“Relax, I’m not pissed off because I’m a Shout.” He was pissed because he was no longer an anal virgin, but he wasn’t going to say that to his friend. “And I’m not about to do anything rash. I got this.”
Shouts had bad tempers, but only because of their powers. It built up within them if they didn’t leach often enough. That specific personality trait wouldn’t show in members of his kind that were powerless, however, like his parents. Like everyone else assumed he was. That’s why it was so important to maintain his charismatic, give no shits, composure.
But this was different.
Flix wasn’t out for blood.
He was out for Ani.
“They managed to get the upper hand on you once,” Berga reminded.
“Only because I didn’t know to look for them,” he said. “This time, I’m the one on the hunt.”
Someone said Berga’s name in the distance, voice sleepy.
“Are you not alone?” Flix asked.
“Call me if you need me,” Berga said instead of answering. He hung up without a proper goodbye almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth.
Flix let out a low whistle and grinned as he pulled out the earpiece and snapped it back into place in the side of his multi-slate, a square-shaped body borne device worn over the wrist. Leave it to his bestie to find himself someone while Flix was being contained and “tortured”.
He slid his hands into his pockets and stopped in the center of the main building. The floor beneath him was tiled in whites and reds, the rings reminding him of a bullseye. There was a large domed ceiling above, three different directions he could take, and three levels. While he’d tracked Ani on his way to campus before, Flix had ever actually entered, having no real reason to.
“Hey,” he called out to the first student to pass by too closely, a female who clutched her art bag a little tighter but then tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear coquettishly. He flashed her a flirtatious smile. “Any chance you know where I can find Ani Kendricks?”
Her brow furrowed slightly. “Ani?”
“Oh, sorry,” he laughed as though it’d been a mistake even though it hadn’t been. “Aneski.”
“Sure, you must be a friend of his.” She pointed to the left where the building attached to another through a glass tunnel. “He’s usually in Studio B. Is he not checking his multi-slate again?”
“Something like that,” he forced out a laugh. “Has he left you on read before too?”
“He’s like that whenever he gets lost in a piece,” she returned his sentiment and giggled. “The sky could probably fall down around him and he wouldn’t notice.”
“Yeah.” Flix took a step in the direction she’d indicated, then paused again as though as an afterthought. “What was your name?”
“Samara.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said. “Thanks for the info.”
“No problem.” She gave him a little wave and he nodded and walked off before she grew bolder and asked for his number.
Flix’s interest only stretched as far as knowing what her deal with Ani was and why.
It didn’t take him too long to find Studio B, and he didn’t need to ask anyone else for help along the way. He was a bit worried when he finally came to the closed door to the room that someone would have tipped the Tiny Terror off since he’d been clearly recognized by most of the students and staff he’d passed. When he twisted the knob and eased the door open, however, it was to find Ani alone.
Aneski was bent over a podium that held an unfinished bust on it, his concentration so fully on his work that he didn’t notice as Flix entered and closed the door quietly at his back. He held a sculpting tool in one hand and was using the other to smooth over edges here and there, his full lips pursed in a partial pout.
Flix took a moment to enjoy the view. When he’d been captured, most of his time had been spent with that damn blindfold over his eyes, and he hadn’t gotten the chance to.
He told himself he’d just take a taste. That was it. He’d give himself that much in exchange for the past three weeks, then he’d call it even and let the Tiny Terror go. If he kept it simple, perhaps he’d even be satisfied with tonight and could end it there. Start tomorrow with a clean slate and put all of this behind them.
Go back to watching from afar.
“You’ve grown up, Ani,” he kept his voice low and silky, drawing out the statement like a lover might, letting all the appreciation drip like honey from his tongue.
Aneski jolted, nicking his statue with the tool so a slice came out of its clay cheek, not that he seemed to notice. His eyes widened on Flix, and he straightened but smartly didn’t make any moves to flee.
