“Okay. Grab on and pull yourself up. We are right here,” Zev says. I look up, and we are next to a boat. I’ve never seen one in person, but I’ve read about them. I grab ahold of the ladder, and Zev helps me move up a bit and keeps his hands on my waist until I am steady. I move up until hands grab me and pull me up to the top. I immediately pull away, but stumble. Before I can fall, hands grip my waist again.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I panic and move away from everyone.
“Whoa. You’re okay, Astra,” Zev says as he turns me to face him. “Let’s go inside and get you a change of clothes, okay?”
“Uhm… O-Okay,” I stammer.
Zev leads me with his hand on the small of my back, and I keep my head bowed. Suddenly, everything gets brighter, but I still keep my eyes on the floor as we walk. We take the stairs down into the boat, and it’s not as blinding down here.
“Astra,” Zev says as he gently lifts my chin to look up at him.
“Why are you so tall?” I blurt out, making him laugh.
“We are all tall,” he says. “Why are you so short?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Just am.”
“I’m sorry about Lyra,” he says. I can see a sadness in his eyes when he mentions her. His dark, disheveled hair is still drippingwith water. I want so badly to reach out and touch his face. I don’t know why, but his sadness is contagious.
“He’ll kill her,” I whisper.
“She’s already gone,” he says. “Shortly after the call that pointed them toward your actual location.”
“How do you know that? Do savages have the technology we do?” He looks almost offended that I called him a savage. Unless he’s a… oh no.
I start to pull away, but he stops me. “We are not cannibals, Astra.” I stare at him in confusion, but I do not say anything. “We have technology; we just do not rely on it like the people of Ossara.”
“Who are you then?” I ask.
“We are the people of Torvex, and I am their leader,” he says.
“Am I supposed to present myself to you?” I ask. I pull away from his hold and bring myself to my knees in front of him. If he is the leader, I am supposed to show him respect. This is how I was taught to show respect. To Vinny, at least. Am I still Vinny’s chosen wife? I hope not. Am I Zev’s chosen wife now? How does that work if I run from one leader to another? Zev is much bigger than Vinny in every way, so I cannot even imagine how much pain he will cause me, but I like Zev more than Vinny. It’s a pain I would endure to not be beaten. Zev doesn’t act like he wants to hit me.
“What is going on?” Ren asks. “What happened to her changing clothes?”
“I… don’t know,” Zev says. “I understand she is presenting out of habit, but her thoughts are… I am not a strong man, Ren.”
“I get it,” he chuckles and kneels in front of me.
“Astra,” he says, pulling my arms in front of me to hold my hands.
“I’m so confused,” I whisper. “I don’t know what to do or how to act… I don’t want to be hurt again.”
“No one is going to hurt you,” he says. “Please, look at me.”
I lift my head and find that he looks calm. He is just as big as Zev, so it’s odd to see him on his knees with me. “I’m cold,” I say quietly.
“I’m sure you are,” he says. “What I would like to do is stand you up and help you change clothes. Is that okay?”
“That’s it?” I ask.
“Yes,” he smiles.
“Uhm… Okay,” I say. Ren stands and pulls me up with him. I notice we are in a small bedroom. Ren moves slowly but helps me out of my dripping wet clothes. I am completely naked, butno one is touching me. I’m confused because I was always taught that I was never to be naked in a man’s presence unless he ordered me to be naked and was my chosen husband.
“Here,” Ren says to Zev, handing him a towel.
“Ren, this is a bad idea,” Zev says reluctantly.
