The year is 1879. When thirteen-year-old Ruth Merritt Holbrook emerges from her family's burning estate, bloody and charred, but entirely numb--She makes headlines. Reporters believe she is deranged. They accuse her of having set the fire. All the h...
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Uriel was all too willing to help me raid Gabriel's wardrobe. Although he is quite a bit larger than I am, I was able to find some smaller pieces and, with the help of Sariel and Uriel, was able to fashion the trousers into something wearable. By the end, I looked very much like a skinny boy.
It was odd seeing myself in anything outside of a dress. I stood in front of the mirror, admiring my reflection for longer than was probably necessary. In truth, I made for a nice boy. I wore tan canvas work trousers, a white cotton shirt rolled to the elbows, black suspenders and my own travel boots. Uriel had hemmed the bottoms so that they fit better around my thin waist and what the hemming could not do, the suspenders did. I secured my blond hair under a hat and the image was complete.
Up close it was certainly clear that I was a girl, my features are naturally feminine and my posture too neat to be a man's, but at first glance, it would pass. We hoped that, if it came to a point where I would need to run from the house or from the church, I could use this as a disguise. Lucius and his demons would be searching for a young blond girl, I was still young, but with these clothes and hat, I didn't look blond or like a girl.
Around eight thirty in the morning, we received a call from Gabriel. The preacher was granting my sanctuary in his chapel. There was a small attic bedroom where missionaries often stayed; it would be mine for the next week. It had taken a substantial donation on Gabriel's part to achieve it, but now I had somewhere to go.
He told us he was leaving the church to fetch me and that I should be prepared to leave as soon as he arrived. We weren't sure when Lucius planned to pay his visit and I needed to be on holy-ground sooner rather than later.
"How do you feel about the sword?" Uriel and I sat on the staircase of Lily house.
She'd been working at keeping the situation light, trying to make jokes about my appearance and tease me about Levi.
Sariel was more fretful. She barely said a word to either of us, only paced and muttered quiet, indiscernible prayers to Adonai.
I feigned a smile at Uriel's words and kept my gaze on Sariel. She was looking towards the door, waiting for Gabe to appear. I recognized the look in her eye as being something more than innocent worry for my safety and the safety of Gabriel. Although neither party had outright said it, it appeared that Gabriel and Sariel had acquired feelings for one another through pretending to be married. It warmed my heart to know at least one good thing would come from all of this.
I looked down at the weapon; remembering Uriel's question. The sheath Michael had given me worked far better with pants than it had with my layers of skirts. "I like it better this way." I answered, "I feel as if I can actually get to it."
Uriel leaned against the steps behind us, bracing herself on her elbows as she said, "It must be a dream to be a man."
I nodded. "It most certainly would make for a nice change of pace."
