Of Caverns and Casters ✓ [TLRQ #1]

Chapter 51 - Sean

Dinner is clamorous. Marcí prattles on with her husband, the little kid's shrill voice interrupts them, and Jacin and Idyne discuss in cheerful, laughing tones. It's as if Marcí forgets that someone probably wants Leavi and me dead. Meanwhile, Aster speaks little, haughtily scarfing down his food. And Leavi... either she does remember we're wanted or she's still shaken up from earlier—she hardly touches her food, instead opting to stare gazeless into the distance. I could ask her what's wrong. If I did it in Errelian, no one else would know what we were saying—practically a private conversation. She picks at her food some more. Then again, if I asked, she probably wouldn't answer me.

She wanders away from the table with a far-away look in her eyes, abandoning her plate. I itch to go after her, to ask anyway, but I hold my ground. I'll talk to her when I figure something out about Aster's weird powder. After another few moments, the ruckus that is dinner dies away as people get up to leave their plates in the kitchen. As I turn to pick up Leavi's and put it with mine, Jacin slips toward the living room.

There's something calculating in his movements, like a wolf homing in on his prey. Mentally cursing the stupid dishes, I beeline to the kitchen and swish the plates through the water, leaving the cleanish china dripping on the drying towel.

Marcí cocks her head at me. "Sean, those aren't wash—"

I hurry after the other two. The creep's about halfway to the stairs when I intercept him. "Jakob," I call.

He glances over his shoulder, eyes narrowed. "My name is Jacin."

Heart racing, I shrug. "Well, you responded to it."

I open my mouth to continue, but he cuts me off. "Don't you have some corner to go hole yourself up in?"

My arms cross. "Feeling aggressive, are we?" His jaw tightens, but he doesn't answer. Trying to keep him here, I toss out, "Anyway, I was wondering how you came to live here." I'm not sure why that's the question I ask. I don't care. But I do know that I'd rather him be answering it, here with me, than doing whatever else he had planned.

His mouth tightens. "Why?" Obviously impatient, he glances up the stairs, body angled to follow his gaze.

"Just curious," I say, forcing his attention back to me. "You know, just trying to get to know everybody." That came out rather deadpan. I was going for nonchalant.

From the corner of my eye, Aster heads up the stairs, oblivious to Jacin and me.

"I was traveling. I happened upon here. The end." He turns to keep going, but I catch his shoulder.

"That wasn't very specific," I reprimand, attempting to sound playful. I'm pretty sure the tension in the air kills the whole lighthearted thing, though, because a stare-off ensues, the real intent behind this conversation thinly veiled. His eyes spark a dark fire, but I hold them, waiting for him to get the point and let Leavi alone.

Shaking his head, he gives a low snort of frustration, swiping my hand off his shoulder. "Mind your own business." With that, he turns to jog up the stairs.

I follow.

Once he reaches the top of the landing, he glances back at me. "What do you want now?" he hisses.

I shrug, leaning casually against the wall. "I have as much right to be anywhere as you do."

He scoffs and turns back, beginning to glance in the rooms. He doesn't seem to find what—or who—he's looking for, though, because he finally disappears into his bedroom.

I let out a breath of relief. Then, shaking my head, I tap back down the stairs, picking up my study materials from where I left them earlier and setting up shop in my new room—the one just across from Jacin's.

I try to work, but someone keeps coughing. Bukki and Marcí are having yet another too-loud conversation I have to tune out, and my thoughts keep circling back to the confrontation on the stairs rather than alkemi.

My fingers rap sharp on the keys. What have you gotten yourself into, Leavi?