I nod. “The kid’s had unlimited access to the Book of Voyd.” Her eyes grow so wide I’m sure I glimpse something looking back at me from within, wondering if I should’ve given away so much sensitive information to this …stranger.
Too late now.
“He seems to think he can remove the bind. Dunno how. He rattled on about time being stretchy or some shit.”
Her lips silently shape the wordwowbefore her gaze drifts to the window. Stays there. Although her eyes are open, watching the view, it feels as though she’s elsewhere. A bit like Roan gets when he’s in his head, muddling through something.
“I would very much like to meet him.”
“He’s a good kid.” I reach out a hand. “I’m Pyrok, by the way.”
She blinks heaps, refocuses, then sets the dagger down and clasps my hand in the manner of Fade folk—hers so small and smooth.
Such a contrast to mine.
“Essi,” she says, boasting a half smile that’s like a lightning bolt in the room.
Static.
I let go, worried I’ll break her delicate bones if I squeeze too hard. “Short for anything?”
She nods but doesn’t elaborate. I don’t push, knowing what it’s like to keep your real name buried.
Chewing the inside of my lip piercing, I look out the window, scanning all the heavy moons in the sky bunched above Gore from battles long passed, perched to obliterate us all. I don’t care so much about myself, and knowing Roan’s safe is a heavy lift of relief, but my sister—
Past shit be damned, I need to find her.
“So, small question. My only way out is to vomit what’s left of my guts up while edging down a trash chute?”
Another slow smile spreads across Essi’s face. Mischievous.
Warm.
A feeling that spreads into me like a gulp of something too good to be true.
“I’m sorry. I was younger. It was funny at the time.”
I look out the window, waiting for the weird feeling to dissipate. It doesn’t.
“Is everything okay?”
“Course.” I flash her a smile; one that usually has folk writing me off. Either ripping off their undergarments, deciding they wouldn’t mind a fun fuck they don’t have to invest any emotional substance into, or labeling me as the unserious friend.
Instead, she frowns.
I clear my throat. “Any advice on how to weather the blow? The runes really knocked me around the first go. I need to find my sister, but it’ll be hard to do from the guts of Gore’s resident velvet tro—”
A familiarsquarkcuts me off, shrill and demanding.
Hungry.
Essi all but stills, her eyes slitting toward the trapdoor that leads to Raeve’s space.
“Excuse me.” I jog to the stairs. “I’ll, ah … be right back.”
I move down into the suite, aware of Essi’s trailing presence despite her oddly silent steps. Coming to Raeve’s shitty pallet, I crouch beside the little beast, who’s wide awake, flapping about.
Beak open, Gruffin warbles at the ceiling, half his pin feathers now boasting a blue tuft at the tip. He’s gonna be a pretty beast, but if he screams any louder, we’ll get flocked by a thunder of wild Moltenmaws and that’ll be that.
