Need to knowshe'ssure.
She sees the question in my eyes. "Yes," she whispers. "But if we're going to do this... I think I should tell you something first."
I tilt my head, questioning.
Worrying.
"My name isn't Hannah," she says, her eyes never leaving mine. "It's Ivy. My real name is Ivy."
Ivy.
It suits her.
Resilient. Strong. Beautiful.
I nod, unsurprised. I knew Hannah wasn't her real name. Never believed for a second that the name on her badge belonged to her. It felt wrong somehow. Didn't match her. Not in spirit.
I shift my weight to free one hand, signing her name by her face, the letters flowing from my fingers.I-V-Y.
She watches the movements, then smiles. "And you? Do you… have another name besides Wraith?"
I shake my head.
Surprise and something like concern flicker across her features. "You've always been called Wraith?"
My hand moves to answer.
The signs come easier now.
Not shaking so badly.
N-O… B-U-T... O-L-D… S-E-L-F... D-E-A-D.
Her brow furrows slightly, but she doesn't push. "The person you were born as is gone?"
I nod again.
That boy died a long time ago.
Wraith is what rose from the ashes.
A shadow.
A ghost.
"Wraith," she murmurs softly, testing the name on her tongue. Not questioning anymore. Accepting. Her fingers return to the waistband of my sweatpants, slipping just beneath the edge. "If you knot me, it will, um… it will hold the heat off so I can build a proper nest."
The air leaves my lungs in a rush.
The idea of being inside her…
Ofknottingher…
Of her building a nest in my bed…
Can't think about anything else now.
All I can do is nod, unable to sign coherently.
