Theia Duology

Chapter 6

"What the pit, Theia, where'd you go?" Solskine pulls her along the hall to the cadopit. His arm around her shoulders hoists her up so that her feet barely touch the floor.

"Chillax! I was in Malum's office. Got back out using a set of stairs in the walls that comes out behind the storage bin." She wriggles until he puts her down.

"You're such a noob. You coulda got hurt, or worse." Solskine spits on his finger and wipes a streak of blood from Theia's face. She crinkles her nose but doesn't pull away.

Tenebris waits at the door for them. His hair has dried in waves that frame his tired face. He opens the door and they enter, Solskine then Tenebris taking the lead as if they're sheltering Theia from a bitter wind. Malum looks down on them from the stage. She flips her hair off her shoulders and smiles at the boys, but her face closes in on itself when she her eyes rest on Theia.

"Sit down," Malum says into the microphone. Everyone turns to watch as Tenebris leaves Theia and Solskine at their table to continue on to his.

Sluice whispers something to Drengur and he narrows his eyes at Theia, as if she's arrived naked. Theia meets his gaze and he looks away. She sits beside Solskine.

"I've filled everyone in about Salixa. We all need to be a bit more careful, don't we?" Malum looks at Theia and shakes her head.

Theia doesn't know what Malum has told the annies about Salixa's death, but from the weight of their eyes she guesses Malum told them it's her fault. Again.

"We have to take our crop to market tomorrow. The storm flooded the town again and washed away what few supplies they had." Malum smiles, but her eyes remain hard. "It's good to be needed. Tenebris, Lios and Stor will stay behind and make sure that you lot work hard." She sweeps a hand across the crowd, her long fingers seeming to tap all their heads. "And I will take Solskine and Theia as my pack mules."

A murmur buzzes through the hive. Malum snaps her fingers and Tenebris jumps up to join the rest of the older annies in serving the thermoses of smokewater. "Theia, be sure to drink all of yours. I need you well rested. You too, Solskine. We load the crop at first light and we won't be back until supper. The townspeople have asked to use our wagon to haul away the junk after we unload the avocados."

"Yeet! We get to see the Beyond," Theia whispers to Solskine. Maybe find some clues about where Mistura went.

"Don't be baffed, we're not goin' nowhere but Slag and back. You think Matta will let us out of her sight?"

Tenebris reaches their table. His hand brushes Theia's as he pours her smokewater right up to the brim of the stained white cup. He watches as she drinks it, not leaving until she slurps the last of it. Sluice elbows Drengur and they smile at each other; some secret joke they share about Theia that now seems to include Tenebris. He pours for Solskine but doesn't wait to see that he finishes before pouring the rest of the table's drinks.

When smokewater time ends, Theia follows Solskine back down the hallway to the dorms.

Behind her, Sluice whispers to Drengur, her tone sharp as rocks thrown at her back. Theia turns to her. "What?"

"None of your business," Sluice says.

"Cut it out, Sluice," Solskine says. He touches Theia's shoulder and squeezes.

"No, really, please share," Theia says.

"Talkin' about how you ghosted," Sluice says. "Solskine and Tenebris leave Salixa to help you 'n look what happens. Why're you always glitchin'? First Mistura, now Salixa's dead." Sluice shakes her head.