Misplaced (75 page)

A
t
this
hour,
the
cabin
seemed
infinitely
far
a
w
ay.
V
ictoria’s
steps quickened, and soon she
’
d left Khara behind.

“Hurry up, I’m freezing!” she called softly.

A
s
usual
,
Khara’
s
attentio
n w
a
s
o
n
th
e
sky
.
V
ictoria
shuddered,
wondering
if
she
w
as
w
aiting
for
her
guardian
to
return.

“What are you doing?”
V
ictoria asked, inching closer to the
safety of the cabin.

“Le
t
m
e
sho
w
you,
”
Khar
a
invited
,
he
r
gaz
e
fixe
d
o
n
th
e
sky.
“I
n
th
e
san
d
desert
,
w
e
stood,
”
sh
e
mo
v
e
d
t
o
th
e
lef
t
se
v
eral
steps
,
“here.
”
Rememberin
g
ho
w
th
e
shado
w
ha
d
stretched
out
its
arm,
V
ictoria
understood;
Khara
w
as
duplicating
their
position the previous night in the dunes.

A
s
th
e
gian
t
shado
w
ha
d
done
,
sh
e
pointe
d
nort
h
and
slightly to the
w
est, asking, “What lies in that direction?”

“Desolation.
”
Seein
g
tha
t
Khar
a
w
a
s
unhapp
y
wit
h
her
ans
w
er, she added, “The reser
v
ation.”

“I
mus
t
ha
v
e
a
map,
”
Khar
a
demande
d
abruptly
,
arm
droppin
g
t
o
he
r
side
.
I
t
w
a
s
the
n
tha
t
V
ictori
a
note
d
tha
t
her
frien
d
w
a
s
no
w
w
earin
g
a
sil
v
e
r
tan
k
w
atch
.
“
A
gif
t
from
Celeste,” she explained.
A
loud
meow
came
from
the
road.
Invisible
except
for
his
y
ellow e
y
es, Kingsford Charcoal materialized.

“Tomorrow
,
Heathe
r
wil
l
kno
w
o
f
you
r
feeling
s
fo
r
her,”
Khara promised him.

She
looked
at
the
w
atch
again,
checking
it
against
the
stars.
“Tha
t
th
e
star
s
woul
d
e
v
e
r
b
e
useles
s
i
s
fals
e
wisdom,
”
she
muttered,
shaking her head, “in any age.”

In her voice,
V
ictoria recognized profound pain.

Sh
e
sho
w
e
d
Khar
a
th
e
upstair
s
bedroom
,
bu
t
the
y
agree
d
to
share
the
room
on
the
first
floor
and
lea
v
e
Celeste’s
memories
as
they
w
ere.
V
ictoria
felt
strongly
about
this,
though
she
could
not say why.

An
antique
iron
bed,
its
head
and
footboard
decorated
with
scrollwork
and
painted
the
same
green
as
the
patio
furniture,
almos
t
fille
d
th
e
tin
y
room
.
Bet
w
ee
n
th
e
window
s
o
n
the
o
ppo
s
it
e
w
al
l
s
t
o
o
d
a
w
ar
d
r
o
b
e
c
ontainin
g
extr
a
quilt
s
,
and
V
ictoria
tossed
one
onto
the
bed.
There
w
ere
other
treasures—
thick
to
w
els,
a
small
basket
filled
with
felt
slippers
of
assorted
sizes.

V
ictoria
retrie
v
ed
the
clothing
from
the
front
room,
found
a
long-slee
v
e
d
t-shir
t
an
d
flanne
l
pajam
a
b
ottoms
,
an
d
s
t
ole
into
the
bathroom
to
change.
Unlike
Khara,
who
dropped
her
clothe
s
a
t
a
moment’
s
notice
,
V
ictori
a
neede
d
pri
v
acy
.
Sh
e
splashed
icy
w
ater
on
her
face
and
brushed
her
teeth
using
one
of
the
toothbrushes
thoughtfully
provided.
A
number
of
tubes
wit
h
extra
v
agan
t
label
s
i
n
Frenc
h
fille
d
th
e
medicin
e
cabinet.
Choosin
g
on
e
tha
t
smelle
d
o
f
roses
,
sh
e
squeeze
d
a
da
b
int
o
he
r
hand and lavished it onto her face and neck
The
n
i
t
w
a
s
Khara’
s
turn
.
Sh
e
returne
d
wit
h
dam
p
hair,
smellin
g
o
f
th
e
sam
e
ros
e
crème
,
an
d
dresse
d
i
n
a
delicate
cotton
gown.

“
Als
o
Bea’s,
”
sh
e
replie
d
t
o
V
ictoria’
s
loo
k
o
f
curiosity.
“Befor
e
sh
e
married
,
sh
e
cam
e
her
e
often
.
Celest
e
misse
s
her
terribly.”
The
y
cra
w
le
d
underneat
h
th
e
quilt
s
an
d
turne
d
th
e
lam
p
off.
“
V
ictoria?”