Matthew scrambled for a few seconds, his thoughts scattered.

  The stone wall against his back felt just a bit colder all of a sudden, he clenched his jaw to stop a reaction.

  He crossed his hands on his legs as he managed to look surprised.

  She saw me give Petyr the note? No, that's impossible. I was watching her the whole time. A jab? Then I've already lost. I have to play it off. What does she want?

  Matthew looked away from where Petyr went, instead looking at the fountain where Thomas had used as the gathering for his group. "What about him?"

  Jane looked completely neutral and waved her hands listlessly. "What would you do about Thomas' group when they want to use the safe point?"

  "How are you so sure they're alive?" He stuffed his commonplace book in his bag.

  The smooth leather was slightly calming then started straightening his hoodie uncomfortably.

  "I feel they already understood wherever they must have gone. They came back and went again for something" Jane explained "His demeanor feels sort of cold but inside he's probably a better person than we think"

  Matthew was beginning to feel uneasy. He wasn't wearing a shirt inside the hoodie as Jesse had helped him wash it.

  The temple wasn't really hot but Matthew was sweating, he was uncomfortable and deeply irritated by everything.

  The burns on his legs weren't just painful anymore—they had become maddeningly itchy since he woke up.

  It was little things like the way the cotton blend hoodie stuck to his chest, his skin felt oily and disgusting and his beard had these infuriating sticky clumps from the fruit last night.

  Then there's this constant microscope this twat has me under.

  Matthew hated situations like this—he changed too much, applied too much pressure to sway the group's opinions. Something he usually avoids to prevent him being thrown into conflict.

  He kept wondering how he could deal with Petyr if he came back with the information he had asked for.

  Jane wasn't a fool, any attempt to clue him into what was happening would cause a reaction she could attack.

  The gentle murmurs of the temple grew faint in his ears, the light a bit dimmer, the rest of the world a bit farther away.

  He rubbed his forearm with his thumb, just routinely nodding to Jane's nonsense and felt the desire to sign for a moment. I'm so tired

  He began to wonder if this was really worth it—all these constant thoughts and worries.

  He could leave everything to Parker, just rest, follow orders, exist.

  He couldn't see this group staying together once some started outpacing the rest.

  Right now to him, maintaining their numbers and creating a facade at least of equal opportunity was important, what he didn't want was people like Jane here.

  He could already sense a dark hunger hidden behind those sparkling eyes.

  If anything I have to bring her down or her clumsy attempts to gain power will destroy us.

  Jane had been rambling for a while, behaving ditsy and playful. He examined her a little.

  He wanted to study her expressions and body language but he couldn't find what he was looking for.

  She was babbling, a bit uncomfortable but she was forcing herself to be more talkative.

  She was dressed for work—finance, if she'd been truthful about her profession. A tweed suit, its pattern just familiar enough for Matthew to guess… houndstooth, maybe?

  The suit's bottom was baggy and she had taken off the waistcoat leaving a rumpled black shirt with her sleeves rolled up.

  There wasn't a lot you could infer from this, the style was more fitting of someone in academia, but the shirt, her accessories gave a more rebellious… no self aggrandizing vibe.

  She clearly took pride in her appearance, but it seemed more tied to her ideals than pure vanity.

  He was enduring her long winded rant because he knew she was waiting for him to relax.

  Jane paused after a long talk about houses in different parts of the world.

  She played with a portion of her sleek hair while avoiding his gaze . "You and Jesse seem pretty close."

  Matthew shrugged feigning sleepiness, "She's very serious, really uptight about everything. We only look so close because i'm hurt"

  Unlike you she has the decency to not corner someone when they can't escape.

  Jane flinched for a second and her tone became a bit more biting. "I mean she doesn't hover over Colin and Kirk the way she does for you. It's a little rude to dismiss someone doing so much for you."

  Matthew laughed nervously "I'm just… you know I don't want people to get the wrong ideas."

  I got under her skin?

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  It was interesting to Matthew, he knew Jane might try to play around the guise of being a dumb girl leading him on to try to get something.

  They began another long talk about the cave and its danger. He lied about how he knew Casey had found the hidden tunnel and made a mental note to warn the boy when he returned.

  "It's gonna be rough for a while I think, how will we get essence? I mean us girls of course we don't have anything to give the group." Jane mumbled almost somberly, she had grown quieter and less energetic.

  She was also a lot closer, they both laid against the wall of the temple, she was so close yet just far enough, their fingers almost touched, the red lights of the temple set softly against her pale visage.

  Matthew was as dutiful a liar as he had been the whole time, looking unsure what to say, looking down at her hand just inches away from his, a straying eye resting on her legs as she drew them closer.

  He looked away quickly, studying the flat distant roof of the temple.

  He moved the hand and ran it through his hair, picking at some uncomfortable tangles.

  He signed "We are going to have to work hard to convince them that leveling everyone up could be beneficial."

  "Nothing's ever easy though, if you aren't ready to fight nothing can be done. I mean have you ever been given anything for free." He continued sternly.

  Jane watched him attentively, her lips quivered a bit but she smiled weakly "you're totally right."

  "Anyway, I need some shut eye. Keep an eye out, yeah?" He pushed his bag under his head placing the zipper away from her just in case and closed his eyes.

  "Sweet dreams," Jane murmured.

  —-

  Jesse examined the flowers in front of her, she rubbed her arm as she couldn't recognise them, she had hoped there would be some pine trees at the very least, but the alien trees had giant strange looking leaves.

  Suddenly all those hours her grandma had taken from her to learn about holistic health and harvesting leaves seemed very pointless.

  There were some that looked similar to Pine but were flatter and far softer and flexible.

  The Eighth Messenger gave her brief soft glances while she studied the plants.

  She wanted to ask him to relax or get out at least but she ignored him.

  She set them aside and exhaled disappointedly, shaking her head as he stood and walked over to Colin, the Fifth Messenger.

  He sat at the edge of the den copying illustrations and notes from the other messenger's handbooks. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow "more duds?"

  "It's not about duds really, all the samples they've brought are all different but similar to the things I'm looking for." She explained

  Colin watched indifferently before turning back to his notes. "So, what are you suggesting?"

  Jesse bit her lip, hesitant. "Well… i need to get out there and see the trees themselves"

  "No," Colin replied without bothering to look up from the notes. He dragged his pen hard across the note for a thick line to draw a monster "first off, you're too slow. In an all out sprint you slow them down, also…."

  He raised an eye to look out to the boys outside the den behind Jesse, they laughed and stole glances at her while they dismembered and packed a wooly cattle.

  The Safe point's black stone floors were covered in brown hair from the beast.

  Jesse didn't bother looking back at them, she had no tasks for the last two hours, the boys joked about how getting covered in blood would ruin her outfit.

  She had offered to carry some supplies back to the temple so she could at least see Adelina and Matthew but they told her it was a bit heavy for her.

  She only stayed here for the leaves and she rather be here to stop them from talking about her when she left.

  That hadn't stopped them from asking some stupid questions so she had been avoiding speaking to try and get the idea through to them that she didn't want to talk.

  Yet she didn't want to be an outsider here, she frowned stiffly "if i'm too slow leave me behind and i'll be perfectly fine. I'm going."

  Colin glared at her for a moment, he clicked his tongue turning back to his notes "take, Luke with you. Luke! Follow Jesse, you guys are going to get us some healing leaves!"

  She wanted to protest taking Luke, the Sixth Messenger, with her but Colin had raised his head to shout down Luke and then promptly turned back to his notes, determined to ignore her.

  She left the den ducking slightly before picking her bag and waiting for the Eighth and Ninth Messengers who watched her a bit reluctantly.

  Luke looked excited grabbing his bag from the den emptying it for space.

  He stopped beside Jesse looking at the disapproving messengers asking innocently. "What are we waiting for?"