I laugh and pour some of the soap into the tub. “Yeah. But more so the tops of my ears? I guess my hair always covered them, so I never noticed it before, but they get that biting kind of cold.”
“I’ve noticed Violet’s been snagging the beanie lately when she goes hunting, but I think you need it more than she does. Let me know next time you go out, and I’ll make sure she doesn’t take it.” She looks over at me and flicks some soapy water in my direction. “Can’t have those ears falling off.”
I give her a gentle smack on the arm and grin. “So I’m still pretty without hair but not without ears?”
“You said it, not me.”
We both devolve into full belly laughs. Probably more amused than the joke actually warrants. But the exhaustion and hunger have us both feeling a little delirious.
“Having fun in here?”
We both turn to see Sol standing in the bathroom doorway. His blond hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and his white-and-gray flannel shirt has a few buttons undone. He looks relaxed. Calm and comfortable after a long day of hunting. Somehow unaffected by the hunger plaguing the rest of us. I have a half-formed thought that perhaps he is too enlightened, toowise and evolved for something as mundane as hunger to drag him down.
Lily’s eyes light up when she sees Sol. All the warmth she radiates is suddenly directed toward him. “Just doing the laundry,” she says, reaching into the soapy water and swirling the clothes around a few times. “You need me for something?”
“No, no.” Sol shakes his head, returning her smile. “I’m just coming to steal Iris for a moment. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. I’ll get one of the other girls in here to help.”
“Thanks,” Sol says. He puts an arm around my shoulders when I stand and approach the door, guiding me toward his room. The casual gesture of affection floods me with a sense of relief. He isn’t upset with me. He’s been friendly for the last two weeks, but I’ve felt the tension since the police visit.
He hasn’t changed his mind about me yet.
He isn’t kicking me out.
Once we arrive in his room, he closes the door behind us and gestures for me to take a seat in the usual chair. He sits down across from me on his bed. He smiles, and I smile back, grateful for his light.
“How are you tonight, Iris?”
“I’m okay,” I say.
“Hungry,I’d imagine.”
As if on cue, my stomach rumbles. “Um, yeah. But I know you and Violet are doing your best. And I’m grateful for that. I’m sure it’ll get better soon.”
“I appreciate your confidence in me,” he says. But his friendly smile slips as he becomes more serious, and I feel my shoulders tense in anticipation. “I know this isn’t the time for your usual Growth Session. But I suspect you can guess why you’re here.”
“Probably for my second trial?”
“Smart girl.” He leans forward, hands resting on his knees. “You did very well with the first task. And I’m proud of you for that, Iris. I’m sure it was emotional for you, and I’m sure it’s been an adjustment, but you’ve handled it with such grace and maturity.”
“Thank you,” I say, and even despite my nerves, I feel the warmth of pride swelling in my chest at the praise.
It doesn’t last.
“However, your mistake a couple weeks ago really put your sisters in danger,” Sol continues. “I trusted you, and you drew the police to our door. I hope I don’t have to tell you what would happen if the authorities found out about you underage girls being here.”
Ilook down at my hands in my lap as the warmth of pride fades and is replaced by the bitter cold of guilt. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I know you are,” he says. “But what happened has made me question exactly how much I can trust you. So I started thinking about how I could apply that to your second trial. To give you a chance to redeem yourself—in my eyes, in your sisters’, but also in yours, because I’m sure the guilt must be weighing on you.”
I nod.
“Iris.” I look up from my hands to meet his gaze. He’s watching me, blue eyes locking on mine as he says, “You’re an important part of this family. You made a mistake and let me down, but I know that you’d do anything to keep us safe. Wouldn’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Because your second trial is for exactly that. Your first task was to learn to separate yourself from your physical body, to let go of shallow things like vanity. But this task is different. This time, I’ve decided the thing I need to see from you is loyalty.”
