Shift

TWENTY-NINE.2

Kayden likened the process of moving out of Le Lieu to a whirlwind: fast and hard.

On their last day, several people stopped over to say goodbye. Walter Voyle gave them all tight hugs and a box full of countdown clocks. Joseph Beckett passed Blaze a list of some of his favorite illusion symbol sequences. Even the members of the Congregation showed up—sans Naven—bearing a congratulatory bottle of champagne.

Kayden had hoped that she would be able to spend the airplane ride with Blaze, perhaps watching another movie with him as they flew across the continent. Unfortunately, Silas Merg and Apollo Ruke offered to transport them back home via rune circle and her mother had agreed.

It took only a few hours to send all of the things they had accumulated—from clothing to tea bags—back to New Jersey. And once the suite was devoid of their personal touches, they all stood in a sad semi-circle around a transport rune chalked out on the hardwood floor.

"Miami, right?" Mr. Ruke asked Lexi. When she nodded, he added just one more symbol to the rune diagram; it looked a bit like an infinity sign.

Lexi made her way around the circle, giving everyone a round of hugs and goodbyes. Kayden had already exchanged a lengthy goodbye with Lexi earlier, and she was more curious as to how Lexi would bid Helio farewell. In the end, they exchanged a long, tight hug, but there was no kiss. Kayden wasn't sure if that was because there were adults in the room or if Lexi had broken up with him after all. Helio's expression didn't help her narrow it down; he slipped his hands into his pockets and stared at Lexi wistfully as she stepped inside the rune circle. A moment later, she vanished behind arches of light, as if she had never been there at all.

"You two are up next," Silas said, looking from Kayden to her mother.

As Mrs. Lee and Silas exchanged hugs, Kayden said her own goodbyes.

Helio gave her a weak smile and shook her hand. "Thanks for everything," he said. "And I'm sorry for... how I treated you. Before."

It was an apology Kayden hadn't expected, which made her appreciate it even more. "It's fine. Non-ers aren't so bad, right?"

Helio rolled his eyes, but he was grinning.

Blaze was next. He looked her straight in the eye before Kayden reached up to hug him; she felt Blaze's arms wrap around her back in response.

"Thanks," she whispered into his neck. She wanted to kiss him one more time, but she didn't. Instead, she contented herself with feeling the tight pull of his arms and the touch of his cheek against hers. Blaze didn't say anything, and she didn't mind; she relished his touch.

When they let go of one another, Kayden stepped into the rune circle with her mother, standing side-by-side in twin open circles. Silas and Apollo read off the chant, and as the light flared around Kayden, she stared at Blaze. He smiled at her, but it was a sad smile. A smile of going away.

As the transport rune yanked at her gut and Kayden spiraled into darkness, all she could think about was Blaze. And how they had never discussed what they were, and wondering if they were anything at all.

* * *

Arriving at their house in New Jersey was like opening a time capsule. The house had been empty for a month now, but everything looked eerily the same as it had the day she had left, Kayden thought. A month old magazine lay on the counter, the dishes were half-cleaned in the sink, and the fridge was full of rotten food that Kayden and her mother promptly threw out. They did find a carton of ice cream that was still good in the freezer, and they celebrated their homecoming by eating directly from the tub and watching some television.