“Where are you now?” Berga Obsidian’s voice flowed through the earpiece in Flix’s right ear as he exited his hovercar and paused to take in the front entrance of Guest Fine Arts Academy.
He’d ditched the Vail University uniform he’d “borrowed” from Aneski days ago and had opted for a more discrete look. Not that it seemed to be working if all of the glances he was already getting just from standing in the parking lot meant anything. His all-black ensemble matched the dark lenses of his shades, so the attention could just be because he was fine as hell.
Or everyone recognized him.
Probably that one.
“Vacation,” he said to his best friend, finally getting back into motion and heading for the wide sandstone steps that led from the parking lot up toward the main building.
There was a moment of contemplation, and then, “That is a lie.”
He grunted. “If you knew that, why didn’t you come looking for me, hmm?”
“Are you okay?” Berga clicked his tongue. “Don’t answer that. Obviously, since you answered my call, you are.”
“Had to get a new multi-slate,” he said. Another thing Ani owed him.
“Someone spotted you in the city an hour ago,” Berga didn’t sound pleased. “How long have you been back?”
“Around three days?” Flix had ordered food to his house and stayed in all that time, partially to lick his wounds but mostly because he’d been certain Aneski would come for him in a fit of stupidity and rage. He’d strung him up all pretty for Popcorn to find and had been positive that would be enough to ignite the Tiny Terror's bad temper.
Apparently he’d missed his mark.
Oh well.
Wouldn’t happen again.
The fact that Ani was making Flix come for him?
Another thing added to the list.
“Who do I need to liquify?” Berga’s tone darkened and Flix grimaced.
He made it to the top of the stairs and ignored everyone hanging out on the grass, heading straight for the large archway leading into the first three-story tall building. “No one.”
“You were injured.” Nothing got past Berga, but still.
“Barely,” he replied dryly. “Seriously. It was honestly pathetic. The only reason I needed to hole up for a bit once I got away was…” He let the sentence drag, not willing to risk speaking about his Shout powers out loud.
Berga caught on like he knew he would. “Leaching took that long? Were you on a vacation at all? For any amount of the time you were gone?”
“I wish.”
“I apologize. I should have been more suspicious when Baikal told us. You would never leave without telling me.”
“It’s fine,” Flix reassured. “I’m fine.” Given another few days and he wouldn’t have been though.
He’d hotwired Ani’s hoverbike and driven it down the narrow and winding path toward the city, shooting as much electricity off the tips of his fingers as he could on the way, confident there wasn’t anyone chilling in the middle of nowhere who could see. Halfway home, he’d realized it wasn’t going to be nearly enough, and he’d made the decision to pull over and go deeper.
“There was news of a forest fire,” Berga said. “I knew it was you.”
“I hope you didn’t bother going to check.” When he was met with silence, Flix sighed. “Sorry I didn’t call sooner.”
“I was worried.”
“Everything is under control.”
“If you’re leaving me out of whatever revenge scheme you’ve cooked up,” Berga stated, “then no, no it isn’t. You aren’t.”
