Kingdoms Rise

Five

For the last week Mae took Tegan's words to heart. She kept to the shadows and rooftops. Every morning she woke before dawn and left before the morning light could touch any surface. She didn't return home until the sun vanished beyond the horizon. Mae didn't want to be tracked back to her home, didn't want to put her family in any danger.

She hadn't visited her father since her mother had sent her with the blanket and bread, and she wouldn't be visiting him. She wouldn't see him until he was able to come home, and that knowledge killed her. She wouldn't bring any threat to him while he was still in the sick bay. No matter how badly she wanted to see him.

Mae worked her jobs and went to the tavern. That was her daily routine. She spent most her time this past week at the tavern than she had in the last year. She found the company oddly comforting in her current state. She still didn't talk much, though more than she used to. She talked mostly with Tegan and Bleddyn, occasionally she would pipe up in group conversations. They had seemed surprised by her frequent presence at first, but didn't seem to mind as she kept coming.

She was crouched on a roof above the town square, watching the night's events unfold. She listened to music that the chamber orchestra played. She had always loved their music, the finest street group she had ever heard. Mae could feel the music hum through her veins, hum in her bones, like it was the very essence that had created her. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to drink in the soft caress of sounds.

When she opened her eyes she watched the people dance. Watched the children run in circles. The people who danced were one with music, following it like an arrow follows the wind. Everyone looked happy and carefree. Mae was envied their carefreeness.

Time had passed and that weight on her hadn't eased. She felt better after talking with Tegan, but it didn't do anything to sooth the aching in her heart, the longing for something she did not know. The days wore on and she felt no lighter, only heavier.

Mae watched for a few more moments, and then she was off again. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop. It was this or past indecent people in the dank alleys beneath her. Mae shuddered at the thought.

It took her a matter of minutes to get to the apartment above her parents shoppe. Her lungs started to burn with the air she gulping down. She was poorly out of shape without being able to really exercise in the recent week.

She looked into the window of the main sitting room. The curtains were closed but she could see the silhouettes of three people. She recognized her mother's build and her father's figure, skinnier but still the same. There figure Mae didn't recognize, taller and more muscular than her parents, and undoubtedly male. Yet something looked familiar about him.

She could see her mother's hand gestures as she spoke, the unidentifiable man returned them as well. Her father stood there unmoving but definitely saying things as the other two turned toward him. With curtains closed that was all Mae could see, just their shadows.

Mae crawled to face the other side of the apartment, to the window that led to her bedroom. Jumped to ledge of her family's apartment and scaled down the wall. She reached the window and slowly slid it open. Mae slithered into her room, careful not to make a sound.

She left her shoes and cloak on as she made her way to her door. Easing open the door, Mae slipped into the main room. They were still arguing but Mae wasn't listening as she coughed awkwardly.

All of their heads turned to her. Her parents looked scared and the man—Fallon. He grinned at her. He looked her over checking for any sign of injury, his gaze lingered on the scar at her neck. It took every ounce of her to not cover it, or squirm under the look of anger on his face. Mae held his gaze for moment, then looked back to her parents.