Willan arrives just in time, or maybe actually several moments too late.
“For fuck’s sake. It was in one of my pockets.” He’s panting from his run up and down the stairs, his chest slamming into my back, arms wrapping around my waist. “What’s wrong?” He kisses my neck again, squeezing my middle tightly.
I’d be flattered that he’s so wrapped up in me that he hasn’t noticed his brother standing there. But at the same time—his brother isright fucking thereand my brain has left the building.
“Oh. Well, isn’t this an interesting development?” Aleksi’s smile doesn’t even come close to reaching his eyes. They’re like ice. He rounds the shelves, moving to where he can see us. Externally, I feel every second of Aleksi’s icy gaze raking over us. Internally, I feel… I don’t know. It’s entirely blank. But for how long?
“Aleksi.” Willan’s arms turn to steel bands around my waist, locking me in place. Except, I need to go. I really, really need to go. Now.
Laying a hand on his arm, I twist as much as I can in his tight hold. Keeping my voice low I meet Willan’s worried eyes. “I—I’m going to—I need to go.”
“Wait, no.” He protests with a pained hiss and a furious look in his brother’s direction—all of our plans for the evening evaporating.
“Please. Just—I’ll go to Kroy’s.” My voice is painfully neutral, even though inside I can feel something—I have no idea what, or which emotion yet—rushing toward me. Something in my face must convince him because he squeezes me again.
“I’ll go with you.” Willan offers, just as his brother scoffs.
“What’s that, Little Nik? You gotta run? That’s a shame.”
Everything shifts, the world tipping sideways, before righting itself again. Completely different, yet exactly the same. But only for me.
Strangely, the combination of my brief teenage nickname—a really shitty joke about my light-fingered tendencies—and Aleksi’s goading solidifies the strength I’ve been building. Like the last ingredient in an enchantment, it all comes together.
Aleksi might be the big bad mage clan leader. But I’m not fucking clan anymore. I’m not Little Nik. And I’m not tolerating anymore bullshit from beings who don’t deserve my angst.
I’m not running—I’m walking away.
I’m walking away knowing I’m going to have a safe place to come back to.
It feels surreal.
Keeping a cold shoulder towards Aleksi, I keep focused on Willan, cupping his face with the palm of my hand, my thumb stroking over his cheek. Willan’s eyes flutter, but he doesn’t close them, he doesn’t want to look away from me. “Stay. Please. You can’t leave him with Lusce until Egbert gets here.”
“This is fucking ridiculous—” Aleksi starts, but Willan cuts him off with a look so ferocious, I’m surprised Aleksi doesn’t drop down dead.
With one last kiss—a tender graze of his lips so tender and sweet my heart stutters—Willan lets me go. I take the long way out of the shop, considering Aleksi has strategically blocked the exit.
I nearly float my way to Kroy’s, in a strange half daze. The Flimsy Sheath is closed, and I don’t have my keys. Thankfully, he’s inside, running to answer my rapid pounding on the door.
“Gods, Nikolo, what’s wrong?” Kroy yanks me inside, wrapping me up immediately in his arms to smash me against his chest. Thank the Gods I don’t need to breathe—it’d be a struggle.
“Aleksi. At shop. Willan.” I manage to get out, still being not-suffocated by Kroy.
“Are you okay?” He lets me go, pushing me back by my shoulders, but only long enough to inspect me and pull me back into another spine crushing hug.
“Yeah—yeah, I’m okay.” I pull back against the tight hug, and he lets me go for real this time. “Felt like the world kinda tipped over? But then…. I was okay. Willan, though. Willan is there with Lusce. Do you know where Egbert is?”
Kroy’s eyes slowly pan upwards, to his place above the shop.
“I’ve got a pretty good idea.” Oh. Right. Now that I look, I notice that Kroy’s t-shirt is on inside out, and quickly un-notice it again. “Come on, chook. Let’s get you some blood.” Kroy sighs, leading me back to the staff kitchen. While Kroy fusses about making my blood and getting out some biscuits and a drink for himself, I whip out my phone.
“I’m—I’m just going to message Laurence.” I tell him.
“Do whatever you gotta do. Now where’s those bloody—” Kroy’s head is deep within a cupboard, searching for something I don’t quite catch.
So Aleksi is here. At Willan’s. He’s come down from the mountain to visit. They are talking right now.
I don’t really expect a reply, but one comes almost immediately.
