Page 12 of Born for Lace

“Oh.” I cough with shock. “No. I’m just looking for water.” My sentence dwindles to a pause as I consider offering her stamps but stop myself, not wanting her suspicion piqued further.

She stares at the bundle hidden beneath my jacket, her brow rising. She nods with faux indifference toward a metal spout fastened to the outside of the stone building, waterdrops pattering the ground.

“Help yourself.”

“Thank you,” I say, walking straight to it, squatting, and getting to work. Despite the woman’s perceived disinterest, she still glances intermittently from her nails to watch me squat by the faucet.

After cleaning the bottle the best I can, I mix the water with some formula and tuck it into mybeibao. I need to find somewhere quiet to feed Spero.

Back on the path, I pass a few Common women and men as they go about their lives without so much as a peep in my direction. Before I walk too far, I check the docks. The boat that brought me here is still at the jetty, and Tomar is loading something onto it.

A few hours…

Is he taking me to the Common Community like the Endigo man said? Or am I getting there some other way? Spero cries louder, reminding me I have to feed him first—decipher the details of what happens next after.

I walk along the path between small houses and cabins, searching for a secluded spot to tend to Spero, the small whimpering bundle cradled against my chest.

Although it's dim, small gaps in the cave ceiling, along with the glowworms and lanterns outside each cabin, offer enough light to see.

The alleyways are quiet, yet the air is thick with whispers and transactions.

I thought I would stand out, but everyone else seems just as intent on blending in as I do.

The Bite seems to be a place for living ghosts to gather and converse; their secrets trail to echoes and hide in the rocky quarries.

As I approach a cavity in the hard cave wall, I hesitate. Through the narrow slit in the rock, I see steps that lead downward. I peer into the rocky burrow, where the glowworms illuminate the passage, revealing a glimmering spot of clear blue water at the end. It ripples softly, yet… It feels too isolated.

A wave of unease washes over me, and I glance over my shoulder.

Don’t go into a tunnel alone. Don’t walk too far from the docks, from Tomar.

Maple and I would explore the Half-tower when our Wards went to their Purpose, but I would never go alone. I am five-foot-two and built small, not equipped to fight or defend myself. Luckily for me—besides my too-many freckles—I am plain. I’ve been told by many people, my Ward included, that I am pretty but easily forgotten. I never cared. Being overlooked in the Half-tower is a powerful survival trait.

Spero is suddenly quiet, worrying me more with his fatigue and detachment than his demanding cries. Then, a naked woman crosses the small view I have of the water, appearing to be bathing in the cove. A little comfort settles into my wary stomach, so I head down the steep steps that drop me deeper and deeper into the earth.

At the foot of the stone steps, I enter a small, isolated bay shaped like a jagged quarter-moon, walled with encroaching gravelly forms.

If I reach up, I can touch the cool, moist ceiling. It’s unlike anything I have seen before, the air isn’t like the Redwind or the smoke-drenched tower fort. It is crisp, like the first bite into an apple.

With only the other woman down here, I sit on the concave of a rock, spilling everything out of mybeibaoonto the smooth stone surface. Laying Spero on his back, I unwrap him and check him over. He is still painted pink and red from Maple’s blood, and black poo is smeared and caked between his chubby thighs.

I’ll clean him after I feed him.

Ripping the linen from one of my shirts, I poke my finger into it to create a nipple shape and loosen the fibres before covering the top of the bottle. This has to work. I don’t have another plan. I tip it over and hold my breath. Slowly, the cloth nipple fills with formula and drips through the fabric.

Spero mewls as I pick him up, cradle him in my lap and put the cloth between his lips. He mouths it immediately, much to my relief. I exhale and lean backward against the rock as he softly sucks. His enthusiasm is weak, but so is he.

So am I.

As Spero drinks, I can almost taste the formula on my tongue, my hunger gnawing at my stomach and hazing my mind.

It's not long before he seems to fall asleep. I understand the ‘sleep like a baby’ saying as he appears almost comatose. I glance up and see another woman has replaced the previous woman in the cove. My eyes scan the small, intimate cavern. There doesn’t appear to be anyone else, though there are tunnels and cavities. I don’t want to leave mybeibaoexposed to possible thieves, but I need to bathe Spero. And… I will be in the Deep Sleep soon, so I need to wash myself, too.

Right.

With that, I strip off my clothes, scoop my sleeping burden to my chest, and wade into the cool, clear water until my bellybutton meets the surface.

Hairs prickle along my naked body as I squat, the buoyant fluid holding me while I dip Spero until clear ripples outline his face. The water has a scent, cracked salts and moist stone, and I inhale it dreamily. It’s real—organic.

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