10. The Second Pie
The Second Pie
Driz waited four nights for Pearl.
One day of stone sleep almost healed her injuries, leaving only a minor tear in her wing, but that, too, was gone after a second day.
She flew to her grotto and trove of treasures late on the second night, when she knew Pearl would not be meeting her. She washed herself in the waterfall, running her fingers over the scarf and handkerchief Pearl had tied to her shoulder. They made Driz happy each time she saw them.
Pretty floral embroidery decorated the corner of the pale blue handkerchief. It was so delicate even stained with red dirt, like the scarf and her shirt. Driz couldn’t scrub them clean, no matter how hard she tried.
She tied the scarf around her own neck, hoping Pearl wouldn’t mind that she borrowed it until she could give it back.
Her heart pounded and her skin tingled at the reminder of when Pearl had given it to her. Pearl had willingly touched her, and with something like care. Driz didn’t think she would ever forget. Her wings twitched at the recalled contact.
She spent the rest of the nights perched on the bluff, watching the lights of Pearl’s town. The pain in her wing was gone, but not the memory of it. The immediate rejection.
Driz knew she was their monster. It wasn’t the humans’ fault that they were afraid of her. At first, she had been angry at the one who shot her. But that anger faded quickly. He’d thought Driz had hurt Pearl. Driz had done worse to the man who truly had.
His fragile body had broken so easily. She hadn’t thought about what she was doing at the time, the instinct to protect driving her actions. It had been so quick. So easy. She’d never killed a human before.
Driz didn’t exactly regret it. He had been one less for Pearl to take care of. But it bothered her some as she watched the stars slowly spiral around her. Who had he been? Why had he done it? Did he have a family to miss him?
Driz had watched humans for a long time, trying to understand their nature. They were so loyal. Destructive and violent, but caring too. They belonged to one another. Driz belonged nowhere and to no one. And perhaps that was a belonging in itself.
She had briefly belonged to her mother, but that was so long ago. Torrent taught Driz to survive, but she hadn’t taught her how to live. Driz had figured that out on her own. Perhaps she’d done that wrong too, because she wanted things she shouldn’t.
She didn’t know why she was different, or how the others of her kind could be content to be as they were.
Or if not content, at least willing to accept their isolated existence, and their laws that kept them that way.
Or perhaps some of them longed for the same things and just didn’t know how to communicate it.
Driz was tired of being alone. Everything had changed since she met Pearl.
Driz didn’t want to lose whatever connection they had.
It didn’t matter that Pearl was a human.
In fact, it made her even more interesting.
Driz would rather Pearl stab her each time she saw her than never see her again. Was that wrong? Driz didn’t care.
She had just woken from the fourth day when she heard the approach of feet. Happiness beat out of her chest, and she hurried toward the mouth of the ravine.
Pearl appeared with a basket dangling from one hand and another sack slung over the opposite shoulder.
“Hey,” Pearl said. The casual greeting warmed Driz’s insides.
“Hello.” Driz eyed the sack as Pearl produced fabric and handed it over.
Driz shook it out to discover a new shirt, only this one was shaped differently.
“Since I damaged the first, I figured I’d replace it,” Pearl explained. “I made a few adjustments too. For your wings. I’m not as good at clean hemming as Molly, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”
The back of the shirt was mostly open, with a panel that had two buttons to connect below her wings, so she could take it on and off easily. Driz didn’t have any words, overwhelmed by the care it showed.
She reached for her current shirt, too excited to wear her new one. She let the stained, torn fabric fall. Night air caressed her skin, along with the ends of Pearl’s scarf, which she still wore. Pearl stared at her bare torso, eyes wide.
Suddenly self-conscious, Driz quickly slipped her arms through the sleeves of the new shirt, pulling the front sections together to cover herself. Her fingers were clumsy on the buttons, but she got most of them done.
When she reached behind for the rear ones, she couldn’t quite manage them without seeing. “Will you help me?”
“Sure,” Pearl breathed, and cleared her throat.
Driz presented her back, curling her wings forward and out of the way in an exposed position. She had a moment of alarm as Pearl approached.
Fingers brushed Driz’s skin near her spine.
Pearl pulled the short panels together and nimbly fastened the buttons, stepping back as soon as the top one was hooked.
Driz missed her closeness at once but soothed herself with enjoying the new garment.
It fit better than the old one and was even more special.
“What d’you think?” Pearl asked, and Driz beamed before she could stop the reaction. Pearl’s face tensed, but she didn’t physically recoil as she had done last time Driz smiled.
“You made this?” Driz asked, unable to stop running her hands over her arms, loving the sensation.
“Molly made it. I just modified it a bit.”
“You are very skilled.”
Pearl raised in eyebrow. “Not really. Don’t look too close at the seams.”
Driz would look at every thread when she had the chance. “Will you show me which ones you did?” The look Pearl gave her made Driz wonder if she shouldn’t have asked.
“The ones on the back.” Pearl held out a leather item, thin and dangling. “And I also brought these. So you can stop using that thing that doesn’t count as a belt.”
Driz puzzled over the connected straps, not certain how to wear them.
“D’you want me to help you again?” Pearl asked.
Driz nodded. “Please.”
“Turn around.”
Driz curled her wings forward and presented her back to Pearl again.
The button at the back of the waistband tugged for a moment, and then Pearl tossed one strap over to the front of each of Driz’s shoulders. “Hold these,” she directed.
Driz obediently grabbed the straps, holding them as Pearl moved to her front. Their fingers brushed when Pearl took them from her before efficiently fastening the loops on the ends around the buttons above her pockets.
Pearl smelled slightly different today, with floral hints beneath the sharp bite of smoke. Driz inhaled deeply.
Pearl adjusted the length of the straps with the metal sliders, the heat of her hands seeping through the fabric of Driz’s new shirt and into her chest. Driz’s heart sped up, wishing she could somehow keep the sensation of the touch like one of her treasures.
But it was gone as soon as it arrived, and Pearl stepped away again.
She grabbed the basket she’d rested on the ground. “Your replacement pie. As promised.”
Driz peered inside at the brown disk. She had not eaten yet, and her stomach reacted with interest to the sweet scent. When she looked back up, Pearl was holding a bottle.
“It pairs well with bourbon. Share a glass with me?”
Driz nodded.
Pearl sauntered past her, setting her glowing lantern by her feet and seating herself on a large flat rock.
Driz perched next to her as close as she dared, clutching her smelly basket to her chest as Pearl unstoppered the bottle and produced two glasses, pouring amber liquid into each. She handed one to Driz.
“This is bourbon?” Driz asked.
“Yup.” Pearl threw her head back, the liquid disappearing. Driz watched, enraptured, following the swallow and line of her neck to her collar.
Driz mimicked the motion with her own glass.
She choked. The fiery drink burned her gullet and stung her eyes. She blinked rapidly, and beside her, Pearl laughed.
Pearl’s amusement died in her throat. What was she thinking, laughing at a goyle?
“Sorry, I should’ve warned you,” she said quickly. “It takes some getting used to.”
Driz smiled again. It wasn’t quite as alarming to see that expression as it had been the first time. “Why are your teeth made of metal?”
Pearl ran her tongue over the false teeth at the mention, uncertain if she was annoyed or freshly amused. “That’s a rude question.”
“It is?” Driz’s eyes widened and her wings twitched. “I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t. My real ones got kicked out of my face when I was a teenager.”
A low growl emanated from Driz’s chest, sending Pearl’s heart spiking. She stood, reaching for her hip as she put distance between them.
The growling stopped and Driz ducked her head. She shifted, settling back on her heels, knees folded up near her shoulders and her wings joining to create a conical point above her. As if making herself as small as possible. She cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she rumbled. “I was not growling at you.”
Pearl’s heart slowed. She pulled her hand away from the handle of her revolver and cautiously sat beside Driz again. “You just startled me.”
Driz nodded. “Do you like the stars?” she asked abruptly.
“I think everyone does.”
“They do?” Driz leaned toward her, excited.
“I mean, yeah. Why?”
“Then I am like everyone.” Driz smiled again. Then she looked down at her basket, withdrawing the whole pie.
“There’s a spoon in there too,” Pearl told her, reaching over and pulling it out. “Not the polite way to eat it, but my favorite.”
Driz accepted the spoon, curling her long, clawed fingers around the handle. Her forefinger brushed Pearl’s own.
Driz tentatively poked at the crust. It wasn’t hot anymore but still smelled heavenly. Pearl should’ve had Molly make two.
But Driz didn’t eat it. She held it out toward Pearl. “You shared your drink. I want to share this pie. Show me how you eat it.”
Oh. That had no right to make Pearl’s belly heat.