Little Lightning

Chapter 13

Lyrical opened her eyes sluggishly. She yawned and looked around, recognizing the living room in the house where she, Azalea, Kirtash, and Lucas lived.

Kirtash sat next to the place she was resting, which seemed to be on the couch. Why he didn't bring her to sleep in her bed, she had no idea. Maybe to make sure she didn't sneak out again. He had a drink on the table in front of him, and he swirled some sort of multicolored ice around with the stick that Lyrical assumed was to add some sort of sweetener to the drink. He looked deep in thought, his eyes on the glass and his brow furrowed.

And, just for a moment, he looked kind of sad. Like he was remembering something he had forgotten.

Lyrical studied him. His broad shoulders were covered in a white shirt with a little v in the neck. He wore a pair of loose black pants that looked immensely comfortable. His silver hair was pulled back into a messy bun at the nape of his neck, at odds with his usual tight high bun. Over all, he looked... homey. Like he was just an ordinary person enjoying a cold drink on a hot day.

She shifted to sit up, and his gaze snapped to her. She sucked in a breath in surprise. His pale eyes were ringed with sadness, a single stray tear slipping down his cheek.

Kirtash was... crying?

He hurriedly wiped the tear away, but Lyrical remained frozen. What had moved Kirtash enough to make him cry?

"What did he say?" Kirtash asked, tears still evident in his voice. He seemed to realize it and cleared his throat. "What did he say?" He repeated, his voice back to normal. Lyrical blinked, realizing he was talking to her.

"He?" It occurred to her that he probably meant Zyan. But how had he... oh, right. She had basically told him, or at the very least very obviously hinted at it.

"He..." Lyrical hesitated. "He offered me a deal." Kirtash only turned to face her, his silent way of showing her he was listening. "He told me that if I helped him escape, he would keep my secret."

"Secret?"

"He threatened to tell everyone that I'm not from this planet." She swallowed hard, suddenly unable to speak. She coughed, trying to clear her blocked up throat. "He also offered to take me off of this planet."

Kirtash didn't move. He just sat there, unblinking. Then, before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand and tugged her to the door.

"Come with me. I have something to show you."

"Wait, Kirtash--" She stopped when she saw the determination in his eyes and just let him drag her along. He grabbed a roll off the counter as they past and tossed it to her. She caught it, barely, and slowed down slightly to eat. She devoured the roll, having to remind herself to chew, and sped back up. "Where are we going?" He didn't respond, just dragged her down several streets and alleys, turning so suddenly she was sure she had whiplash when they finally stopped.

They stood in front of a small doorway, the cloth rotting and moth eaten. He brushed it aside and put a finger to his lips, signalling to be quiet. He ducked under it, almost a foot taller than the doorway. She nodded and trod on the stone lightly, careful not to make any noise. They entered into a dimly lit stone passageway, little pale blue lanterns the only source of light. They floated a long with Lyrical and Kirtash like little creatures. Lyrical could've sworn that she heard them chatter. They illuminated some sort of ruins that covered the walls. The ruins depicted animals and plants much like the ones that had been on the Lorams robe. But most of all, they depicted the swirl symbol that had been both in the house and in the Consilium. It made Lyrical slightly lightheaded just looking at the sheer amount of that one symbol.