Grim Echoes

Chapter 73 - Maeve

Maeve opened the door as Will held on to her, still slurring about why Disturbed was underrated, because they weren't mainstream enough. Ander was still seated at the table, his face set in angry lines as he typed. If he heard them arrive, he didn't acknowledge them. Maeve peered at his screen as she led Will to his bed. It looked black with a bunch of random numbers and letters on it.

Will flopped on the bed, grabbed her hands, and tugged her on top of him. The movement roused Ander out of his concentrated state, but it didn't remove the irritated expression. Will moved his arms up to her shoulders and pulled her closer. He meant to kiss her. She should pull away. He was too drunk to understand his actions, but his sensual lips enticed her. A bottle of pedialyte slammed on the nightstand next to them. Maeve jumped. Ander stared at Will.

"Thanks Andy," Will sat up.

Maeve had no choice but to slide off of Will to the side. His movements so automatic he seemed to forget she was there. He opened the bottle of orange pedialyte and chugged it. She moved away and sat at the end of the bed. Ander handed a bottle of water to Will. He drank that as well. Ander waited until Will was finished and then moved to the bottom of the bed. Maeve stood and backed up to give Ander space. Will fell back on his pillow. Ander picked up Will's feet and slid off his shoes, then rolled him on to his side. Ander's movements swift and sure.

"Thanks Andy," Will murmured and passed out.

"Rest Will, everything is alright. I will keep watch." He lifted the blanket and laid it on Will.

Will's shoulders relaxed at Ander's words, and he snored. Ander tossed the bottles into the garbage and checked his Fitbit before he sat on his bed. Maeve scanned the room, unsure of what to do, and realized it smelled nice. A small orange candle that must've been cinnamon and clove sat near Ander's laptop. Why had he lit a candle?

"I'm getting in the shower," she blurted out, and pulled her nightgown out of her bag.

"How long will you be?"

She stopped close to the bathroom. He'd never asked her how long she'd be in the bathroom before. She fidgeted with the bow on her nightgown.

"I don't know, should I wait?"

"No, it is fine. He will need the bathroom soon. He always does," Ander motioned to Will.

"I'll be fast,"

She grabbed the edge of the counter, stared into the mirror. Interloper. Of course she was an intruder, she'd only been with them for a little over a week. Why would she be anything else? It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did. It hurt, but she didn't understand why. So much had happened in the last week. It seemed like a month. This was their normal. It only overwhelmed her. Forcing herself to move, she turned on the shower and ignored the weight on her chest. She showered fast, worried she'd took too long.

When she opened the door, Ander stood and gently shook Will. Will's arm shot out to strike Ander, but familiar with Will's default sleep strike, he dodged it.

"It is me Will, come on, you need to use to the bathroom," Ander helped Will stand and walk to the bathroom before he closed door with both of them inside.

Maeve sat and touched the small bow on her nightgown. Will swore at Ander and proclaimed he didn't need his help. Then cursed again when he smacked into the wall. The door opened, and Ander led Will back to his bed. Will swayed on his feet as Ander turned down his sheets. He didn't even glance in Maeve's direction. Will fell into the bed on his stomach, grumbled and then rolled around as he pulled off his shirt and collapsed back on the bed.

Will's bare back visible, Maeve tried not to stare. She didn't know he had a full back tattoo of a Celtic cross. It was gorgeous. The intricate knotwork captivated her. She forced herself not to get up and go closer. Ander noticed her fixed on his tattoos as he pulled the covers over Will. Returning to his bed, he sat and raked hair back. He sighed and laid back, his eyes aimed at the ceiling. His jaw relaxed. Not angry anymore, just resigned.

"Did you find out anything new about the shade or what it might be tied to?" she continued to fidget with her nightgown.

"No. I was unable to focus on the mission." he moved his eyes to her.

She stopped touching the bow between her breasts on her nightgown as she caught his intense gaze.

Ander dragged his eyes away. "Perhaps I am tired." he looked back at the ceiling.

"I need to go to the bookstore tomorrow. Will you take me?" Maeve blurted out.

She'd never been so uncomfortable around Ander before, not even when he was covered in blood. Why did this bother her so much? She figured she'd be comforted knowing Ander took care of Will. Was it because Will dismissed her so easily? More than dismissed, he'd forgot she existed. What did she expect Ander to do? He wasn't responsible for Will's actions. Crap. She cast her eyes to the floor, she'd done what everyone else did. She'd blamed Ander. Her eyes moved back to Ander. He deserved better.

"As you like." he turned his head to her. "We will go in the morning after breakfast. He will sleep until noon."

Ander stood and got his scrubs and went into the bathroom. Maeve smiled despite her internal struggle. The prospect of breakfast and books with Ander excited her. The bookstore was one place she'd always looked forward to, she could spend hours in a bookstore browsing or reading. It'd be nice to do something normal.

She checked on Will. He still snored. Maeve paced around the room, unsure of what to do. Tonight she was with Ander, but he still seemed off from before. She wouldn't get into his bed until he wanted her there. For all of her ability to see into a person's soul, she had no confidence in her abilities and always questioned if she'd interpreted what she'd seen or felt correctly.

Ander opened the door. He only had on his scrub pants. Maeve stopped and gawked at Ander with wide eyes. He re-arranged Will, so he slept on his side. Will was too far gone to wake up and try to attack him, but even so Ander still spoke to him in a soothing tone.

Ander's chest, stomach, back and arms had a staggering amount of markings. Some of his tattoos were things she recognized like his shield knot, medusa, and a triple spiral she thought was called a triskelion. His left bicep had the triskelion, and under it was an upside-down triangle with the Cancer symbol. She stood frozen, unable to pull her eyes away.

On the right side of his chest was a simplistic set of long vertical lines with shorter lines to either side of the vertical lines that were inside of a circle. Hard to see what the original intent of it had been, because it looked like it'd been put on top of groups of small triangles with lines extending from them. The groupings of small, arrow-like symbols went in all directions and took up most of his skin. They were the background on his torso, back and most of his upper arms.

It was while she gazed at them she noticed that besides the various scars from different wounds, there were obvious burn scars. Someone had burned him, branded him in multiple spots, some of which continued right through the small triangles with extended lines. Maeve recalled the burning pain she'd felt on her chest in the library when their hands touched. How the pain had seared through her body.

She stared at the big burn scar that extended through the largest part of the small arrow-like symbols on his chest and stomach. She sucked in air, the memory of the pain now fresh in her mind. Her fingers touched her solar plexus in horror. Who could've been so cruel and done this to him?