Decoy Danger

Trina and Shila had become fast friends, though Trina usually did most of the talking. Shila was only two years older than her, but she still felt like Trina was like a little sister and she ended up doing the girl’s hair for her every evening before bed and every morning before they left. As someone who formally carried a high status, she assumed Trina probably felt some sort of comfort from getting her hair done. Truthfully, Shila also felt comfort by doing it. Doing these intricate braids and smoothing the hairs perfectly into place was satisfying.

“I met your parents once,” Shila said abruptly, remembering what Mylo had told her before. “They were kind people. One of the few that ever listened to what my father had to say.”

Trina was quiet for a minute.

“Does it make you think differently of me?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Shila said. “We’re all here for similar reasons. Now how still, or this fish tail is going to turn into a crooked moray eel.”

Trina giggled and had a hard time holding still, so Shila gave her dark hair a firm tug to make her point. As she tied it off with the ribbon, Trina took a few moments to admire herself in the mirror.

“Do you think Bret will like it?” she asked.

“Bret?” Shila asked, raising a brow. “I’m not sure what he likes, but he’d be crazy not to like you.”

Trina blushed fiercely, then scurried off to get dressed. They met the rest of the gang downstairs to start on their way again. Queenie liked to ride in the bag on Shila’s shoulders, all bundled and cozy with her fluffy white head sticking out. She noticed Mylo keep glancing at Queenie, then quickly looking away.

“You want to hold her, don’t you?” Shila asked.

“No,” he said a bit too quickly. “I need my hands free. In case something happens.”

“Of course.”

They walked in silence a little longer, until Shila sighed and rolled her shoulders back dramatically.

“Wow,” she said, raising her voice a bit. “My shoulders sure feel tense from carrying this terribly heavy bag.”

“I can carry it.”

Shila cracked a smile when Mylo offered to take the bag Queenie was riding in, slinging it over his shoulder. Queenie didn’t seem as comfortable tucked under his arm like she was with Shila, so she hopped out of the bag and settled on his shoulder instead.

“She likes you a lot,” Shila noted. “Usually Queenie is shy around strangers and likes to be near me, but it seems like she took a liking to you.”

“Seems like it,” he said, taking a blueberry from the bag containing the berries and offering it to Queenie. “I’ve never had a pet before.”

“Me neither,” Shila said. “I could never feed myself, let alone an animal. Queenie sort of just fell into my lap. What else was I going to do, leave her with Lady Emory?”

“A fate worse than death.”

Shila found herself laughing. It was the first time Mylo had made a joke around her, and his expression had softened when she laughed. From up ahead there was another giggle too, as Bret was saying something to Trina and gesturing to her hair. She turned bright red, running her hands over the braid.

“Those two are cute,” Shila said. “It’s nice to see something so light when the world feels so heavy.”

“It’s a distraction,” Mylo said. “There’s enough I have to worry about without their budding puppy love.”

“Then don’t worry about it,” Shila shrugged.

“What?”

“I said not to worry about their ‘puppy love’. It’s between them,” Shila said. “You’re going to kill yourself if you worry about everything all at once. I think they can figure this one thing out on their own.”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “I just don’t want them to get hurt.”

“They won’t,” she said. “And if they do, it’s a learning experience. We all have them.”

“Not by choice.”

“All I’m saying,” Shila said, “Is that it’s noble of you to protect them from murder and starvation, but you don’t have to protect them from their own feelings. That’s something you can focus on for yourself. When was the last time you took some time to yourself and did something you enjoyed?”

“I don’t.”

“Exactly,” Shila said. “You should. So you don’t explode. My father used to always say, ‘You can control how you feel, and you should always choose to feel peace’. I used to think it was stupid, but when I worked for the Emorys it was the only thing that kept me from burning up in my own stress and rage. You’re choosing to feel stressed.”

“That’s much easier said that done, Shila,” he said dully.

“I know,” she admitted. “Still. It’s a good mantra to live by. We’re about a day or two out from Solaris Town. Maybe you should go take some time for yourself there. Go meet a girl or something. Whatever rugged, strapping men do to feel better.”

“You think I’m rugged and strapping?”

Shila felt herself turn bright red. She never intended on admitting that she sometimes admired Mylo when he wasn’t looking her way. She coughed and cleared her throat.

“I think Lola is calling me,” she said. “Coming, Lola!”

Lola looked incredibly confused as Shila scurried over to her, but it was better than seeing the look on Mylo’s face.