Between Worlds

Chapter 23

Back at the bus, Kimber tried to help put away groceries but mostly got in Adin's way until Adin diverted him to the bus' small bathroom to change into his new clothes.

Kimber was mostly undressed when someone knocked. He opened the door immediately, and a hand slipped in, dropping a pair of underwear before retreating. Ryan.

Kimber smoothed out the underwear and set them down on the edge of the sink before he finished getting out of his clothes. Or Ryan's clothes, he supposed. Ryan would want those back now.

He took time to clean Ryan's clothes with magic, brushing away dirt and his own scent. He checked for damage, then folded them neatly on the sink.

Kimber pondered if there were reasons beyond price for Ryan's clothing choices. The shirt was blue. Was it meant to match his eyes, or was that unimportant?

These clothes felt odd on his body. Ryan's had, too, but the fact that they had been borrowed had made it feel more okay. The pants were too tight, too rough, too stiff. They were nothing like a loose flowing robe. These clothes were for humans, not for him. He stood, fully dressed besides his untied shoes, and felt like he was about to get into trouble.

When Kimber came out of the bathroom, Ryan sprawled on the bus floor. Ryan didn't look up as Kimber approached, barely acknowledging the neat stack of clothes Kimber placed by his head.

"The clothes seem to fit well," Adin remarked from the small table. "You'll be able to get more soon, so have a think about what you like so that you can make your own choices next time."

Taking that as an admonishment, Kimber dropped his gaze. Adin had pushed him to choose his own things until he'd panicked and Ryan had stepped in. It felt like neither had been impressed, though for different reasons.

Adin gestured to the seat across from him. "Please, sit. We should talk." When Kimber obeyed, he continued, "I've been considering your situation. We can't keep you long-term, but it might not be best to hand you over immediately. You'll become the responsibility of the local government wherever we leave you, and they're not all equal. This area, for instance, wouldn't be my choice."

Kimber glanced out of the window. "Is it dangerous here?"

Adin almost laughed. "No, nothing like that. It's about which area might offer you better support. If you have a choice, you might as well use it."

"Oh, I don't..." Kimber trailed off. "How?"

Adin waved away his concern. "I can research that for you. I just wanted to make sure you're okay staying with us a bit longer. I know Luther scares you, and Ryan's been a bit harsh today. Though I'm not sure if he's staying after Finch brings his clothes back. I could encourage him to leave, if you prefer."

Ryan was still on the floor. Kimber edged his foot against Ryan's side as he shook his head. "He was helping me, I think."

"I believe that was his intention," Adin agreed. "He actually gave me a useful suggestion last night. A way to confirm we're from the same world. If we are, our magic should have the same source. Do you know where magic comes from on your world?"

Kimber picked at his fingernails. This felt like a test he hadn't studied for. In the store, he'd tried adding up the numbers Adin gave him to figure out which clothes he could get, but he wasn't good enough at maths. He'd never been taught; he'd just sometimes been allowed to sit in while others were for reasons of practicality. They hadn't wanted him to get too close to any one human, so they had often sat him next to children in classrooms when he needed to be balanced with strict instructions to ignore him.