In Another Life || Kanej

The Wraith

"You could have died!" Inej's uncle yelled at her, his face contorted his both anger and fear. "Why would you do something so foolish? The handstand was not part of the act! Do you even know how badly you scared me? What if you'd fallen?"

"I didn't." She said, her voice small. She did feel guilty for scaring him like that, but she was also proud of her accomplishment. And the crowd had loved it, loved her.

Her uncle faltered, his anger slipping away.

"I don't mean to yell, Inej. I was afraid for you. You need to be more careful." He swept her into a hug. "I am proud of you. You're growing up so fast. That wire is special to you, I know. You were amazing."

He'd left her by the water with her thoughts, which Inej was grateful for. She liked the sound of the harbor at night.

Her perfect silence was broken by footsteps behind her, and she whirled around feeling herself sink into a sort of defensive crouch on instinct, her hands reaching for something at her waist. She froze. Where had she learned that? Why had she been so certain she would find some kind of weapon there? Inej didn't know how to use a weapon or fight. She didn't know this part of the harbor, but for a second, she felt as if she knew it well, as if she'd seen it in her dreams all the time.

A silhouette appeared, moving towards her in the mist that swirled around.

When the boy came into view, Inej was struck with a sense of vertigo. She knew this boy well, but not quite this boy. It was him, but through a different lens. Where did she know him from?

"Hello, Kaz." She said, the words slipping out of her mouth before she could register them.

Who is Kaz? She wondered. She didn't know anyone by that name. But she did.

The boy smiled at her.

"Hello, Inej." Then he flinched, as if he too didn't mean to know her name.

The two of them stood staring at each other, trying to figure it out.

"How do you know my name?" Inej asked cautiously, once again finding her hands grasping for something that wasn't there. Why was she expecting sharp metal? A chill ran through her.

There was something very strange going on, and it was clustered around the boy standing in front of her--Kaz.

"I don't know." He frowned. "How do you know my name?"

"I don't know either." She admitted. "I feel like I know you but I've never seen you before." Kaz was quiet, contemplating.

"I came to say I liked your show. It was like one big magic trick." Inej wanted to smile. Kaz and his magic tricks. Wait, what about Kaz and his magic tricks? This was so confusing.

Suddenly she saw, with perfect clarity the same boy in front of her, changed like into another person entirely. She knew if she looked into a mirror she would look different too. She felt different. Like this was a memory she was recalling, that she recalled often.

Inej walked into some sort of parlor, feeling silk brush against her body. There were bells on her ankles and purple spots painted onto her shoulders, like a lynx. She was wearing false purple silks.

She felt a sense of dread as she walked in, as if she expected punishment. Inside the parlor there were peacock feathers stuffed just about everywhere, the walls painted to match. A beautiful, blonde haired, hazel eyed woman stood by the desk. Across from her was a boy around seventeen with dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark soul. He was leaning on a cane with an engraved crow's head, the tip of the beak a sharp, cruel point. He was wearing a suit of darkest gray and his gaze was coldly fixed on Heleen.