Burning Bridges

Chapter Five: Runaway

It took two weeks for Jules' resentment to turn into hatred. Riku was a Molder, and quite proficient when working with glass. But Jules had spent as long learning his own Grounding magic as he had learning about molding glass. He couldn't say the same for Riku.

Naturally, instead of teaching his pupil himself, Grandfather set Jules the task of teaching Riku Grounder theory. Which was incredibly slow going, considering Grandfather hadn't actually transferred any Grounder magic to him. So instead of learning to wield stone, they worked through forms. Jules left his chest unbound to use the extra sensitivity from his wings, guiding Riku through the forms that brought Grounders more in touch with their magic. Molders were always so impersonal, but Grounders had to be in tune with the stone they were wielding. And Riku found this beyond frustrating.

"If you keep getting angry, you'll never get it," Jules said. They were out in the backyard again, standing barefoot in the dead grass. Jules spread his wings and felt the wind in his feathers. He could've been a tree, rooted there in the dirt. It felt as if the whole continent would've shaken if he asked it to.

Riku's voice broke Jules' concentration. "How am I supposed to 'get it' if I can't feel anything?"

"Maybe you should spend more time focusing on your body and less on your mouth."

That didn't really help. No matter what Jules said, Riku never got comfortable standing in silence for more than a couple minutes. And yet, at the end of the second week, Grandfather still pulled Jules aside in the tea shop and explained his plan to start transferring small amounts of his magic. 

"Already?" Jules said, incredulous. He'd spent years scrambling for his grandfather's approval, and this stranger got it in two weeks?

Grandfather chuckled and took a seat on a stool. "I'm getting old. Perhaps there is someone better suited to the task, but I cannot keep waiting for them to arrive. Better start before it's too late."

Jules wasn't sure how to respond without shouting so he said nothing. Grandfather didn't even seem to notice, humming faintly while staring off out the window. Gears spun in Jules' mind, the final realization that he wasn't worthy of his grandfather's magic—wouldn't ever be worthy. Where was he supposed to go now? He couldn't suffer through teaching Riku about Grounding forever. He couldn't stand Grandfather's micro aggressions every day. And he couldn't stay here while Kurayami wreaked havoc and Riku had no idea how to use his magic. He couldn't stay here.

"Is it alright if I take a break?"

Grandfather blinked a couple times. "What? Oh yes, go ahead."

He should've asked why Jules was taking his break by going out instead of back into the house, but he didn't. He never asked. That's how Jules knew this was the right decision.

If he'd been thinking straight, Jules would've changed into something else before leaving, but at least having his wings out made the journey faster.

Jules slid Yuki's door open and called for her to come before his shoes were fully off. Tossing them sloppily on the porch, he went into the house. "Yuki!"

"Julian?" Yuki's father came into the front room. "Is everything alright?"

"Is Yuki in?"

Yuki's father frowned. "Just helping her mother with lunch. Is something wrong?"

"No," Jules lied, heading into the kitchen.

Yuki was at the kitchen island beside her mother putting bean sprouts into a pot of water.

"Oh," she said, then scrunched her brow as she took in Jules' appearance. "Are you okay? You kind of look like you're in mental anguish."

"Thank you," Jules said. "Can I talk to you?"

Yuki glanced at her mother, who gave her a nod. Wiping her hands off on a towel, Yuki led Jules to her room.

Yuki's room was smaller than Jules', but it was just as full. Her father was a carpenter, so the bookshelves along every wall fit perfectly into the space. Organized book spines made a gradient rainbow, and even more were piled on the floor and desk. Yuki took a seat on her creaky bed, crossing her legs. "What's up?"

"I'm leaving."

"Well, okay, rude, you're the one who asked to talk—"

"No, I mean leaving. Leaving Kirama."

Yuki opened and closed her mouth at least three times before getting a word out. "Leaving."

"Yes."

"Like, actually leaving."

Jules sighed and took a seat beside Yuki. "He's already decided to transfer magic to Riku. But that idiot's got no idea how to use it. Too much anger. Kurayami sent an entire cathedral crumbling just a couple weeks ago. What could he do in another week while Riku's throwing tantrums about how hard it is to use Grounder magic? I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"So you're what, running away? How does that help?"

"I'm going to find Kurayami. If I can stop him from destroying another governmental building, even just once, Grandfather will see that he should've given me his magic. And if I do it fast—"

"He'll stop giving it to Riku? Give it to you?" Yuki took Jules' hands. "Julian, love, this is the worst idea you've ever had."

Jules grinned. "Please, I've had worse."

"Do you even have a plan? Even if you find Kurayami—which is madness to begin with since no one has been able to for three years—what then? How will you stop someone even the Castreals cannot?"

Truthfully, Jules knew this was more about getting out than finding somewhere to go. Hopefully a plan would come to him as he went. "Casts aren't invincible."

Yuki sighed. "You're not budging are you? You are so stupid. I'm going to make you food to take, but only because I don't think you'll be able to stay away forever. Maybe a little reminder of home will make you want to come back sooner."

Jules smothered her in a hug, the both of them falling back into the covers. "You are my favorite person ever."

Laughing, Yuki said, "Alright, alright. I'm not wasting the good rice on you if you're just gonna get yourself killed, so be careful."

It was dark by the time Yuki packed up a bag of food and, after a weak attempt at getting Jules to stay, sent him on his way. The tea shop was eerily still, dark but for the moonlight coming through the windows. Jules made his way carefully through the house back to his room and started packing. Yuki might only have agreed because she thought Jules would come back after a week of failing to find Kurayami. But that only made him want to succeed more.

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Total WC: 6018