Her breath catches. “Fuck me… Lyra?—”
“I managed a bit more than usual,” I say, handing them over.
Rhiann doesn’t move. Instead, she presses the vials back into my hand. “Keep half,” she murmurs. “You need it too. You always give more than you should.”
“We’re not doing this again. Just take it.”I shove the vials back into her hands.
She hesitates. I raise a brow,don’t start,and finally, she reaches out, unhurried, like moving too fast might make me change my mind.
“This is… God, this is too much. Do you know how much this is worth? How did you even… Lyra, if anyone caught you?—”
“It’s fine,” I cut in. “No one saw me.”
“We’re so grateful. Truly. You might have just?—”
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, waving it off; gratitude’s always been so much harder to swallow than guilt. “It’s nothing.”
Ihatethis part, the way they look at me, like I’ve done something noble. I haven’t. I just have a little more nerve and a little less...sense, that’s all. Still, a small smile pulls at the corner of my mouth.
“Do you want to join us for some tea?” Rhiann asks, hopeful.
A twitch pulls at my fingers before I can stop it. I hate this part. The longer I stand here, the heavier the air gets, so I shift my weight, already angling toward the door. I’ve done this before, plenty of times, but it never stops feeling awkward. Time to go.
“Sorry, Rhiann. I’d love to stay, but I’ve gotta run.” I sling my pack over one shoulder as I open the door. “I’ll swing by tomorrow, check in, yeah?”
She nods, silent, still clutching the vials like they’ll vanish if she lets go. I slip out before she can say anything else.
The door clicks shutbehind me I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding—long, low, and laced with relief. Job’sdone, for today, at least so I start wandering toward the square, boots kicking up dust, and fetch the apple I pocketed earlier from my pack. I take a bite, it tastes tart, sweet and stolen.Perfect.
The other apple’s still there, and a smile curves at my mouth as I picture tossing it at Bren, a little reward for his time last night. His hands flash through my mind, and I wonder if he’s back yet. Maybe I could pop over, a little lunchtime snack?—
Movement
Just ahead, a boy darts into an alley, clutching something too tightly to be good. He glances over his shoulder once, fast and sharp, I follow his gaze.
Something inside me cinches tight, freezing me where I stand.
Because out of the corner of my eye, I spot him—Kael. Slippery little bastard. piercing face, razor-thin grin.
And fuck. Ash-dried Dragon Scale. How the hell did I forget?
Because,Bren, that’s how. Because I got distracted, let my guard drop. Stealing apples like anidiot, when I’m supposed to be smuggling over rare, illegal produce. God, I should have known better. This isn’t just bad, it’s lethal. That debt? It’s already overdue. Twice. And Kael’s the kind who doesn’t do gentle reminders.
His gaze flashes towards me, I duck into the nearest alley, heart pounding. Did he see me? Fuck, I already know how this ends. Even if I vanish today, he’ll find me tomorrow. Or the next day. And I’ll still be empty handed. Still a screw-up.
It’s not even his magic I’m afraid of. Not really. Most folk around here can’t feel a drip of power from their Threads. But Kael? He taught himself, illegally of course; it’s rough, but it’s just enough to keep this side of town under his boot.
And he’s never alone. Not ever.
Andthat’sthe problem.
I can’t hide from this, I check my watch. No time. No choice. If I move fast, I might just make the next guard rotation and reach the market before the traders leave for another month.
A shaky, pounding rise pushes under my ribs as I turn and run, lungs burning, boots sliding on broken stone. Back to the Ravine, back to the wall.
By the time I drop the last few feet into the Air Realm below, the sun’s already shifted—warmer now, throwing longer shadows across the sun-baked earth.
I hit the ground hard, both feet hold this time, but my jaw stays locked, not just from the heat or the drop, but from the weight of my own mistakes.
