Burning Bridges

Chapter Eight: One More Day

Jules woke in a bed.

For a moment, she wasn't sure why that was a problem. It was soft and warm and she was tucked under at least three blankets that all smelled like floral soap. But then she realized that she'd planned on going to sleep on the street and memories of the previous night filtered in. Still groggy, she opened her eyes and took in the room.

Three beds lay in a neat row, each with a glass table beside it. The other beds and tables were empty, but Jules' table had a half-empty mug of green tea, a damp towel, and a folded piece of paper under a bell. With aching fingers, Jules unfolded it and read the short note.

You passed out so we gave you a place to sleep. Ring bell when awake.

Right, because trusting this random, somewhat creepy note was a great idea. Instead, Jules pushed herself into a sitting position, spreading her wings to try to get an idea of where she was. Eyes closed she pressed one hand to the cold stone wall. The structure unfolded like an invisible map in her mind. There was a lot of stone above them, so dense Jules had a hard time feeling her way to the top. There was an entire network of tunnels running underground with at least a half dozen different rooms. Where had these people taken her?

Directing her senses at the floor to see if there were more tunnels further below, Jules felt vibrations in the ground a few seconds before someone opened the door.

"Oh!"

Jules pressed her back to the wall, spreading her wings as wide as she could. She willed the stone wall to break off a large enough piece for her to shape into a small knife. It wouldn't do much, but it would do.

"Sorry, I would have knocked if I knew you were awake," the girl said, watching Jules as if she had patients creating weapons out of the walls every other day. Her hair was long enough that it dipped into the bowl of water she was carrying on a glass tray, turning it a darker brown. Small black wings fluttered nervously behind her back. "How are you feeling?"

"Who are you?" Jules demanded.

The girl set her tray down slowly and raised her hands. "Not here to hurt you. I think you met my brother earlier? He's the one who brought you down. You were half-delirious with fever so we just wanted to help get you some rest."

Jules raised the knife higher. How long had it been since stealing from that booth? Days? She'd already been away from home too long. Wasted time sleeping could be the difference between finding Kurayami and losing him.

"I promise we're not trying to kidnap you," the girl went on. "Soon as you feel up to leaving, we'll show you to the door, alright?"

"Great," Jules said, swinging her feet over the edge of the bed. "I feel good as new. Show me the—"

She had definitely gotten up too fast. The world spun, little black spots flashing in the corners of her vision. With a thunk, Jules dropped back down onto the bed.

The girl smiled and sat on the bed across from Jules, hands on her knees so Jules could see them. "Just last night you had such a high fever we could've boiled water on your forehead. My brother said you were just trying to steal some water. Were you sleeping outside?"

Jules flushed. She didn't need strangers pitying her, not when the whole point of going out on her own was to prove she didn't need others holding her up.

"I'm fine," Jules insisted. "Just show me out."

The girl shrugged. "Whatever you say."

The tunnels were smaller than Jules had thought. Narrow passageways connected room to room, and the one she'd slept in seemed to be among the largest. Voices echoed off the low ceilings, but they didn't see anyone else until they reached a larger, open space by the stairs Jules assumed led aboveground.

A handful of people sat on worn down sofas and pillows on the floor, sharing breakfast and chatting. A couple glanced up and waved at the black-winged girl, who smiled and waved back. But Jules' attention was drawn to a young girl, maybe eleven, with clipped wings. She was leaning against an older boy, smiling at something he said, but Jules couldn't look away.

"Her parents did it," the black-winged girl supplied. "She was born with really thin feathers and the tissues of her wings made it nearly impossible to fly."

"So her parents clipped her?" Jules asked, stomach twisting at the thought. Clipping was an old practice meant as punishment for criminals, slicing off wings and making it impossible to hide the stumps left behind. But it hadn't been done in decades. At least, Jules thought they hadn't.

The girl caught Jules' eye and smiled. "She and her brother came here looking for a place to stay. My friend started this community to give those people a home that's safe."

"Those people... you mean there are more people who've been clipped?"

The girl shrugged. "We've got a couple who've been clipped, a couple with disabilities. My brother was kicked out of the house because he wanted to cut his hair short and use masculine pronouns and our parents didn't like that."

"Aw, Sky stop going around and telling our life story like it's a tragedy."

The boy who'd appeared in the booth's doorway stopped beside his sister and rested an arm on her shoulder. He held out his hand to Jules. "Max. Pleasure to meet you."

Jules didn't move. "Max isn't an Emaran name."

He laughed. "Well, I got to choose my own so I thought I'd go for something more unusual."

He was still holding his hand out. Finally, Jules shook it. "Julian."

"Well, seems like we've both got unique names." He tapped his head against his sister's cheek. "You talked to Asa yet today?"

Sky shook her head. "I was just showing our guest out before going to see him."

"Out?" Max asked. "You look about ready to fall over."

Jules ground her teeth. "I'm fine."

Sky leaned toward her brother and whispered, "That's their catch phrase."

These people were infuriating.

Jules pointed to the door at the top of the stairs. "That's the way out? Thanks for the bed, but I'll be on my way."

She made it about four steps before a tickle in her throat sent her into a coughing fit. Max crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Fine, are we?"

Jules glared at him. But it was true, her entire body ached, not to mention that her throat felt rubbed raw. The fever wasn't gone either—she'd been cold when she got up, but now she wanted an ice bath. Her eyes drifted over to the girl with clipped wings. She was winding string around her fingers, knitting a long scarf and smiling to herself. Jules couldn't imagine what it would be like to be clipped, even if she hid her wings most of the time. If these people had given her a home, had welcomed Max for changing his pronouns, may it wouldn't be the worst place to lay low for a little and rest before seeking out another lead. After all, the rumors had brought her to this street. Perhaps these people even knew something about Kurayami.

"I suppose," Jules ground out, "that I could spend another day."

Grinning, Max held out a hand. "Well then Julian, welcome to our creepy basement. Enjoy your stay."

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WC: 1243

Total WC: 8936