Lapidary

I woke the next morning, lying on the sand, next to Devton. One of his wings was wrapped around me for warmth. As I got up, I woke him.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

He sat up and folded his wings into tattoos. “That’s all right. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep here.”

I offered him a smile, as I couldn’t even remember falling asleep. “Would you like some coffee?”

“I have somewhere I need to be.”

“With your gang?” I wondered, although it was none of my business.

“With Astaroth, Luther, and Rhain.”

I recalled the wraith whom I had battled, and then thought of Luther, Quinn’s father, and then the reaper, Rhain, whom I had seen at the VIP table. They were certainly a group one didn’t want to mess with.

“I’ll see you around,” I said.

He looked at me a little longer before he opened his wings and flew away. I watched as he went higher and higher, and my stomach turned. I remembered how he had fallen when a bullet tore through his wing. I remembered how Ryker looked on the pavement. Ayana, I hated heights.

I opened my front door and my eye caught something on the ground: an envelope. I bent down to pick it up and felt the golden coins inside. My anger boiled. Why were my parents still sending me money? I’d been taking care of myself just fine.

I stormed into the house and dressed in fresh clothes before I stuck the gold into my handbag. I caught a taxi, went to Ocelos, and rode a crab down Rimetide before I stopped in front of my parent’s house. All the way there, I tried to collect myself.

I knocked on the door, and Kellie opened. “Natka! What a lovely surprise. Come in.”

I entered to find my sister and father in the kitchen. I didn’t greet them as I headed to the table, pulled the envelope from my pocket, and dropped it.

“I need you to stop sending me money,” I said.

“What?” Kellie asked.

“Don’t play dumb,” I snapped. “You’ve been sending me ten gold coins each month, for the past year.”

My dad’s jaw dropped, and I almost believed him.

“I’m an adult who should and can take care of myself. I walked out of this family, and I don’t deserve this.” I gesture to the envelope.

“We’ve not been sending you money,” Kellie said.

I looked accusingly at my dad, but he shook his head. “I did not send it.”

Slowly, my anger faded as I realized they were telling the truth. Ten gold coins per month was a lot of money, and I had no idea who was sending it to me. I had been so convinced that it was my parents.

“Someone must really care about you,” Ava told me.

I took the envelope and stuck it back into my pocket. I left the house despite my parents calling after me. Once I was outside, I breathed in the fresh air.

“Natka!” Ava called after me. She followed me into the street and fell into step beside me. “Why are you so upset that someone is helping you?”

“I don’t deserve to be helped,” I mumbled.

She grabbed my arm. “That’s not true.”

I pulled free and then reminded myself I had promised I would work on our relationship. That meant I couldn’t push her away. “Ryker jumped, and I hate myself for it.”

“You can’t control other people’s actions.” She sounded so old and wise. “And his actions aren’t your responsibility.”

“But maybe if I talked to him more, I would have been able to stop it from happening.”

Ava touched my arm again. “I know it’s hard, but you have to let go.”

She was telling the truth, but I couldn’t let him go. I couldn’t move on, like everyone else did. It’d been a year, and I still hadn’t managed to take off this ring.

I began walking again, although I was not sure where I was going. Ava kept up with me, in silence for a while, and we crossed a bridge over Central Canal, to Café Cakes.

“Ava!” someone called from the direction of the school. We halted so that Quinn could catch up, and my fists clenched at my sides.

“Do you have Muze?” she asked.

Ava shook her head. “You still haven’t paid for the last batch.”

“Come on, I’ll pay later,” she said.

“Your word isn’t worth much,” I said, and her eyes met mine. She had lied and gotten my sister kicked out of college, and I couldn’t understand why Ava would even bother with her. “Why don’t you just get Muze from your father?”

She cocked her head. “Like Ryker did?” My fists clenched harder. “I hear he couldn’t get enough of Deluge.”

I stepped closer, and Ava grabbed my arm, trying to hold me back. Quinn didn’t look afraid, and I realized no one ever dared to touch her, no doubt because of her father.

“Let’s just go,” Ava said.

I allowed her to drag me away, and Quinn gave me a horrible, victorious smile. Once we were out of earshot, I turned to Ava. “Are you never going to stand up for yourself?”

“Everything can’t be solved with violence,” Ava responded.

“You’ve kept your head down, and it’s gotten you kicked out of college,” I countered.

“What would you have me do?” she asked. “Beat the shit out of her?”

I considered Istrag’s body and his black blood staining the floor. He had messed with me, and I had killed him for it. But Ava wasn’t a murderer.

“She’s not going to stop, until you make her,” I warned Ava.

Ava was quiet for a bit before she asked, “Have you ever wished you were one of them?”

I knew Ava would want to be like the fae, with their sharp eyes, fine features, and beauty. I believed she dyed her hair shocking pink so that she could look more like them. But now, her roots were showing, and the roundness of her ears proved that she was human.

“No. I don’t want to be a monster,” I told her. Although, I might already be one.

But my answer was true. The magical creatures were merciless monsters who abused humans. I never wanted to be one of them. “There is someone I have to go and see. Catch you later.”

“Okay,” Ava responded.

I entered Café Cakes and bought a take-away coffee. Then I headed to the edge of the city, close to Arameer. I removed the shell necklace from around my throat and blew on its tip. If it made a sound, my human ears couldn’t hear it.

It was time that I talked to Neron to find out what Ryker had hidden in his safe.