Vain (The Seven Deadly, #1)(35)

“Once, I took this social studies class,” I told him. “In it, we read this story about this woman attacked in an alleyway in New York City.” I shook my head. “I can’t remember the particulars. Anyway, the gist of it was that many people watched the attack from their windows and assumed someone else called the police and the woman died there, waiting for help.”

Dingane lifted his shoulders in acknowledgement, his beautiful, tanned hands lifted as if in explanation.

I remembered the visions of dead children again and turned my head to avoid the humiliation of Dingane seeing the tears fall. I twisted back when he nudged my foot with his.

“It’s not a weakness,” he stated simply, his arms folded tightly against his torso.

“What’s not?” I blubbered, wiping my face with dirty hands.

“Fear, sadness. They’re not weaknesses. They are overpowering, defining emotions. They make you human, Sophie.”

“They are signs of defect,” I told him, reverting back to curt Sophie.

“Says who?”

“Me.”

“Why?”

“Because I — because...”

“Let me guess. Because you are not proud of yourself? Because you despise who you are? Because, if you show these emotions, they acknowledge those thoughts?”

I was deadly silent for five minutes at least. “Yes,” I stated, breaking the absence of sound.

“Do something about it.”

“There’s nothing to do. I’m lost.”

“Bullshit. You don’t really believe that. You want to stick with what’s easy for you. You foresee the amount of work it would take to transform yourself and you’re too frightened to embrace the challenge. Now, that, Sophie Price, is a real weakness.”

Dingane stood and I watched him check each bed, traveling stealthily from one to the other and I hated how right he was.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN





Dingane and I were relieved by Ruth and Solomon around eight in the morning after breakfast, as promised. I was so exhausted, but the idea of sleeping on my sheets after being covered in blood and dirt gave me the chills. I wanted, no needed, to wash away the previous night.

“I have to shower,” I told Dingane.

His eyes bugged slightly. “Oh, all right. I was going to as well. Would you like to go first?”

“No,” I told him, “you go ahead. I’ll gather all my things.”

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll knock on your door when it’s free.

“Thank you.”

Fifteen minutes later, Dingane knocked and I answered.

He popped in his head and his hair was still wet and clung to his neck. I could smell his soap and I inhaled it.

“All yours,” he said, moving to leave before stopping short. “Uh, sleep well.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling slightly.

I approached the shower with hesitation knowing there would be bugs this time but was surprised again to see it was entirely clear. “That’s odd,” I said out loud.

“What’s odd?” someone asked me. Karina was passing by.

“Oh, there aren’t any insects here.”

Karina studied the shower. “That is curious.” She smiled before scurrying off toward the schoolhouse.

I showered quickly, cleansing the night away as best I could and dressed simply. My feet and eyes were so heavy by the end I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it to my small hut but somehow I did, tossing my things to the side and practically diving into my bed, burying my net as best I could into the mattress. I was asleep before my eyes could even hit the pillow.



I woke of my own accord which felt strange, but it was still light out and that surprised me knowing how tired I’d been. I shook the insects from my net and emerged, brushing my teeth and fixing my hair into two braids as I’d done that first day. It was to be my standard style, I’d decided. It was easy and stayed out of my way. Two things I would have paid money I never would’ve associated with the way I wanted to present myself. I wore my standard blue jeans, boots and button-up.

Outside, I could hear the giggling voices of the girls and hearty laughs of the boys, no doubt enjoying their free day of play. When I left my hut, my view was exactly as I’d expected except for one little beautiful hiccup. The girls sat under the baobab tree, dancing and playing, the boys were several hours into a soccer match it seemed.

My eyes spanned across the players, all matching in height except for one. Dingane played alongside the boys, laughing with them, dribbling the ball around them and teasing them for not being able to catch up, which made them laugh all the more. Two boys had fallen down they were laughing so hard. When he spotted me, his smile didn’t fade and that bolstered me. He passed the ball to the nearest boy and they continued to play.

Dingane jogged toward me, out of breath when he finally reached me.

“They’ve put up the food, but Kate saved you a plate.”

“Oh, I’ll have to thank her.”

“Come on. I’ll show you where she stored it. I don’t think you’ve ever been in the kitchen before,” he said, walking backward.

“I haven’t,” I admitted when he turned back around. “How are the village children?” I asked.