Sinner

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

I found Ellie in the dorm room we were to share. I cringed inwardly. She was in the bathroom messing with her hair. There were several locks of singed hair on the floor. She turned to look at who came in the door, and she gaped at me when I closed the door behind me.

"Hazelin!" she shouted and ran to me, smile beaming, but their touch of fear was evident.

"Is it all true?"

"Yes," I sighed, "it is."

"That is..." she hesitated.

"Don't you dare breathe a word of this to anyone," I growled, a growl so sinister it shook the soul, "or you'll get a lot worse than a torch to the brow. Do you understand?"

Ellie flinched, then dropped her gaze from mine. "Yes."

I could smell the fear mingled with hurt rolling off her in waves.

I couldn't stand it. First the Elders and now this. I sighed, lifting a hand to my furrowed brow. Freedom was not much better than imprisonment at this stage. It was going to be an exceedingly long stay here.

My stomach growled. I turned and walked way to the back out of the room, unable to stand the taste of fear while hungry.

There was a dining hall somewhere and I was determined to find it. It took about half a minute before I caught the distinct smell of cooked meat, cooked beef to be precise and it was close, real close.

I ran down the hall and turned a corner. I was thrown back as if I had hit a wall. I blinked and looked up to see Night standing in front of me. He seemed in a daze from the hit. He looked at me and held out a hand.

I grumbled and ignored his helping hand. Walking around him I continued on my way.

He grabbed my arm.

"Let go," I hissed.

"I just wanted to say thanks for saving me from the water," he said snidely, then he let go and let me be. I looked at the direction he had gone in, unable to speak before the sound of a plate clattering in the distance brought me back to my growling stomach and the need to eat.

I ran to the hall and was immediately greeted by the aroma of food as I passed through the door. It was heaven.

Rin also was right in front of me and turned to look at me. "Haze," she said, "the draws of food finally get to you?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Then let me show you what we have."

There was some fruit and many plants that Rin tried to convince me were good, but I was looking for only one thing and I saw it down the line. I rushed to it and loaded it on my tray. Rin gave me a look, but I ignored her and soon we walked to a table in a far corner and sat.

"That can't be healthy," she said as I started to wolf down the food using only my hands. I shrugged and continued to eat heartily. Little did she know I had been starving for years before this point.

It wasn't long before the stack of meat was almost gone when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glared back at whoever it was but softened my gaze when I saw it was Dare.

Being an insane prisoner for most of my life left me hungry; you couldn't really blame me, could you?

"Keeping a low profile, are we?" he asked and indicated the rest of the room. I looked and saw that everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing to look at me, some in a state of awe, most of the others in a state of horror.

Rin made a wiping motion and when I did a bunch of bloody grease came away.

"You're supposed to cook it yourself," Dare said, pointing to an open grill on the other end of the room. I huffed, finished off the food and stood up to leave. Face flaming in embarrassment, scowl prominent.

Dare stopped me and gave a warning glance. "I can protect you only so much," he warned.

"I don't need protection. I didn't for those ten years, need I remind you," I said in return and left the hall. I started to return to my room but decided to go to a garden I had seen outside instead. Since Night probably discovered Ellie, I didn't want to deal with that problem right now.

The garden was on the north side of the front courtyard. It had a large willow tree in the middle of the cultivated grounds, and no one was in the area.

Finally, I could find some inner peace alone. Having so many people near me was overwhelming. I went to sit under the tree and just went on digesting the food and organizing my thoughts.

Eyes closed; I heard him approach before he spoke.

"Hazelin?" Night asked.

"What do you want?" I growled, keeping my eyes closed. A crease forming between my brows. I heard him walk to the side of the willow a short ways from me.

"You seem to have traumatized several in the dining hall from eating the meat raw," he chuckled. "What a bloody delight!"

"Are you here to patronize me, because I don't want to hear it."

"No," he said in a calm voice, "just talk."

"Think I'll listen?" I asked, moving farther away and turning my back. Night closed the distance between us to what it was before and sat.

"I don't care if you listen, just that you hear," he said calmly. "I get that you don't like me, and I may have rushed into it on the ship. I want to apologize and try to start on the right foot."

He took a breath. "I understand that this is all a lot for you, but if you need the comfort I am here."

I felt myself blush as Night got up walking away. I turned to look after him only to see him grinning. My face flushed with rage, and I got up and left to go find somewhere I wouldn't and couldn't be disturbed by anyone else.