In the middle of her next shift, Jess got a call from Elizabeth. Apparently, her sister was invited to a last-minute get-together with her friends, and could no longer provide a ride home, since they planned to drink. Jess spent the next ten minutes of the call trying to come up with a compromise for her sister. In such a small town, there were no taxi options. Without a ride, she'd either have to walk or spend the night at the lodge, when all she wanted was to get home ASAP and sleep.

No amount of begging from Jess got Elizabeth to change her mind, or even postpone drinking for a few hours to be a sober ride. She declared Jess owed her at least one night of freedom after a week of being her unpaid driver. When the call ended, Jess was in tears. She wiped them away quickly before returning to the lobby, unaware that Sigyn had been around the corner, listening to everything.

Jess approached Kark at the front desk and asked to book a room for the night.

"Tonight?" Kark looked through the computer. "I can look, but being a Friday, we might already be completely booked. We can wait and see if someone cancels..."

"Absolutely not," Sigyn interrupted from the top of the stairs.

The tears Jess wiped away threatened to come back. The last thing she needed tonight was a sucker punch from Sigyn, waving her power over her head just to mess with her.

Kark opened his mouth to protest on her behalf, but Sigyn didn't give him the chance to speak. "I will not let her waste a day's paycheck on the failures of her family when can stay with me."

A quiet 'what?' piped from Jess. Sigyn gave her a small smile and directed her to her private room.

Before following, she lingered near Kark's desk and watched her ascend the stairs. "She's a stubborn one, but my last plan should do the trick."

Kark bent his head closer to not be overheard. "She's had a rough night. Perhaps its more humane waiting for Monday?"

Sigyn threw a cheeky grin over her shoulder. "If all goes well tonight, she won't show up on Monday."

Entering Sigyn's room, Jess was surprised to find it...cozy. It had the same stone and wood theme as the rest of the lodge. Maybe it was the soft glow of the fireplace that made her want to snuggle up on the couch under the fuzzy blankets and nap. The far corner of the room was raised by three steps, where Sigyn had a king-sized bed all to herself. To the right was the kitchen and bathroom. Simple, but completely luxurious.

When Sigyn arrived, she immediately led Jess to the kitchen, as offering food and drink was the mark as a good host. "I just learned this recipe for reindeer tenderloin. I haven't tasted it yet, but I think it went well."

A strong yet pleasing aroma of garlic and mushrooms wafted through the air. On the outside, the meat looked crispy and dry, but a slice from the stake knife revealed a secret layer of pink, juicy meat.

Jess was more concerned about the animal being killed legally rather than how it tasted. "I'm vegetarian."

Sigyn glanced at her and frowned. "Oh, you poor thing."

"It's by choice."

"Interesting. I don't come across that often. Where I'm from, meat and hunting are integral parts of life."

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"Where are you from exactly? I can't pinpoint your accent."

"I'd rather forget about it. I can't ever go back, anyway." She pushed a plate of vegetables across the island to Jess.

"You're a refugee?" Jess asked slowly, fearing she crossed a line, but Sigyn was unbothered in her answer.

"In a sense." She leaned back on the counter behind her. "I came to this place to forget my past," she said with a pointed look at Jess.

Jess took the hint and apologized if anything she said brought up bad memories.

"Human curiosity is only natural. But enough about me." She took a bite of food. "How have you faired working here?"

"Pretty good, considering I've had twice the workload as the others."

Sigyn didn't flinch at the accusation. "You've impressed us. A work ethic like yours could take you anywhere." She walked around the corner of the island to lean closer to Jess. "You probably don't want to be a maid for the rest of your life, so tell me, what is it you want to do more than anything else?"

If it were Sigyn's proximity or the suddenness of the question that made her brain malfunction, Jess didn't know. The longer Sigyn waited for her to respond, the deeper panic set it.

"I don't know...I like writing, but that's just a hobby."

"Writers can't make a living?"

"Not fantasy writers. Unless they get famous." She pushed the vegetables around her plate. "My family has been trying to get me to focus on a career, but I just can't."

Sigyn sat on the stool next to Jess and leaned closer. "This doesn't have anything to do with your sister, does it?"

Jess blinked at her, and it was all the confirmation she needed.

"I met her the other day. Quite the piece of work."

Racing to her sister's defense, Jess argued: "She's just looking out for me."

"Is that what she told you? Because that is a real convenient excuse to boss someone around."

"You barely know her."

"I know people like her. Trust me, I lived with them. They reminded me every day how big of a disappointment I was, and that I'd never amount to anything. Believe me when I say the only way to deal with them is to remove them from your life completely."

Jess shook her head. "I can't do that."

"Why not? You have the guts, take the glory."

Her face tensed. Tears threatened to flood her eyes. "My dad and my sister are the only family I have. I don't wanna be alone."

Sigyn was about to explain how being alone wasn't bad at all, but she hesitated, and the more she acknowledged it, the heavier the words sunk into her bones. She remembered the nights in the company of many people and feeling more alone than ever. All she had was Kark, a loyal servant who would absolutely do anything for her but could never be everything she needed.

Sigyn's plan for the night had been uprooted by the little brunette girl who had more in common with her than she expected.

After eating, Sigyn loaned Jess one of her silk nightgowns. It was a loose fit, but close enough to sleep comfortably in. The light brush of the silk against her skin was rejuvenating, and she couldn't resist a small twirl in the bathroom mirror.

Sigyn, sitting on the couch hugging her knees, wore a similar gown. As Jess walked closer, she noticed a mark on her forearm. A tattoo she hadn't seen before. Her eyes were glued to the TV screen when Jess joined her. In a forest somewhere in South America, thousands of orange monarchs dangled from the trees. Sigyn stared at them as if they were the most amazing creatures she'd ever seen.

"All those colors. How is that even possible?"

"You act like you've never seen butterflies before," Jess said with a laugh.

Sigyn shrugged. "I don't get out much."

"You must not get out at all. I see them all the time around the neighborhood in the summer."

When Sigyn's expression didn't change, Jess realized it was possible she really hadn't seen a butterfly before. The more time she spent with Sigyn, the more questions she had. The way she watched the animals on the screen with so much interest was another mark against her being a heartless poacher. Had Jess really imagined the whole thing?

"I have to know, for my own sanity, did I really see what I think I saw that day?"

She kept her wording vague on purpose, but Sigyn knew what she meant.

"You're not crazy."

It was all the confirmation she needed. It should have spurred her onwards to reveal Sigyn's secret to the world, but instead, it gave her peace.

That night, once Sigyn was snoring on her side of the bed, Jess opened her phone to look at the photos of Sigyn's closet. Her finger hovered over the delete icon, but she didn't want to let it all go just yet. So, she put her phone away and fell asleep.