Eclipse

Chapter 30

★Massimo★

Dayton is on patrol tonight. I watch from a distance, sitting on a rooftop as he marches a few streets over. It's not like I was staring at him the whole time, though. I was just sitting up here, enjoying the breeze I get when I saw the soldiers begin their patrol. Dayton stays in the back, his gaze held forward. He speaks to no one.

Something about him, though, seems different. Usually, when I would see him before, he would be at least glancing around to watch for people or crime. Tonight, he does not.

I climb down from the rooftop, landing in an alleyway. I lean against the wall of the building, wondering if Dayton will pass me. The thing about that, though, is that if he does, so do the rest of the soldiers. It only reminds me of the irony of it all. A criminal with a soldier. Imagine it.

Except I don't have to imagine it. I'm living it. My face heats at the thought of his lips on mine. I shake the thought away, trying to listen for the sound of marching as the soldiers enter this street.

"What are you doing?" a voice asks from behind me, startling me out of my concentration.

I whip around to meet Aruna's gaze. Her heterochromatic eyes staring into my own. "How long were you standing there?" I ask, bewildered at her sudden appearance. I thought I was good at being aware of my surroundings. If she can sneak up, then can't a soldier do the same?

She crosses her arms and pops a hip out. "Long enough. I was practicing my stealth." She grabs a vial from her large pocket, the same vial that I gave her, pops it open, and downs the liquid in one go. She closes her eyes for a few beats before she opens her eyes, revealing two swirls of darkness. I can see the magic in them, moving around, ready to lash out at any moment.

Magic, from what I've heard from Eb, takes a lot of power to control. At least, the strong power of an Anac. The magic in the serum must have been a solidified version of Eb's magic, so I can only imagine how Aruna feels at this moment. Eb has taught me a lot, so I know that a potion like that can cause exhaustion. It drains your energy fast if you do not know how to handle it correctly. I wonder if Aruna can feel it yet, or if her use of her own powers has at least partially trained her to be able to handle the serum with ease.

The sound of marching comes into earshot, so I grab Aruna's arm and drag her to the side of the alley, blocking us with the shadows. Part of me wonders if the shadows are artificial, but I don't ask. If I do, they might hear us. I wouldn't mind Dayton hearing us, but the others are a different story.

As the soldiers pass, I watch them closely. The corners of my lips twitch slightly as I see Dayton, my heart warming. Once they move past, I glance at Aruna and see her smiling assumingly at me. I roll my eyes and turn away from her, walking toward the edge of the alley. I peek past the corner, looking for the soldiers, making sure that they moved on.

"What's going on over here?" A deeper voice asks as I catch his gaze. My heart jolts at the fear that I've been caught before my vision focuses.

I smile. Dayton. "Nothing much, what about you?" I don't move my face back, despite the closeness between the two of us. Dayton is standing only a few inches from me.

He shrugs. "Dunno. I told the others that I had to take a leak. They'll expect me back soon, but I wanted to say hi." His smile is faint, but it's there. He still seems off, but I decide not to question him on it. It might make it worse.

I step out of the alley, suddenly remembering that Aruna is behind me. "Is that all you wanted to do?" I let my tone turn teasing. I don't exactly want to make a show in front of Aruna, but I'm also desperate to be around him again.