FLOOD

Good Morning, Sunshine.

Bifky showed us the bedrooms upstairs. It was a seven bedroom house, he explained, plus the guards on watch didn’t sleep, and some of them always ended up falling asleep in the living room after the poker game. So there were plenty of rooms to spare. It felt strange to say goodnight to them, and I gave Eli one last reassuring smile before turning to slip into my bedroom. Once I shut the door I allowed myself to sag against it, holding in a groan.

I was tired to my very bones, and just beginning to truly feel it.

Up until now I’d been the strong one for Eli and I, challenging the guards, hiding my fear, pretending to be sure of myself when I wasn’t. Now all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and let my tears out for the first time.

Sliding down to the floor and resting against the door, I shut my eyes tightly, pressing the heels of my hands against my brows. So many things kept flashing through my mind’s eye, the sharp teeth of the mermaids, the look on the sea king’s face when he told me what my fate might be, the last look I’d had of Fiske before we ran.

The weight of guilt and fear felt like something was physically crushing me. But I forced myself to climb to my feet and kick off my shoes. In the corner of the bedroom there was a dresser with three wide drawers, and I made my way over, wincing at how sore I was, and pulled the top drawer open.

There was a mixture of clothing inside, a jumble of old t-shirts and sweatpants and a few skirts it looked like. I picked out an overly large t-shirt with the HardRock Café logo emblazed across it and stripped out of the slinky dress before slipping the shirt on. The worn out cotton felt soft against my skin, and more secure than the slinky dress had. I finally felt like myself again, as much as could be expected.

Finally I slid between the sheets and curled up on my side. There was an extra pillow beside me, and I dragged it over and hugged it close, half wishing that Eli and I had shared a room. It was strange being alone after being on the run with him.

Of course, I was glad he hadn’t seen me break down.

Tomorrow I would have to leave him behind, I was sure of it. He would never get through the pass, his jotun blood was far too thin. And if he tried to follow us and couldn’t get through he would have to walk back here on his own.

But it didn’t have to stay that way. I clutched the pillow harder. Eli could lead us back to the island, back to his grandfather. It would be easy to insist that he accompany us, especially because I wasn’t sure I could lead my people back successfully by myself. I’d been in a panic when we’d fled, going on pure adrenaline. If they asked me to show them where the facility was I couldn’t be sure I would lead them the right way. But Eli could.

With this thought in mind, I started to relax, letting myself enjoy the cool sheets on my legs and the soft mattress. It had been a long time since I’d slept on anything so soft.

For tonight, I might as well enjoy it.

Light slipping in through the cracks in the blinds woke me the next morning, and for a few second I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, blinking. How many mornings had I woken up in that cage back at the facility? And now I was here in an actual bed, wrapped in warm cotton sheets.

I shut my eyes, and not for the first time Kalda’s face flashed in the dark, smiling, laughing. She should be here with me

Suddenly my chest felt heavy, and all I wanted to do was curl up and soak the pillow in hot tears. But I didn’t have time for that. If I did, her death would mean nothing, and my Fiske’s sacrifice would be a useless. There was no way I was about to let that happen.