Inked

12

"Soleil?" She didn't let him finish saying her name before spinning around and shooting gold flames at him. "Whoa! I didn't mean to frighten you." He sounded so innocent. Soleil littered sparks on the ground so she could see better, careful to avoid Farid's bare feet. Farid smiled at her, brushing the soot from his shirt.

"Sorry. I thought everyone was asleep." Well, that sounded kind of suspicious, didn't it?

"Not everyone," he said with a light chuckle. How she hated what she had to do! If only she had never met the boy with the black eyes who shared her love for fire. Just leave me alone. Please. The less time I spend with you, the less I have to feel bad about it later. "Were you going anywhere in particular? Because the sky is clear tonight and you can see the moon perfectly reflected on the water of --"

"I was going into town," Soleil interrupted him. "I've got to drop off this letter for my... um... mother. She must be worried sick that I haven't come home yet." Stop talking! You don't want to say something you'll regret. What if he asks to meet her? You don't have a mother!

"Well, how far away does she live that you couldn't just walk home and let her know what happened in person? Ombra isn't terribly big." He sounding skeptical of her lie, and Soleil was on the verge of panic, although a spy never reveals her emotions that easily. On the outside Farid saw a patient girl who was trying to explain the situation in the simplest terms.

"She doesn't live in Ombra," she heard herself saying, not entirely sure what words her mouth would form next. "She is from Argenta." Stupid! a voice screamed inside her. If she lives in Argenta, why would she be worried you weren't home yet? It takes a while to travel back and forth, especially when you don't have a horse...

"Oh. I see," Farid said, and Soleil could practically see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out what she was playing at. "So, um, never mind," he said with a light laugh, as if not willing to dive too deep into her family life. "I'll -- I'll leave you to it then."

Soleil nodded and, taking a deep breath -- that was close -- headed towards Ombra's town square, the letter crinkling in the pocket of her cloak.