Regent

XI

Laura's bed was warm; even warmer with her curled around Isla's body. They had made a brief appearance at the party the night before, just long enough to sample the food, then vanished back to Laura's room like teenagers. Isla opened her eyes to see that the sky was still dark; her brain knew that she had to be at work early and never failed to wake her up at that acceptably early time. She sat up a little more. Laura had loaned her a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to sleep in. Laura herself had changed into a pair of satin shorts that revealed her thighs and a soft, cotton bra top. Isla had looked through her closet; it was true: Laura always dressed like that.

Isla had to untangle herself from her girlfriend to get out of her bed. Laura was a cuddler; it was cute. And Isla found herself laughing because she had never imagined herself to end up where she was then. She couldn't say that she didn't like it. Hell, she would have mistook this life for heaven if the scientist in her hadn't doubted the mystical place's existence.

She considered rooting around in the mess of Laura's room to find her phone where she left it in the pocket of her previous outfit; however, the sheer mess made that endeavor appear to be a two person job. Instead, Isla quietly tiptoed out of Laura's room and down the hall.

It turned out she was not the only one who was up at that hour. Shiloh was too; she had probably been up for hours. The larger than life person in the gown of blood from the night before was gone, replaced with a person—a person who was younger than Isla previously guessed and shorter than she would have expected. Shiloh must have just come from a work out: she wore a sports bra with an artwork of straps across the back—it couldn't hide the branded scars running down her spine or the tattooed lines that claimed her skin for her—and a pair of shorts with a twisting Q to signify brand. Of course: Q's work out line; Anna had been dying just to get a top from the line.

In that moment, Shiloh had stood like any normal person, waiting for the microwave to relinquish her breakfast. Then she leaned on the counter and stretched one leg over her head. She was barefoot; her toenails were painted lilac. As Isla got closer, she saw that Shiloh had taken off her boots and left them, unlaced with her socks stuffed into them, next to the kitchen island. She also had what looked like a bulletproof vest sitting on the counter with a pair of elbow length gloves and a pair of swords in their sheaths. Shiloh rotated to stretch her other side, then she saw Isla.

"Sorry," Isla murmured. "Laura was sleeping like a rock and I got bored."

"She does that." Shiloh's face broke into a smile. She looked human like that. "Laur's like a cat: she will sleep anywhere. She normally sleeps until ten then drags herself out of bed and rushes to get to camp for her classes. Want some breakfast?"

"Sure, what are you having?" Isla paced around the barrier of counters to join her in the kitchen.

The microwave beeped and Shiloh pulled out a mug. In it was a cooked egg. "Eggs in a mug because everything else takes too much effort."

"Sounds good. I'd love one."

"I'll make myself another." Shiloh thrust the mug into her hands and set to breaking another egg into a mug.

"I have so many questions. So many." The situation made her think of an English Literature class that she took in college; no matter how her professor explained it, she still was so confused that she didn't even fully understand what she didn't understand.

Shiloh busied herself with stirring bacon bits and spinach into her eggs and putting the mug in the microwave. "Do you have specific questions or should I start from the top?" She asked.

"How old are you?" Isla asked the first question that came to mind.

A smile pulled at her lips. "I don't know," Shiloh answered simply. "Age was not something we had. I suppose that it is all part of the mystery. Just another piece in the million dollar question."