Weather Control

Chapter 22

I rested my arm against a nearby tree and shut my eyes. I was going to count to 20... no, 60. I was going to give 60 seconds of silence. Then I was going to pretend like nothing happened. Coward. 

I felt sick. I sickened myself. Coward.

But all my secrets died with him. Coward.

Everybody thought he was dead anyways. 

"Thorne."

I opened my eyes. Sunshine. 

I raced back to the clearing of the lake, and there he was, soaking wet, coughing. 

And so I did what thieves do best.

"Took you long enough," I said curtly.

He looked at me. "And what were you doing? Leaving me to die? Took you long enough to show up."

I rolled my eyes. "I was making sure no one saw us fall from the sky. It's not like I can persuade people to believe it didn't happen while carrying a sopping wet boy with me. You can thank me later."

He nodded. "I guess so."

"And you'd be right." I tossed him his things and his bag. "There you are," I told him. "I guess this is where I leave you."

He crossed his arms. "No," he said slowly, "You are taking me home, not to a lake. You still have work to do."

I scoffed. "As if I'm going to walk into South Dinala in broad daylight."

He smiled. "I believe that is exactly what you said you were going to do.

I glared at him, but his smile just made my anger boil, so I looked away.

When he was ready, I yanked him to his feet so fast he almost fell again. 

"So I guess I'm taking a trip to South Dinala," I said.

"I would guess you are," Sunshine smiled.

And so I ended up walking through all the places I never wanted to go in one day.

Sunshine slapped my arm. "Would you stop doing that?" he hissed.

I looked up innocently. "Hmm?"

"Thorne, you're going to get caught and branded."

I snickered. "For a few silver pieces that rich people will never know had been lifted from their purses? Please. And besides. What do you think these wristbands are hiding?" I held up my hands to show him and his fear shot up a notch.

"You've been..." he trailed off, unsure what to say.

"So where do you live, anyways," I asked.

"Well, you're not actually taking me home, you're taking me to my father's wood working shop. My house is probably empty right now.

I sighed in relief. There would be crowds near the shops. I wasn't in any danger... yet.

I nudged up against him as we walked and flinched away. his shirt was still wet.

Coward.

The thought was still racing through my head as we reached the bridge. A boundary line that I had crossed only once before. And I almost got a few people killed.

But Sunshine, oblivious as usual, marched across with out a care in the world. And stupidly, I followed.

I let him lead the way. I was stupid. He wasn't a child, he could've gone home by himself. I could've stayed on the north side, where coins were hard to come by and I could've gone home.

"You drag your feet more than I do, and I'm missing a leg. What's your excuse?" Sunshine joked.

A weak attempt to lighten the mood. I didn't respond.

It was another minute before we reached what Sunshine claimed was his house. I was a shop in the middle of rows of shops.

I wrinkled my nose at it. "You can't live in a shop."

"No, but this is where my father works, so my home is empty right now," he said.

"Fair enough," I said, "Goodbye." I spun on my heel to leave. And stopped. I was being followed. 

He was down the road by some ways, casually walking. He knew exactly who I was, and that to get to where I wanted to be, I had to get to the bridge. To get where I wanted to be, I had to get through him.

Sunshine had not gone inside his "house" yet, so I quickly explained why he should feel bad for bringing me here. 

Sunshine was stupid. He said, "That man doesn't look like he wants to kill you. He's way to casual."

My voice rose in pitch, but not in volume. "Sunshine, we are in the middle of a public space. Running at me would be suspicious. Sunshine, every good assassin knows: Stroll, kill, then run."

I had his full attention now so i said, "Do you know who that is? The most notorious assassin this side of the bridge is walking your way. I also set fire to his house. And he is not alone."

Sunshine was so scared now it was almost comedic. Almost.

"Sunshine, why don't you go inside and lock your doors for a bit."

When he didn't move, I gave him a nudge. Still wet.

Coward.

Cowards are good at running. I pulled two knives and lied to myself. The two most natural things I've ever done.

I would out run him and knife any other friends he might have. 

I put a slight smirk on my face. He was close enough now that i could see that his face matched my own. 

Unlike me, however,  he wasn't scared.