wings ↣ w. worthington iii

16. love is SO amazing ✓

"Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time-rich and cash-poor." (Little Brother by Cory Doctorow)

Word Count: 3210

IT HAD BEEN THREE DAYS since Lilli and Warren had their little bonding session. They were absolutely no closer to finding Peter than they were when he was first taken. Lilli didn't voice this, but she feared Peter was dead.

Lilli was laying down during the early morning hours. It was around three or four. She was thinking about Cas. He had completely changed her emotions, he had swathed her in gasoline and covered her in rags, and she knew that if she hadn't decided to leave the school she would've been set aflame. She was also scared—she was on the opposite side of the playing field of a man who could manipulate people, change their emotions, change their thoughts, and easily kill them. He could snap his fingers, suddenly Professor X was suicidal and the school was destroyed. He could wiggle his toes and suddenly everyone was on his side. But through all this, Lilli wasn't scared for her own life. She knew that Cas had an immense amount of power, so he probably had a lot of say in what happened at Kezing. She knew he would never hurt her...yet he would burn down the world. He was such a twisted, confused, lost boy. Lilli felt pity for Cas. She knew he hadn't asked for his power or this life he'd been brought into. She knew he was just following orders.

Thinking about Cas led Lilli to remember how he had always brought her lillies on occasional days he would be in town. Did the lillies have any connection, or did he just go into town on random days like everyone else?

There was his first night, he gave her lillies. It would be an important information day for him to know everyone's names, ages, and abilities, so it would be important at Kezing.

There was the day they started an unofficial relationship and Cas became very close to Lilli.

There was the day the strange blue, ethereal voice terrorized the school. Lilli woke up to a bouquet of lillies.

Then there was the day of the attack, he gave her lillies then. Kezing was undoubtedly furious with Cas at the failed ambush. Lilli had noticed the lillies looked wilted, droopy, and a little sad. They resembled Cas that day as well.

Lilli kept thinking back to all the days she had received lillies and how they all seemed to be linked to Kezing in some way. She pondered and wondered and suddenly, it came to her in a big whoosh.

"Warren!" She shrieked, leaping up. Warren came crashing down from the top of a nearby tree where he had been on guard duty, an alarmed expression on his face.

"Lilli! Lilli, is everything okay?" Warren asked, turning in a full circle with his wings pulled out behind him at their full wingspan.

"No, no, I know where Peter is!" Lilli yelped, running back to where she had been sleeping on Warren's leather jacket. She picked up all their things, shoved them into their bag, and rushed back to where Warren was standing with a perplexed expression on his face,

"You've known this whole time?" He asked, furrowing his brows a bit angrily.

"No, you big dumb knucklehead, it wasn't that, I just realized, you know how Cas always brought me flowers every day, when there was a big thing for Kezing I mean,  every day something important happened he gave me lillies and I didn't realize it then or yesterday or ever but now I know—"

"Lilli, slow down and quiet your voice," Warren said slowly and calmly, placing his hand on Lilli's shoulder. It sent tingles down her spine. "Say it slowly and make sense, please."

"Every time something big happened for Kezing, Cas went to town and came back with lillies. That means that he was in town for some reason, which means that the Kezing Headquarters are in Rochester!" Lilli explained.