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AN ELBOW IN THE back woke Trinity. It took her a minute to remember where she was. Sleeping in a bed in a house was a new experience for her. She liked it. The bed was soft—softer than the one she’d had at the Producer Camp—and the house was warm unlike her old cabin.
Hugh had shut the curtains and the room was dark, although she was pretty sure that it was early afternoon. They had plenty of time before they needed to leave. She snuggled into the pillow. Last night, Hugh had taken the floor and she’d climbed into bed with Sassy. She’d been too nervous to sleep, but he’d talked to her, telling her stories of his childhood and college, anything light and amusing. Soon the comfort of the bed and the warmth of the blankets along with his voice coaxed her to sleep.
“Trinity? When did we meet up?” whispered Sassy. “And where are we?”
Trinity turned her head away from the Guard. Sassy’s breath was bad. Vomit and stale alcohol mixed with morning breath was not a good scent. She stretched. So much for another quick nap in this fabulous bed, it was time to start their day. “Last night. You were pretty drunk and don’t worry. We’re safe.” She’d tell Sassy that they were in the home of an Almighty later, once she’d explained everything that had happened.
“Safe where?” Sassy shifted a bit, getting more comfortable. “This is the nicest bed I’ve ever been in.”
“You must be thirsty. I know I always am after drinking.” She sat up, flinging her legs over the side of the bed and bumping into Hugh. He grunted and rolled over. “I’ll get you some water.” She stepped over him and crept into the kitchen.
No one was around, but there were voices coming from the living room. Libby was reading to Leelee. She grabbed a cup from the counter and filled it with water. By the time she returned to the room, Hugh was sitting up and talking to Sassy. She’d wanted to be there for the introductions. Sassy wasn’t known for her friendliness to Almightys but Hugh did have a way with Guards. She handed Sassy the glass and sat on the bed.
“So, you want me to help break your friend out of the Midtown Shelter.” There was amusement in Sassy’s tone and that didn’t bode well for their plan. Sassy found humor in the darkest subjects.
“Yes.” His voice was rough from sleep and his hair was messed like someone had run their hands through it. “She was taken...”
She stopped listening to him. There was something wrong with his face. His cheeks were dark, not pale. She leaned closer. It couldn’t be. She reached out and ran her finger along his skin.
His words froze in the air as his eyes met hers.
“Hair. You have hair on your face.” She cupped his cheek. It was scratchy. Her fingers roamed upward and into the hair on his head. That was soft and thick.
“I hadn’t expected this for weeks.” He ran his hands over his cheeks.
“Is he a mix?” Sassy’s eyes were wide as she looked at Hugh’s cheeks and Trinity’s hand in his hair.
“Are you, Hugh?” She leaned back, folding her hands in her lap. Her fingers itched to touch his hair again. It was so thick and heavy, but she didn’t need Sassy thinking there was something between the two of them.
“Nope. At least, I’m pretty sure that I’m not. You know I don’t know who my parents are but”—he tapped his cheek—“this doesn’t make me a mix.”
“Then you aren’t an Almighty.” Sassy stood, ready to bolt out the door.
“Calm down and let me explain.” His voice was low and persuasive. “Please.”
Sassy didn’t sit but she didn’t run either.
“Almightys are born with hair,” he said.
“That’s a lie,” said Sassy. “Almightys are hairless.”
“No. That’s the lie. One more in a long list of lies perpetuated by the Almightys to segregate the classes.” At Sassy’s confused look he explained, “It’s a way of keeping us apart by making us all believe that we are inherently different. Some Almighty children undergo a treatment right after birth to remove all hair except on their heads.”
“Get out of here,” said Sassy, dropping back onto the bed.
Trinity touched his cheek again. She couldn’t help it. The hair on his face had an interesting texture. The hair on his head was soft like hers but the stuff on his cheek was rough like bristles. He grabbed her hand, stopping her exploration.
“My moth...Sarah, the woman who raised me, didn’t believe in that. So, I didn’t have the procedure.”
“I’ve seen you in the morning before and you didn’t have hair on your face,” she said.
“How many times have you seen him in the morning?” Sassy grinned at her.
“It’s not like that.” She elbowed her friend. Last night, he’d made it abundantly clear to Townsend and everyone with ears that he had no desire for it to be like that with her. Not that she did either, of course.
“We’re friends. Just friends. Nothing more.” Hugh cleared his throat. “Anyway, it’s illegal for Almightys to be seen with hair. I had to go in for monthly procedures to remove it. The treatment at birth is expensive so many Almightys choose the monthly procedure option.”
“Did it hurt?” She couldn’t stop staring at his face. It looked different with hair, more male, more wild, more like the other classes. He’d said that they were genetically similar and she’d believed him but there’d still been doubt. The Almightys were so different and not only in their appearance but in how they acted and lived.
“It’s not pleasant, but I got used to it. They continued the treatment in jail but obviously they skimped on the dosage or used a cheaper product this last time.” He ran his hands over his face again. “They must have figured that since I’d be dead soon there was no reason to give me a full treatment.”
“Why would they keep doing it when you were in jail? They could use”—she touched his cheek again; she couldn’t help herself—“this to explain your treasonous actions.”
“Nah,” said Sassy. “They didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Exactly,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about it before but an Almighty always performed the procedure, even in prison. Jason and the Council can’t risk anyone finding out that we grow hair on our bodies. It might start others wondering about the similarities between the classes, especially after my claims.”
“One more secret.” She’d had enough with secrets and lies. Secrets caused more harm than good and even though the truth often hurt, it was better than lies.
“One more secret revealed.” He winked at her and ran his hand over his cheeks. “I need to shave.”
“What? No.” She stopped herself from touching his face again.
His eyes locked with hers and she blushed. She was being stupid. It wasn’t her place to ask him to change for her. He wasn’t her mate.
“It’s itchy.” He scratched his chin. “Plus, it’ll grow into a full beard like the Guards wear.”
She wrinkled her nose. She didn’t want him in a beard; she wanted him with stubble.
He seemed to read her mind because when he looked at her there was something warm in his blue eyes. “If I shave, it’ll be like this every morning and maybe even in the evenings.”
Sassy was watching them closely, too closely. She was going to hear about this from her friend. Sassy loved to tease and torment.
She shrugged. “I don’t care what you do once we get back to the forest, but in the city, the beard will help you blend in with everyone else.”
“Of course.” He blinked and the warmth in his gaze was gone.
Sassy drank her water, glancing between the two of them and said, “I don’t want to disappoint High Hugh...”
“Please don’t call me that. It’s just Hugh.”
“Okay Just Hugh.” Sassy grinned.
“Why can’t I meet one Guard who’ll show me a little respect?” he joked.
She exchanged a smirk with Sassy.
“I’ve heard good things about you, Just Hugh, and I’d like to help, but”—Sassy’s smiled faded—“I don’t think I can break your friend out of that shelter. Any other shelter sure, but that one is too locked down.”
“Give me the details,” he said.
“It’s in the middle of a busy, city street and I don’t mean one run by House Servants or Guards. That section belongs to the Almightys and we have to consider any Servants or Guards in that area as loyal to them.”
“Go on,” he said.
“It’s locked down and guarded by House Servants, not Guards.”
“That’s a problem,” said Trinity. “The Servants would smell Sassy a mile away and they won’t like stray Guards.”
“I can’t think of any way to break into the facility,” said Sassy.
“How many doors? Windows?” he asked.
Sassy shrugged. “I don’t know. I got my information from a guy I met once. We were talking about the different shelters. My mom had been in one and this guy had been in three, Midtown being one of them. He’d said that he’d been lucky to have been there when they still adopted Guards out of that shelter. If he’d been picked up a month later, he’d be dead.”