unraveled

"I've seen rats with better attention spans than you," she said onto his face. And then the boy was there pulling her onto her feet and off of him.
"But have you seen them with such beautiful faces?" he asked, standing up, brushing off the dirt from his clothes like a royal.

🕱 🕱 🕱

"I wasn't looking for care. Care is something humans look for. I'm way past that."
"To godliness?"
He shook his head. "Monstrousness."

🕱 🕱 🕱

The four stood there, waiting for a second, as if counting down the droplets that fell. The seconds stretched on. Nia and Acelius turned around the corner and disappeared, their boots splashing in puddles.
They grinned at each other, pulling out knives and daggers from within.
"Tempus pueros venatum," said one of them. Time to hunt, boys.
They stood for another second.
And then they chased.

🕱 🕱 🕱

She crouched, swinging her foot in an arch as the shadow toppled, and in seconds Nia had a knife sliced across her throat, blood instantly bubbling out and diffusing with rain.
"Sorry you had to miss tea," she whispered in the shadow's ear.

🕱 🕱 🕱