STRANGULATE | Markicest

34 | PRADA

"Like I was trying to say earlier," said Konray, leaning over to grab an apple from the table. "Rumor's going around about the Tear Stealer and Antinstine."

Ethan paled at the sound of their names.

"Does it look like I care?" said Ethan, leaning back in his chair. Its worn, grey wood creaked beneath his weight.

The two of them sat in Konray's house—a small, dingy hut in the Slums, where the dining room and bedroom might as well be the same thing. Over in the small corner they called the kitchen, there were vials of liquids and bushels of herbs; their attempt at making Ethan's serum had been successful, but not clean. The house was in bigger of a mess than before—not like it made much of a difference.

"You clearly do," said Konray, tossing the apple and catching it. "I mean—god—one of 'em kidnapped your friend—"

Ethan recoiled at the statement like he'd been hit. "Don't—don't talk about that... please."

Konray frowned at that, lips pouting. "Blank, look—"

"Ethan."

"—it's not your fault."

Ethan scoffed at that, but Konray rose her brows to emphasize her point. When Ethan caught her gaze, she gave him a pointed look.

"It's not," she said. "You wanted to help him out, so you called me for that information. It was his decision whether he was actually gonna use that shit or not."

"But—if I never told him—"

"Then he would've found out himself," said Konray. She set her apple aside and leaned her elbows on the table between them. It quivered under her weight, the legs of the table on their last limb.

"Hear me out," she said, and Ethan sighed, looking at her. "Rumor's been going around that the Tear Stealer made a deal with Antinstine. He returned to the city."

Ethan swallowed at that, already feeling more unsafe in Konray's house. After all, it was close to X Amani, Antinstine's little "base." The place where he made all his deals, his negotiations... the place where evil brewed.

"While you were sleeping—on my favorite spot of the bed, by the way—" Ethan couldn't help but laugh at that. "—I went to Antinstine's club. I'd hacked into one of the guard's earpieces a few days before, and they were chatting up a storm."

She leaned forward, eyes alight. "Seems T.S. had to exchange one of his Evolveds for whatever Antinstine had to offer..."

"And..." said Ethan. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Your friend!" Konray exclaimed. "The Mark guy!"

Ethan's brows furrowed, and he tilted his head. Konray continued.

"That's one less person down in T.S's mansion. If Mark's still alive, he'll be there. Probably—locked up in a cell, or some shit."

Ethan's brows were still furrowed.

Konray gave a dramatic sigh, splaying her arms out. "It means we have hope to save him, you dimwit!"

Ethan's brows rose, and his lips parted. Eagerness flashed in his eyes, but he quickly shook his head.

"Y-you're talking about suicide, Kon," he said. He stood up and went into the kitchen, picking up one of the cleaner vials and popping the cork off. He downed the clear, greenish liquid, the color seeming to come back to his face.

"I-I know I probably sound like an ass," said Ethan, "but... we can't risk something like that to save Mark." He set the vial down and wrung his hands together, leaning against the counter. "I-if anything, it'd probably make things worse for him."