After Damien left, Maya allowed herself a few minutes to just stand in the middle of the room and absorb the fact that she was here, safe, with four walls and a door that locked. Then she gathered up the clean clothes and went to find that shower.
The hot water was everything she'd hoped it would be. She stood under the spray longer than she probably should have, washing away months of grime and tension. When she finally emerged, she felt more human than she had in longer than she could remember.
The clothes Damien had provided fit well—jeans and a soft sweater that felt like luxury against her skin. She caught sight of herself in a small mirror and was startled by her appearance. Clean, rested, and wearing clothes that fit, she looked like someone from the before-times. Someone who belonged in a world where people had dinner together and worried about things other than mere survival.
She was still getting used to the idea when a knock came at her door.
"Maya?" It was Marcus's voice. "You decent? Because I was hoping to talk to you before dinner."
She opened the door to find him leaning against the frame, that easy smile still in place but something more serious in his eyes.
"What's on your mind?" she asked.
"Walk with me?"
They strolled through the settlement as the sun began to set, and Maya was struck again by how normal it all felt. Like the world hadn't ended at all, just changed.
"I wanted to give you fair warning," Marcus said eventually. "About Kane."
Maya raised an eyebrow. "What kind of warning?"
"He's going to test you. Push you. See what you're made of." Marcus's expression grew thoughtful. "It's not personal. Well, it is personal, but not in the way you might think."
"I'm not following."
Marcus stopped walking and turned to face her. "Kane lost people early on. His wife, his daughter. He blames himself for not being strong enough to protect them. So now he makes sure everyone in his orbit is strong enough to protect themselves."
The revelation hit Maya like a physical blow. She'd seen the wariness in Kane's eyes, the careful distance he maintained, but she hadn't understood the depth of pain behind it