Swapped Fate

37: Lizards Are Slithery Beings.

Just when I thought we were free of the Underquake and its grizzly inhabitants, Tristan sprung it on me that his next and final match was on the night of the thirtieth. It would be against the fellow on whom the dodgy tavern keep had placed a bounty.

This fellow bore the nickname ‘Lizardman,’ for he was part lizard and part man. An unsettling image came to mind, and I thought it would be a fascinating sight to see.

I wisely did not express my curious thoughts to Tristan, lest he give me another scolding.

The mid-morning sun of the twenty-ninth found me at the patio of Devereux mansion, gazing out into the gardens. Memories of my time at the Underquake plagued my mind—from the death I had witnessed to the ogres that roamed freely.

I wondered how it was possible for such a lawless place to even exist, that too within the city. Was it because of the lack of soldiers stationed in The Drey? What other dark secrets of Evindrear did I not know about?

Another memory flashed in my mind. Of Tristan holding back my hair with his neck tie, and of his smile. My own lips curved remembering it.

I did not know that he could be so gentle.

I recalled his hands on my cheeks, and how warm he had left them.

My smile grew. 

So caught up in thoughts of him, I didn’t notice any other presence until Lea’s voice made me jump.

“And what are you smiling to yourself about? Anyone would believe you’re thinking of a lover.”

“Lover!” I echoed, absolutely flabbergasted. “That is preposterous. I have no lover.”

“Mm yes, but you do have Tristan,” Rebecca said, appearing next to Lea. “But obviously, it couldn’t be him you’re thinking about.”

My lips parted, but my voice caught in my throat.

Rebecca tilted her head, some suspicion crossing her face. “Could it?”

I denied it all. “Of course not! I would never think so positively about that fiend! I was thinking of...Jennifer. And the good times we spent together.”

What a brilliant save, Mavis.

Lea’s look was sympathetic. “You miss her.”

“Yes.” I nodded. “I wrote to her the other day and I await her response. We didn’t have much, but we used to do everything together. Whether it was digging up weeds for our keep or tending to the poultry, I loved doing that kind of work with her.”

I dug into my past, to my adolescence. “I especially loved evenings where we could take a moment to relax in the meadow and watch the sunset. She’s always told me to call her by her name, but I’ve always thought of her as my mother.”

“How lovely.” Lea smiled, but it turned wry and wistful. “I was sixteen when my mother passed. She would always read to me and braid my hair, even when she was sickly and bedridden. It was her way reassuring me. Telling me she was still strong and that I shouldn’t worry because of her.”

I had not known Lea lost her mother. The information made my chest hollow. “I am so sorry,” I said to her.

She shook her head. “When time is up, time is up. It was hard on me when she passed. My father buried himself in work, and I saw less and less of him each day. I had never felt so alone.” 

The despondency in her eyes soon gave way to a little light. “But then Ari started working at home, and I discovered she had recently lost her father. We bonded over that, and grew closer. She’s not much older than me, but she took care of me the way my mother did. And my life got significantly brighter.”