Adrift: The Dark Veil Book Two by Marlene Vidal

Author:Marlene Vidal [Vidal, Marlene]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2023-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Clair

It was a decent walk across the city, and bathing was questionable when you had to walk the whole way back uphill, getting sweaty again. But they had found a trove of surprisingly intact clothes, and everyone was desperate to wear something new, even if they smelt musty, it was better than sweaty.

Lori had his arms full, Dante dropping his smaller pile in the centre of the floor.

“They’ll need a wash,” Lori said.

“I can come with you to the lake and help,” Clair offered. She had not been alone with him again since that horrible day on Elysium when he was run through with a sword. She had noticed he spent plenty of time with the new girl. But of course he did, she was so pretty. Life wasn’t even, or fair, and she wondered if girls like Emilia knew how easy they had it.

“Excellent,” Lori practically threw his pile of clothes at O’Brian. “Go with her O’Brian, take some of the baskets.”

“Why am I on washing duty?” O’Brian asked, clearly irritated.

“Would you rather leave the city walls?” Lori raised his brows. When O’Brian said nothing, Lori continued, “Didn’t think so. Em, coming on a firewood run? We'll do some mapping of the city after?”

“Sure,” she said with a weak smile. Jealousy raged inside Clair’s breast. How could Emilia be so blind, half of the time she looked at Lori like an irritating bug. Though her expression towards him had softened, she didn’t exactly seem thrilled either.

“Come on,” O’Brian prompted, tilting his head to the basket between them, filled with faded pastel blues, greens, pinks, and greys.

Clair took her end, and together they made their way out of the villa and down the main road, the lake glittering in the distance.

“There must be a way to get water up here,” O'Brian huffed.

“You know if they had to wash the clothes and fetch drinking water every second day, they’d be working on the water problem pretty quick. But we’re here, so there’s no need,” she said, knowing it sounded bitter but her mood was just low enough that she didn’t care.

“What’s going on?” O’Brian asked. His sweet, deep brown eyes stared into hers, a genuine caring somewhere behind them.

“It’s just… Do you ever feel like a side character in your own life?”

O’Brian scrunched up his face, deep in thought.

“I mean,” Clair continued, “Like everyone else has more going on than you. They’re more important, prettier, smarter, people just like them more, and it feels like everything you do has no value.”

“I guess, sometimes.” O’Brian shrugged as much as the weight of the basket between them would allow. “Washing these clothes ain't my dream job, but hey, we get to swim in the lake, take a break from it all. It’s not all that bad. And I know things have been weird, but I get to spend time with you, and… Well, is that bad?”

She shook her head, certain she was blushing. She had been pushing the events of Cairest to the back of her consciousness as much as possible.

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