Nada's Escape: Fighters' lies

21.2 Entangled.

I walk up to Henry's modest house, wondering what seems so peculiar about it. A lawn, a front path, glass windows opening in the red brick. There's no driveway, I realise, no power poles or electric wires. Otherwise this house would have been right at home in the middle-class suburbia of the city.

For the first part of this morning I'd delegated Macie's tasks and added a few of my own. All part of making our stay here safe and maybe setting up for our escape. But now it's time for own quest, to see whether I can break Huntsmen oaths.

It's Penny who opens the door, and I blink in surprise for a moment.

"Hello Nada." She smiles, caramel skin creasing around her lips.

"Hi," I reply. An awkward moment stretches out where neither of us moves and I try to peer over her shoulder to see if any Huntsmen are home. "Can I come in?" I ask finally.

It takes a few blinks but Penny opens the door to let me through into a tiny foyer. I glance beyond to a kitchen on one side and straight ahead a lounge room, where Henry sits, watching the door. Small talk, I remind myself, walking towards Henry.

"Where are your parents?"

"Oh, it's just Mum, and she's on mission." He rises to greet me.

"Right." I don't actually care... "I'm here to speak with Penny alone, if that's alright?" I direct the last words at Penny, but she's distracted, gazing at Henry, waiting for a word from him.

"Thank you for answering the door. Could you wait in your room for the moment?" Henry says to Penny, though it's not a question. She immediately drifts down a hallway. Henry's expression is not yet suspicious, but certainly wary of my intentions.

"I uh... heard one of you might be coming but-" Henry stumbles over his words, eyes flicking down to the symbol on my forearm. I glance at it, checking that I turned on the lights this morning, though I kind of wish I hadn't.

"I just want to talk to Penny." I reply. 

"Right, yeah." He gestures to the hallway and I start that way. "You'll tell me, won't you, if she's not doing okay?"

I pause in the door frame. Okay? She's become ... emptier since he enthralled her, barely a shell of a girl. How could she ever be okay, like that?

"I'm not here for you." I say simply. Still the words feel like a lie, because I'm not here for Penny either. I'm here for myself. To test my powers and maybe see if I can break Penny's 'sweethearts' oath to Henry.

I enter Penny's room down the hallway.  It's almost as blank as mine. Only a few aged picture books lean to one side of an empty shelf. Penny sits calmly on the bed, gazing out the window into an open backyard.

"So um... do you still have your sweethearts ribbon?" I broach.

She nods and reaches under her pillow to bring out the tangled red ribbon. I wrinkle my nose in disgust.  I can't believe she keeps it under her pillow.

"Henry let me keep it," she whispers, stroking her fingers over it. I feel a pang of anxiety about breaking the ribbon in front of her, suddenly remembering that doesn't want to be released from her oath. After all, the ribbon is just a tiny part of her troubles.

"May I have a look?" I ask softly. Penny hands it over reverently. "I'm just going to look at it in the light."

I turn around to the window, hiding the ribbon from her with my body. It's luxuriantly silky and thick enough to hide my fingers with a single loop. Deep red for romance I suppose, though the Huntsmen version of romantic includes battle gear and effective lobotomies.

I feel my way along the knot, bunched up too tight for the thickness of the ribbon. I dig my fingers into the folds, tugging, even pushing my elbows out on either side for more mobility. It doesn't shift, my fingers slipping on the silky fabric. A whirl of disappointment tugs at me even as I have one last attempt.

No I can't. I'm not. I never wanted to be magical. I didn't want this to prove that I was a Huntswoman. And yet it would have felt nice to break their chains for once. I feel disappointed, despite myself. Defeated, I hand the ribbon back to Penny and pat her hand awkwardly.

"Shall we head back out?" I look into her face to ask but it's like the question is echoed back in her blank eyes. I smile, testing her. The corners of her mouth lift in response but her brown eyes are the same, a blank question asking me what to do. Is this what I will become if things with Finley go poorly? Will I be as empty as Penny?

I sigh and lead her back out to the lounge room where Henry waits, writing hurriedly in a notebook. When he looks up there's hope in his eyes.

Is she okay? He seems to ask. I shake my head in exasperation. Surely he can see the answer himself in her blank gaze.

"I've got to go; they still make us do our lessons." Henry says instead, "Do you mind staying with her?"

I do mind, but I'm also not sure I like the way he talks about Penny like she isn't here. "Sure. You wanna hang out?" I turn to Penny. It might take her a few seconds to think about it but she nods all the same. Henry is already creeping to the door.

"How long will you be?" I call after him, trying not to let my desperation show.

"Three hours, maybe more." The firm click of the front door closing ends the communication.

Trying to stay positive, I give Penny a thin smile. "Hungry?" I ask.

She gives me a shrug, but I don't really care because I'm hungry. I raid the fridge but there's barely a scrap to eat in it or the freezer. So this is how a thirteen-year-old looks after himself and his girlfriend, I realise. I kick myself for not asking if I could take Penny back to mine. After casting around the house a second time I take her with me anyway. She'll be a good reminder for all of us to keep our whispers of escape to ourselves today, saving them for when we're beyond the Huntsmen's ears tomorrow.