude. I felt like I was equal parts numb, angry, terrified, and suspicious of anything good, but thankfully, long inbuilt social scripts came to the fore and gave me acceptable answers. I flicked Aidan a sidelong look, something he caught me doing, before quickly looking away.
I was grateful, I had to remember that. We were in one piece, more or less, and we were safe for now. People were going out of their way to be nice to me. I took a deep breath, and then the guy said, “You hear that, Renee? Your boy is a dream come true!”
“Of course, he is,” she replied, eyes shining. “As I was telling your Sindy all those years ago, but she had to go and settle for Eric.”
“Hey, she didn’t settle for me!” another very tall man said. He reached over and pecked a woman who I assumed was Sindy on the lips. “It was true love.”
