[completed - under editing]
[last chapter edited - 8 | setting a trap for yourself]
"You're told all your life that you're broken, insane, mentally ill. And then you're told that you are going to repair the world."
᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽
Thirteen...
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Nia
Hey look, Gemi's awake!" points out Ari cheerily as he checks behind to where Gem has just stirred. "Isn't he?"
Gemi squints an eye open and frantically shakes his head. No I'm not. Oh yeah, I understand him. I consider ratting him out but finally decide not to. Besides, I can imagine myself in this scenario all too well.
"Nope!" I say, aiming Ari the brightest and most innocent look I can conjure. "He's still out like a light, though I don't think he needs immediate medical attention." Leaning closer to Gemi, I whisper, "You okay?"
"Yeah," he whispers back, "it just hurts a lot."
I nod and rest a bit. I had to carry him, which wasn't fun, but it was my duty as his twin. Or so Leo says. He's currently chewing his lip anxiously. I was about to make a demon joke but decide not to.
"So we just dump them in the nearest medical center? And how are we going to pay for that? Also, Gemi will be thirsty when he wakes." There was a water fountain along our way, and we nearly drained it. We're slightly hungry, but I think we should have enough money for some food and if we don't? Well, Caprice exists. And in exchange for her abilities, we will tolerate her fussing over us.
"Uhh, well, I was thinking that we steal some supplies?" Ari asks with a shrug.
"Yeah, that's illegal," I drawl, making a split second decision to contradict everything he says for the sole reason of being annoying.
"If this is illegal, Caprice is illegal for all the things she stole," Ari points out.
I roll my eyes. "I don't think that's how it works, idiot."
Leo grimaces, "Why do I feel like someone's in trouble? Or not necessarily in trouble. Just that something's wrong. That's weird."
"Someone?" I arch a glance over at him and he just shrugs uneasily and says exactly what I knew he'd do.
"Oh, it's probably some stupid hunch. And anyway I bet it's ... hmm ... Sagittaria," I can hear the pitch of his voice rising in the last word. Like it does when he improvises a lie.
Ari startles and shoots Leo an inquisitive look, "What?"
"Nah," I say, lifting a hand to wipe sweat from my forehead. It's so hot, even though it's nearing the Tenth, and I just want to sit cozied up in my room and die inside as I usually do. "I mean, she's right here, or she was." She'd wandered off shortly after we'd set off.
Pisces stirs then and croaks, "The hell happened?"
Before I can stop him, Leo peers over at the gray-eyed boy, deepens his voice and speaks, "You've been captured. Shut up, fish boy."
"Shut up yourself, Lee–Lee," Pisces doesn't miss a beat as he cracks an eye open. My reproach dies on my tongue as I can't help but wheeze.
I sink to the ground, sitting on the warm brick sidewalk of the alley. It's dangerous to be in an alley by yourself, but I'm not, so I feel safe. I pass Pisces the remainder of the water we poured into a plastic cup and brought with us and he drinks it all in just a few seconds. Didn't think there was that little water.
