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Luka nodded. “Sometimes he would steal cloudberry bars from the kitchen for me.”

Lily feigned interest, not forgetting both men threatened the boy in some way. She wondered if Luka knew at all or was so used to such words by now that they meant nothing. He dropped the conversation after giving a few more instances of kindness from Neir, and she let it stay on the ground.

The rain, soft and consistent, gave no sign of letting up. The trail muddied under their feet, so she opted to walk in the grass with Luka following. Sometime after the sky continued to gray with the day’s age, telltale pinpricks of another Flare set her pulse to racing. She waited for Draven’s shadows to suffocate the already sweltering air, but they never came. This time, she spotted his figure at the top of the next rise.

He looked ordinary—someone she might pass on the street without a second glance. Except…

She sighed. In the daylight, without the Serpent’s shadows cloaking him, the resemblance to Luka was undeniable.

They shared the same bronze skin and dark brown hair, though Draven’s was shorter, a few unruly strands falling into his face. He wore a plain white shirt dotted with rain, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. A pair of dark pants billowed around his thighs then tapered, clinging tightly against his calves above a pair of worn ankle boots.

Even in simple clothing, he was a Hazevale through and through. He really believed he could just change his name, and no one would notice?

Lily tried to amble past without a word, but he stepped in their path, offering two garments. Luka’s cloak and a long, tan overcoat she didn’t recognize, but assumed was for her. She cautiously accepted them, throwing them over her shoulder, and kept walking.

Draven filed in behind them. “You’re close to lodging for the night.”

The relief from the prospect of resting was quickly smothered by the idea of stopping at a populated location.

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

Other than the fact that they were close to where she grew up, and there was a chance someone could recognize her? “No,” she lied

“If you’re worried about—”

“I’m not.”

“I assure you; no one will notice.”

She paused. “How exactly will no one notice?”

“The same way I paid for your firearm yesterday.”

Lily shot a glance over her shoulder. Norman’s body was going, but he wasn’t blind. “You and Percy look nothing alike.”

“Also the same way I woke you this morning.” Raindrops trickled over Draven’s stoney face. “And I believe his name is Peter.”

Illusions, that’s right… That was something the Serpent could do, but blending into shadows? She’d never heard of such a thing. That must’ve been why she didn’t sense him. He was manifesting in the Flare’s blind spot.

Draven frowned. “What?”

“Um.” Lily turned to face forward. “I thought you’d have horns, or a tail, honestly.”

Luka gasped, spinning around. “You have a tail?”

She cringed. “Oh. Luka—”

“Can I see?”

“No!” she snapped, grabbing his shoulders to usher him back to her. “Why don’t you run off some energy, hm? Go find me two—no, three blue bell frostblossoms.”

Luka beamed then thankfully flew ahead.

There was barely a moment to catch her breath before Draven’s voice slithered up from behind. “You don’t trust me with him?”

“I’m doing us both a favor,” she mumbled.

“Oh? How so?”