Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
FRID
Iquickly finished up with my meal and got up from my chair. Amira stood like a statue, watching the wall in front of her.
“I’m ready,” I said.
Instead of responding, the woman moved to the entrance and we were back in the long, partially lit hall.
As we walked through the compound, I noticed that some women, and most of the men had bracelets on their wrists.
They did not look oppressed, all were healthy and well groomed.
Many of the men wore beards and had long hair.
“How many males do you have in the settlement?” I asked.
Amira squinted her eyes, scrutinizing me.
“Why do you want to know?” she finally responded.
“I’m just curious.”
“Enough. We only let the ones who are willing to be a part of our commune stay. Any troublemakers are instantly pushed out.”
“To the wastelands?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“We do not force our way of living onto others. This is what works for us.” Amira added.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t think about trying anything. I’m watching you,” she suddenly added.
“Like what? There’s nothing I can do to any of you.”
“Well, don’t try.”
“Fine. Where are you taking me?” I asked.
“Mahin was generous enough to give you an apartment.”
“And you don’t agree with her decision?” I scrutinized her stoic profile.
“It’s not my place to judge the decision of our high priestess.”
“Aren’t you together?” Amira stopped, giving me a not so friendly look. “Alright. It’s not my business. I get it.” I raised my hands.
Amira resumed her walk and I followed, taking in the amazingly shaped ceiling that looked like a gigantic sculpture made by nature itself. The red rock shimmered lightly wherever the sun touched the surfaces of the cave.
“Try to keep up.” Amira muttered.
“How did you spot us out there?” I asked, hurrying behind her.
“We watch the wastelands even more now because of the Scars.”
“Scars? Is that what you call them?”
“Yes. This is your temporary room. I wouldn’t get too comfortable, you won’t be here long.” Amira stopped by a wooden frame filled with fabric and crossed her arms on her chest. “And whatever you think you know about the Scars, trust me, they are much worse.”
I nodded, pushing the screen to the side.
The room appeared spacious and well lit.
The polished, soft angled walls were of a similar reddish clay.
There were curious transitions of color on the surfaces.
It looked like the rock shifted from the color of terracotta to honey yellow.
On the bed that was situated on a rock platform was Victor, holding a simple wooden cup in his hand.
His flying suit was unbuttoned, and dangled off his chiseled torso.
His light hair looked wet as if he just took a bath. He froze, watching me.
I closed the screen behind me and leaned against the wall, shutting my eyes.
“Frid?” His voice sounded so soft, so genuinely concerned.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“What are you talking about?”
I closed my eyes, pressing my head against the wall. Then I heard the sound of his feet on the floor.
“I dragged you here. I could have planned it better.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“It’s . . . I don’t know what I was thinking. Alina gave me the bag, but I lost it. I don’t even remember. I was so tired, so focused on getting you here. I . . .”
“Stop!”
I opened my eyes, seeing him in front of me. His light eyes were laced with worry. Victor was the one who never took things close to heart. Somehow, his attitude gave me the confidence that no matter what was going on, it was never that bad. But, when he turned serious, it always unsettled me.
“You saved me. You did something no one else did.”
“But . . .”
“There are no buts. I’ll have a word with Ty and Sol when I get back. Not one of these losers came to my aid.”
“Ty was injured, too. I haven’t seen Sol at all . . . I hope he’s alright,” I sighed.
“These women keep asking me whose property I am. But, even if they are batshit crazy, we still have shelter, and food and water. We can stay until we’re fully healed and head out.
” Victor scrutinized my face then his eyebrows lifted when he saw my facial expression. “You didn’t promise anything, did you?”
“I had to.” I exhaled.
“What did you do?”
“I may or may not have agreed to help them find the missing women that were taken by another clan.” I licked my lips.
“What the fuck, Frid?” He stepped away, raking his hair.
“I had to. Do you think that anyone would just help us for nothing?” I raised my voice, noticing how his eyes squinted.
Our truce did not last even five minutes. His anger stirred an immediate response in me, and instead of feeling bad about our situation, I got irritated in return.
“Alright. What’s the catch? They have plenty of people here. Why can’t they get their women by themselves?”
“They don’t know where they are.”
“How is that possible?”
“They don’t go far into the wastelands.”
“They don’t? That’s very smart of them.” Victor’s voice was laced with poison.
“Stop being a prick!”
“I’m just pointing out how stupid it is that you make decisions for both of us while I’m stuck here with no idea of what’s happening.”
“You’re not allowed to help,” I said and braced for an explosion.
“What the fuck, Frid?” he shouted, his eyes roamed my face.
“They don’t trust you.”
“But they trust you?”
“Yes. Because I’m a woman.” I raised my chin, watching him with indignation.
“What?” He squinted his eyes.
“We need to make the best of our situation. That reminds me.” I reached up to my collar, unbuttoning my flying suit.
“What in the actual f—”
His eyes turned huge, and his mouth fell open as if every thought had disappeared from his mind.
“Don’t get your hopes up.” I lifted the edge of my undershirt.
Victor still had nothing to say as I used my knife to cut a strip of fabric long enough. “Here.” I extended my arm, offering him the piece of my undergarment.
“And what am I supposed to do with that?” he finally said.
I sighed and took a step closer to him. His breathing faltered and for a moment that was all I could think about.
And then his fresh, slightly citrusy scent seeped into my senses like a slow burning fire.
That was something that always surprised me about him.
Even when we spent days without bathing, he always smelled nice.
More than nice. No wonder he was so popular with women.
I wrapped my fingers around his wrist, forcing myself not to make it more awkward than it already was.
“What are you doing?” he asked, and his voice plainly showed that he was not as calm as he wanted to appear.
“I’m claiming you.” I responded.
His mouth hung open.
“Careful, or you’ll catch a fly.” I threw his own joke at him.
With difficulty, I tied the piece of fabric around his wrist the best I could.
He had the most beautiful hands I had ever seen on anyone, with long fingers and narrow wrists.
They appeared rough to the touch and I could plainly see the scar just below his thumb.
I could even remember how he got it. He tried to cut a branch, but the knife slipped and opened him up pretty good.
There was so much blood, I worried that he would bleed out.
I remembered stitching it for him later, and he did everything he could not to show how painful it was.
“There. No one will bother you now,” I said, looking up at him.
He just stared at me, still lost for words.
“Please say something. You’re freaking me out.”
“What is it?” He swallowed and looked at his wrist.
“It’s a charm. Men are considered property here.”
“I died and awakened in the darkest pit for all my sins,” he muttered.
“I’m sure there are worse things than belonging to someone like me.” I walked past him into the room.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Don’t worry. I get it.” I moved around the room.
There was some simple furniture. Low chairs made out of something that resembled young shoots of trees and small tables set close to the floor.
There was a thick colorful fabric that covered what looked like a window.
Somewhere in the distance I could hear the sound of running water.
It was incredibly humid and warm underground.
But the temperature here was quite comfortable.
I wanted to peel off my suit and take a bath.
As if answering to my wishes, I found a pool of water that was stationed in an opening in the floor right in the next room.
“What is this place?” I breathed in the lightly fragranced air. It smelled like the faintest and the purest of flowers, maybe orange blossom.
“I’m going to bathe, if you don’t mind.” I raised my voice, stepping into the room and closing the thick curtain behind me.
“Are you hungry?” Victor asked.
“I already ate.” I peeled off my suit.
Just then I raised my eyes noticing a tall mirror that was stationed on the floor, leaning against the wall.
The girl that looked back at me seemed only vaguely familiar.
I touched the side of my cheek, noticing a smudge on my face.
My silk top was cropped and ended just below my breasts.
No wonder he did not want to be associated with me, I looked nothing like the women he dated.
I had thick thighs, broad shoulders, and a moderate chest. I was as far from being feminine and graceful as could be.
What would the others say if I started dating Victor? Would they laugh at us for being together?
I was pretty sure I was taller than him too.
If only I could be smaller, more petite, with tiny wrists and a narrow waist. My waist was strong and muscular, the waist of someone who could drag a man on her back for two days straight, but not the kind that could wear a corset.
I clenched my teeth, hating everything about the way I looked.
What would he say if he ever saw me naked?
Alina said that in their visions, we were together, but even I could not imagine it.
“I was a fool. I wanted to ask you . . . out . . . I went to your room, but . . . you were with someone. I could . . . not . . . bare it.”
“I better ask you now.”
I exhaled and tore the ribbons out of my hair, letting it fall loosely over my shoulders. He did not mean it. He was delirious with fever and pain.
It wasn’t serious, he wasn’t serious.
How could he be?
I lowered myself into the pool and closed my eyes.