Sleep was going to be impossible now. She didn’t have to close her eyes to know that images of stolen children and ravenous demons awaited her.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. Iain was hiding something, and despite her request that he stay out of her head, she continued catching herself using the connection she had to him to poke at his mind, seeking answers.
Every time she realized what she was doing, she jerked back and scolded herself for being such a hypocrite.
In those few, small glances she’d had, she’d felt anger—so much of it that it overshadowed everything else. She wasn’t sure what had happened to make him so mad, but whatever it was, he hid it well.
Which only served to make her wonder what else he was hiding.
Jackie found some fresh clothes sitting inside of her doorway. She didn’t know how they got here, but she was grateful for something clean to wear.
She stripped out of her clothes, pausing when she automatically moved to take off her necklace. Of course it didn’t come off, but it seemed odd wearing it in the shower—like she was toting a small piece of Iain along with her.
Then again, if he were here, she doubted she’d be thinking about much of anything beyond getting her soapy hands on his body. And if the man’s kiss was any indication, she wouldn’t be thinking at all—just feeling.
Even now, the mere memory of that kiss had the power to make her skin heat and her nipples harden. She wasn’t going to forget that anytime soon, no matter how much distance he tried to shove between them.
She made quick work of her shower, dressed, and went in search of a distraction. Being around Iain was too much stimulus, but being alone gave her too much space to think. Now that she was spoken for, she felt like she could leave her suite and go in search of food. No more hiding in her room for fear of who might grope her.
Even though it was well before dawn, Jackie found a few people gathered in the open dining and recreation area. People at Dabyr kept odd hours in support of the Sentinels, making sure the place stayed running, even at night.
An elderly woman sat sipping coffee and reading a book, alone on one side of the room. For some reason, Jackie felt an instant kinship with her, as if they were both able to be alone even when surrounded by people.
“Can I sit down?” she asked the woman.
“I assume your legs function well enough. Or did you mean to ask if you may sit down?” The woman’s mouth was painted red, with lines of lipstick fanning out into her wrinkles. A yellow pencil held her heavy bun in place at the nape of her neck.
Jackie tried to hide her grin. “May I sit down?”
“Please. Helen’s told me a lot about you.”
“You know Helen?”
The woman nodded. “I’m Mabel Hennesy. Miss Mabel to most people here. Your sister and I have been friends for a few years. She brought me here.”
“Helen made you live here?”
“At first there was a bit of a fight, but I find it suits me. It’s nice to be teaching again, though after all those years, I wouldn’t have thought I’d miss it so much.” She marked her place in her book with a silk ribbon and closed it. The pages were thick and yellow with age. The cover was worn leather, stained dark by the touch of many hands. There was no title, only an embossed tree sprawling across the cover.
“You teach? Here?”
“Someone’s got to pound some sense into those teens’ heads. I don’t need my walker anymore, but I make sure the troublemakers know I still know how to use it.”
Jackie wasn’t sure what she meant, but it seemed rude to ask, so she let it go.
“I haven’t seen much of you since you came to live with us,” said Miss Mabel. “Helen said that Logan and Tynan weren’t able to take your memories of what happened away, like they did with the little ones.”
“I didn’t let them. There’s no way I’m letting anyone else have my blood.”
“Oh, it’s not so bad having an attractive man put his mouth on you. You should try it sometime. Made a world of difference for me.”
The only attractive man whose mouth she didn’t mind touching her was Iain, and they both knew that that wasn’t going anywhere. “I think I’ll pass.”
A young, blond teenager came by the table with a small notepad. She set a glass of water in front of Jackie. “Do you want something to eat?” she asked.
“Sure. Whatever you have is fine.”
The girl listed several choices, and Jackie picked one, not really caring what it was. She was hungry enough to eat anything, which hadn’t happened in a long time.
Miss Mabel lifted her cup. “I’ll take a warm-up when you swing back by. And then you need to get back to your room and study. There’s a secret pop quiz on chapter seven tomorrow.”
The girl smiled at the tip, and scurried off.
“She’s so young,” said Jackie. “What’s she doing working in the middle of the night?”
“It’s her turn to work the night shift. I make allowances for the kids’ schedules, but they all have to learn to step up and take responsibility. This place takes a lot of effort to keep running, and we all have to earn our keep.”
“But she can’t be more than fifteen. She needs her rest.”
“She makes do. Besides, she doesn’t sleep much these days—not since her family was killed and eaten last year.”
Jackie swallowed hard, her appetite fading by the second. “That’s horrible.”
“No more horrible than what you suffered, I’d wager. All the kids here have their share of nightmares. Sad truth is, they’re the lucky ones. The Sentinels found them in time to save them.”
Just like they’d saved her. And yet, here she was, refusing to help them find Murak for fear that it would force her to go back into a cave.