“It is indeed,” Reggie said, reaching into his pocket and holding out what looked like the same sort of plastic disc he’d used in the elevator, handing it to me.
“Thanks,” I muttered, even though the conversation no longer involved me.
“Yeah, well, he’s…not here and probably not comin’ back, so that makes sense,” Cade said, but I could see the statement had taken its toll even as he smiled. It was what he would have done back in the day as well. No matter how hard something was, no matter how bleak things looked, Cade was the first to offer areassuring smile and say something that made the rest of us feel better, if not confident. It didn’t matter how much anything was weighing on him; he had thought about everyone else around him rather than whatever was bothering him.
“Of course,” Reggie said lightly, but I detected the softness in his voice before he glanced at me and smiled. “Cade will explain how the passes and the system here work. It’s pretty basic, or at least it should be, and easy to understand. But if you have questions, you can either grab me when you see me because I’m not afraid to roam around and pester people occasionally. And if you don’t see me, there’s an option on the computer to send me a message.”
Cade snorted. “Yeah, yeah, we know Reggie. It’s your baby and you’re proud of it.”
“Damn right,” Reggie said, glancing over my shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, they’re supposed to be having a waffle bar today, and there’s no way I’m going to miss that.”
I watched him go, wrinkling my nose. “Did he just get rid of himself?”
“Kinda think he did,” Cade said with a chuckle. “He’s good people, weird, but, ya know, in a place like this, what can ya expect?”
“I guess you would have to be pretty weird to want to work at a place like this.”
“Work? He and Mr. Shepherd built this place. I dunno what the full story is, but this is their baby. I guess Mr. Shepherd takes care of, like…all the external stuff, but Reggie’s the one dealin’ with all the stuff on the inside. I guess he was the first Guide this place ever had.”
“Guide, that’s my babysitter, right?”
Cade cocked his head, a curious look in his eyes. “I mean…not really. It’s not like someone who’s gonna follow you around and make sure you’re doin’ what you’re supposed to be doin’,’cause they don’t really do that around here. It’s kinda like…I mean, battle buddy basically.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What battles do we need a buddy for?”
Cade looked away, running a hand down the back of his head. “I mean, a lot of the guys here got a lot of demons. And when they’re tryin’ to deal with them, it’s a fight, ya know?”
“You’re right,” I said, feeling properly chastised, even though there hadn’t been the slightest hint of judgement in his face or voice. “I guess I’m…forgetting where I’m at.”
Cade’s concerned expression broke, and he laughed, giving me a nod. “Yeah, don’t go worryin’ about all that, ya wouldn’t be the first person to forget. This place can be weird sometimes. Ya forget where ya are, and that you’resupposedto be doin’ stuff to help yourself.”
“Reggie said there was no measurement of right or wrong, correct or incorrect, and definitely no expectations of what you’re supposed to be doing.”
“And that’s pretty much what they’re doin’. But when ya come here, there’s the idea that you’re here to make yourself better, so ya know, most people figure they should do that. And now I’m just talkin’ in circles, ain’t I?”
“You kind of are,” I admitted with a grin. “Like I said, you haven’t changed a lot.”
Not that I could claim that, and I wondered if he was thinking the same. The thing about Cade was that when people listened to him, between his odd mixed accent, southern and something from the neighborhood he’d grown up in, and the rough way he spoke, they thought he was stupid. Of course, most people weren’t stupid enough to say that, but some mouths would get there before their brains did, with mixed results. The results from his team hearing it were always the same, and it was made clear quickly to everyone that although Cade might take thatkind of comment with good grace, the people in his circle weren’t nearly as forgiving.
“Why don’t I start by showin’ you where you’ll be eatin’ most of the time,” he said with a grin. “And before ya say it, I know, I was never shy about eatin’ and that ain’t changed either. But it’s worth seein’, and then I can show ya some of the other places. Just wait till ya see the rooms.”
“High-class accommodations?” I wondered with a snort.
“It’s like…fancy,” he said with a chuckle. “And comfy as hell.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, remembering the exchange between him and Reggie earlier and then glancing at him cautiously. “Who’s, uh, Clay?”
“He’s…well, he was the first friend I made here, and became my best friend,” Cade said, sounding embarrassed, which was…odd. What was wrong with having a friend? “He, uh, went through a lot, which I guess is true of a lot of people here. A lot came up when he was here the last time, and he…didn’t do too well. Bad enough that they thought it might be better if he went somewhere else that could help him.”
Fully aware that I was on shaky ground, I still had to ask. “Then what’s the point of this place if they can’t help people who have a hard time?”
His expression was grave. “It was bad, real bad. They can help us here; I’ve seen ’em do it before, but that don’t mean they can help everyone, or all the time. He was in a really dark place, and even he thought it would be better to go somewhere that might handle him differently. They’re pretty hands-off here, always tryin’ to push ya to do more and help yourself, but they ain’t the sort that can help when you’re fallin’ apart like that.”
I wanted to ask how bad it was, but the look on Cade’s face told me it was probably not a good idea. I couldn’t tell if he was missing his friend or was worried about him. “Is that who you were talking to on the phone?”
“Nope,” he said with a sudden return to his bright mood. “That was Isaac. He was here last season, interestin’ guy actually. He was the one who made Clay act like such a horndog, and well…I don’t know what they’re gonna do now but he’s been a good friend to me too, and he was great for Clay, even if he don’t realize it. I think if they’re smart, they’ll end up together when Clay gets his head on straight.”
“Finding love in a hopeless place,” I muttered, looking around and thinking Arete looked anything but hopeless. Then again, I wasn’t here by choice, so I wasn’t overflowing with hope.
