back on.
“Hi.”
“I’m Elle, and I’m Matched to Sal. Come on. Let’s go get you
some food. The boys will keep you talking all night if you don’t just push
through.”
Her hand inched forward, as if to take mine, so I stuffed
mine in the pockets of my skirt, protecting them from further contact.
“Sera?” Tor’s bark broke through the din.
Elgon pushed through the few people standing near him,
causing them to jump back. He yipped when he reached Tor and sat at his feet.
Both had their gazes trained on me.
Tor stood silent in the doorway and at his full height. He
rose at least a full head above Ash, by far the tallest person in the room.
That wasn’t what pulled everyone’s attention and demanded their silence. The
look in his eyes sparked, his hard features tight and angry. It amazed me that
he was the same man who had been sleeping near me just a few moments ago.
Even Lock, usually the peacekeeper, stood awed at the energy
Tor exuded. As if by sheer force of will, Tor could part the sea of bodies
between us and pull me back.
I curled my lips into a plastered grin, battling the waves
of agitation crashing against me. “Good morning.”
“Huh,” he grunted and gestured to the door behind him.
Elgon lowered his head and sulked back into our room.
Turning his glare back on me, Tor remained silent. Something
about how he looked at me was unsettling. What was wrong with him?
“So, food?” Elle broke the silence, leaning into me.
“Yes. Um, Tor, are you hungry? Elle was going to show me
where the food was.”
“No,” he said, his gaze still harsh.
I had hoped to ease him into the group at least a little. We
weren’t going to get by unnoticed if he kept acting like that.
As though reading my mind, Lock pulled away from me and went
to talk to Tor. The two retreated from the group and into the eating area.
“What’s with him?” Ash mumbled, his hair falling over one
eye as he plopped back down in his oversized chair.
“Nothing, he’s just... he’s not used to so many people,” I
explained, pulling my eyes away from Tor and back to the people around me.
“Right, the man gone feral ,” Lace joked. She leaned
against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.
I turned on her. “What’s your problem?” Exhaustion weighed
me down even though I’d just woken up. My mother was dead, and the people
responsible sat around me like nothing in the world mattered. Like no one had
just died. Tor remained the only friend I had in the world, and he was
upset about something I couldn’t understand.
Lace shrugged, her eyes narrowing into slits.
“Sera, come on.” Elle placed a hand on my shoulder, and I
rolled it to end the contact.
“I’m... I’m sorry.” I turned to the small woman who was only
trying to be kind. “I don’t really like to be touched.”
“It’s all right.” Elle’s eyes crinkled, and her lips parted
into a friendly smile. She led the way through the living room toward the
kitchen.
Ash stayed behind, but Lace rounded a far couch and cut us
off before we reached our destination.
“Since when does a Matched not like to be touched?” Her
eyebrow raised, suspicion seeping from her words.
“By other people, obviously,” Elle defended.
“Whatever,” Lace grunted before turning away from us.
“Hey!” I called after her retreating back. “What’s going on?
Why are you so... mean?”
The aggressive girl stopped and lowered her head, then
retreated to her orange door.
Elle rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen. “Ignore her.”
The white room had tall ceilings and windows wrapping around
two entire walls. The ruby moon would be up soon. Would she cry for the blood I’d
lost?
Elle gave me the layout of the room—the cooking ingredient
storage, the ordering panel for meals if you didn’t want to cook, and the medication
dispenser. What she neglected to tell me were things I didn’t dare ask about.
Things like, which object was the stove, and
“Hi.”
“I’m Elle, and I’m Matched to Sal. Come on. Let’s go get you
some food. The boys will keep you talking all night if you don’t just push
through.”
Her hand inched forward, as if to take mine, so I stuffed
mine in the pockets of my skirt, protecting them from further contact.
“Sera?” Tor’s bark broke through the din.
Elgon pushed through the few people standing near him,
causing them to jump back. He yipped when he reached Tor and sat at his feet.
Both had their gazes trained on me.
Tor stood silent in the doorway and at his full height. He
rose at least a full head above Ash, by far the tallest person in the room.
That wasn’t what pulled everyone’s attention and demanded their silence. The
look in his eyes sparked, his hard features tight and angry. It amazed me that
he was the same man who had been sleeping near me just a few moments ago.
Even Lock, usually the peacekeeper, stood awed at the energy
Tor exuded. As if by sheer force of will, Tor could part the sea of bodies
between us and pull me back.
I curled my lips into a plastered grin, battling the waves
of agitation crashing against me. “Good morning.”
“Huh,” he grunted and gestured to the door behind him.
Elgon lowered his head and sulked back into our room.
Turning his glare back on me, Tor remained silent. Something
about how he looked at me was unsettling. What was wrong with him?
“So, food?” Elle broke the silence, leaning into me.
“Yes. Um, Tor, are you hungry? Elle was going to show me
where the food was.”
“No,” he said, his gaze still harsh.
I had hoped to ease him into the group at least a little. We
weren’t going to get by unnoticed if he kept acting like that.
As though reading my mind, Lock pulled away from me and went
to talk to Tor. The two retreated from the group and into the eating area.
“What’s with him?” Ash mumbled, his hair falling over one
eye as he plopped back down in his oversized chair.
“Nothing, he’s just... he’s not used to so many people,” I
explained, pulling my eyes away from Tor and back to the people around me.
“Right, the man gone feral ,” Lace joked. She leaned
against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.
I turned on her. “What’s your problem?” Exhaustion weighed
me down even though I’d just woken up. My mother was dead, and the people
responsible sat around me like nothing in the world mattered. Like no one had
just died. Tor remained the only friend I had in the world, and he was
upset about something I couldn’t understand.
Lace shrugged, her eyes narrowing into slits.
“Sera, come on.” Elle placed a hand on my shoulder, and I
rolled it to end the contact.
“I’m... I’m sorry.” I turned to the small woman who was only
trying to be kind. “I don’t really like to be touched.”
“It’s all right.” Elle’s eyes crinkled, and her lips parted
into a friendly smile. She led the way through the living room toward the
kitchen.
Ash stayed behind, but Lace rounded a far couch and cut us
off before we reached our destination.
“Since when does a Matched not like to be touched?” Her
eyebrow raised, suspicion seeping from her words.
“By other people, obviously,” Elle defended.
“Whatever,” Lace grunted before turning away from us.
“Hey!” I called after her retreating back. “What’s going on?
Why are you so... mean?”
The aggressive girl stopped and lowered her head, then
retreated to her orange door.
Elle rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen. “Ignore her.”
The white room had tall ceilings and windows wrapping around
two entire walls. The ruby moon would be up soon. Would she cry for the blood I’d
lost?
Elle gave me the layout of the room—the cooking ingredient
storage, the ordering panel for meals if you didn’t want to cook, and the medication
dispenser. What she neglected to tell me were things I didn’t dare ask about.
Things like, which object was the stove, and
Similar Books
