Chapter 2
Lilith forces the stranger to sit up and eat. "So you're one of the Sky People, aren't you?"
The woman nods. "How'd you know?” Her voice cracks with every consonant.
"Not many left schooled in the Old Tongue. And the Maunon are all dead. By the hand of one of your own, from what I’ve heard."
The woman looks away. “You’re well informed.”
"It’s a tale people love to tell - a whole slice of humanity locked up in the stars, ignorant of the world down here, and then they send down a fearsome warrior queen to wipe a foul stain from the face of the world. That’s the vengeance of the gods, that is.”
The stranger turns visibly green. Lilith pulls an empty bucket in front of her, just in the nick of time.
"That’ll be the poison on its way out." Lilith pauses and rubs the girl's back. "When you're done hurling out your guts, perhaps you can give me a name."
"It's...Juno."
Lilith suspects this is not her real name, but keeps that to herself.
"And to think I was just talking about the gods...Juno’s one of the oldest. One of the most powerful."
"That's ironic," Juno replies, with a hint of a smile. "I’m pretty powerless right now."
"Power is overrated, believe me." Lilith stands up and holds out a hand. "Getting back on your feet, on the other hand? Lets you do important things like taking baths and feeding your own self."
Juno scans the bloodstained mattress. "You'll probably have to burn this. Sorry."
"Not to worry,” Lilith says with a sigh. “I'm just glad you survived."
"I'm glad someone is."
Lilith grabs her hand firmly and pulls her up. "I'll be even happier when you don't stink. Come on, I’ll draw you a bath."
---
Juno emerges, hours later, and Lilith attempts to stifle a laugh.
“Am I not wearing this right?”
“That depends,” Lilith says. “Have you seen a human in clothes before?”
Juno dramatically tosses a misplaced fur over her shoulder, straight at Lilith, and they both start giggling. Lilith’s pleased to learn she has a sense of humor.
“Well excuse me, but I’ve never attended a grounder fashion show.”
“What’s a grounder?”
“It’s...it’s what we called the people who survived on Earth. Before we knew that there were different clans.” Juno pauses and sits down. “In fairness, we didn’t know that anyone survived on Earth. How arrogant were we?”
“Well I figured they were teaching you kids a bunch of nonsense up there in the sky, but that’s just ridiculous.” Lilith reaches over to adjust Juno’s shirt. “I thought your ancestors were the best and brightest of humanity.”
“That’s what they always told us. I have a feeling the criteria weren’t exactly objective.”
Juno sneaks an appraising glance at Juno, the stranger who acts like a lost girl, sounds like a lost girl, but sits up just a touch too straight, too stiff, as though she’s balancing against an invisible weight.
“But what about you? How’d you end up out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Well…” Lilith picks at her fingernails, unsure of how to respond. She decides on truth, as seen in the reflection of a cracked, dirty mirror. “Where I was, there was no more room for me to grow. No room to change. I wanted to reinvent myself, so here I am.”
“Who did you want to be?”
“The kind of person who can take in the occasional stranger and treat them with kindness.”
“And I appreciate that." Juno cracks her knuckles, a loud crack. “Is that why you said earlier...that power is overrated.”
You’re a very sharp listener, Juno. Lilith draws in a deep breath and riffs again off that cracked, dirty mirror. “I’ve seen what it does. It makes you less human.”
“I’ve seen it too,” Juno replies, looking pale. She changes the subject. “Maybe you can show me around? You’ve taken such good care of me, let me help you out if I can.”
“I’ll show you around, but don’t thank me. I’ve just got one rule.”
“And that is?” Juno’s eyes flash with fear.
“If you leave, you don’t betray this place. Only the local yokels know I'm here.”
“Oh, is that all,” Juno says, grinning mischievously. “God forbid I betray this house of riches. I mean, you’ve got a whole pot and pan.”
“Hey! I’ve made a real effort to make this home for myself, and I don’t wanna lose it.”
“You call this effort?” Juno pauses to scan the room. “You don’t even have chairs.”
“Well I guess we know who’ll be sleeping on the concrete tonight.”
“I’m kidding.” Juno cracks a smile. “I won’t give you up. Betrayal’s not my style.”
“Then I’ll give you the grand tour.”