Theea
Yla
I nod when she asks about Flora, the motion slow, thoughtful. “Yeah… not by blood, exactly. My mom and her dads were close. Closer than close, really. She always said they were more like her brothers than anything else.”
I glance over at Sohalia again, at the way the light catches on the edge of the bruise beginning to bloom under her eye. It’s darkening already, skin flushed and tender, and even though she’s handling it with quiet grace, I still feel the guilt twist behind my ribs.
“So I guess that makes me and Flora cousins. In the way that matters.”
I lean forward, bracing my arms on my knees. The air in here smells like old leather and worn rope, like sweat soaked into the floorboards. Comfortable, somehow. Familiar.
“I know what it’s like, having someone watch over you like that. My parents didn’t let much through. We traveled all over Caido, but most of it was wilderness. Ruins. Cabins tucked so far into the trees you’d think the world ended just past the treeline.” I glance at her again, softer now. “They were doing what they thought was best. I think your guardian probably was, too.”
My gaze drops briefly to the cloth in her hand, now warming up, I’m sure. The fabric clings to her fingers, and there’s a faint shimmer of moisture where it’s pressed to her skin.
“If that starts to lose the cold, just shake it out and soak it again. It doesn’t stay cold for long, but it helps.” I offer a small shrug. “Learned that one the hard way.”
I hesitate. “I… really hope it doesn’t totally swell shut. Not just because I feel like a monster, but because you’re too pretty to be lopsided.”
I try to offer her a half-grin—light enough to make her laugh, I hope.
I glance over at Sohalia again, at the way the light catches on the edge of the bruise beginning to bloom under her eye. It’s darkening already, skin flushed and tender, and even though she’s handling it with quiet grace, I still feel the guilt twist behind my ribs.
“So I guess that makes me and Flora cousins. In the way that matters.”
I lean forward, bracing my arms on my knees. The air in here smells like old leather and worn rope, like sweat soaked into the floorboards. Comfortable, somehow. Familiar.
“I know what it’s like, having someone watch over you like that. My parents didn’t let much through. We traveled all over Caido, but most of it was wilderness. Ruins. Cabins tucked so far into the trees you’d think the world ended just past the treeline.” I glance at her again, softer now. “They were doing what they thought was best. I think your guardian probably was, too.”
My gaze drops briefly to the cloth in her hand, now warming up, I’m sure. The fabric clings to her fingers, and there’s a faint shimmer of moisture where it’s pressed to her skin.
“If that starts to lose the cold, just shake it out and soak it again. It doesn’t stay cold for long, but it helps.” I offer a small shrug. “Learned that one the hard way.”
I hesitate. “I… really hope it doesn’t totally swell shut. Not just because I feel like a monster, but because you’re too pretty to be lopsided.”
I try to offer her a half-grin—light enough to make her laugh, I hope.
let go of your fears, and jump into the river
as the starlight bleeds out, let it be your new route
as the starlight bleeds out, let it be your new route
