Page 16 of Carnal: The Beast Who Loved Me

“No.”

“Wipe down tables?”

“No.”

“Wash and dry glasses?”

“No.”

Dandy sighed then lifted a broom by the handle. “This is a broom.”

“Okay, well, I knew that.”

“But you don’t know what to do with it.”

“I’m a fast learner?”

Dandy nodded. “No doubt. You’re cute for a human. The boys will like that.” Under her breath, she added, “At least most of them.” Dandy cocked her head. “Do you want to work?”

“I want to feel useful.”

“That’s a start, I guess.”

Rosie spent the next two hours learning the fine art of sweeping, mopping, wiping down tables, washing glasses and drying them to a spotless shine. Oddly, she found herself smiling, feeling good that she’d mastered new tasks. There was an odd sense of satisfaction in performing manual chores. She never would have guessed that.

When the last glass was stacked, and the last mug was put on the shelf, Rosie said, “Hmmm. What’s that I smell?”

“Lunch. In about an hour, the people who are not on patrol, or in school, or not cooking for themselves will show up hungry. We’ll put fully loaded plates on the bar. They’ll carry their own food to the tables and put the empties in those sinks over there.” She pointed to a galley way between the bar and kitchen that was lined with deep sinks. “You stay behind the bar and watch me get drinks.”

Rosie looked around for a cash register. “Okay. How do they pay?”

Dandy looked confused. “Pay?”

“Yeah. Do you use credit cards or currency?”

Dandy knew what currency was. Humans used it in Farsuitwail and, if the Exiled wanted to buy something, they had to use paper the humans called money. They had money. Humans gave it to the Extant and he gave it to Exiled when they wanted it. She swept her hand out to indicate the Exiled settlement. “We don’t pay. We share.”

“Oh,” Rosie said. “Interesting concept.”

“We’re not human. Don’t forget that about us.” She gave Rosie a ghost of a smile that almost looked mischievous. “We won’t forget that about what you are.”

Rosie wasn’t sure whether she’d just been warned or put in her place. She was sure that Dandy tolerated her well enough, but was not at all sure she was liked.

“The Rautt that took, um, Crave. They’re hybrid. Like you.”

“What’s your point?”

“I’m just saying that all species, everywhere, have it in them to be misguided.”

“Misguided.” Dandy repeated the word as if she was trying it out. “You should sit out at the fires one night and listen to the old ones’ stories about what happened to us at the hands of humans. And then we’ll see if you think their actions were merely ‘misguided’.”

The kitchen workers brought out two plates of food with stew and a roughly torn piece of brown bread like that she’d had the night before at the Extant’s house.

Dandy pushed one of the plates toward Rosie. “Eat and make it fast. Lunch crunch starts in a couple of minutes. I’m behind today because of training you.”

“Sorry.”

“Just eat.”