The Players

Wren woke to sunlight hitting her face.

“I see you have finally woken up. The others would not be happy if you missed breakfast as well,” a vaguely familiar male voice said from beside the bed.

Wren heard steps heading away as she pried her eyes open and squinted at the man, but he stood in a shaft of light, and she could only make out his silhouette.

Wren sat up and climbed out of the bed.

She walked toward him as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and adjusted to the light.

“The rest were concerned when you did not come to supper, so I was sent to fetch you this morning to make sure you appeared,” the voice said with disdain.

It was as if coming into her room to escort her to breakfast was the last thing he wanted to do.

Once her eyes adjusted, she recognized him from the day before.

He was the one who had blocked her escape.

She looked down at the sweats and tee she had pulled on to sleep in, flushed a bit, but refused to back down from his gaze.

~God, why did you give this man those eyes?~

“I am sorry, I have not slept much the past couple of days. It must have caught up with me,” she said. She turned and headed toward the bathroom. “I am up now, so you may go. I will be down in a moment.”

~Why does it have to be him, of all people!~ Wren tried not to think of him watching her walk away.

***

~So the mouse has claws,~ Talon thought.

“It is no concern to me whether or not you like my presence, but I am not allowed to appear in the kitchen without you in tow. I will wait,” he said.

She turned and gave him a look before shrugging her shoulders.

“Suit yourself,” she told him before disappearing.

“I will wait in your parlor.” He spoke to the now-empty room.

He did not know what to think of her.

She was small and curvy, but he had seen a glimpse of fire in her eyes when she had spoken to him just now.

~Maybe there was more to this mouse than I first thought,~ Talon mused.

Then he let out a scoff.

~Like hell there is.~

Wren appeared ten minutes later, much to his chagrin, showered and dressed in a skirt very similar to the one worn the day before, with a blouse to match.

She should have told him she was showering.

“I figured it would be all right to shower as well.”

“About time,” he muttered to himself.

“I did not ask you to wait for me. I can find the kitchen by myself.”

Wren did not care for this man. He acted like he was being made to shovel horse shit without a mask.

What was his problem, anyway?

“If that is how you feel, then I will go ahead and let them know that you are on your way. I did not wish to be here anyway.”

He was done waiting for this woman; to hell with what Carrie had said.

“What? Wait!” she called out as he headed for the door.

She frantically looked around for her shoes.

Did he not just tell her that he had to have her with him to appear before the others?

“Who are you?” she asked as she searched the room, suddenly remembering they were still in the bedroom.

She headed for the door, intent on getting them before he left completely.

She was fairly certain she knew the way, but it did not hurt to have some help.

The man watched her cross the room and waited until she had stopped to look back at him before answering.

“I am Talon, soon to be your new partner,” he stated.

Then he was gone.

***

Wren froze.

~That is Talon? That is MY partner! No way!~

Wren felt her heart drop to her stomach.

She was in trouble.

Not only was he handsome and made her heart do a little tap dance against her will, but he was rude, headstrong, temperamental, and had the most piercing, gorgeous stare she had ever been given.

~Then again,~ she thought, ~I am not at my best either.~

She did not know if she would be polite to her if she were in his shoes either.

Shoes! She needed to find her shoes.

She quickly located them by the bed where she had left them and followed him out the door toward the kitchen.

***

“Get your breakfast.”

Wren walked over to the counter, where there were various breakfast foods set out, and started to prepare a plate.

She had missed dinner yesterday and found that she was quite hungry.

“Here you go.” Lily put a glass of milk down next to her as she sat, her plate heaped with fruit and eggs. “I hope you enjoy your breakfast.”

“I am sure she shall,” Eric spoke from the door. “Good morning, all.” He crossed over to Lily and placed a kiss on her cheek before finding his seat.

Lily placed his breakfast before him, and he dug in.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked Wren before digging into the food before him.

“Yes. Thank you. I am sorry for not coming down last night. I have not slept much these last couple of days. I guess it finally caught up with me.”

Eric waved away her explanation. “No big. We figured you had to be tired.”

He nodded toward the group assembled at the table.

“That is Michael behind the paper. Say hello, Michael.”

“Hello,” Michael said, lowering his newspaper.

He was a big man as well. She was sure that he stood well over six feet when at his full height, with brown hair trimmed close to his head and piercing eyes that probably did not miss much.

She was completely out of place here when it came to looks.

She looked around the kitchen. “Um, what happened to Talon?” she asked, becoming self-conscious after all eyes turned to look at her.

Eric turned to Wren, speaking around his food. “Talon doesn’t eat with us. He usually makes his food and takes it with him to eat by himself.”

“Why?”

“No idea.” A voice, hoarse and rough from age and life, spoke from the doorway. “Been like that since he came here two years ago. I think it has to do with the way he lived before he was found.”

Wren looked away from those seated at the table to see a very tall, slender woman with short, jet-black hair enter the room.

“Good morning, Ms. Wren. I am Carrie. I assume that someone introduced my partner to you. Knowing Michael, he forgot his manners. Welcome to your new home.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope that you have found everything to your satisfaction.”

“Uh, yes.” Carrie was a no-nonsense woman with a bit of a bite in her voice when she spoke.

Wren was pretty sure that she would not wish to cross her. She seemed to be a dangerous woman.

“I am sorry that we were not here when you arrived yesterday. We got in rather late last night,” Carrie continued as she sat down to a plate of breakfast.

“Oh, that is all right. I guess I slept most of the day away and missed supper last night as well, so…”

“It is understandable. I heard that your journey here was quite eventful.” Carrie sat across from her, her shrewd eyes not missing Wren’s discomfort at the perusal.

“Eat. The director will want to speak with you soon. There is much to be done and quickly if you are to keep up with Talon in the field.”

Wren nodded and continued to eat.

~Let’s see. Lily and Eric are partnered, look like blonde models, and speak as if they would fit right in with royalty. Carrie and Michael are partnered, both tall, with dark complexions, and seem to have no time for nonsense.~

Who were the others who were mentioned yesterday? Wren could not remember.

“Um? Is there a couple that will be joining us?”

Lily shook her head. “Emerald and Evan are still in high school and are already gone. They will appear eventually.”

Carrie let out a snort. “Do not tell her any more, or she will run for the hills.”

Carrie stabbed her fork toward Wren. “Emerald will talk until your ears fall right off your head and will continue. Do not be in a hurry to meet that one.”

“Enough, Carrie,” Michael said from behind his newspaper.

~A man of few words, it seems.~

Wren wanted to ask all sorts of questions about them and Talon, but felt that it would be rude, so she held her tongue and concentrated on finishing her breakfast. Her questions could wait until she was fed.

“You may ask, you know,” Carrie broke the silence that had fallen around the table.

“What?”

“You may ask your questions. I promise you will not offend us in the least.”

“Though if it is about Talon, you will have to ask him yourself,” Michael said this time.

~Does he ever put that newspaper down?~ she wondered.

“Um, all right…I guess… How old are you?” Wren blushed and looked down as the others stared at her.

When the laughing started, Wren’s embarrassment grew.

“I am sorry.” Eric finally pulled himself together enough to speak. “We do not mean to embarrass you, but of all the things you could have asked, to ask us our ages is quite unexpected. Nice, but unexpected.”

“We were sure you would ask about Talon,” Lily explained further.

“But you told me not to ask about him,” Wren retorted, even more embarrassed than before.

“Do not be embarrassed.” Michael finally put aside his newspaper and looked at her directly. “I am forty-five and have been at this house for just over ten years.”

“Forty-two, and I came in just after Michael,” Carrie followed.

“Twenty-five, and I was the next to be found,” Eric said next.

~There is no way this man is only twenty-five. He acts so much older!~ Wren thought to herself.

“Twenty-three,” Lily rounded them out. “I followed close after the rest.”

“And Talon?” Wren asked tentatively. She wondered if they would answer her.

“Thirty-one and I have been here two years now,” came the answer from the kitchen door. “If you have any other questions, the director can answer them. We are expected.”

Wren turned to see Talon leaning against the door, and she had to wonder just how long he had been standing there.

“The director is waiting.”