hiraeth

eighteen

xviii. Nia

"This is all your fault!" Nia barrels through the side door of the gambling hall. It's one of many in the area. It's also one of many in the area they've tried searching. Nia's not entirely sure why they're bothering: Enne would most likely hate the smoke and noise. The thought of Edmund roping her into it is even worse now that she considers the possibility. "If I find out Edmund pulled something, I swear-"

"He wouldn't." To her annoyance, Peter keeps pace, blonde hair swept across his forehead. "And remind me how this is my fault."

"You left them in the car! By themselves."

"It was your idea to leave them there."

"You agreed to it!"

Peter speedwalks straight past her and plunges into a cluster of people around a poker table. "Let's just look for them, okay?"

The shrill sounds of the machines and the blinding neon lights intoxicate her with a rush of adrenaline, but Peter fixes her with a glare that says "sit down at one and i'll kill you," so she diverts her attention to the patterned carpet and shuffles after him.

"One spin."

"Absolutely not."

"Just for funnn!"

"Yeah, and then you'll spend all our money and then what will we do?"

"St-"

"If you bring up stealing one more time, I'll kill you."

"That would be lovely. Do you want to do it here or should we find a roof? Or a ditch?"

"What is wrong with you?"

"You're the one who said it first. At least if you do, I won't have to see your face in my damn nightmares."

She bites down on her tongue immediately. She had revealed one thing she shouldn't have, and she holds her breath while Peter turns over her words. luckily, he doesn't comment on it. "Enne would miss you."

"Enne would understand" Nia replies. "She has my funeral plans."

"Okay, what's your funeral gonna be like?"

"Mamma Mia. Lots of laughing. If anyone cries they get kicked out of the parlor."

"literally what kind of funeral is that?"

"the fun kind, Peter. I bet your funeral will be as boring as your personality."

Peter's jaw goes slack. He shuts it.

Nia juts out her chin. "That's what I thought."

They make it to the other end of the gambling hall and into a crowded lobby. Nia goes up to the front desk and rings a bell. A woman in a black suit looks up from her computer.

"Can I help you?" she asks, nostrils flaring.

"Yeah, have you seen a girl with pink glasses like mine, and a boy with freckles and pale skin?"

"no."

"you didn't even think about it."

the woman shrugs. "look, we get a lot of people running around here. I don't know where your friends are or whatever. Do you want to book a hotel room for you and your boyfriend or not?"

"She's not-" Peter splutters, beet-red. "This is not-"

Nia pokes him in the cheek, which only seems to worsen his affliction. "Charming, isn't he? anyways, could you, I don't know. make an announcement or something?"