Which felt…strange. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
On the one hand, I preferred it, obviously, but on the other…
“What’sshedoing here?”
Levana’s voice pierced right through my brain. She wascoming in with Helen, and a couple feet behind them was March.
He was shocked to see me there—it was evident in how his step faltered and his eyes widened and those gorgeous lips parted the moment he took me in. He knew about the kitchen, too. Which,of course, Ora.He was always bringing me food, wasn’t he?
“Don’t be mean, Lev,” Mimi said. “She figured out the second trial, too. We’d have been stuck there still if she hadn’t.”
But Levana, who was fully dressed in a deep red tunic, and the thick braid she’d put her hair in fell over her shoulder, grabbed her hips and raised her brow. “But does she care?No. She only did it for herself.”
Pushing back her braid dramatically, she turned around and went for the cabinets.
“Don’t mind her, she’s just spoiled,” Helen said as she followed, then laughed when Levana flipped her the middle hour with both hands.
Then there was March.
He tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned against the counter, his head slightly turned to the side as he analyzed me.
Suddenly I feltnaked.Suddenly I felt like I was being pressed against the wall, and I had his mouth all over me, and?—
“I thought you were off hiding somewhere, Velvet.”
I raised my chin. “Why would I do that?” But I had. I’d most definitely gone out to the mechanical garden to hide from everyone else.
“Why do you do anything you do?” Mimi answered for me, then looked at him. “She’s actually looking for the place beyond the kitchen.”
Another arched brow. “Which kitchen?”
My mouth opened—this one, I hope.
But by thenallof them had found the snacks they liked in the cabinet—Russ had a tart in one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other, most had the same crackers as Seth, and Levana and Anika were eating bananas covered in chocolate syrup.
“It’s just something light before dinner,” Anika said when she caught me looking—that most definitely looked delicious.
“What’s that about abeyondkitchen?” Erith asked as she jumped to sit on the isle.
They were all around it, some leaning, some sitting, allaroundme. Time’s Teeth, it was getting really hard to breathe all of a sudden.
“No, no—Ora is looking for a place beyond the kitchen,” Mimi said again, then ate another fistful of cherries. She barely chewed before she swallowed, seeds and all.
“Beyondthe kitchen?” said Erith, turning to me with a new, suspicious look in her eyes.
But then Russ said, “There’s nothing there beyond the kitchen.”
Sparetime save me, why the hell hadn’t I run away from here yet?
“Look, I was told there wassomethingbeyond the kitchen, and I don’t know if it’s this kitchen or not—but I have to go now.” I stepped back, eager to run for the doors already, so uncomfortable among them I was sweating like a pig.
“Itisthis kitchen. And thereisa room beyond it, but there’s nothing there, only dishes.” Russ leaned away from the counter, bit half his strawberry tart, and slammed his other hand on the countertop with a moan for a moment—it must have been very delicious.
Then he said, “I can show you.”
Just like that, Russ turned and walked over to the wallwhere the appliances were lined, and one by one, the others hopped off and followed him, food in hand, talking as they went.
Only March stayed behind, still leaning against the edge of the marble, looking at me as suspiciously as ever.
