don’t look at the mush as I eat, a trick Mother taught me when I was little. I used to complain that the supposed meat and vegetables all tasted exactly the same.
After the plain dinner, Davyd surprises me with some fresh apples and even cuts them into pieces for us to share, covering them with icing sugar to make a sweet treat. When I settle back, my stomach is satisfied, and I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.
The mattress is lumpy and holds lingering body odors of those who’ve slept here before. Yet, my body relaxes onto it as soon as I lie down. I try to watch Davyd, sitting up by the window on an old wooden chair he brought in from the veranda, but my eyes drift closed. I listen to his breathing instead, glad I’m not alone in this strange place.
Silences are rarely comfortable with Davyd.
With last night’s dinner on my mind and the last of that lemon tea lingering on my taste buds, I find myself curious about how much he knows.
“I saw Huckle last night,” I begin, forcing my eyes open to see his reaction.
Davyd’s lip curls. “A dinner date with Mother and Little Boy Lost? How sweet, all of you playing happy families.”
I ignore the sarcasm. “I didn’t know he was so bad.”
“Yes, it’s tragic.”
Rather than the sadness I saw in Samuai, he’s amused. Sure, Huckle gave me the creeps and killed my father, but to glory in what the man’s become? I shudder. “You’re sick, you know that?”
“I’m realistic. That man isn’t my father, and you have no idea what it was like to grow up thinking differently.”
“Your privileged existence must have been so hard to bear.”
He shakes his head. “You think that because you had plain food and no decent shower you had it tough? You think you had the monopoly on a shitty life? You have no idea, Princess.”
There’s pain in his gray eyes. So raw I can’t stand looking at it. I never thought … I assumed because he wasn’t a servant he had it made. His words shrink me to about an inch tall.
Only for a second.
His lips twitch. “Had you going, didn’t I? Of course my life was awesome except for my too-good-to-be-true big brother. Once I got rid of him it was sweet. He never has explained exactly what happened when he first left the ship.”
“He has. Maston fooled him and wiped his memories.”
“I’m talking about Zed. Have you two talked about how your brother met his end?” He waits and interprets my silence correctly. “I’m not surprised. Kind of ruins the fairytale you have going.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I snap, finally finding my voice. If there was Samuai would have told me. Except … last night he tried to tell me something, and I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to kiss him instead.
Beneath, my ribs start aching like when Zed and I would play chasey in an empty training room until we couldn’t breathe. This pain won’t get better with a few good breaths.
I lower my eyes, but Davyd knows he’s hit me where it hurts.
“Anyway,” he says lightly, “Samuai’s return kind of sucked, but your declaration that I’m the better brother in front of the council turned things back my way.”
Only one day travelling with Davyd and my self-control has been tested at every turn. It’s like he wants to break me. “You should know, the only reason I chose you is because no one would miss you if I lost control and smashed your brains out.”
I expect one of his usual comebacks but instead he turns away. “I know.”
He’s playing me, I know it, but I can’t stop the flutter of regret at my tactless explanation. I bite down on an apology because he’d only see it as weakness.
With nothing more to say, I fight my heavy eyelids and pull out the maps of New City, where the Company have their headquarters. I stare at the tablet screen, attempting to imprint the contents on my brain. I have no idea how long the battery will last, and I don’t want to be stuck there without any idea how to head
After the plain dinner, Davyd surprises me with some fresh apples and even cuts them into pieces for us to share, covering them with icing sugar to make a sweet treat. When I settle back, my stomach is satisfied, and I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.
The mattress is lumpy and holds lingering body odors of those who’ve slept here before. Yet, my body relaxes onto it as soon as I lie down. I try to watch Davyd, sitting up by the window on an old wooden chair he brought in from the veranda, but my eyes drift closed. I listen to his breathing instead, glad I’m not alone in this strange place.
Silences are rarely comfortable with Davyd.
With last night’s dinner on my mind and the last of that lemon tea lingering on my taste buds, I find myself curious about how much he knows.
“I saw Huckle last night,” I begin, forcing my eyes open to see his reaction.
Davyd’s lip curls. “A dinner date with Mother and Little Boy Lost? How sweet, all of you playing happy families.”
I ignore the sarcasm. “I didn’t know he was so bad.”
“Yes, it’s tragic.”
Rather than the sadness I saw in Samuai, he’s amused. Sure, Huckle gave me the creeps and killed my father, but to glory in what the man’s become? I shudder. “You’re sick, you know that?”
“I’m realistic. That man isn’t my father, and you have no idea what it was like to grow up thinking differently.”
“Your privileged existence must have been so hard to bear.”
He shakes his head. “You think that because you had plain food and no decent shower you had it tough? You think you had the monopoly on a shitty life? You have no idea, Princess.”
There’s pain in his gray eyes. So raw I can’t stand looking at it. I never thought … I assumed because he wasn’t a servant he had it made. His words shrink me to about an inch tall.
Only for a second.
His lips twitch. “Had you going, didn’t I? Of course my life was awesome except for my too-good-to-be-true big brother. Once I got rid of him it was sweet. He never has explained exactly what happened when he first left the ship.”
“He has. Maston fooled him and wiped his memories.”
“I’m talking about Zed. Have you two talked about how your brother met his end?” He waits and interprets my silence correctly. “I’m not surprised. Kind of ruins the fairytale you have going.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I snap, finally finding my voice. If there was Samuai would have told me. Except … last night he tried to tell me something, and I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to kiss him instead.
Beneath, my ribs start aching like when Zed and I would play chasey in an empty training room until we couldn’t breathe. This pain won’t get better with a few good breaths.
I lower my eyes, but Davyd knows he’s hit me where it hurts.
“Anyway,” he says lightly, “Samuai’s return kind of sucked, but your declaration that I’m the better brother in front of the council turned things back my way.”
Only one day travelling with Davyd and my self-control has been tested at every turn. It’s like he wants to break me. “You should know, the only reason I chose you is because no one would miss you if I lost control and smashed your brains out.”
I expect one of his usual comebacks but instead he turns away. “I know.”
He’s playing me, I know it, but I can’t stop the flutter of regret at my tactless explanation. I bite down on an apology because he’d only see it as weakness.
With nothing more to say, I fight my heavy eyelids and pull out the maps of New City, where the Company have their headquarters. I stare at the tablet screen, attempting to imprint the contents on my brain. I have no idea how long the battery will last, and I don’t want to be stuck there without any idea how to head
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