Blood In The Water | Juliette Ferras

The Guests Have Staring Problems

They're gorgeous. Both of them. One girl is slightly older with darker blue eyes, while the other seems to be sinking into the ground. I can't necessarily blame her. She has spent more than five seconds in my brother's presence.

My brother stiffens next to me. No one else seems to notice how his hands clench and his leg rattles up and down. I gently tap the side of his calf, signaling him to calm down. We have no time, luxury, or room to worry about anything but the safety of our sector.

He stands up at once, beckoning both girls to sit opposite us. Another soldier—Kent, I think his name is, nudges the younger one slightly. I roll my eyes and stab my fork down on my plate. The girls snap their gazes toward me, and I finally realize that perhaps being locked up in an asylum left them with scars too.

Where theirs are mental, mine are also physical. My high-neck collar hides the bruises well enough, but clothes can only do so much. My back aches every time I sit down. Every time I breathe. Every time I move.

The younger girl keeps staring at me. I've grown accustomed to noticing when someone's eyes are on me. More times than most, it's older men. The ones who stare a little longer at an unbuttoned blouse or the deep V-neckline of my shirt. I'm just glad that from a practical standpoint, I cannot wear anything the length of shirts or shorts. It's why I love my suit. It's perfectly suited to my needs; Adjustable to the weather.

I really need to thank Kishimoto.

I try not to snap at the girl because I know how daunting waking up in an unknown place can be. My ears turn slightly pink as I suddenly feel self-conscious. But Aaron makes sure my clothes are nothing but the best, so I have nothing to worry about.

"What's that?" The girl finally asks. She looks so innocent; Afraid of a room full of idiots she could kill. If I had that power, my father would never touch a hair on Aaron's head again.

I realize she's talking about the silver circlet woven in my hair. It's thin enough so that it never gets caught on anything, but it is beautiful. Probably the most special and priceless thing I own. At the back, there are two gemstones interwoven with each other in a Yin and Yang style.

An aquamarine and a diamond.

I forget who I'm speaking to as I catch a familiar head staring at the dip between my chest and neck. All my pleasantries fade away.

I turn to the girl, her question barely lingering at the back of my mind. "None of you-"

Aaron elbows me under the table. This time, I'm grateful. The girl has already started to cower away at the time of my voice. I don't know what Aaron's plan is, but I can tell he wants these girls to trust him, and an extension of that was trusting me.

"It's an old birthday present," I finish.

The girl nods, moving her hair in front of her eyes. Her older sister tries her best to glare at me, but after one look at my expression, it sinks. That's my resting bitch face as Aaron calls it.

I frown, trying to pull my lips up to a friendly smile, but I can't. Physically, I don't remember how to smile. I don't think Aaron does either.

"You know . . . there are clothes in your armoire, my dear," Warner says to the older girl; The one with lingering sapphire eyes. I realize that the room was standing in silence as the two girls entered. Now, a steady stream of chatter has resumed.

"And you don't have to wear those dirty tennis shoes anymore," Warner continues, stealing another glance at both girls now, before pouring something into their cups. I look over and am relieved to find that it's just water.

"Juliette?"

The younger girl inhales too quickly.

"Are you not hungry?" My brother asks.

"No, thank you."

I stifle my laugh. That isn't going to sit well with Aaron.

Time for the shit show, I think, reclining back in my chair and tipping my glass into my mouth. My pinky finger sticks up like always. I like to think it's because my mother taught me class, but I know it's because of the way my father twisted my hand.

The finger never set properly, even after the splint.

Aaron licks his bottom lip into a smile. "Don't confuse stupidity for bravery, love. I know you haven't eaten anything in days."

Juliette says something that makes me choke. "I'd really rather die than eat your food and listen to you call me love," she tells him.

Adam drops his fork.

Aaron spares him a swift glance and when he looks my way again, I see that his eyes have hardened. He holds Juliette's gaze for a few infinitely long seconds. Her eyes are icy blue—the colour of frost. Her sister clears her throat. I understand immediately what she's trying to do; Take the attention off her sister.

Aaron's gun goes up in the air, shooting a bullet up at the ceiling. I barely move, stealing a few fries from his plate instead.

The entire room screams to a stop.

I'm quite content until I hear someone snicker in the crowd. I feel my senses heighten. I stand up, just as fast, and throw one of my blades into the center of Aaron's gun. It pierces through the handgun like butter and pins it to the barricade a few meters away. It hits the wall with a clunk. A very surprised Jenkins faces me, his smile completely gone.

I sit back down. I realize how authoritative my voice is as I continue to speak. "The next person who so much as makes a sound when my brother addresses the crowd will find themselves in an early grave."

My brother doesn't smile, but I know he's secretly jumping up and down. He drops the gun on Juliette's plate. The silence gives it space to clatter around the universe and back. "Choose your words very wisely, Juliette. One word from me and your life here won't be so easy."

Adam pushes a plate of food in front of her. Juliette looks up as Adam cocks his head the tiniest millimeter.

His eyes are far too easy to read.

Please.

She picks up her fork.

Aaron doesn't miss a thing. Neither do I. He clears his throat a little too loudly. He laughs with no humor as he cuts into the meat on his plate. "Do I have to get Kent to do all my work for me?"

"Excuse me?"

"It seems he's the only one you'll listen to." His tone is breezy but his jaw is unmistakably set. He turns to Adam. "I'm surprised you didn't tell her to change her clothes like I asked you to."

Adam sits up straighter. "I did, sir."

"I like my clothes," Juliette tells him.

"I'd like to punch you in the eye," the older sister—whose name I have yet to learn comments.

Aaron looks like he wants to strangle her. Luckily, I'm there to save him from doing something he'll sorely regret.

"You've got spunk kid," I say. "I'll give you that. But unless you can back it up, keep your mouth shut in front of your superior."

"And who are you?" Sapphire eyes asks me.

Juliette makes a noise between a groan and a plea.

I continue to smile pleasantly as I pull out one of my knives and sharpen it on the metal goblet. "Your worst fucking nightmare."

Warner's smile slides back into place. "No one asked what you like, love. Now eat. I need you to look your best when you stand beside me."