Remi stepped forward and examined him.
It was a boy. About her age from what she could tell. But he was a lot different than Eckard. Eckard had been clean and almost boyish in his features. This boy—though still looking innocent while sleeping—looked more like a man.
He had strange markings and tattoos on his exposed, muscular arms. His shirt was torn intentionally at the shoulders, but the tears in the middle were obviously not. He had taken strikes from the raid group’s blades, and somehow, he wasn’t bleeding. The wounds were non-existent and only small reveals of his massive bare chest and abdomen was revealed. He had facial hair—a mustache and goatee, but it was fuzz, as if he had just started growing it out. His hair was disheveled and dirty, but composed of fine, black tufts. His skin was sun-kissed and his lips were pursed, even in sleep.
Her eyes fell upon his right forearm and she raised an eyebrow. Something resembling a bone in color and composition was sticking out. Did he break his arm?
“What is he?” Remi asked and her mother laughed.
“I was wondering when you would stop drooling over him.”
Remi blushed. “I wasn’t drooling. I just never saw someone like him before.”
“Don’t talk back,” her mother said flatly as she put her hands on her hips. “Well, hopefully it won’t be the last time. We’re going to get him to tell us where we can find some food. Cimmerian is looking pretty dry these days, or at least with how far we’ve gone in. About time we start learning about some other options. I don’t want you hanging around him though. He’s dangerous.”
“Killed two of us,” one of the men from the raid group muttered. “Took us all to bring him down.”
“He attacked you?” the elderly man asked, but Remi’s mother shook her head.
“No, we attacked him. Only reason we were able to win, I think. He wasn’t expecting it. Anyways, you stay away from him too, old man. We’re going to keep him chained up but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for him to escape and that’s the last thing we want. Not only could we get some information out of him, but if it comes down to it…we could always eat him.”
“Ew,” Olivia muttered and the raid group began laughing.
“She says that now,” one of the men muttered. Remi’s mother gave Olivia a smirk.
“Once those hunger pains come in, you’ll consider gnawing on your arm before you’ll starve to death. Trust me. But I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. Like I said before, no one touch him without orders from one of our leaders. And someone tell me when he wakes up. It’s not every day I get to meet a Quietus.”
“A Quietus?” Remi asked in awe as she examined the boy once more. But before she could even begin to survey him, the men began shoving his limp body back into the sack. Olivia sucked her teeth as the raid group walked past the two girls and the elderly man, heading toward their impromptu prison in the middle of town. Remi watched them until they were out of sight. She made a mental note of what house they headed into.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” Olivia laughed, seeing the look on Remi’s face.
Remi laughed right back. “Nothing you wouldn’t do.”
“He’s dangerous.”
“So are we,” Remi replied, sticking her tongue out at her. Olivia rolled her eyes.
“Fine. Fine. When we get the chance, we’ll see if we can talk to him.”
“See? Isn’t it better to just go along with what I want from the beginning?”
ONE YEAR LATER
For the first time in her life, her body had gotten stronger in the passing year. Her arms weren’t just limp noodles anymore. There were biceps and triceps and broader shoulders. Her legs didn’t wobble like they used to. Her mind was sharper and her optimism was greater. The road had been paved with many setbacks—bouts of recovery in which she would be bed-ridden for days after a grueling workout, or the occasional wound inflicted by Olivia. It was always an accident, but it still took twice as long to heal than anyone else.
Olivia was the greatest. She didn’t hold back no matter how much Remi pleaded. It was annoying in the moment, but it had reaped great rewards. She was actually forming thoughts about the future now.
Yes, the future.
And not just about surviving from one day to the next either. She envisioned beating the proverbial cancer that riddled her body. She envisioned defending herself against the great armies and dangers outside of her town. She might even be able to grow to independence someday. Or find love. It was a notion she had barely considered while growing up. Reality told her that she would die before she even hit puberty, and then when puberty passed, she knew she wouldn’t reach adulthood. And now that adulthood had arrived, she figured…why not? Why couldn’t she have a normal life?
She could find someone that she could laugh with and grow even further along with. Maybe have kids. Wouldn’t that be something?
Remi smiled to herself as she stood in front of the cracked mirror. She knew what her parents would say—that she should still be careful. That she could relapse at any moment, and though her body had gained a little muscle, it didn’t mean the inside of her was any better. Logically it had gotten worse. Her heart was working harder and her organs were dying every day, but wasn’t everybody’s?
Remi clenched her fists as she raised her head high.
She was beautiful.
She didn’t care who thought otherwise. She was formidable. She was impressive. She was a beast. She was powerful. She was underestimated and all those who thought her weak would learn in time.
They would learn.
Remi sighed and pressed the palm of her hand against her chest, then she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes scanned her from head to toe, taking in who she was and how she was seen. She might make some changes to her hair. Not because she cared what anyone thought or that she was covering something up.
Just to reflect the confidence within her.
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