Page 81 of Crewel (Crewel World 1)

‘You live in the high tower,’ I remind her.

She glowers at me. ‘No, I live in the lower quarters and the lifts won’t let me travel past the lounge floor.’

For the first time I study the buttons. There are five floors below the lounge button, including Pryana’s.

‘Oh, I just assumed.’

‘Yeah,’ she says, ‘that’s always your problem.’

‘Look—’ I say, heat flushing my cheeks, but before I can tell her where to shove it, the doors slide open to my floor.

There are two more plum-lacquered doors on this floor, but I’ve never seen another Spinster here, which is why I don’t push Pryana into the lift and force her back to the lower quarters. There’s nothing here she can’t see, and it’s not like she’s going to come hang out with me in my room and have a pyjama party. But as soon as we step off the lift, I regret my decision. Two women are in the hall. Way to go, Adelice. Get caught showing off.

Their backs are to us, but then

I realise only one of them is turned away, her blonde hair neatly rolled and pinned into a French twist. I don’t understand what I’m seeing. Arms snaking around her waist and up her back. Slender olive arms with brilliant red nails.

‘Oh, my Arras,’ Pryana gasps, and the pair split from their embrace.

It’s enough to startle me, and I shove Pryana into the waiting lift and push the button to shut the door. Twisting back to the women, I stare at Enora and Valery, who are frozen to the spot. Now I understand why the doctor asked those questions. And so does Pryana.

17

Enora snaps to, fleeing down the hall to the seldom-used stairs at the end. Valery shifts back on her heels and opens her mouth, but she doesn’t say anything. We stare at each other. I can’t quite wrap my head around it. Valery and Enora. It doesn’t feel wrong exactly, just different. And a small part of me feels left out, like I should have known that the two people closest to me here share this secret. The unfairness of this thought makes me look away, ashamed. Who am I to judge them? I’ve been anything but upfront about Jost.

I’m the one to break the silence. ‘Is that why she’s acting strangely?’

‘No,’ Valery says with a slight shake of her head. ‘This has nothing to do with that.’

I pause for a moment and then take a deep breath. ‘Come on. Let’s not stand out here. Besides I expected you to do my hair hours ago.’

If Valery is puzzled, she doesn’t show it. She simply follows me to my door. As I open it, I catch her glancing at the door to the stairs. Tugging on her arm, I urge her inside my quarters.

In the bathroom, I turn the tap on, like Jost showed me weeks ago. Valery starts to gather her supplies: an apron, shampoos and hair tonics. I take them away and push her into the prep chair. Leaning against the wall, I study her. Valery. Kind, quiet Valery. She’s a lot like Enora.

‘You don’t have to tell me anything,’ I say.

‘It’s a long story,’ she says bitterly.

‘A lot of those around here. Look, I can’t tell you what Pryana is going to do, but it’s none of my business.’

‘Oh, they already know,’ Valery says. Her voice trembles, but she holds her chin up. ‘That’s why Enora is acting off.’

‘Is she worried they’re going to kick her out?’

‘Nothing like that. She’s just been acting differently since the mind-mapping. She’s been . . . distant.’

I know exactly what she means. ‘I noticed. She barely told me anything about it.’

‘She went in twice.’

Twice? A tremor races up my spine.

‘And you’re sure the Coventry knew that you two were . . .’ I don’t even know what to call it.

‘In a relationship?’ she offers. ‘Yes.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, looking past her to the bathtub. ‘I’ve never—’