Midnight
Islope downstairs into our apartment.Lex and Bastien are both sat around the kitchen table, their faces soft and full of pity.
Lex is poring over the books Lucy gave her.
“Found anything yet?”I ask.
Lex’s mouth scrunches like she knows damn well I’m avoiding talking about what just happened.
“Not yet, but the books seem promising.”
“You look like shit,” Bastien says.
“Yeah well, Lucy just found out about the deal I made with Ignatius so…”
Bastien shakes his head.“No, it’s not that.You’ve seemed pale as fuck lately.You look peaky, if I’m honest.”
Lex nods.“Do you feel alright?”
“Aside from screwing the love of my life, who I am also still furious with, who now hates me and will never forgive me because I did the one thing she gave her life up to avoid, you mean?”
Bastien clears his throat and rubs his mouth.Lex fusses with her books.
I pull a chair out and slump in it, leaning on the table and putting my head in my hands.
Lex gets up, goes to the fridge and pulls out yogurt-and-sprinkles granola.“Eat this.”
I’m not hungry but I do as she says simply because I don’t know what else to do.
“He’s taken Lucy,” I say.“I thought I’d have more time before he came to get her.I never got to explain.”
Lex tugs at her braids, fiddling with the beads.“Okay, but you have a plan?There’s a plan?We can get her back, right?”
“I mean…”
There’s a rattling at the kitchen window.The morning light flickers as a couple of dozen moths hurl themselves at the window.
“Ignatius,” I moan.
“He’s going to make you keep reaping?”Bastien asks.
“Apparently so.He plans to use me as he sees fit.”
“And then?”Lex asks.
I shrug.“And then my time’s up.”
They both go quiet.
One of the entropy moths flutters into the apartment from gods-know-what crack.I sigh, realising I’m going to have to handle these reapings.
The ground rumbles.Bastien stiffens.Lex’s eyes widen.
“They’re bad,” she says.
Bastien nods.“I heard there was one that tore through the centre of Ora.The city is crumbling.”
“One problem at a time.Can you find Lucy while I do these reapings?”I ask.
