“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose,” I said quickly. The problem was, I genuinely didn’t have a place to stay. I had no other leads besides Mallory, which meant without her, I was stuck.
“Not at all,” she insisted. “I’m one of your mother’s oldest friends, and I couldn’t imagine abandoning her daughter in her hour of need. Come with me. I’ll show you to the room.”
She stood up, flicking her wrist to beckon me towards a stairway that I hadn’t noticed before hidden in the corner of the café.
I bit my lip, remaining in my seat. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely.” She nodded once, another curl bouncing from behind her ear to hover over her shoulder. “I would never leave you to your own devices in this realm. There are far too many people who are untrustworthy.”
I still didn’t know if Mallory herself was trustworthy, but I didn’t have many choices. I touched the amulet hanging from my neck. It was warm, soothing. At least I wasn’t alone. Just because I insisted on making decisions didn’t mean I had to make them on my own. Not with my mother here.
I stood up and followed Mallory up the stairs and into a quaint little apartment that smelled of lavender and sage. I took in a deep breath. The scents were refreshing, gentle. The air temperature was warm but not stuffy. A small window was cracked, letting in a cool breeze.
“Oh, like who?” I asked as I looked around, my eyes wide.
“Who, what?”
“You said people aren’t trustworthy here,” I said, finally meeting her eyes. She had an amused smile on her face. “I was just wondering if you had any idea who that might be specifically, just so I can keep track of them.”
Any tips on how to survive this world would be great.
“Here we are.” Mallory ignored the question—I hoped temporarily—and pushed open a door off the main living area. We filed into a bedroom with a warm and comforting feel. I instantly felt at home here.
A flowery bedspread and a small teddy bear greeted me and I couldn’t help but smile. This looked like a little girl’s room.
“Thank you so much, Mallory,” I said, beaming.
I walked into the room and sat down on the bed, my tiredness from the day’s stress finally making its presence known. My eyes stung and my shoulders were tight and achy.
Mallory stood in the doorway, one hand on her jutted hip. I felt her eyes on me for a long moment.
“The vampires and shifters,” she said. I blinked and then remembered my question to her. Who was untrustworthy? Who should I be careful around? “The animals. They are the ones you need to watch out for, my dear.”
I nodded. My mouth went dry at her words though I didn’t understand why that was. I didn’t like the way she uttered her warning. Something about it felt off. She sounded like a bigot, in the extreme. But I’d been taught to ask questions, and not to assume anything. She would have personal experience with all of this stuff. Maybe she was right and the vampires, shifters, and animals weren’t to be trusted. I was new here. I didn’t know. Why would she lie to me, anyway? She was my mother’s friend. She was helping me.
“What do you mean?” I pinched my brow together, one hand caressing the quilt I sat upon. “Animals?”
She didn’t really mean that. Weren’t they paranormal people, just like us? I didn’t know. Once again, Mother should have taught us more. I should already have an opinion on this based on facts. I shouldn’t have to rely on someone I didn’t know to tell me these things.
Mallory’s face scrunched up and a flicker of coldness flashed in her eyes. It took everything in me not to flinch.
“Yes.” She gave a cryptic nod. “Animals. Don’t trust them. They aren’t... human.”
I nodded, feeling my internal walls come up around me. This woman was more intense than she had seemed. And she was hiding something. I could tell.
Even so, I couldn’t ask her what. I didn’t trust her. Not completely. It didn’t matter to me that Mother trusted her or that Alison suggested I go to Mallory for help. I had lived enough in the shadows of ignorance because of my mother. I refused to continue to live that way now.
Another caress of my locket. Still warm. Still calm.
I was conflicted. Regardless, I couldn’t afford to get on Mallory’s bad side, so I said, “Thank you again, Mallory. For everything. After the day I’ve had, it’s nice to feel safe.”
I wasn’t lying. I think she genuinely wanted to help.
Mallory smiled, and this time there was no light in her eyes. “Here you go,” she said, waving her hand. “An early dinner and tea to help you sleep.”
Beside my bed, a tray appeared with a steaming hot vegetable pasty and another pot of tea.
I sighed as I took in the scent, a smile crawling on my face. “Thank you, Mallory.”