Resist

8

The day passed slowly, the time sluggish as I tried to make myself useful to no avail. I had already proved myself hopeless in the kitchen so I did not return to help with the dinner shift. I would have loved to join the people in the weaponry but Eden had deemed me unfit to exercise for a few days and I could not risk reopening my gash. So I wandered about, exploring the hotel on my own for a bit and basically wasting time.

After dinner, I decided to go check in on Eden in the infirmary. She had asked that I stop by to have my bandage checked and I had little else to do.

“Hello Essie!” she greeted me when I came through the door, her white wings fluttering a hello-wave to me. She was measuring some herbs out into a small bottle, her hands expertly tipping the spoon of shredded leaves through the tiny opening. Brushing off her hands when she was done, she focused on me.

Half an hour later, I was hugging her goodbye having had the bandage changed and caught up with her life. It had only been a day but Eden was the only person I seemed to be able to really connect with here and even listening to her talk about Lux toddling down the hall today and throwing her bowl of mooshed veggies at dinner was nice. She had work to do however and I couldn’t boggart her time anymore.

Throwing a final goodbye over my shoulder, I stepped out the doors, clicking it shut behind me. I turned and bumped into someone, stopping me in my tracks. I slowly lifted me head up, recognizing the slightly unbuttoned plaid shirt that was before me but not knowing to whom it belonged until I was looking into a pair of green, piercing eyes.

“Sorry,” I muttered, side stepping and dropping my head as I realized it was Jack whom I had bumped.

He was silent but I could feel his gaze follow me as I began to hurry away. I didn’t know what it was about him but whenever I met his eyes, my stomach exploded in butterflies while my brain shut down, automatically making me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to do or say around him. Jack put me on edge, but not in a scary way, in an unsure way. I didn’t know him at all nor had he ever shown kindness to me since my arrival. The only reason I wasn’t afraid of him was because he had saved me. I had seen him wield his sword in my protection, seen him almost take a man’s life because of what they had been trying to achieve and that created an instinctual amount of trust in me for him, as small as it may be.

I had only taken about three steps and was in midstride of my fourth away from the brown haired boy when he said my name.

“Estelle...” His voice was rough and deep, not extraordinarily so but different enough from your average young man’s to notice. It stopped me in my tracks and I half turned back, peaking at him around the veil of my long hair. Had he really said my name or had I just imagined it?

“Umm…” Jack didn’t know what to say next but he had definitely spoken my name. He was looking right at me, his shoulders turned to the side, not totally facing me, but his head was. Did he possibly feel as unsure right now as I did? His eyes flicked up to mine and I immediately dropped my gaze, focusing on the leather bracelet he wore on his wrist.

“Yes Jack?” I coaxed, still not looking at his face. I could feel his eyes on me however.

“Well..umm…this might seem strange but there is something I want to show you.” He spoke quietly and slowly, stumbling over his words a bit.

I just stood there, now turned to him at least, not knowing what to say. What could he possibly want to show me? We had never even spoken before. Sure we had been in the same conversation, but with others. We had never spoken a word directly to each other until this. I risked a glance up at his face, mentally preparing myself for the bolt of nervous energy they would undoubtedly shoot through me.