Chapter 32
Harper cursed as yet another flame refused to catch. Rather than bite into the stacked logs, the fire just ate the bundled-up paper, giving off a bright glow before turning to smoke.
She should have listened better when Lucas raved about all his scout stuff. Since she didn’t see the appeal of being stuck in the middle of the woods with no power and no cell service, she hadn’t paid attention.
This sudden storm had summoned both conditions. The wind had turned howling, and then the lights had all gone out. As had the electric heater. The cabin was turning into an icebox.
“Any luck?” Nell asked, blowing air onto her hands. Harper sneered.
“Does it look like I’m having any luck?” She threw the extinguished match into the fireplace. “It should not be this hard. If we freeze to death because I’m less skilled than a caveman, I’ll be fucking pissed.”
Nell’s eyes drifted to the far corner of the living room. Evie was looking out the window, standing so still that she could be mistaken for a statue.
“What about you?” Harper asked, a pang going through her chest when Evie flinched. Harper had barely raised her voice.
“Still can’t get a signal.” She brushed her hair behind her ear, fingers trembling. “But a few texts made it through, so… that’s something.”
She wasn’t even supposed to be here. Neither was Nell, for that matter. They had shown up a few hours earlier, with barely any warning, and with the explanation that they wanted to see the cute cabin Harper kept sending pictures of.
Only Nell sold that reason as genuine. Before she’d even said hello, Evie’s eyes had flicked to Harper’s neck, and she’d let out such a deep sigh it sounded like she’d been holding her breath for the entire drive.
“Maybe it’ll clear up soon?” Evie mumbled. “It might not be that bad once we’re out in it. If we drive now, we could be back in Chicago before midnight.”
Harper looked out at the howling storm. The snow was so dense that their cars were barely visible, even though they were parked just a few feet from the cabin.
“Driving in that would be suicide.” Harper got to her feet. “Though staying here isn’t much better. I’m freezing already.”
Nell turned on her phone flashlight. “Do you know if this place has any candles?”
“In the basement. The Chains keep emergency supplies down there.” Harper grimaced. “Just steer clear of the fridge.”
As Nell went pilfering, Evie’s phone buzzed with an incoming text, and a brief smile softened her face. Since the signal went in and out, messages arrived with a significant delay.
“Natalya?” Harper asked. Evie nodded.
“She’s asking if I want her to come out here. Which she shouldn’t, given everything that’s going on. They need her in Chicago.” Evie touched the silver chain pendant around her neck. “She’s just worried. She can tell I’m nervous, so…”
As loving as Evie and Natalya’s relationship was, one aspect of it still weirded Harper out. Natalya could feel every emotion Evie did, big and small, just by concentrating. Even when they were hundreds of miles apart.
Evie had asked her not to, and Natalya respected that. As much as she could, at least. If Evie’s emotions were too intense, they were impossible to ignore.
It provided more tragic context to the way Evie kept looking at the dark beyond the window.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about.” Harper took her hand. “It’s safe. There’s a whole army nearby, and even if there wasn’t, nothing can get in here. We’ll be okay.”
Evie bit her lip and nodded. Her grip on Harper’s hand turned clutching.
“Yeah, you’re right. It’ll be fine.” Evie chuckled. To herself, it looked like. “Or, it’s safe, I should say.”
She gave Harper a smile, gesturing at her hair. “It looks good, by the way. Don’t know if I mentioned.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Harper held a lock of pink hair in front of her face. “I’m out of practice, so I was sure it would come out streaky. And I was a little worried Maya would hate it. I think she liked me being blonde.”
Evie’s smile fell, and Harper wanted to kick herself. This situation was already uncomfortable, and bringing Maya up wasn’t helpful.
But Harper couldn’t help it. Talking to Nell and Evie about her romantic endeavors was second nature. Kieran was the only exception, and that was just because she couldn’t talk about him without revealing what a prick he was.
“You’ve never said that before.” Evie’s voice was low. Weak and… surprised?
Harper frowned. “Never said what?”
“That you were worried about someone else liking your hair color. Or anything you did. You never care about what others think.”
If Nell had made that observation, it would have been said with a smile. Excitement even, as Harper had apparently succumbed so much to the butterflies in her stomach that she forgot to be jaded.
But when Evie said it, it sounded painful.
Harper had stopped placing value on others’ opinions long ago. She had to, since they were often based in disdain, disappointment, or a mix of the two.
Her hair color was just one catalyst for it. She was a teenager the first time she’d exchanged her brown hair for something more eye-catching, and then her parents had lectured her for almost an hour about how ridiculous it looked.
At that point, she’d already given up on meeting their expectations.
She just told herself not to care what they thought and then found means to numb the pain that came when she inevitably failed at it.
The only people whose opinion she’d ever leaned on were Patricia and the two women in this very cabin.
And Maya. Apparently.
That realization should bring warmth with it. But instead, a sharp chill formed in her chest, and it wasn’t just due to the cold seeping through the walls. Because, right then, Maya didn’t feel like an addition to that tiny group.
With how Evie lowered her eyes and her hand slipped from Harper’s, it felt more like a replacement.
“I found candles!” Nell darted up the basement stairs, carrying a massive bundle in her arms. “And blankets, too. The Chains really stocked this place.”
She didn’t seem to notice the tension in the room. Or maybe she did, by how fast she was talking.
“Thanks,” Harper muttered and accepted the blanket Nell handed her. Evie did the same, sitting down in the nearby armchair, gaze averted.
Nell looked between them. She put on a tense smile.
“Maybe lighting the candles will make it a little warmer.” She set the candles down on the coffee table. “It’ll be better than nothing. Right?”
No one spoke. Evie didn’t even look at them, either. She just stared into the dark, eyes unfocused.
Nell cleared her throat and started lighting the candles. “This storm probably won’t last long. We just have to wait until it clears up. I know this was only supposed to be a quick visit, but—”
“It wasn’t, Nell,” Harper said. “You don’t make the drive all the way out here for no good reason. You didn’t visit just because you missed me.”
“That’s not true, we—”
“You did, maybe. But I have a feeling you weren’t the one who suggested the trip.”
Nell clamped her mouth shut, glancing at Evie. Who still didn’t look at either of them.
Harper scoffed and threw the blanket onto the couch. “Unbelievable.”
“I was worried about you, Harper,” Evie said.
“Of course you were. Worried enough that you drove hundreds of miles just to poke your head in and make sure Maya hadn’t used the solitude of this cabin to fucking eat me. You don’t know her. Have you ever even had a conversation with her?”
“I don’t need to. I know enough to keep my distance. Something you would do too, if you paid attention to what people are saying.”
Harper clenched her jaw. She’d known this would be an issue. Evie had even told her, but despite that, Harper hadn’t genuinely believed that this would drive such a wedge between them.
“I didn’t like you being alone with her,” Evie said. “She should have sent you home by now. Hell, she shouldn’t even have asked you to come out here.”
“I wanted her to ask,” Harper bit. “I wanted to come see her. And for us to be alone in this goddamn cabin. Me staying here wasn’t her idea, it was all me. That week she was gone killed me inside, because I couldn’t stop thinking that she might be hurt or dead somewhere.”
Harper’s voice turned unsteady. “Don’t you get it? This is serious for me. She’s patient and decent, and she can handle me better than I can even do myself. I’ve never had that before. She’s not the monster everyone says she is. Why can’t you see that?”
“You don’t know what they’re like!” Evie shot to her feet. “You don’t know the havoc they can cause. How they delight in it or how much inflicting pain amuses them.”
Tears beaded in her eyes. She swiped them away, though they still showed in her voice.
“She’s a killer, Harper. A predator. And once she stops bothering to hide that fact, she’ll fill you with terror just because it makes your blood taste better.
Everyone is scared of her. What does that tell you about what she’s capable of?
She’s just biding her time, and when she gets her chance, she’ll hurt you. ”
Evie had never spoken like that before. So harshly and coldly, as though intending for the words to cause pain. Or maybe the memories they spawned contained so much hurt that it bled into her voice.
The stories were wrong. It didn’t matter that Harper didn’t know the details; they were wrong. There was nothing monstrous about Maya. Nothing cold, or cruel, or even reckless.
Harper had spent hours looking into those dark, golden eyes of hers, and there was nothing in them but warmth and kindness. She was so much more than the preconceived notions people had of her. Evie, more than anyone, should know what that felt like.
“What about Natalya, then?” Harper said, voice shaking. With anger or sorrow, she wasn’t sure.
Evie’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“She has a reputation. She’s dangerous. Everyone is scared of her, including me, frankly. Does that mean she’ll hurt you?”
Silence filled the cabin, the only noise coming from the creaking walls. A silence that Evie clearly wanted to break with a retort. But she couldn’t find any that weren’t hypocritical.
The front door blew open, and a gust of wind sighed through the cabin. The few lit candles snuffed out, making the only source of light be the cool white glow from their phone flashes.
“I tried calling, but I couldn’t get a signal,” Maya said, shutting the door. “You have to stay inside. This storm will probably last the night, so—”
Maya stopped in place, eyes darting around the room. Harper let out a relieved sigh, Nell hugged herself, and Evie took a quick step back, her retreat halted by her knocking into the armchair.
Maya stared at Evie, shocked. Then she glanced at Harper.
“I didn’t realize you had guests.”
Evie’s eyes were locked on Maya, her body frozen in place.
“We came a few hours ago,” Nell mumbled. “We meant to leave at nightfall, but… we hoped the storm would clear and then it… didn’t.”
Maya looked out the window. A muscle in her jaw ticked.
“Right. Of course.” She put on an attempt at a calming smile. “It isn’t natural. The Chains are moving on St. Louis right now, and the storm… Let’s just say it’s aiding them.”
She walked over, pulling Harper close to her and giving her a kiss on the temple. A soft touch that Harper couldn’t help but sigh in response to.
Evie went stiff. Maya grimaced as though picking up an unpleasant smell.
“It’s safest if you stay here until morning. Aleksander told me to stay at the cabin, to make sure Harper was okay.” She turned to Evie. “But I don’t have to do so from in here. If it helps, I can step outside. The storm won’t bother me that much.”
Harper grabbed her t-shirt. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Yes, I do.” Maya’s hand went to her ribs. A subconscious movement, it looked like. “If it would make Evie more comfortable, I’ll stay outside. I’ll keep my distance.”
Evie was still stiff as a metal rod, but her expression was no longer frozen in terror. Instead, it softened into surprise.
“You would do that?”
Maya’s smile withered a little. “Of course. Just say the word.”
Evie relaxed, her mouth opening as though ready to burst out an answer, when her gaze flicked to Harper’s hand.
Her grip on Maya’s shirt had turned clutching without her realizing. Maya might be hardy enough to withstand the harsh weather, but just thinking about her sitting outside in the dark, alone…
Evie’s eyes flicked between them. She swallowed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You don’t need to do that.” She tried a smile of her own, the attempt weak. “It’s not like it matters, anyway. You have an invitation that none of us can rescind, so you can come in whenever you want, but… thank you. For asking.”
Maya nodded, though the tension remained in her shoulders. But then her eyes drifted around the dark cabin, pausing.
“You didn’t light a fire?”
Harper gaped. “We tried lighting a fire, thank you very much. It’s harder than it looks.”
“If you don’t know what you’re doing.” Maya walked over and kneeled by the fireplace. “You’re in luck. I worked at a summer camp once. Some skills stick with you.”
Maya rearranged the logs Harper had haphazardly piled, stuffing splinters and bark between them. She bundled up a few pieces of paper, placed them in the center of the pile, and lit them with a match.
Flames sprang from the paper, licking at the kindling. After blowing on it a few times, the sharp crackle of burning wood filled the cabin, heat following right after.
“See?” Maya said with a grin. The flames cast orange light onto her face. “Easy.”
When Harper stared at her, not speaking, Maya frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Harper leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “But just so you know… I’m so fucking attracted to you right now.”