Broken People (Serial)

Forty-Nine

The doors at both ends of the train car opened simultaneously. Anya hesitated in the doorway, having not seen Nicholas yet, and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

"How is Serioja?" Nicholas closed the door behind him and advanced towards her.

She silently closed the other door then, just as silently, gesticulated with her hands.

Nicholas let out an impatient groan. She couldn't speak. He walked up to her and placed his palm on her throat, right under her jaw. Her pulse beat wildly under his fingers and her breath caught. He sent in a small jolt.

Anya coughed and spit a black plastic device into her palm. "Great. You broke it."

"It's all right. They'll fix it. How is he?" Nicholas rested his hands on her shoulders and lowered his head to make her look at him. He wanted a straight answer, even if it hurt.

Anya slipped the device in a pocket of her purple skirt. "Not well." She looked up with glassy, red eyes. "Rake is working on fixing him, but everything inside him is crushed. He might have a chance if he makes it until morning, but..."

"Serioja is strong. He'll make it." The determination in his voice was supposed to give her strength, but Anya sighed and buried her face in his chest.

"Oh, Nick ... You didn't see him fall!"

Nicholas held her in his arms and rested his cheek against her head. She had changed her costume, and in the absence of the mask, with the locks of dark brown hair escaping from the pins and framing her face, she looked like a helpless little girl.

"It's going to be fine," he murmured, running a soothing hand on her back. If only he could guarantee her that.

"I sent him out there. I urged him to do something ... and then he let go. How could he do that?" Anya mumbled against his jacket.

"Serioja knew what he was doing. He bought us time when we needed it. No one could ask for more."

"It's already too much!"

Nicholas closed his eyes. Despite the way their relationship had ended, Anya and Serioja had remained friends, and Anya cared fiercely for her friends. Of course, she suffered. "Yes, I know. And I'm sorry." Sorry for a lot of things.

Something in his voice must have triggered her alarm because Anya straightened her back. "How's Cielo?"

"She broke her other leg." Nicholas made a grimace. "Spinner is mending it already. She'll have to use crutches for a while, but she'll be fine."

"And Cole?" Anya asked.

"Ironically, he came out of this the least harmed, just some scratches and bruises caused by the rough landing," Nicholas said. "Fei Lin burned a few connectors, though. According to Spinner, those will be harder to fix, but not impossible, so we're good."

"What about you?" Anya cupped the side of his face. "Did you eat anything?"

He smiled, touched by her concern. "I'm fine." There had been no time to think about his needs. If he focused on other things and kept the shivering locked inside, he could get through it without giving his body extra fuel to recover.

"Then what's wrong?" Anya's fingers caressed his cheek.

His pale face must have given him away despite the dim lighting. But it wasn't just that.

"Anya ... there's a fair chance I will be fired after tonight."

"What? Don't be silly. Because of what happened?"

"Yeah. I only had two members of the crew maimed under my watch, plus two other only moderately injured." Nicholas let out a bitter laugh.

"Stop that." Anya pulled her lips into a severe, unhappy line. "That wasn't your fault. You weren't there when it happened."

"Yes, but I should have been ..."

"Nick," her voice softened, "it's not your responsibility. You're not the manager, remember?"

"Of course not..." It just felt like that. He wasn't sure why. "I'm just saying Big Dino might not see it that way, so I need to take that possibility into consideration." If he were indeed fired, he'd have to leave the circus. He had some money put aside, and since this was only supposed to be a temporary job anyway, it should have been a relief to leave this mad circus world. It wasn't. If he left, he would probably never see Anya again since the circus was constantly on the move.

"Big Dino likes money," Anya said. "And you made him lots the past two weeks. He'll forgive everything else."

Nicholas shook his head. "He won't forgive me for attacking his precious Nightingale."

"What? Why on earth would you attack Cielo?" Anya slapped his chest lightly, as if they were joking, which they were not.

"She was going to kill the guards. There's no middle ground with her. She's either all sunshine and rainbows, or death and destruction. She sees one gun aimed at her, and she goes ballistic. I get that she's been too abused as a child, and she can't help it, but I had to stop her. Those guards were only doing their job. They didn't have to die when there were other ways ..."

"You did it, didn't you?"

"Well, someone had to ..."

"Nick ..." Anya's sigh was self-explanatory.

He could get away with it while working at the circus, but if he manifested his powers outside of it and assaulted someone, the laws would have to be applied. And if he was put into the system, it would become general knowledge he escaped the drafting committee and was wanted in at least seven countries.

"Did you hurt her?"

"Nah, maybe bruised her a little."

"Okay, I'll talk to her. She's reasonable when she's not in the zone. You talk to the Golden Lady to put in a good word for you with her uncle. She likes you, though God knows why." Anya rolled her eyes. "You're such a fool."

Nicholas grinned. She was probably right.

The door behind him opened, and Jacko peeked inside. "Big Dino wants to see you."

Well, that was fast. Nicholas let go of Anya and started for the door. Before heading out, he glanced back at her, raising his eyebrow. You were saying?