Page 66 of Above
“Because I think having that excuse might be exactly what you’re waiting for.”
He shrugged, rotating his hand around the snow globe, making the glass ball look like it was floating. “Well, the way I see it, your death benefits everyone.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I shoved his chest, desperately inhaling the newly vacant air. “Anyways, Artie is going to come back out and give you some clothes. You’re going to put them on and not complain, then we’re going to go to my house and I’m going to pour some terrible tasting tonic down your throat. It’s going to sober you up. When it does, we’re heading back to the academy. That will beaftera night of you spending time with me in the Sham District, surrounded by eadi. So if you tell on me, then I’ll tell on you.”
“Who cares?” The words were nonchalant, but I saw the way his eyes darted down, his pointed nose scrunching as he seemed to think through the haze of liquor. “No one would say anything about that, if they even believed you, that is.”
“Oh really? So you don’t think wearing eadi clothes, playing with eadi trinkets, being in an eadi district, and spending time with an of eadi won’t make you look bad? Even if they don’t believe me, it’ll put doubts in their minds, and I have a good feeling that you and your filthy family of snakes are walking on thin ice right now. After all, you’re the disappointments of the core families. The only ones to ever hold the stars, but also the only ones to ever lose them. The only ones to prove to us that the stars can be horribly disappointed. Do you really think spending all this time with me is going to help you?” I saw it on his face the moment he registered what I said, and how right I was. I was taking a chance with this working, because honestly, Altair could risk it. There was nothing stopping him from telling Captain Zade other than his own pride, but I’ve seen that pride at work, and I was counting on it working now.
“You’re a bitch.”
“Yeah you’ve called me worse.”
“I found some clothes,” Artie said, already back. I grabbed Altair by the collar, dragging him forward to the counter.
Pointing to the clothes, I demanded, “Pay him and put the clothes on.”
“Why do I have to pay for them?” Altair whined, not bothering to shrug out of my hold as he let his head fall back. The muscles in his neck flexed, adam’s apple bobbing beneath his shadow marks.
“Because you put us in this situation, so now you’re going to help get us out of it. Pay him.” Releasing Altair’s collar, I turned to Artie. “Mark up the prices.”
“At least this mess will end up putting more money in my pocket,” Artie mumbled, a small chuckle following the words.
Altair merely groaned, reaching out and tossing a ball of shadows, the darkness morphing into a silver velvet bag. I watched in surprise as he set the snow globe down on theglass counter and reached for the lumpy sack. Untying the black silk strings, he reached in, the sound of gold clinking together echoing off the walls. “Fine. I want this and my ring too.”
Chapter Thirty
Azazel
“How is it that in a world full of people, I still feel so fucking lonely?”
-From the journal of Azazel Altair, 9231 AS
Tershetta’s house was far worse than I could have imagined. It was smaller than my room in Castle Altair, not to mention it was crumbling and cracking, as if ready to implode.
Stumbling due to my lack of focus, I did my best to right myself, not eager to look a fool even if it was just the akhata who would see. I had drank double what I normally did, and the haze in my head was causing me to feel disjointed. It was as if my mind was thinking one thing but my mouth was saying another.
To combat the confusion and utter helplessness, I took another swig of the whiskey in my pocket, the coal black flask not easy to spot in the darkness around us. In fact, I was utterly perplexed by such an unsettling blackness. Where were the lights? The sounds? The people? I dared to attempt tech, demanding the silver magic show me the clock in my barracks room. The image came quickly, though it shook and shimmered from my lack of focus. It was only half past nine, and yet no one was around. Shaking the magic off my hand, I took another gulp.
“A candle is burning, which means they’re awake,” Tershetta groaned, wiping something I couldn’t see off her face. Wait, no, that wasn’t right. She was odd. A perpetually stressed person from what I could tell. She often flinched and fidgeted, constantly moving and thinking. How Talon could stand to be around her was beyond me, but it was obvious she had a plethora of nervous habits.
“Did everyone in this odd little village die recently?” I asked, my words slurring now. I had been smart enough not to take drinks in front of her, but she was sure to notice I was growing more intoxicated. Or maybe I was playing it off well.
“Stars, have you been drinking since I found you?” she asked, her voice shrill. Then she stepped toward me, her hands tugging on my hideous plain clothing from the sad excuse of a shop. She slipped her hands into the button up shirt, her warm fingers feeling as if they burned my icy skin.
“Personal space!” I shouted, shoving her off me. She only seemed to grow more determined as I attempted to fight her off, her hands quickly searching my body until she found my flask in the pocket of my now dry cloak. Damn her.
“You’re absolutely idiotic, do you know that?” she asked incredulously as she held out the flask. I attempted to swipe it out of her hand, but the world suddenly spun, and I was stumbling. She caught me, likely more to prevent her own embarrassment rather than save me. Still, it wasn’t a great feeling to owe her any sort of debt, or even gratitude.
“Last I checked, I was fairly smart, thank you very much,” I murmured into her hair. She smelled like herbs and cool breezes. A forest in the fall beneath the veil of darkness. Without thinking, I sniffed deeper, welcoming the scent into my body as my fingers tangled into her hair.
Palms met my chest, and then I was stumbling back, her boiling honey eyes demeaning me. Stars, I was drunk.
“Sure, Altair. Now focus, okay? You will not say anything rude or prejudiced in front of my family. You will not attempt to hurt them. And you will not, under any circumstances, tell them who you are. Call yourself Az, but don’t share your last name with them. They cannot know who you are. Do you understand?”
No, I didn’t. But I still nodded slowly. Yes, the world was definitely spinning. Tershetta groaned, the sound guttural, and then stepped toward me again. Her arm wrapped around my waist, steadying me.
“Great. We’re going to go inside, probably be forced to eat with them, then I’ll take you down to my lab, give you a tonic, and get us both home. Okay?”
