The Heart Of Asariel

10 || Not Far

As Micah's first act in the name of personal improvement, he declined his portion of stew, insisting that it be shared out amongst the others. He didn't need it, after all. Nor did the dish look particularly appetising, although he chose not to voice that thought. It probably wasn't polite.

Besides, the sweetened guilt of cake still lingered on his tongue, burning his throat and stirring up nausea in his stomach whenever he dared think about it. Maybe it was for the best that he avoided food for now.

"I'm sorry there can't be better sleeping arrangements," Josephine said from her perch on the end of the bed, once a decent stretch of silence filled only with the sound of clinking spoons had stretched out. She was studying the thin blanket that covered it, a crease smoothing and reforming beneath her sliding thumb. "I don't know which of you wants to take the bed, but--"

"You'll take the bed." Corinne's tone was hard enough to stamp out any argument. "It's yours. We can handle ourselves." She stood abruptly, abandoning her bowl on the table. Even from Micah's spot curled into the corner, his knees pulled to his chest, he could see it wasn't empty. Maybe he wasn't the only one not keen on eating.

There were very few words exchanged after that. The other two soon followed, Lilith crossing the room to offer the remains of Corinne's stew to Davey while Rivo found a spot against the wall beside Corinne. He might have whispered something in her ear, but it was far too quiet to make out, and very brief. His eyes were shut soon after.

Josephine flicked off the indoor lantern, and the room was bathed in a warm kind of muted darkness.

Micah shifted onto his side, expecting sleep to come easy after the exhaustion the day's events had clubbed him with. It didn't. His wings ached and itched beneath his coat, and his heart thudded, persistently loud in his ears. Every beat sounded like a gunshot. He shivered, squirming into a tighter ball. Promising to be better didn't make the memories of his mistakes any easier to bear, it seemed.

The nightly hours trudged by. They were thick and choking as their cold gripped his lungs, clogged with the sticky scent of blood and the malice of glaring red lights, shoved jaggedly alongside the image of Elysia's cathedral, white and blinding gold. His blood seemed to hiss in his veins. He was almost relieved when more natural light split through the house's dirt-speckled window, and Lilith's hand on his shoulder dragged him out of his restless trance.

"Wake up," she whispered, her voice alone enough to crack his eyes open. It leapt high, shook by a withheld eagerness, at odds to the solemn quiet that had masked the previous evening. "I found the Heart."

Micah shot up immediately. He rolled over so quickly that his coat tangled in his legs, cold air ruffling the feathers on his wings as they slipped free of their cage. He hurried to tug the clothing back over them as he scrambled to his feet. "What?"

She pressed a finger to her lips, gesturing to the bed to his right. Josephine and Davey didn't stir. The child huddled into his mother's chest, shifting with its steady rise and fall, a smile sitting softly on his lips. "Stay quiet," Lilith breathed. "Corinne wants to flee the premises before they wake up." She shrugged, half-smirking. "Nice people really make her uncomfortable."

"I just don't want to suffer an unnecessary goodbye," Corinne retorted in a hiss, appearing beside her. "We need to get moving."

Micah gave a rapid nod. Hope bubbled up his throat, starting in the jittery pulse of his heart and reaching up far enough to curl the corners of his mouth with delighted ease. There was no need to protest. He cut in front of them both, his steps bouncing as they carried him out of the door, very nearly crashing him straight into Rivo who waited outside.