Three
WINIFRED…
I considered the young woman facing me. Her cheek and some of the tissue around her left eye had already begun to swell. Yet, the swelling didn’t draw my attention as much as her eyes. Her pupils consumed her irises, leaving no hint of color. While humans likely found them unsettling, her eyes didn’t bother me. However, the way she had appeared at the Compound did.
According to Bethi, Blake felt driven to collect each of these gifted women. Her words had been proven true with each attack our group had suffered, and especially with the most recent attack Mary’s family suffered. Yet, somehow Olivia had been allowed to travel across the country to come to us and, as soon as we’d arrived, had asked us to kill the man with her. Why?
Does she seem anxious to you?Sam’s message interrupted my study of the young woman beside me.
Yes.
What are you thinking?he sent me.
That I’m suspicious of her purpose here.
“How long were you with Blake?” I asked Olivia.
Her gaze shifted slightly as if focusing on me.
“As long as I can remember. I was young. Maybe three or four.”
“That’s a very long time. Michelle saw you in a vision. She said you were treated well; your face says otherwise.”
“It doesn’t matter how I was treated. My purpose is all that matters.”
That doesn’t sound promising,Sam sent me. I agreed, but didn’t say so.
“And, what purpose would that be?” I asked.
“Completing the Judgement.”
Her anxiety notched up, but not because she lied. Her words rang with honesty. Yet, as I’d learned with Jim, honest words still held secrets. In this case, though, her anxiety seemed reasonable, given the level Bethi usually displayed when talking about anything relating to the Judgement. Still, what Olivia said disturbed me.
According to Bethi, completing the Judgement was Blake’s obsession. Why, then, would he have willingly let go of one of the Judgements? It didn’t make sense.
“I don’t understand why Blake allowed you to leave,” I said.
“He didn’t have a choice after the news aired.” She took a deep, slow breath. “I understand that you might not trust me because I’ve been with the Urbat for so long. And, there’s little I can say to persuade you otherwise. But, whether you trust me or not, know that I’m here because the Judgement needs to be made.”
“We need to head east,” Gabby interrupted. “It looks like they’re netting again.”
“Where’s Jim?” I asked.
“West,” she said in an unsure, subdued tone. “I don’t see how we can get to him without heading east first. It’s like the Urbat suddenly realized we were at the Compound.”
“Frank killed a woman a few hours ago,” Olivia said. “She’s probably been found by the humans and linked with the recent news of werewolves. That close to your home would have been enough to make the Urbat suspicious.”
The way she delivered that bit of information without any facial cues or changes in her scent worried me. She seemed too detached from the situation given the state of her swelling face and bruised neck. She had to feel something, didn’t she? That meant she was hiding her feelings, much like Carlos. Why? What didn’t she want us to know?
The sooner you find a vehicle, the better,I sent Jim.The Urbat discovered we were at the Compound and are netting around us like they are you.
Already found one,he sent back.What direction should we head?
South.
That’s a bit vague.
We’re not sure where we need to go yet.
