"Sophie, turn around," I order.
A whimper is her only reply. I race to her side and gently force her to roll over, exposing her face.
The mechanical eye has gone. A gaping hole is where it used to be, gruesome to behold.
Fuck. How the hell did a dream just become reality?
Unlike in the dream, she's not bleeding as much. Yes, blood is slowly running down her face, but it's already getting less. She's healing fast, like any young shifter. I doubt she'll regrow the eye, but at least the wound will close. If we can find her a glass eye, she'll pass for a normal child. The first time since they put that monstrosity into her.
"How are you feeling?" I ask gently.
"Strange. Like something's missing."
I almost laugh in a hysterical sort of way. Yes, there's definitely something missing. Every village idiot would be able to tell you that.
"How do I look?"
I smile at her, hoping that will make her feel less anxious. "Like a true warrior who's just won a big battle. It will heal, don't worry. Are you in a lot of pain?"
"It's fine."
It clearly isn't, but she's brave. Just like any cat, she's hiding her pain. It's a necessity in the wild where both friend and foe could take advantage of your weakness.
"I'll get some wet cloth and maybe there's some ice in the freezer. Keep your eye closed, we don't want any dirt to get into the wound."
I only find one clean cloth in the cupboard under the sink and I don't have time to search anywhere else. It'll have to do. I grab a bag of frozen peas, hoping the bag is clean enough. At least the man's freezer is in better condition than his mouldy fridge.
As if he could hear my thoughts, the old guy suddenly shouts from his bedroom. The gag prevents him from articulating actual words, but it's clear that he's not happy. I sigh and return to Sophie. As soon as I enter the living room, her pained expression turns blank. Good girl. She's even stronger than I thought.
I clean her bloody face and the eyelid as best as I can, but I'm not willing to touch the hole where her eye used to be. I don't trust the cloth to be free of germs that could lead to infection. Besides, it's already healing. The blood flow has almost stopped, but I still press the bag of frozen peas against it to prevent any further bleeding.
Sophie puts her hand on mine. She's shaking a little, but it's so faint that most people wouldn't have noticed.
"Check on the old man," she whispers. "I'm fine."
I’m not convinced, but the screaming is becoming annoying, so with a last probing look, I leave her to it.
The man stops screaming as soon as I enter the room. His eyes are wide and bloodshot. He tries to shuffle backwards, but I've tied him up too well for him to move.
"Hhhhhrmpppffff."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Hhhhrrrrrmmm."
Nope, I don't understand. But I should put him out of his misery. It's not his fault he lives in a house that we needed to occupy for the night.
I take another step forward, enjoying the fear in his eyes. I shouldn't, but I do. It's been too long.
"If I remove the gag, do you promise not to scream?"
For a second, anger and a hint of resistance flashes across his face, then he nods.
"Good. But first, I need you to know that I intend you no harm. I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm sadly not going to kill you either. As much as I'd like to, it would go against the last remains of my morals. Besides, my little sister is in your living room. I wouldn't want her to realise what I am. Not yet, anyway."
I pause for a moment. Do I want her to know that I'm an assassin? Would I want her to follow in my footsteps? With Little Kat, it was different. I want her to be a child, to have an education and hopefully live an almost normal life. It was too late for the twins and even though they're currently staying with Aunt Laura, I bet they're not going to choose a legal job in the future.
Sophie, however, has that feral side to her that would make her an excellent assassin. With some training, naturally, but she's already on a good way. Is it right, though? I might have to discuss it with Lily. She's a predator too, in her way, and loves to play with the men who are her prey, but her moral compass is better than mine. Maybe Gryphon too, he's got a sister himself.
The man clears his throat. Ah, yes. Focus on the present. The future will arrive when it's time.
"We're going to leave very soon," I continue. "We only needed a safe place for the night. Once we're ready to go, I'm going to untie you and then we'll be on our way. No need to call the authorities, right?"
He nods immediately, still scared to bits. I'm amazed he hasn't peed himself yet. Don't older people have weak bladders? Not this guy, it seems.
I walk to his side and this time, he barely flinches. I remove his gag and throw it to the ground with disgust. Human saliva. So useless, they don't even use it to make their fur shiny.
"Water," he rasps.
I shoot him a glare. He dares to demand something from me? But he's lucky, there are a pitcher and a glass on his bedside table. I wouldn't have left the room for that, but since it's right in front of me, I pour him some water and hold it to his lips.
He spills more than he swallows, but he doesn't complain. Good boy. I wouldn't be happy if he did.
When he's finished, he looks at me with renewed interest. Most of the fear has disappeared and he seems a little more alert.
"You could have just asked," he mutters with a hoarse, brittle voice.
"What?"
"You could have asked. I would have let you stay here. There was no need to tie me up. Let alone almost kill me."
Huh. I don't quite know what to say to that. I didn't expect that in the slightest.
"Why would you have done that?"
He raises his eyebrows and stares at me. "You've not experienced much kindness in your life, have you, child? Two girls needing a bed for the night, of course I would have let you in. I would have even cooked you a hot meal. Did you grab some food from the pantry?"
I nod, still speechless.
"Good. Take some for the road. I'm not going to ask why you're here or what you're running from, but I heard the other girl's voice. She sounds young. Is she your sister?"
I finally find my voice again. "None of your business."
"Don't worry, not going to tell anyone you were here. I've got enough trouble with the police as it is. They took my cattle last time I complained about their corruption. Now I've got nothing left."
I don't have the time nor energy to pity him.
"Are those my trousers?"
He nods towards my new clothes.
"I hope you don't want them back."
"No, keep them. But if you climb up to the attic, you'll find some more suitable ones. I've got two chests full of women's clothes that you can help yourself to. It's not like Margaret still needs them."
"Your wife?" I can't help my curiosity.
"Daughter. Young farmhand came here when she was sixteen. Two months later, they left. Never saw her again. They sent me her wedding ring after she died in childbirth. Turns out her husband was involved in shady business. Had too many debts to count and couldn't afford a doctor when my daughter's labour turned awry. One day, destiny will get that bastard."
"I hope it does."
"Will you untie me now? I could make you breakfast. They took my cows, but I still have chickens that lay way too many eggs for me to eat all by myself."
I remember smelling those chickens yesterday. I have to admit, I was tempted to slaughter one, preferably while shifted, but an omelette sounds good too.
"If you run or try to call for help, I'll kill you," I warn him.
He grins slightly, exposing several missing teeth. "I have no doubts about that."
I underestimated him. Considering the state of his kitchen, he does make excellent scrambled eggs. I don't let him out of my sight, still wary of this supposedly good samaritan. People don't just help others, especially not after having been su
ffocated, tied up and gagged all night. I keep expecting him to run to the phone and call the police, or worse, some sirens he might know. Most humans are unaware of their presence - hell, even I didn't know about them until the Kindler case - but this close to Parseldon it might be different. I bet most politicians and rich people living there are sirens.
I have Sophie watch him while I explore the attic. His daughter was about my size, but there are some smaller clothes too, probably from when she was a child. No idea why he kept them, but it's good for us. As a farm girl, Margaret has mostly practical outfits and I can't help but purr when I find a pair of leather tights just like the ones I like to wear. Paired with a checkered shirt and some worn but comfortable boots, I could pass for a local peasant. I even find a straw hat for Sophie that might help cover her eye at least a little. It's not sunny or warm enough to warrant wearing such a hat, but she's a child and people might think she insisted on it while throwing a tantrum. I choose some loose trousers and a simple shirt for her, that way she won't stand out with her current expensive clothes.
Back downstairs, Sophie has joined the old man at the kitchen table and watches him curiously. Neither of the two is talking, but they seem to be comfortable in each other's presence. Weirdos. I watch them from the doorway, strangely touched by the image of the young girl and the old man sitting opposite each other. I don't feel guilty about what I did to him. I couldn't have known that he'd let us stay here voluntarily. Even now, I still have doubts. Once we leave this place, we're going to have to lay some false trails, just in case he reports us after all. It will take some time, but thanks to our shared nightmare, we're off to an early start.
Sophie's face is bruised, but she no longer presses the frozen peas against her eye. The bloody cloth lies discarded on the table.
"Do you have any sunglasses?" I ask and the man jumps. Sophie doesn't even flick an eyelid. Of course, she knew I was there. Her senses are well-trained, despite her never having been on a proper hunt.
"I may have an old pair lying around somewhere. I don't use them anymore; my eyesight is bad enough already without making it any darker. Why? I doubt it'll be very sunny today. The forecast says rain."
I nod towards Sophie and understanding spreads across his lined face.
"Of course. I'll see if I can find them."
I follow him, watching his every move as he sorts through several drawers until he finally finds a pair of old-fashioned sunglasses. They'll look ridiculous on Sophie, but hopefully, people will think she's blind and won't give her another look. One thing we learned back at the Pack. Disabled children are either stared at or ignored. And if they stare at her, they're going to see a poor farmer's girl who can't afford pretty clothes and not even glasses in the right size.
With this latest addition to our attire, we're ready to leave. Our backpack is full of supplies, although we hopefully won't need them if we meet Gryphon tonight. Still, better safe than sorry. The old man gazes at his backpack and looks as if he's about to say something, but then decides otherwise. Lucky. I wouldn't have taken kindly to him wanting it back. He's lucky that he's no longer tied up. For a moment, I debate to tie his hands enough that it will take him a few hours to get free, but Sophie takes my hand and looks at me with excitement.
"We're going to meet Gryphon."
I look down at her and return her smile. "Yes, we will. Are you ready to run?"
She nods. Bruising shows beneath her dark sunglasses, but nobody would think that she lost an eye overnight, albeit a mechanical one.
I shoulder the backpack and give the old guy one last look.
"If you rat us out, I'm going to come back and kill you."
He smiles. "Safe travels."
Chapter Twelve
At first, we head North, leaving very obvious footprints in the muddy fields. Dawn is only just breaking over the horizon, but thick clouds hide most of the tentative sun rays trying to start the day. The air smells of rain even though the first drops haven't touched the ground yet. It's only a matter of minutes though before the clouds will release their heavy load.
After half an hour, we get to a small stream, only a foot deep and not flowing very fast. Perfect.
"Take off your shoes," I tell Sophie while pulling off my boots. She does so without questioning me.
The water is freezing, dispelling the last remnants of tiredness. I didn't get enough sleep, but I doubt I'll get much more tonight, not if we meet Gryphon. The two of us have a lot of catching up to do. Without Sophie and preferably in a bedroom.
We wade in the icy water until I'm sure that we've confused any potential pursuers enough. I'm glad we brought the blanket; it makes for an excellent towel. Wet feet are a sure way to get blisters. Back in our boots, we finally head West, across fields and even more fields. The landscape is so boring that I almost fall asleep while walking.
Sophie is quiet today. She's not asked a single question, which worries me a little. She was the complete opposite yesterday.
"Does your eye hurt?" I ask after an hour of silence.
"It's fine."
"That's not what I asked."
She scoffs. "A little, but it doesn't matter. It's healed too much to put the eye back in."
I stop in my tracks and turn around to her. "Why the fuck would you want to put it back in?"
She opens her hand and shows me the mechanical eye. She must have been carrying it the whole time. I thought she'd throw it away after all it's done to her, but instead, she not only kept it, but she's now looking at her with a certain longing. Silly girl.
"I can't see," she replies almost defiantly. "And it could make me see properly again. I'll never get my sight back. You can't grow me a new eye. So now I'm stuck with one and I don't like it."
I wouldn't be surprised if she stamped her foot and threw a major temper tantrum. She's close to it, I'm sure. But this isn't the time nor place, no matter how traumatising it all must be for her.
"Did you like being hurt? Did you like being controlled? Did you like them forcing to hurt other people? No? Then don't complain. I know it's awful but it's better than before."
“It’s not your eye that’s missing,” she snaps. “You’ve still got both of yours. Maybe I should scratch one of yours out so you know what it’s like.”
Wow, that escalated quickly. I'd love to get into a long argument with her, but we can't linger. Lord Delaney's grunts could be following us. We need to get to the inn and Gryphon as soon as possible.
"Maybe there are ways to help you," I say as calmly as I can. "When we're in Attenburgh, we can take you to see a doctor. And tonight, Gryphon can take a look at you. I told you that he studied medicine, right?"
Her scowl lessens a little. "Do you really think they can make me see again?"
I try to believe that it's possible. I don't want her to pick up on the doubt I have, so I convince myself with all the mental force I can muster.
"There are some very intelligent scientists and doctors out there. And we already know that mechanical eyes exist. Maybe we can have one like that made for you, but this time just for you, with nobody able to watch what you see or control you in any way. We'll find a way to make you better, I promise. We just need to get home first. Then we can deal with all of that. Alright?"
Her gaze wanders over my face as if she's trying to see if I'm lying. I can usually smell lies when spoken by a human, although it's harder but not impossible for shifters. I'll definitely teach her that skill when we're home. I have so much to pass on to her. So much training that she missed out on. Luckily, she'll have Ryker to teach her everything there's to know about being a cat. There's no better authority than him, having lived as a cat for all his life.
"Alright." She gives me a small smile. "But if you lied, I'll scratch out both of your eyes."
"Deal. Now let's continue, we don't want to be late to your appointment with Doctor Gryphon."
To my surprise, she takes my hand. Hers is small in mine, reminding me of how young
she is. She doesn't behave like it, most of the time, but I do have to be mindful of it. She's not as strong as she makes out to be.
We continue our walk in silence, but it's a comfortable silence. In my mind, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to say to Gryphon once we finally meet again. Do I start with 'hello'? Is that enough? Or do I simply grab him and kiss him? Or will it be strange to see him again after all this time? Will there still be chemistry between us?
My foot sinks into a hole in the ground and I almost stumble. Fucking rabbits, leaving holes all over the place. Teaches me to have my head in the clouds. I need to focus both on our surroundings and on potential enemies. We're not safe yet, no matter how much I want to believe that. Until we're back in Attenburgh, I can't let my guard down. And even then...
I sigh when I realise the truth. As long as Delaney or any other sirens are still out there, I'll never be safe. Neither will be my family.
Once I'm back home, we'll have to make plans. No more hiding. No more defending. It's time to go on the offensive and get rid of them once and for all.
The river is bigger than I imagined. It's so broad that it feels more like a lake than a river. The current is strong; too strong to attempt to swim to the other side. Not that I ever planned to do that. We'll use the bridge just like Gryphon said.
We take a quick break to have a drink and open one of the cans of corned beef we took from the old man's pantry, before continuing our trek. Sophie is still quiet but she seems to be deep in thought rather than angry at me. I let her be. She'll talk when she's ready.
We must be further downstream than I'd hoped. After hours of running and walking, there's still no sign of the bridge. I'm starting to worry that we may have been going the wrong direction. Maybe we should have turned left rather than right when we reached the river. Gryphon didn't know where exactly we were so maybe he got it wrong?
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