by Emily Wilson
Azrian’s jaw goes completely slack — between the bit about marriage and the worst insult someone can throw coming out of innocent Kato’s mouth, he’s utterly dumbfounded. “Ka—”
“No,” Zero interrupts. “He’s made his point.” His face contorts in anger as he steps forward until he’s in Kato’s face. “You picked the wrong side, K8.0. I’m the last one you should mess with.” He shoulder-checks Kato on his way past just as the others come spilling out onto the porch.
“Shadows,” Aleon mutters. “You guys okay?”
Kato stares after his brother as he disappears down the walkway. It’s obvious he feels a little guilty, but he uses this opportunity to say what needs to be said. “Yes. I’m sorry, guys, it’s just so cramped here. We need to regain some normalcy before Ronan’s schooling suffers.” He sighs, trying one last time to get through to them. “You really won’t come?”
“If you’re asking if we’ll waste our time with Syphon again... the answer is no,” Teag confirms. “We’ve been down that road over and over again and we promised each other we’d quit getting involved. It’s just better that way.”
Aleon scratches the back of his head. “He’s right, but don’t worry. No hard feelings about kicking us out. Hopefully, we’ll be alone the next time we come visit.”
“Yeah, that would probably be best.” Kato looks purely exhausted as he turns back to where Zero left. “Maybe we can come visit you guys as well?”
Teag finally laughs to ease the tension. “Absolutely, little bro. Just head down to Bridgehelm sometime. You’ll find us.”
They hug Kato goodbye before ducking back inside to get their things and then jogging after Zero, and Azrian finally closes his mouth. “That was...”
“Yeah. It was.” Kato goes into the house and walks straight to their bedroom, not acknowledging a confused and concerned Ronan standing in the living room.
“Is he okay?” Rone asks when Azrian enters.
For a long moment, Az just stares at the closed door and wishes he knew the answer to that. There are so many things about the last couple of weeks that he wishes he could change for Kato’s sake, but they’re over now, and he doesn’t know how quickly Kato will move forward from this. Or if he ever will. “Honestly, Rone? I don’t know. I just... don’t know.”
5 The Plan
After yet another grueling day under Rhix’s command, Az decides to treat himself at the bakery when his shift ends. When he walks in, he’s surprised to see Morella there on her own — from everything he’s heard, she doesn’t go anywhere anymore without Jame — but Az thinks it might be easier to avoid a conversation with her by herself. The last thing he wants to do is talk to her, but he never has had very much luck when it came to avoiding people.
She walks up with a smile. “Azrian. It’s been a while; I met your boyfriend.”
“I heard,” he says, doing his best to return the expression. “He came home ridiculously drunk that night.”
“Yeah.” Morella laughs at the memory. “He doesn’t handle his liquor as well as you’d expect someone of his size to. Is he always such a cheap drunk?”
Az shrugs and shifts on his feet, eyeing the line of people in front of him. “I don’t know. We never really got drunk before, there was always... stuff to do,” he says lamely. “But there wasn’t any ale where he came from, so it’s not that surprising.”
“Oh, shadows. You mean we got him drunk for his first time?” She looks a little guilty as she glances around the bakery. “I would have made him go easier if I knew, but once he started talking about you it was quite endearing. He really loves you. You know he told me you love him more than my girlfriend loves me?” Giggling, Morella takes a step with Az as the line moves. “I don’t know how many times he said he missed you.”
It makes him blush, but it’s a mixture of happiness and sheer regret for being so mean to him that night. “I missed him, too. But listen, I’m really happy for you. He told me about Jame and everything. Sounds like you two are really happy.” And I’m guessing you didn’t shove her away with your powers when she hit on you, he adds silently.
“Yeah, we are. I th— I was a little confused for a while, but I’ve never been happier than I am now. Thank you, it seems you are, too.”
“I am, yeah. Kato’s been great.” They take another step forward, but Azrian’s beyond ready for this conversation to be over and decides to get a treat another day. He’s only carrying enough coins with him for one either way and doesn’t want to go home to Kato empty-handed. “Listen, it was nice running into you, but I actually should get home. It’s getting dark and the rain is getting worse.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Really, Azrian? Still scared of the dark?”
“Yes,” he says firmly, pushing down the indignation that threatens to turn into something harsher. “As long as there are Praediti in the world, I’ll keep being scared of the dark. Goodnight, Morella. It really was good to see you,” he lies, then turns on his heel and flashes the baker an apologetic smile for not buying anything.
Even still, Azrian doesn’t make it home from work until well after dark, so he’s shaking when he finally closes the front door behind him. Not for the first time, his torch burned out before he could make it through the worst part of the trip and he had no way to relight it thanks to the rain, but he shoves away all fear and discomfort when he sees Kato sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. “Hey, Jellycrai,” Az says softly as he takes off his wet jacket and hangs it up. “You okay?”
Kato sits up and runs his hands down his thighs as he offers a smile — one that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Of course. Long day.” He stands and grabs a towel, walking over to help Azrian dry his hair.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“There were more guilty than innocent today, I missed you—” he pauses, swallowing thickly before continuing, “—and I miss Teag and Aleon. Everyone else is happy they’re gone, even Nut and Axis... but I’m not.”
Azrian lumps himself in with the list of those who are guilty and grabs both of Kato’s hands to stop his movements. “I'm sorry. Seriously, I am. Don't think I don't know what a shadowhead I am.”
“You aren’t a shadowhead... not with this. You had every right, Azzy. Roe is even more cold to me now, like it’s my fault they stayed so long. I wish I saw how fed up you all were before we got to that point. I was the shadowhead.”
“Don't do that. Not one of us had the right to get upset with you, and I'll talk to my mom. I don't know why she can’t seem to get past all this, you’ve proven a hundred times you're not like other Praediti.” He stands on his toes to kiss him but falls just shy, which makes him blush a little bit as he regains his balance. “Kato.”
The soft laugh only makes him blush more and Kato reaches down to lift Az off his feet and finish what he’d started. “Better?”
“Yes,” Az breathes, only slightly terrified of falling. “Now... walk that way and let’s take care of one of the things that are bothering you.”
The possessive growl Kato releases makes Azrian happy Rone is staying at Miya’s tonight. His mother and Rhix must have turned in earlier than normal, because they’re nowhere to be found and Az is thankful — they barely make it inside the bedroom before the brute inside his boyfriend awakes, and all their troubles are left outside their door.
“UM...” AZ STARTS, STRUGGLING for words. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I kind of hope you have one or two more bad days.”
Chuckling lightly, Kato ghosts his hand down the fingertip sized bruises he left on Azrian’s hips. “I didn’t hurt you?”
He knows he's going to be sore pretty quickly, but right now, he's never felt better in his life. “Not at all. Guess I am sturdier than I look, huh?”
“Oh, yeah.” Kato laughs a little louder as he sits up to rub Az’s shoulders for him. “Nut heard us. He’s near the window.”
“Of course he did,” Az laments. “At least I can't hear him, that would be
terrible.” He rolls his shoulders under Kato’s strong hands and sighs quietly. “I don't know how you put up with it.”
“Normally I drown him out too, but this time I only could for a little while. He doesn’t want to be out in the rain; he wants to come inside even though the porch is covered.”
That's the one and only thing that could make Azrian soften. “Where’s Axis? If we’re going to let Nut in, we should let Ax in, too. We might actually have room for him in here again now that everyone else is gone.”
“Axis says he likes the rain... he feels closer to Athoze? I don’t get it, but Nut is spoiled now. He—” Kato stops and tilts his head to listen. “He just opened the front door. He’s inside now.”
“He what?” Az hisses, turning toward their bedroom door. “He better stop there, I swear to Cettia if he opens this—”
Click.
The door creaks open as Nut’s chubby body squeezes through the gap, and the mattress dips from his weight when he jumps up. To make matters worse, he shakes his body and flings water over both of them and the blanket they share.
“Stone it, Nut! Get down!”
Kato is no help; he grabs the discarded towel and starts drying him, not bothering to cover himself up. Based on Nut’s chittering, they’re having a conversation. “He said he wants to sleep in here with us. Look at him... he’s cold.”
“He's cold,” Az mocks quietly. The last thing he wants is Nut weaseling his way between them, but he’s feeling particularly relaxed at the moment and wants Kato to be happy. “Fine, he can stay tonight. Just keep him on your side, please. He bit me in his sleep last time.”
“No biting.” Kato points a finger at him and it's clear Nut agrees when he settles at the foot of the bed. “Thanks, Azzy. I’ll try and keep him on my side.”
Nut’s little hands tug on the blanket to cover him, and the way Kato stares at him adoringly makes Az melt just a little more than he'll ever admit out loud. “Okay. Do you need anything? I'm gonna get some water and shut the door.”
“No. Just you. Put your penis away first.” Kato lays down with a thud and Nut makes a familiar laughing noise at him.
Azrian sighs. “Can’t you just tell me to put pants on like a normal person?” He shakes his head with a fond smile and grabs his sweats, then tiptoes out to the kitchen. The door is still open from when Nut came in, so Az nudges it closed as he pours himself some water and glances toward the fire to make sure it's fully out. Once he’s satisfied, he heads back to bed and closes that door, too — but stops dead when he sees that Nut has settled himself on Azrian’s pillow. “Is he serious?”
Kato’s eyes are closed, but it’s obvious he’s pretending. “Hmm? Sleeping.” Nut chitters and Azrian doesn’t need to read minds to know he’s being a shadowhead, but he recognizes a losing battle when he sees one. Instead of arguing, Az sets the cup down on the dresser and climbs up onto the bed but lays his head on Kato’s chest instead of his occupied pillow.
“You're lucky I love you, Jellycrai.”
“I know... and I love you.” Kato huffs a deep laugh and kisses the top of Az’s head. “Nut said he loves you too.”
Not one part of Azrian actually believes that, but he won’t bother trying to argue. They’re all safe, dry, and happy... and that’s good enough for him. “Well then... I guess I love him, too.”
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Syphon asks, crooking one eyebrow up as he regards his most useless sibling. “I didn't give you permission to be gone for weeks.”
Zero bows his head in apology and wrings his hands. “I'm sorry, Syphon. It took longer than I thought to get the information you wanted. They kicked me out a lot.”
He clicks his tongue. “Not surprising, you're unbearable. At least I don't have to worry about K8.0’s taste,” he says with a sneer. “Now... tell me everything. Is he still with the two Videre?”
“Yes. The younger one, Ronan, I saw him use his powers a lot. He's a Videre, alright,” Zero answers excitedly. His voice still grates on Syphon’s nerves — but at least he's bringing useful information for once. “Did I do good? Can I have—”
“No,” Syph snaps. “First of all, watching the child was only a fraction of the job. Second... after last time, you know I need to confirm whatever you tell me. I don't trust you like I once did. But now... what of K8.0’s little toy?”
His smile fades. “I don't know. I wasn't given enough time. He didn’t use his powers around me, but he also didn't like to be around me. He was always on guard.”
“And how many times did we go over this before you left last time? You were to befriend him, not annoy the Videre out of him.”
“You try it,” Zero barks. “They didn't want to see me. I wasn't invited, Teagon and Aleo—”
“Do not... mention those two to me,” Syphon growls through gritted teeth. “You know better than that, Zero. Just explain to me why it is that you came back here at all if you failed and then get out of my face.”
Zero swallows thickly. “I... well, I...”
“Just go!” Syph yells, knowing there won’t be an acceptable excuse no matter how long Zero stands there and flounders. “Send Tripp in when you go, and I don’t want to see your face again until I call for you.”
Without another word, Zero disappears and leaves him in silence. He pours himself another drink and sips it slowly as he waits for Tripp to get the message, but it takes too long, and he ends up polishing off his drink before his brother finally arrives. “What were you doing?” he asks with much less aggression.
“Listening to Zero complain. Sorry. Little shit never shuts up.” Tripp sits across from him and spreads his legs, then nods to the empty cup in Syph’s hand. “Need another?”
Syphon snorts as he refills it. “Is the answer to that ever no? Especially after dealing with Zero? It's a miracle I haven’t opened my own brewery yet.”
“Hey, that’s not a bad idea. We could repurpose the Ruins as an ale and whiskey distributor since the Venandi recently downsized considerably. Branching out could be good for us.”
Syphon pulls the liquid through his teeth with a sucking sound as he contemplates that. On one hand, he’d kill just about anyone else for suggesting such a thing, but on the other... “You're not wrong. But the Venandi aren’t done yet. We’re just... restructuring. There are so many of us, there’s no way a couple of idiotic Praediti are going to stop us... even if they do have Videre.”
“So it’s true then? Slait’s info was sound?”
Syph nods. “At least half of it. Zero was too incompetent to confirm whether K8.0’s pet is a Videre, but from everything I heard... he gave his powers back to Cettia. It tracks with what Zero said about him not using them at all, so I think we’re good to go. Just need to get K8.0 out of the way.”
Tripp sneers. “That shouldn't be hard. Zero told me he was ready to walk here to meet you. Does this mean I can let Slait off the rack though? His screams are getting annoying.”
Whether or not the Terrare stays or goes isn't his concern anymore. He got what he needed, so he waves a hand dismissively. “Do what you want with him but be sure he doesn't have any more information. I find it hard to believe that he’s unaware where the rest of the Videre were taken.”
“I honestly don’t think we’ll get more out of him, but we’ll try a little longer.” Tripp sounds bored enough to let Syph know he doesn’t care about Slait in the slightest, he’s just lazy.
“You’re turning into Six. Knock it off.”
It’s enough to make Tripp’s back straighten and he nods. “Sorry, long day. Six hasn’t helped at all.”
“You’re somehow surprised by this? He's becoming as useless as Zero. I'm beginning to think we’re going to have to enlist someone else to help us out... especially if we’re about to have two Videre here.”
“Or you can just punish him the way you punish Zero. It’s more effective than anything I can do on the rack short of dismembering them. And that’s a little out of my pay grade.” Tripp
shudders at the thought. “Make him sweat for a few weeks.”
Syphon hums. “Unfortunately, bestowing that particular punishment on Six would mean Zero is no longer being punished, and I'm not quite done with him. Just take him down and throw him in one of the cells.”
“He’ll just use his powers to open the doors, we’ve tried,” Tripp argues, but he changes his tone with one look. “Alright, I’ll try that first.”
“So tell him if he plays the good little captive, he might live to see the sun again. If he tries to escape... I'll kill him,” Syphon says flippantly. “See if that'll get him to behave.”
Tripp has actual fear in his eyes as he backs toward the door. “Will do, boss. Anything else I can do to help?”
“Stop being a baby,” he mutters. “You’re supposed to be the one with a backbone around here, Tripp. And I'm going to need you to prove that soon.”
“I am. Just want to be sure I’m not next in the cells... you know I’m claustrophobic. What do you need?”
Syphon actually finds that funny. “Now, putting you in the cells would be a waste of time. You'd end up clear on the other side of Athoze before I even locked the door. I'll tell you what I need from you soon... for now, go take care of Six and do what you want with Slait. In the morning, we’ll put the next part of the plan in motion.”
“On it. I’m going to see Tylan tonight, but I’ll be back in the morning. That okay?”
“I thought you dumped him?” Syph asks, his nose wrinkling. “Fine. Maybe I'll go have some fun with Slait if you're not back in time.”
“I did. I think he’ll take me back though; he was pretty upset about it. It won’t be an everyday thing, trust me. He’s too clingy for our lifestyle.”
Syph rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue. “Then good luck. I'll see you in the morning.” He pours himself another drink as Tripp heads for the door, but calls out to him just before he gets there, “Oh, and Tripp? Be prepared to travel.”
