I was up and walking around now. Father had not given me any more injections since the last. It had been a month, the longest I had ever gone without a shot.
My body was feeling stronger and Sable had been teaching me exercises. But under my skin, I felt a distant hum, like something stirring. I had taken to covering my body from head to toe, just so I wouldn’t hurt Sable.
I was doing sit ups on the ground when I heard a knock on my barred window. Sable had left me a hidden key, so I unlocked the bars and saw Kieran on the other side, sitting in the tree.
“Can I come in?”
“Of course.” I opened the window. When he fell in with a thump, I paused, waiting for father to hear. But he was asleep. Probably had been a few hours.
Kieran surveyed my room, awash in a sea of coloured beads. I moved to my desk and quickly scooped the one I had been making into a drawer. He smiled at me.
For a moment he stared around my room.
“How are you?” he asked softly, finally.
“I’m good. I feel a lot better now. Father was considering letting me go for walks again, which would be great if he follows through – “
“Seph, I’m leaving.” He said abruptly.
I froze. My heart felt like it fell from my chest. “What?” I said, my voice stupid and shaky.
Kieran just looked sad. “I’m being sent away. An old friend of my dad’s has been in contact with me. He’s got it all set up in Edgewater. I have a job working on the docks there.”
“Edgewater.” I said flatly, falling down to my bed. “That’s on the other side of Velithra.”
“The money is good. I might be able to get my own place out there soon. It’s a great opportunity.”
“Great. Yeah. It… sounds great.”
“Seph.”
I put on my brightest smile. “I’m happy for you Kieran. You deserve to get away from here.”
From me.
“When – when do you leave?”
Kieran watched me closely. “Tonight. Around midnight. I’m hitching a ride with a trucker friend.”
“You aren’t taking your car?”
“No. I will leave that for mum. She might need it.”
“Oh. Ok. Good. Great.”
“Seph, you already said great.”
I looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “What else should I say Kieran? Awesome? Wonderful? You’re leaving me.”
“Seph you know I don’t want to – “
“Don’t you?” I fought the tears that threatened to fall. A flash of pain went through me. “Take me with you.”
“What?”
“Take me with you. Don’t leave me here with them. Let me come to. Let me stay with you!”
“Seph, no –“
