Only when she could no longer see him did Flisety feel brave enough to move away. Her claws dug deeper. When she looked down at them, she found droplets of Rowtag’s blood coating their tips.
She took a steady breath, wiping the blood onto the sparkling cobbles. From a few paces, it appeared as if it belonged there, the ruby glitter of yet another decorative addition, but Flisety’s heart clenched at its reality.
In Borelton, dreams had plagued her endlessly, often creeping into the daylight as gripping flashbacks that left her cold and trembling. Yet nothing like this had ever occurred. The anger had always been there, a silent simmer of hatred aimed at the wolf of shadow who had left her this way. But today, it had broken the surface. The more she thought about it, the harder it became to shove back down.
Finally, she tore her eyes from the sparkling blood and set a brisk pace along the path, in the opposite direction to the Tower. After several paces, she remembered Kalia and Mak, and hurriedly adjusted her course towards the side street they’d escaped to.
What a relief they had. She sighed to herself. She wasn’t sure how she could have disguised an outburst like that.
As she turned into the street, she found herself glancing over her shoulder, half-expecting Rowtag to leap after her and tackle her to the ground, but the only nearby wolf was a Thunderwylf. She realised with a jolt that he was coming her way, then forced her paws to keep moving before she could freeze for too long. She was glad for the solid feel of the cobbles.
The Thunderwylf’s sharp pawsteps made her flinch. But he only slid past her and continued on, weaving around the corner. Pressing her fangs together, Flisety resumed her steady pace, shaking off the crawling feeling that clung to her fur.
She didn’t like feeling so on edge, but the sensation wouldn’t leave her. For every long, aching minute she trudged along that street, it continued, its chase relentless. With it came the desire in her claws, and the twisted flashes of her mind, of Rowtag cloaked in a dark mist that had never existed. When the mist settled over his eyes, they took on a violet shine that seared into her skull.
When she finally saw the newly-familiar smudge of brown and pink intertwined, her deep inhale felt like the first breath she’d taken for a while.
It took only a few more steps for them to notice her. Mak turned first, his dark eyes tangled with curiosity and nerves, while Kalia’s gaze rested a moment longer on the shelter they stood before. Once she whipped around, however, her reaction was far brighter than his.
“Flisety!” she called, already skipping over. Flisety sped up to meet her, and then followed hurriedly as Kalia doubled back towards Mak. She was anxious to return to the soft safety the two of them provided.
The excitement in Kalia’s eyes should have been enough to wash away the pricking discomfort. Yet the guarded expression Mak wore let it linger.
“Sorry we left so quickly,” Kalia said, sliding in between him and Flisety. “I… We really don’t like him, you know?”
Her hesitation was brief, but not small enough to go unnoticed. There was something more than that. Still, Flisety nodded silently.
“Because he’s not nice,” Kalia added hurriedly, as if sensing Flisety’s unspoken question. “Which you probably saw, if you talked to him. Did you talk to him? I hope not, but he sort of--”
“Yes,” Flisety said before Kalia could tie her tongue in a knot. “Only for a short while. He was fairly rude.” She was sure her own pause was obvious, but said nothing else. She had no wish to tell them of what she’d done. Besides, at least now they were both harbouring secrets about Rowtag.
“Sorry. Again.” Kalia ducked her head. “At least now you know to avoid him.”
That was something they could agree on without hiding anything. “Definitely.”
“I probably shouldn’t have brought you here at all. I usually stay away from the Tower. But it’s so beautiful, I just wanted you to see.”
“And thank you for that.” Flisety leaned into Kalia’s side, resting her snout against her shoulder. “It is pretty.”
A small smile curved Kalia’s snout. “I thought you’d like it.”
They lapsed into a brief silence. Flisety glanced over at Mak, then hurriedly pulled away. His dark stare suggested he wasn’t quite as content to brush away the encounter so easily. But he said nothing, and in the corner of her vision she caught him shaking his head.
She let her gaze drift to the building before them. It was extravagantly decorated with numerous lightning bolts, each painted a brilliant yellow that glinted with a golden tinge in the sunlight. Smaller, crossed shapes coloured a darker amber sparkled like stars amongst the rest. When she leaned forward, she saw that the house was numbered nineteen.
It was a work of art, no doubt, but no more so than any other shelter in the Adita Ring. Yet when she looked sideways, she saw the spark of awe in Kalia’s eyes and the way her snout tilted, as if fighting her wish to draw closer.
Giving into the sudden urge, Flisety nudged her flank. Kalia might be allowed one secret but not another, and certainly not one so blatant. “So, what’s so special about this place?”
“Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting that you’re new.” Slowly, Kalia tore her eyes from the yellow streaks. “It feels like you’ve been here forever already. Anyway, this is the house of Abelard, Lunerda’s leading scientist.”
She might have just been stating a fact, but the note of longing in her voice lingered. Flisety tilted her head. “Do you want to become a scientist, then?” It seemed odd -- scientists were usually Thunderwylves, because of their generally higher intelligence -- but that didn’t make it impossible. If a dream a wolf like Kalia could only cling to.
Letting out a small sigh, Kalia dropped her gaze. “Sort of. I want to invent things, with my magic.” She gave the house another glance, and then turned to the empty street. “It’s not that interesting. We should probably get going if we want to reach my next stop on the tour.”
She flashed Flisety a smile as they started moving, but its edges were tainted, and after only a few steps Kalia stole another glance at the scientist’s house. Though Flisety kept walking, she shook her head.
“It sounds interesting. I’d like to hear more.”
“You really think so?” The question was directed at Flisety, but her gaze strayed to Mak, as if searching to verify her answer within him.
“I do,” Flisety said, her voice firm.
Light flared up in Kalia’s eyes as she glanced back over. “Okay. You are so cool.”
“You should tell Flisety about your newest invention,” Mak chipped in from her other side. Thankfully, the nervousness had left him, and his warm smile had returned. “Kalia is very smart,” he added when their eyes met.
Kalia butted her head into his side, sending them both staggering sideways. “Stop it,” she muttered, but she was giggling. “I’m still working it out.”
“Seems to work from what I’ve seen.”
“Do show me. I’m sure it’s amazing,” Flisety said, genuine curiosity pulling her towards Kalia. For the first time since she’d woken that morning, she realised that the sting in her claws had vanished, and that alone was enough to make her smile.
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