Illusion of Safety // DreamNotFound

Chapter 5

     This hotel room had two beds, which was perhaps the only reason George wasn't about to spontaneously combust only three days into their trip. Getting a booking last-minute had been hell, and the man behind the counter reminded him of why he didn't stay in Aster.

     Everything was priced for rich tourists, and simply looking at the dinner options at the hotel's restaurant made him nauseous. He let Clay pick out whatever he wanted, just to get rid of the stupid guilt that had imbedded itself into his brain. For himself, he was more than content to get something small from a street vendor.

     Clay made him face their room's wall as he ate, and George was far too tired to care by then. If the stupid mask meant so much to the thaerian, who was he to judge? His food had been gone for far longer, and the fatigue of the previous few days seeped into his bones. He didn't want to fade off yet, so he steeled himself and tried to start a conversation.

     "So, how are you liking Valina?"

     The chewing sounds hesitated, as if considering George. "It's been fine," Clay responded finally. "A thousand things have tried to kill me since I got here, but the food isn't all bad."

     "Is it strange being the only thaerian here," he asked. The fae chuckled, serving to mess with his mind even more.

     "I'm not the only one." George froze, letting Clay's words seep in. Thaerians in Valina were considered as bad as criminals. To encounter one that wasn't behind bars was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and his was sitting across the room eating up his money.

     "What is that supposed to mean," he whispered, his voice catching in his throat.

     "I mean," Clay trailed off with a small hum. "I've met a few already, and I've only been here for a little while. There was this nice lady at the farmer's market, she gave me a free apple. Oh, then there was this cute bartender who I totally wish I could've talked to more."

     Listening to him made George's skin tingle. Thaerians in Valina. Hidden in the everyday crowd. He'd probably met some before, spoken to them. It made him rethink a few careless words he'd said in public places.

     Just as he was sure he couldn't get more shocked, Clay opened his mouth again, "Not to mention that one dude from the shop where we met."

     His blood ran cold. George had to resist the urge to turn around and grab the blonde by the shoulders. Who else had been at Darryl's shop when they'd met? Other than himself and Clay, there was obviously Darryl. No, it couldn't have been him, they'd known each other for far too long. Then, who?

     "I think his name was Zak," Clay mumbled, mostly to himself, though his voice stuck in George's head. "I wasn't certain at first, but as soon as he used his cloak to help shield that one worker from my cast, I knew."

     "What?"

     The shaking in his tone must've alerted Clay to his shock. The trader was certain his mouth had fallen open, but he couldn't close it at that time. There was no way Zak was anything but human, right?

     He hadn't known the guy like he knew Darryl, but his friend was far too anti-thaerian to ever allow one of his workers to be one. Unless, of course, he hadn't known. God, but that irony would be unbearable. Not only did they work together, but they were clearly more than friends. Surely that wasn't something hidden between them.

     He recalled the way Darryl had called Zak's hearing 'superhuman' and how he'd laugh over Zak's astonished reaction to cultural foods. Perhaps he wasn't valianian, that was pretty clear, but was thaerian really the only other possibility?