A beat of silence rushes in after my rash statement. Despite the irritation behind the words, I'm as shocked as they are. Beyond the courtesy of declaring my mission, I don't speak to humans. The droning roar of falling water echoes through the strange shelter while ribbons of light dance over the walls and paint geometric patterns on the side of the woman's face.

The smaller one's expression cracks, her whole face changing as the corners of her mouth lift high, revealing gaps between her teeth. "Told you he can talk," she shouted while waving her fist in the air. Her exuberance has the dog on his feet, barking in excitement while he dances around her. Their reactions are confusing, but the older female remains calm.

Her hazel eyes scan me, a corner of her mouth tilted upward, though her lips remain closed until she speaks. "Riley, would you bring in some water? And take Caesar with you."

The small one, Riley, deflates at the suggestion. "Aw, do I have to?" The dog danced around her legs, tail wagging so hard the canine is completely off balance. There is a pitch to her voice that makes my shoulders hunched, but the woman's expression shifts again, a silent command that has the girl spinning on heel with a grumble. "I wanted to watch." But she leaves without further confrontation, the dog a golden burr at her side.

No shouting, no hitting, or any hint of violence between the two. I don't understand the relationship between them or the peaceful atmosphere of this place. The stink of desperation and fear is absent. There isn't a hint of such volatile emotions from the woman in front of me. When she takes a step towards me, I tense, waiting for my purpose, the instincts engrained into my very being to rise.

She pauses, lips pursing. Lifting her hands, she holds them out in front of her, exposing the callouses on her palms and the odd collection of tiny scars that decorate the lengths of her fingers. "Easy, I'm not going to hurt you."

The words are surreal. "You can't hurt me," I automatically answer, but my posture remains tense when she chances another step. I frown, shifting back. Moving refocuses my attention back to my wings, evincing a fresh wave of irritation. "I could hurt you—"

In my brief lapse of attention, the woman's closed the distance between us. Startled, I nearly loose my balance until she reaches to steady me, her other hand carefully peeling back the bandages wrapped around my chest. Her proximity stuns me to inaction, and the lightness of her touch leaves me reeling.

"Amazing. That wound is sealed, though looks like you're going to scar." This close, I can feel and scent her breath, though it is far from the rancid odor of the last human I encountered. Flavored by wild berries. Her deft fingers continue to check my wounds before reaching for my wings.

My fingers wrap around her wrist without thought, a low sound rumbling from my chest. A threatening sound, but the woman doesn't cower away from me.

"I can't help if you don't let me."

"There is nothing you can do," I snapped. My shoulders tense, causing the wing muscles to strain along my back. Realization pricks through my anger and unease, where my fingers are still wrapped around this woman's arm.

I release her abruptly, tensing further in anticipation of her sins. Except I feel quiet inside. There is no tug and pull towards this woman, or the small one and their dog. My purpose, my mission, are silent inside me.

"Who are you?" A demand more than a question. I've been unsettled since I woke here, lulled by peculiar serenity of this place and its occupants.

My reactions don't phase her. Those calm hazel eyes maintain their steady regard. "Willa. Who are you?"

No one has asked me my name before. I struggle for a moment, digging through the morass of memories I've collected, trying to excavate the identity I haven't thought of since I touched down on this world.

"Iyazgumondynmigus."

For the first time in our interaction, Willa's calm falters. After a few rapid blinks, she rolls her bottom lip with her teeth. "Can I call you Gus?"

"If that is all you can manage."

She squints at me. "Good, pleasantries are out of the way. Will you let me look at them now?" Willa has the audacity to point at my back.

"Absolutely not." I pull back another step, crossing my arms over my chest in a gesture I've seen others do.

Willa imitates me, though her expression is almost amused. "Why not?"

I want to tell her it is forbidden. That humans cannot lay hands on me without dying, but Willa has done so several times now. It is not a lie, but it no longer feels like truth. My confusion is reflected in my expression. "Because you must not."

She softened at my obvious distress. "Please, I think I can help you."

"You cannot," I shook my head, but I am drawn in by her offer.

"Let me try," she entreated, her voice almost pleading. I've listened to thousands of humans plead for their lives to no effect, but her words worm through me, swaying me in a dangerous direction.

"They are my burden to bear," I snarl, ignoring the rising ache in my body. My wings creak beneath the weight they carry, black dust shivering free from the damage this impertinent woman has already done. I expect her anger now, an answer to my hostility but Willa's expression is somber.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" Her hands fall to her sides, the defeated motions cause me to twitch. I require no earthly sustenance, but I find myself unable to deny her again.

"I will partake of your water."

Willa bit her lip. "You got it. Let me go check on Riley and Caesar."

Odd, I don't remember a third human in the room though she has spoken of this person multiple times. "Who is this Caesar person you keep referring to?"

"Uh, our dog, Caesar? He kept you company while you slept."

"You name the animals?" My confusion deepens. The human memories I've taken are unfocused and scattered. I know they keep canines and felines as companions, but my knowledge of their function is incomplete.

"We do when their family," Willa answered, her expression bemused when she leaves the room.

The impact of her absence is immediate, the cave colder and darker without the presence of its occupants. No longer under the scrutiny of those hazel eyes, I question the wisdom of remaining here for any length of time. My purpose is not here. If anything, the existence of these two and their canine proves there must be pockets of humans still out there to be saved.

Except...Willa does not call to my purpose, nor does the small one, Riley. A mystery that leaves me unsettled. Why could she touch me without consequence when all others could not? Was it because she touched me without violence? Or is there something else? Questions worth answering, and more so, I am intrigued by the woman who touched my wings and her small human that dances and shouts at me. I want to examine the relationship between them.

I need to know how they have evaded the feeders.

Shuffling forward, I try to determine where the two humans have disappeared to when I find the cave shelter is much larger and grander in scale than I realized. The smaller sleeping room opens into a larger cavern, where a shallows pool of water refracts the shafts of light that spill from a hole in the ceiling. The walls are smoothed by erosion, dripping wet from cracks the riddle the rocks overhead yet the system appears structurally sound. I don't fear it collapsing on my head as I drag myself towards the faint by steady light around a bend in the wall.

My progress halts when I catch sight of myself, reflected in the pool. I have not seen myself this way for a long time, the sight a shock to my system. In form, I am similar enough to humans. Two arms, two legs, though longer and stronger. More digits on my hands and feet than humans. My face is a facsimile of humanity. Neither my nose or my mouth has definitive shape, and my eyes are more oval, whites without iris or pupil barely discernable from my pale skin. I know my teeth differ as well, the tips sharper but humans rarely see them.

An approximation of man, uncanny enough to set me apart from them and unsettle them. I wondered if such a design was done with purpose. Once that offset appearance was tempered other features, but now my white hair is a dingy gray, limp and greasy strands across my shoulders, and my wings...

The state of them hurts in a visceral way I didn't expect. A consequence of absorbing humanities sins, the vile residue of their evils clings to my very being, clogging my wings with this unbearable tar like substance.

It wasn't noticeable at first. But slowly, the more sins I drank from them, the more their filth left its stain, until I could no longer take to the skies. The weight grew and complied, until I could do nothing but drag them in my wake.

They are unrecognizable, the muck like concrete, encasing them in a formless mass. Except for a small portion I can just see, where Willa has chipped it away to reveal the dirty, disheveled feathers. I remembered the gentle push and pull at my back, the patience in those movements. The possibility of her offer to help is a powerful temptation, and impossible to accept.

This is my price. My burden, one I must bear until the last human falls...

I haven't dared look at my wings until now, so engrossed by the sight I fail to notice I am no longer alone with my thoughts. Not until the small one slips her hand into mine and wraps her fingers. There's a canteen clutched in her other arm, while she stares up at me, her dark eyes wide and voluminous in the shimmering lights of the cave.

"Why did you do that?" I lift our hands, but she doesn't let go, her fingers a solid pressure against my skin. As with Willa, my purpose remains idle.

"You looked like you needed it," she said. There is no explanation beyond that, but I don't dismiss her presence either. The weight of her hand is a tether, forcing me to face the moment and the curiosities surrounding these two humans. The small human remained surprisingly subdued at my side, keeping a silent vigil with her hand in mine until Willa entered the cave from around the curved wall, a trio of fish hanging from strings in her hand. The sight and scent of them are odd, not fresh but browned with the heavy scent of wood smoke. The dog follows behind her but doesn't attempt to steal the dangling meat from the strings.

Willa's expression turns thoughtful at the sight of us. "Ready for dinner?"

The small one startles, tugging her hand free from mine. My empty hand twitches. "Oh, I forgot. Willa told me to give you the water." She holds the canteen, liquid sloshing within.

"Thank you, Riley," I said, my tone grave. The device is easy enough to figure out, having seen plenty of humans use them. I may not need the water, but females are watching as I lift the canteen to my mouth and drink. There is a faint metallic taste to the clear liquid, but it is crisp and cool and leaves an odd path of sensation down my throat. Uncertain, I take another sip, deciding I enjoy the sensation. I take one last drink before capping it and handing the canteen back to Riley, who is now staring at me with open mouthed fascination.

Willa interrupted the moment with a verbal nudge. "Riley, why don't you get the plates?"

"Come on, Caesar, it's chow time!" Riley crowed, prancing back to towards the living quarters with the canine on her heels.

Alone with the older female, Willa offers a small smile, showing a hint of her blunt, clean teeth. "You're welcome to have some, if you're up for it."

Instead of telling her I don't need the sustenance, I frown at the offering. "What is wrong with it?"

Willa snorted. "Nothing's wrong with it. It's smoked. Safest way to prepare food out here."

The first acknowledgement of the outside dangers, though I wonder how deep in the woods this cave system is for Willa to worry about attracting notice of the feeders. After the sensation of the water, I wonder if the fish will be similar.

"I might partake in a small piece of your meal."

Her smile widens. "Well then, won't you join us for dinner, Gus?"

The abbreviated version of my name sounds as ridiculous as the first time she said it, evincing a huff from me.

"Goodness, you have sense of humor after all. There's hope for you yet," said Willa, leading the way back to their living space.

Riley seemed to anticipate my acceptance of Willa's invitation, setting out a third place setting at the low table that somehow escaped my notice earlier. The plates, cups, and utensils were worn metal, but clean. Willa doled out a portion for each plate, an equal portion despite my agreement to small morsel, while Riley emptied the canteen into the waiting cups. A final portion was dumped into Caesar's bowl.

The females sat cross legged on the floor, leaving enough space between them for my bulk. Riley dug into her food without preamble while Willa took slower, smaller bites, as if to savor the taste. I watched them both, studying the process of eating before I attempted to brake off a piece of fish with the tined utensil. The withered flesh fell about easily, revealing off white flesh beneath the browned wrinkled skin. Surprised, I brought the flesh to my mouth, pausing when I noticed Riley staring at me.

"Riley," Willa said, a note of warning in her tone.

"But did you see his teeth?" Riley cupped her hand over the side of her mouth, failing to keep her voice low.

"You appear to be missing teeth," I said.

"Just the baby teeth," Riley giggled. "Now I get my big teeth."

I frowned "Will they be very big?"

Willa coughed. "How's the fish?"

"Oh yes, that." I caught the fish before it fell off my utensil, popping it into my mouth. My eyes bulged. This was nothing like the water. Unlike the neutral liquid, the fish burst with flavor, heavy with the taste of smoke as it melted away on my tongue. Yet the fish is also heavy when I swallow it, the sensation subdued once it leaves my mouth except that I crave another taste. I quickly take another bite, then another, delighted by the novelty of the act and the taste. Willa and Riley don't interrupt me again, each eating their own portion until the plates are empty.

"You wash, I break down tonight?" Willa asked Riley, who nodded while collecting the plates. "Take Caesar with you."

"I know, I know," said Riley, tapping her hand against her thigh as she carried their plates away. The canine fell in step, his own bowl licked clean.

Willa proceeded to fold the short legs of their table up under itself and tucked the whole contraption up against the wall. That explained why I hadn't noticed it earlier.

"I'm afraid I don't have much more to offer you for a bed than the pillow and blankets. I know its not the most comfortable arrangement. Maybe I can bunk with Riley, and you can take my bed—"

I held up my hand to stop her, unsure what I would say myself. I shouldn't stay here. My purpose remained. My mission was out there, in the world, waiting for me. The longer I lingered here, the more feeders would eliminate the remains of humanity, one body at a time, each victim someone I failed to save. But there were questions here I needed answered. I could not, would not, ignore them. "That's not necessary. I am fine on the floor."

"But you're injured," Willa protested, grazing her fingers along the bandages.

I resisted the urge to seize her wrist again. I found I didn't mind Willa or Riley's touch, but part of me still worried I would unintentionally hurt them. My purpose remained dormant, allowing me to revel in the featherlight sensation, so different than the violence I'd known. Eyeing the pillow and blanket on the rocky floor, a thought occurred to me I hadn't considered in the series of revelations I'd met since waking.

"How did you carry me in here?" Neither Riley nor Willa seemed capable of managing my weight, not to mention the burden of my wings.

"We managed to roll you onto the sheets after I got you bandaged up. Then we just dragged you on in," said Willa, her expressive eyes watching me. Another impossibility, when I'd grappled with several grown men who couldn't move me an inch. Willa shrugged. "You were bleeding pretty bad. I worried you wouldn't make it."

"Why would you worry about me? I am an unknown entity," I said. What if she had stumbled onto the other man instead of me? His sins rose to the forefront of my thoughts, dark and lecherous. "I could have been dangerous." I spoke through my teeth, when the truth was, I was still a danger to Willa and Riley. The fish suddenly sat heavy in my stomach.

Willa looked down, tangling her hands together. "We couldn't leave you there."

The silence between us stretched, unable to contend with my bafflement at her answer until Riley returned with Caesar and an armful of scoured clean dishes. Willa took the opportunity to help her put them away and ready her for bed.

She was tucking Riley into bed when the small one grabbed her arms. "Will you tell me a story tonight?"

Willa glanced at me but smiled. "Of course, what do we want to hear tonight?"

"The Seven Ravens," Riley said, snuggling under her blankets.

I found myself drawn toward my own bed as Willa began to speak, weaving a story of a princess whose seven brothers were cursed, transformed into ravens by their evil stepmother. The princess had the power to break the curse if she remained silent for seven years, but the evil stepmother conspired against her, until the princess was forced to speak a single word or die. Her brothers came to save her from the evil stepmother and managed to break their curse though one kept a wing for an arm.

Riley remained awake through the whole story, while I remained equally rapt with attention. A soft sniffle drew my gaze to her, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I miss my brothers," she whispered.

Willa brushed the girl's hair out of her face. "I know, bug. I'm sorry."

"Can Caesar sleep on my bed tonight?"

"Of course." Willa leaned in, brushing her lips over the girl's forehead. Caesar swept in as she stepped away, flopping down beside Riley who buried her face in his fur.

Willa headed back to the outer room, motioning for me to follow. I hesitated, listening to Riley's muffled sobs, until Willa took my hand and gently tugged me from the room.