Keary pushes open a door, and overhead lights flicker on. It’s not an enormous room, but it might feel smaller than it is since all walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling cabinets. Keary opens one and pulls out a little strip of cloth. He turns to me with a cheeky grin.
“I’d like to suggest this little number. It was super popular a hundred years ago when the girls liked to air out their undercarriage as they moved through the world.”
He holds the top two ends with his fingers and swishes it from side to side, letting the pleats swish and sway.
“Generous, but I’m looking for something that might protect my body a little more than… that.”
Keary sighs dramatically and tosses it back into the closet.
“You’re looking for this cabinet,” Drystan says, and I turn to find that he’s opened another on a perpendicular wall. “I took the liberty of examining your clothes once you took them off and left them unsupervised, and these will fit you.”
Notto likes to watch me sleep to learn about me, and Drystan chooses to study my clothing. No doubt that includes all the random shit I have in my pockets and what I’d removed from my body. Keary’s method would be a little more physical, I’m sure.
I don’t need to dig through the contents much before I find something similar to what I’m wearing. Both articles of clothing are brand new. I’ve only seen a shirt with a tag left on it once in my entire life. I’d thought that everything trulynewhad been absorbed into the colonies and monster compounds by this point.
In reality, there are stores right under our feet!
I don’t question my luck. I find a new pair of underwear—still wrapped in plastic!—then pull the pants on. Socks follow. A brand-new pair of boots comes from another open door that Drystan stands beside, then a shirt. I spend the next few minutesemptying all the random shit from my pockets into my new pants.
“Thank you,” I say, truly meaning those words. Yes, I was thankful for the life save, but there’s something even more visceral about this.
“Sure,” Keary says. He’s still frowning at me as I head for the door with my discarded clothes in hand. There’s a trash bin in the kitchen.
“What about other things?” Drystan asks. “Like food provisions and water and weapons?”
I shake my head. “I only carry what fits in my pockets.”
“No offense, but that’s dumb,” Keary says. “There are parts of the world where you can go days without finding something to drink, never mind eat.”
I know that personally. Those are difficult days. Again, I shake my head. “It’s too easy to be burdened with things when faced with an adversary. Every second counts, including the seconds I’d need to drop it. And then I’d likely end up abandoning it, so what good is that?”
“I’m not sure which part of that to argue first,” Notto says, disapproval thick in his voice.
“Okay, so, we’re going to prove you wrong,” Keary says. “You can walk around unhindered while we carry packs.”
Why didn’t I see this coming? I rub my eyes, already knowing that attempting to argue is probably going to be useless. Regardless, I try anyway. “You don’t need to come with me.”
“I want to,” Keary says, grinning. “Besides, let me ask you a question.” He leans in close. “You may be determined to die to avenge your parents’ deaths, but do you think that’s what they’d want? I admit I’m not familiar with how humans nurture their young, but if they’re anything like monsters, they’d be furious.”
Chills break out over my body. No, my parents wouldn’t like it. Yes, they’d be fucking furious with me. They’d kill me againthemselves, especially considering I think they did what they did to save me from meeting their fate…
Without answering, I watch the three of them gather shit. When Notto offers me a backpack containing clean clothing, a canteen, a toothbrush, and a first-aid kit, I grudgingly shoulder it.
If they’re coming with me, they’re going to need to be the first line of defense if I carry something with me. Drystan hands me a long blade after I stand in front of the door, pretending to be patient.
I’ve had weapons in the past, and while they can prove to be game changers in some scenarios, they’re also somewhat cumbersome.
Besides, I’ve always had Kaida. She’s far more skilled with her claws and teeth than I am with any weapon. Hopefully, she’s able to find me again. I’ve been hidden far longer than usual.
The idea that I might never see her again makes my chest tight. She’s been my sole companion for ages. Years. Going through the world without her will suck.
Thankfully, I’m stopped from diving down that rabbit hole when the monstersfinallyjoin me at the door, ready to leave. With a grin, Drystan hands me a small flashlight.
“Don’t be fooled by its size. Packaging can be truly deceiving.” He winks.
I roll my eyes and step into the black void beyond the door. An impressively bright light comes from behind me, and I turn to see Drystan with a flashlight in his hand. Beside him, Keary pulls his flashlight from end to end, then a wide beam of light comes from the side of it
Drystan wasn’t kidding. That’s some impressive light.
