“Fuck Caria… I am. I hope I am. I want to be your… friend.”
Without much thought, I lay my hand on her thigh; she flinches at the movement but relaxes the moment she realizes it’s just my touch, the Aurum not wounding her. It’s a strange feeling—the heat from her skin warming my hand—it’s… pleasant. Protest takes hold of my mind, and slowly, I pull my hand away from her. She gives me a small smile, then takesmy hand and laces her fingers with mine, a gesture that speaks volumes.
We sit there for some time in comforting silence, holding hands as we gaze at the crows feasting. We don't say a word; we just stay in each other's presence and are content. It’s she who breaks it.
“We shouldn’t be doing this, Fynn,” she murmurs as she fumbles with her sleeve.
“I know,” I say, not letting go.
“But I find comfort in it,” she whispers.
“Me too,” I sigh.
Jodelle will kill us both if she witnesses us sitting here, our fingers carefully exploring. Caria’s thumb caresses mine. My mind is screaming at me, and my common sense is saying to let go and walk away from Caria. My heart tells me to stay put and savor these sheltered moments; Caria was there first; she doesn’t deserve to be abandoned just because I met Jodelle.
“Do you know what’s up with all these bodies? All I see are masses of people being slaughtered; you’d assume word got around, and no one would dare to set foot here,” I ask instead, sparking up a conversation, our fingers still intertwined.
My heart is winning this round.
“Sure, the Blood Witch will know. You’re so transparent, Fynn,” she says playfully, bumping my shoulder.
I look at her and start to laugh. I laugh at the absurdity of it all, the ludicrous turns my life is taking. Seconds later, Caria joins me, and we both burst out laughing, tears spilling from sheer joy. We laugh until our jaws hurt, laughing at nothing and everything at once.
I inhale deeply. There is no putridity in the air, just a fresh jasmine scent. I lean back against the worn wood of the bench. I let go of her hand and fold my hands behind my neck, then glance up at the changing sky. The night is on its way, as thecolors change to a painting of pinks, oranges, and reds while the sun makes way for the moon to illuminate the streets.
“I’m serious, though. Where do they come from? Don’t you find it strange?” I press.
“I do. It is odd. I just don't understand why they keep coming. I haven’t heard anything about it from the covens either. These humans carry no form of protection. They are literally sitting ducks with no flight instincts, waiting to be torn to pieces. I heard it’s affecting the markets in Verdant Fields. The trade market suffered a significant blow as a result of all this. This weird phenomenon of voluntary food supply.”
“Verdant Fields?” I ask, interested.
“Yeah, it’s one of the more secluded cities. It’s all the way up North. It’s where all the trades, the auctions, and the markets take place. Anything you need, you’ll find right there, or someone will find it for you if you pay enough,” she says.
I sit up straight.
“Even Aurum?” I inquire.
“Well,almostanything then,” she laughs. “Aurum is scarce, Fynn; even if you find someone willing to sell it, they’ll ask an impossible price. I once heard of someone who found an Aurum seller, but they wanted a siren’s song. A siren’s song! Do you know how difficult it is to capture a siren’s song, Fynn? There’s a reason why it’s priceless; it’s only happened a few times over the centuries. Sirens can be just as lethal as any vampire or witch. Anyway, this guy went prepared, and he was able to catch one of the sirens from The Siren’s Lure! Which is an insane accomplishment in itself. It’s called their lure for a reason. The story goes that he caught her with a fishing net. Can you believe that? A fucking net. I can’t even begin to imagine the humiliation that creature must have felt, caught like she was some ordinary fish. Sirens can’t sing when they are out of the water. He forced her to sing when submerged, bottling her voice with magic,turning her mute with that act, and bringing it to the merchant. It turned out the Aurum wasn’t pure, rendering it useless—all that trouble for nothing. Lots of the Aurum that’s passed around isn’t authentic. Please don’t fall for those sales pitches; most likely, they are a fluke. Why do you need it anyway?” she asks.
I mull over her words for a few seconds, and then I decide to dismiss them. I can think about acquiring Aurum later. There must be other places offering it.
“Can I tell you something in confidence?” I counter, changing the subject.
She nods as she cocks her head at me curiously; her red locks cascade down her shoulders, making her beauty even more ethereal.
“Lately, well… not lately, for some time, I’ve been having these… thoughts, ideas, about hurting my… sister.”
I look at her, but her face is neutral. I don’t know why I told her that; I'm not sure why I'm so eager to gauge her response. Am I unconsciously trying to repel her?
“Okay… that’s normal among siblings, right? I mean, it comes with the territory,” she responds.
“Not like that… I mean, really… hurt her, cause her pain…” I swallow, “I want her to die, Caria… andIwant to be the one who does it.”
She nods at that as if it’s the most normal thing to say that you want to murder your sister, your twin, but saying those words aloud, I feel a weight lift from my shoulders. A bubble of panic replaces that relief. What if she no longer wants to talk to me because of that confession?
“Are those thoughts new to you, or did you always have them?”
“They popped up randomly after I turned fourteen, but the older I get, the more prominent they become… It’s consuming me,” I confess, rattling on, unable to stop speaking about it.
