Chapter 4

“Good, you’re awake.” Esther brought in a tray with soup and a sandwich on it, along with some ice water. She insisted Rain drink as much as possible, which would’ve been all good and well if it didn’t mean she had to get up to use the bathroom every half an hour, making it hard to sleep. Thank goodness there were plenty of bathrooms in this house and that one was attached to her bedroom.

Setting the tray on the nightstand, Esther situated herself on the bed near Rain’s hip. “Any pain this morning?”

With her lips pursed together, Rain shook her head, afraid opening her mouth would cause a gush of words to spill out, words she ought not say.

Esther gestured for her to lean up so she could inspect the wound. Satisfied that it was healing nicely, she smoothed down the bandages. “I brought you a nontraditional breakfast. Figured the soup broth would help heal you, and the meat in the sandwich would do you good as well.”

“Thank you.” Rain could manage that much.

The older woman smiled, but her eyes lingered on Rain’s face. “What’s the matter, dear? Did you have a bad dream?”

Again, all she could do was shake her head. If she attempted to tell Esther it was nothing, she’d see right through that. It was definitely something.

Crinkles formed around Esther’s warm brown eyes as she pondered Rain’s expression. Rain had to shift her eyes down to her folded hands, certain the mother would know what she was thinking. Whether it was age or caring for so many people over the years, Esther had a way of knowing when someone was bothered. Her calloused hand reached up and moved a lock of red back over Rain’s ear. “We’ve got thin walls and windows that don’t need to guard against the wind or rain.” She leaned back, her eyes still studying Rain. She could feel them. “My Seth is the sort of person that will befriend anyone, especially those he sees strugglin’ and alone. Sometimes, the fellas he attracts are the kind better left to their own demise.”

She knew then, or at least had surmised, that Rain had overheard the conversation the men had been having outside. Rain met her eyes for a second but then stared past her at a spot on the wooden panels of the wall. “It isn’t right. I don’t care so much what that man thinks of me.” Her eyes shifted as she concluded her thought. “But… no one should make Adam feel that way. He doesn’t deserve it.”

Sighing, Esther took Rain’s hand between hers, decades of work showing in the rough tips of her fingers and patches on the other side of her knuckles. “What the four of you have been through is a horror no one should have to experience. The fact that the law of the land where you come from not only allows it, but demands it, is an atrocity. Those with clear eyes will see and understand. Those with feeble minds never will. Along your journey, Rain, you’re sure to come across many more like Daniel Redd. I think you’ll find the vast majority of humanity is good and will understand and want to help. But it’s best you understand his kind is out there now so that you can prepare.”

Her words brought tears to Rain’s eyes for reasons she didn’t quite understand. Perhaps it was the fact that Rain had assumed the rest of the world would be full of beauty and kindness without a single blemish, and Daniel had spoiled that for her, or maybe it was just the idea that this woman beside her was mothering her in a way no one ever had before, but it was all she could do to keep from breaking down.

Hurried footsteps in the hallway kept the tears at bay as Rain’s heart leapt to her throat. Something was wrong. Her first instinct was to reach for a rifle that wasn’t there. What if the Mother’s had breached the mountain after all?

“Esther!”

It was Adam’s voice, and he was the one running down the hallway. “Esther!” His voice broke, it was so shrill. Something was terribly wrong.