Sophie woke Angharad in the afternoon for the bonfire. Someone had piled the bodies up high and given Rod Spark and his blowtorch the honour of setting them all ablaze.

It made sense to get rid of them so they couldn't be used against the camp again. That didn't mean Angharad wanted to watch.

She looked around the crowd to find Tsuyoshi and squeeze his hand, though he only looked at his feet instead of looking at her. Maybe it would have been too much in that moment to kiss his face. Maybe he felt even more like his protective outer layer had been flayed off than she did. She'd ask another day. Maybe.

She let him be, and walked back to the hospital to see if anyone needed some help she could give.

Something stopped her before the door, like maybe she wasn't ready to face it yet.

From beyond the door she heard the sound of footsteps, and Tabitha's voice saying, "You're only angry because you kissed me."

Oh, eavesdropping was bad. But how could she turn back now without letting them know she could hear? The gravel under her feet was always so loud when she stepped on it, and her body felt heavy.

"You were the one who kissed me. I didn't want that to happen," in Zelko's voice.

Angharad swallowed on a breath, certain she didn't want to be there. There was no way this could end well at all. If Eleanor was cold and sharp when jealous, Tsuyoshi was like a bomb waiting to go off, and Angharad didn't want to get caught by the emotional shrapnel.

"Oh, I'm sure it's never your fault when a woman kisses you. You don't provoke it at all," Tabitha said.

Angharad tried to step back without making a noise. Almost quiet enough.

"Don't blame me for..."

What did it matter if they heard her walking away? The more important thing was not to hear them. She ran to the library, instead, ready to hide herself away with the books and try not to think at all.