Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 169: Suspicions

Since Zane and the girls first found her, Maya had been watching them all very carefully. She of course, kept a close eye on Zane. Her reasons for doing so were her own, and nobody but she could understand why.

Though she was young, Maya was far more intelligent than people gave her credit for, unnaturally so. And while everyone assumed she was mute, she could actually speak, and quite articulately at that, well beyond that of someone her age normally should be capable of.

She simply chose to remain silent and observe what was going on. Though her reasons were known only to her, she had decided to drive a wedge between Zane and the girls that surrounded him. It was obvious that Zane did not like her very much; he seemed to have a dislike of children in general.

Not that she could blame him. But even then, she clung to his side, preventing the man from getting himself into dangerous situations, and more importantly, from being intimate with the harlots who clung to his side.

This was not because of some form of romantic interest in the man. In fact, Maya could never see Zane in such a light. It was simply unthinkable for her to develop any form of such feelings for the man. No, her reasons were far more mysterious.

Despite doing her best to keep Zane out of trouble, and from getting close to Olivia and the others. Maya knew she could not keep this up forever. After all, Zane had an important purpose to serve, and if she prevented him from going out and fighting the Undead, his growth would be stunted.

That could not be allowed to happen. And it was with this in mind that she started becoming far more "obedient." Olivia's plan of locking the girl in her room while Zane and the others went out to fight, or during the times they desired to be intimate, was unnecessary.

So much so that the moment she heard Olivia's plans, Maya decided to stop eating, and go back to the personal quarters she had been given to stay in since arriving in Gravestone. It was the first time she had voluntarily separated herself from Zane's side. Causing everyone to stare in confusion when the young girl left the scene.

It was only after she was gone that Angelica finally spoke up about her opinions regarding their newly adopted daughter.

"Is it just me… Or is there something.. Unnatural about that girl?"

Perhaps it was because Maya was a small child, and because of this the other girls' maternal instincts had taken over, but the warning from Angelica fell on deaf ears as Elena, Madison, and Olivia instantly chastised their "saintess."

"What are you talking about?"

"How could you say such a thing?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

But Angelica wasn't the only one who felt this way. Zane also thought there was something off about the girl. And he had enough sense of rationality to understand that if Angelica also felt this way, there was indeed something wrong with Maya.

He was quick to ask on Angelica's opinion considering her ability to understand someone's true nature was unparalleled in this world.

"What exactly is the feeling that Maya gives you, Angelica?"

The other girls quickly came to Maya's defense, acting as if Zane had also suddenly lost his marbles.

"Zane, have you lost your mind? She's a child! How could she have such nefarious intentions?"

However, Zane was quick to interrupt Elena, who had said that by reminding her of their current circumstances.

"Have you forgotten the world we live in? There are all sorts of unknown monsters roaming the streets! Think about it! A young girl who has no relatives is walking through the ruins of Old Reno, which is infested with Undead, and she manages to survive long enough for us to replace her? It's awfully suspicious.

Besides, Angelica's ability to detect a person's true nature is in a league of her own. If she feels something is off with Maya, she might be right. I too have an unusual feeling about her. But it might not be the same as hers."

Though Elena and the others wanted to continue their protest, Zane did not allow them. Instead, he allowed Angelica to speak her piece.

"I don't know how to explain it… But when I see her, I get an uneasy and eerie feeling about her. Something that is accompanied by a mild sense of dread. Almost in the same way I feel about the Grim Forge and the Stygian Iron Works. There is something unnatural about her that I can't really explain other than this…"

Zane was shocked by this information. Because though the way Maya made them feel was entirely different, there were also some parallels that could be drawn. For example, the Grim Forge and Stygian Ironworks gave him a sense of relief, and almost relaxation. While they filled the other survivors with dread.

Maya was the same way. She had an unusual since of familiarity, almost as if they were close friends or perhaps even family who had been separated for a long time. But he knew that was obviously untrue.

Of course, Zane could not pinpoint this as being inherently sinister. After all, there were many unknowns in this world. And Maya may have accidentally consumed a blood crystal, giving her unique powers similar to his own. Or there could be a million other explanations for this odd phenomenon that he and Angelica experienced when in her presence.

It was because they knew so little about the girl that Zane could not say she was a monster, or even a threat. Or it was perhaps because he felt so familiar with her that he couldn't bring himself to such a conclusion.

Either way, Zane put what Angelica said to the back of his mind, believing perhaps she was mistaking things. And thus he finally spoke up about how Angelica felt.

"Thank you for sharing your feelings on the matter. They are entirely the opposite of my own. As I have a strange sense of familiarity with the girl that I can't really explain. While I will say that the girl's background is a mystery, and that there is definitely something off about her. I don't believe she is a monster or a threat. Even still… I think we should keep a close eye on her… Just in case…"

This was a sentiment that Angelica agreed with. Even if Zane did not feel the same sense of dread coming from Maya, she could only respect his judgement, as it had not been wrong yet. Thus, Zane and her came to a tacit agreement to watch Maya with a close eye.

As for Maya herself, she had secretly rounded the corner and had been listening to their conversation. While it was natural for Zane to view her with some suspicion, something she had expected would happen because of the connection they shared. One that Zane was entirely ignorant of. The same could not be said for Angelica.

Sure, Maya had known that Angelica was nervous around her. Yet until now, she had not known just how good the young woman's senses were. Because of this, Maya decided to keep a close eye on the blonde bimbo who clung so closely to Zane.