The Tracking

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"So, um, where's Coen?" I tried to sound nonchalant as I glanced at Adira over the rim of my coffee cup. I regretted the question as soon as the words spilled out of my mouth, though. Adira had been nothing more than a whirlpool of animosity and irritability since the moment she entered the hotel's kitchen.

She scoffed. "Not even a full twenty four hours and you're already a slave to the bond." My grip on the cup tightened as her eyes darkened. "If I knew that you'd cause this much trouble I would've left you like the stray you are."

"Adira." Cynthia's sharp voice echoed throughout the room. "How dare you wish the same fate you suffered on this girl? I thought you better than only cultivating bitterness in the cracks of your heart."

"You know, my hair used to be red. A brilliant red, really. Bright and wild, like an untamed fire." The words Adira spoke on the day we meant crawled into my mind.

Adira's black hair was tied up in a bun that seemed to be only moments away from unraveling. She held eyes with Cynthia for just a moment before she pushed her chair back.

As she stalked towards the door leading outside, Cynthia called out saying "If anymore cruelty is aimed towards Lunetta, Coen will be notified."

The door slamming shut was the only response.

There were a few moments of silence in which Cynthia busied herself with dishes and pans behind me. I heard the soft sounds of her feet hitting the worn hardwood as she walked towards me. She placed a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of me.

"You'll have to excuse Adira, Lunetta. It's just that her history isn't lacking when it comes to," She paused for a moment, then continued. "Tragedies."

"Did I do something to-" I started before I was cut off.

"Adira's insecurities are all her own. You are not to blame for her inability to accept fate." Cynthia clapped her hands together. "Now, do eat up. We have a long day ahead of us."

I quickly tucked into my breakfast, dipping the homemade rye toast into the egg's yolk. The food even tasted like freedom, I thought as I tasted the unexpected sweetness found on the canadian bacon. Food at the Redfords had always been overly grand and rigid, like everything else found in that extravagant mansion.

Before I knew it, my plate was clean and being lifted away by Cynthia. "Why don't you go and grab a jacket, dear? We'll be spending a good bit of time outside."

I nodded and walked towards the door. "Oh, and thank you for breakfast!"

I took the steps two at a time, excited to spend the day with Cynthia. The whole Adira fiasco put a ceiling on my high spirits but it was obvious that I wasn't the root of Adira's struggles. I just struck a nerve with my embarrassingly apparent obsession with Coen.

My body relaxed into a content sigh as soon as his handsome face and kind words from last night seeped into my mind like an addictive poison.

"Get a grip, Adira!" I whispered. "You just met the guy." Still mumbling to myself, I began rummaging through my bag. The clothes were just rumpled balls shoved into every nook and cranny of the duffel. I let out an exasperated breath when the down filled parka was nowhere to be found. I took a step back and put my hands on my hips as I stared at the bag.

My eyes wandered around, taking in the various floral designs located on everything from antique plates to the lampshades. I smiled as my eyes landed on the army green parka tossed onto a cloth covered chair. Coen must have taken it off of me and laid it there when he carried me back to the room last night.