Brian had expected the denial and the excuses and so he wasn’t disappointed when Sylvie chose to refute the accusations laid by Rory. The conversation with the two women was short and frustrating for Brian, though. The mystery around the younger of the two deepened with every passing moment and Brian’s sense of urgency only increased in proportion.

Danny’s interest in the girl was minimal and that annoyed Brian a little. He had always thought of Danny as his right hand and second in command. While they had never discussed his exact role or title, Brian felt that they should be worrying in tandem. Danny’s dismissal of the girl’s danger was both perplexing and upsetting for Brian. He had to press upon the girl herself the importance of proving herself a non-threat. He also had to find her a niche in their community and the best way to do that was to show her their daily work.

The work did not change day to day for the people under Brian’s care. The variable that affected their occupation the most was the weather and as it was cold and unbearably windy Brian was not going to be sending many people out of the caverns. The chores that had to be done to keep the ancient, dirty catacombs in liveable condition were hard and never-ending. It was nice to have more hands to clean and build. He decided it was time to put the two new women to work. Separately.

“Sylvie, you’ll have a lightened workload due to your age. Ana is young and more able-bodied. I’ll be having you do some light laundry work and Ana is going to be cleaning.” When the aged woman looked like she was going to argue, Ana gave her a gentle tight-lipped smile. Sylvie’s words died on her lips and she followed Brian.

After having delivered the older woman into the capable hands of the laundry and tailoring group, instructing her to be as useful as possible and he’d come check on her later, Brian took Ana with him to the place where unused things were cleaned, maintained and stored for later. Priceless electronics that were most valued for their spare parts for their radios and generators were carefully kept dust-free and dry. Weapons that they had no ammunition for were carefully dismantled, oiled, cleaned and stored for parts or later use.

Near the equipment was wood that was being aged and dried for making fires. This was rotated and dusted off daily to keep mice and insects off of it. The wood that seemed to be well preserved was carefully wrapped in discarded bits of clothing or tarpaulin and stored. Because gathering wood was such a loud and time consuming task, requiring several people to do the actual chopping and several more to be lookouts, Brian did not mess around with the fruits of the lumbering labour. Fire was their only source of heat for warmth and cooking and provided most areas with light. Danny and Brian use the generators sparingly as the gasoline used to power most of them was hard to find.

“I’m going to have you work with me today.” Brian’s voice was light and artificially chipper and he glanced at Ana to see her reaction. She merely stared at the people carefully going over each piece of firewood. She looked confused.

“We’re going to inspect the wood for insects and mice. Any infested piece gets put into a pile to be used immediately in the communal fire.” Brian met her eyes briefly and she tilted her head a little. She seemed amused.

Ana picked up a piece of wood at her feet and spun it between her hands. She pinched a small bug on it and flicked it off. She spun it again and deemed it clean and then set it aside. She crouched down by the small pile and began to dive into the task given to her, her bulky coat making her look like a hunched bird. Brian watched her work while he walked slowly around the small group, making light conversation with the others. She was wholly engrossed in her work. She didn't look up or glance away. She finished the pieces of wood nearest her and then stood up, brushing her hands together.

Brian gestured to the pile of discarded wood.

“We’ll take those to the fire and give it to the people working there.” He picked up an armload and began putting it in her small arms. She didn’t baulk under the weight and she didn’t make any movement to stop him piling several large pieces of wood. He refilled his own arms and led the way to the great fire.

“These people will use it to heat up water for bathing and cooking. We let everyone make their own bathing schedule, once every other week, with women given preference over men. Children are bathed at the discretion of their parents.” He showed her the oil drums filled with steaming water and the metal pails sitting near them. “If you want to bathe, just let them know when and you can be given a pail of hot water, soap, a pumice stone and a towel. Everyone is encouraged to be as clean as possible.”

She seemed to take in the supplies around her, the process in which clean, cold water was dumped into the drums and brought to a boil. The steam was warm and comforting to Brian who always looked forward to his bi-weekly wash. She looked back up at Brian but did not acknowledge that she understood the instructions. Brian could only hope that his message was getting through to her. She was expected to conform to their ways and comply with his basic demands: eat, work, bathe, survive. The girl wrapped her arms around her middle and shrugged her coat higher up her neck. Brian was at least thankful that she had taken off her cowl.

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The work day was already half over so Brian took her to the food preparation area and carefully observed the interaction between Rory and Ana. Rory refused to meet her gaze despite her tiny shy smile of recognition that she offered him. The tall man was cleaning a rabbit, slicing it deftly with a long thin blade. He swiftly removed its skin and only as he took the rabbit’s head off with one quick chop did he look up at the girl watching him, meeting her gilded gaze with his own sharp blue. She bowed her head and let a lock of jet black hair fall over her eyes. Brian’s brow furrowed as he watched the pair interact.

“I’d like Ana to be given a small meal, please, Rory. Whatever you have will do. She’s been learning the different types of work around the complex this morning.” He kept this tone light and friendly as he addressed the menacing man.

“All I have ready right now is bread and some cured meat.” Rory turned and pulled a flat loaf of bread from the dried grass basket behind him and then dug his hand in a cloth bag. He drew out four or five chunks of leathery dark brown meat and dropped them on the bread. He held the offering out to Ana who stood motionless.

“You’ll get stew later, Ana,” Brian said gently. “Let’s have a snack for now and keep working. I still have to show you some things.” Slowly, she reached out and took the food. As she turned to face Brian he noticed she looked stony and far away, as though she was not present. Concerned, Brian reached out to put an arm around her to steer her away and she suddenly flinched, sidestepping and flickering her gaze up at him in alarm.

“Sorry,” said Brian, putting both hands up.

“She doesn’t like to be touched.” Rory’s voice was quiet and full of something Brian couldn’t place. “She also doesn’t like to eat in front of other people, except for Sylvie.”

These words set off alarm bells in Brian’s mind, casting his memories back to when Danny’s mother had refused to eat and had turned out to be a masquerading demon. Brian led the girl to his office area and sat her down in the chair behind his desk, giving her the seat of power as he put himself in the foldable lawn chair facing the huge piece of furniture.

“Your job for the rest of the day is to eat this. As soon as you’re done, you can go get Sylvie and have the afternoon off.” The girl blinked at him. “But you’re not getting up until you eat every piece of that.” A crease formed between her eyebrows and she looked down at the bread and dried meat. Brian leaned in and lowered his voice, his arm resting on the edge of the desk. He felt the space between them charge, filling with danger and tension.

“Years ago, I watched a lovely old lady give up her food for her much stronger, bigger adult son. I watched her refuse food but not grow weaker. In fact, over the three days, she merely drank water and waited. I lost a person each day but never this old woman.” Brian’s voice dropped further, barely a whisper. “I know you’ve already proven you aren’t a gargoyle but I’m not convinced there isn’t something else going on with you. So until you show me you can eat human food, you aren’t leaving my side.” The tension between them pulled at his insides.

Ana’s eyes first met his left then his right eye, then flicked back again. He watched her narrow her eyes slightly and then lift her chin. Setting her jaw in a decidedly annoyed way, she lifted a piece of the dried meat to her lips and parted them. She looked him directly in the eye as she bared two sets of pointed teeth and took an angry bite. As she chewed slowly she shook her hair out of her face and drew herself up a little.

“So you are an anomaly.” His voice was quiet as he watched her chewing. She shook her head once and opened her mouth again. Her two sets of sharp teeth touched her bottom lip and she hesitated. The moment balanced on such a thin precipice that Brian felt like he was about to fall.

“I..” Her voice was raspy and light and struck his ears in a discordant way that made him sit up and pull away. “I am not like you.” He stood and drew a dagger from his belt, his chair clattering on the stone floor.

The absolute horror and ice cold fear that slithered around his skin was unmistakably real. The scream in his mind to run was nearly deafening. This was a danger far beyond his knowledge, a danger that yawned before him in such proportions that it dwarfed him.

“What are you?”

“Lost.” Her voice pierced his mind and seemed to be both inside and out of him. Brian took a step back and raised his dagger but could do no more as she held his gaze. “Help me.” Her voice seemed to echo in his head and he reeled with dizziness.

“What do you want?” Brian fought off a wave of nausea as he took a step closer and brought up the dagger, brandishing it in her face.

“Take me north.” Her voice was doubled, tripled, a thousand voices compelling him. “Take me north and ask no more questions.” Images ran in his mind of hoards of demons descending on his small group, him and Danny narrowly escaping with the girl bundled between them. Blood, screams, death all around. Black feathers in the wind. A bright, cold white light shining from the trio as they ran, burning a path through the enormous mass of demonic flesh. Enormous black wings flapping. Her piercing screams as she pushed them to run faster.

Suddenly her gaze broke and she collapsed in on herself, becoming small again. Her hair fell across her face as she laid her face in her hands. His eyes wide with astonishment, Brian desperately begged his mouth to form the words to his questions he wanted to ask. But she had compelled and his body had complied. He would ask no more questions and tomorrow morning, he and Danny would take this monster north or face the consequences of their inaction.