Interlude [h.s]

fifty-one

Alouette drives as fast as she can, eager to put as much distance as possible between them and the mysterious men they crossed on the street. At some point in the evening, her eagerness to get to Pans fuels her speed, so they manage to get to a city thirty minutes before midnight. It isn't her intended destination, but it's a clear warning that it's nearby, and Alouette decides to stop there for the night, since the roads will only get unsafer the closer they get to the old country.

She parks in front of a large supermarket and sends Harry a look. "Stay here, I'll be back soon," she says, and then she steps out of the car. She knows not even he would be reckless enough go run away in that moment, but she takes the keycard and locks the doors anyway, knowing it'll be enough to keep him from making foolish choices.

If it was anyone else, she wouldn't dare to leave them alone in the car, knowing they'd break out or find a way to drive it away. But Harry isn't made to survive on the streets. His knowledge comes from an outstanding education and a thousand books, his intelligence makes him well-versed in leading, plan-making and palace intrigues. In this setting, he doesn't stand a chance—and hopefully he knows that too.

Inside, she buys a couple of large water bottles and a dark green coat big enough to fit Harry. Autumn is approaching quickly, and it won't be long until his sweater won't be enough to keep him from freezing down to his bones. She, on the other hand, is wearing a winter suit, so her jacket will keep her warm for at least a couple more weeks. Besides, she doesn't know what the Palace is looking for in their desperate search for their President, and doesn't want to risk alerting it by buying clothes of both their sizes at the same time.

Nobody reacts to her face, not inside the supermarket, not down on the street, which means that the Palace isn't looking for her just yet. That gives them more time to disappear.

When she comes back inside the car, Harry is where she left him. He's playing with her knife, spinning its handle around his fingers without hurting himself, and Alouette thinks it's unfair that someone like him is able to wield weapons with such talent. She's only skilled when it comes to shooting—without a firearm, she'd be lost. But he seems to always find a way to utilise the world around him to protect and defend himself—and to attack, at times. If it wasn't her knife, he'd be crashing cars or threatening her with glass shards.

She still checks to make sure he hasn't cut anything though, because she trusts his understanding of his situation and not him.

"We'll stop here for the night," she announces, throwing the coat she bought on his lap.

Harry gives her a puzzled look and doesn't react.

"You're only useful to me alive, if you freeze to death all of this will be pointless," she explains, and again she's only met by silence.

Alouette looks at the names of the streets they drive past, recalling all the times she played in her father's studio, all the conversations she listened to and all the paper sheets she read. The Revolution has safe houses in every city of the old country—they aren't in the old country yet, but if she remembers correctly, there should be an abandoned safe house here too.

It doesn't take her long to find it. She parks some streets away from it, not wanting to risk giving away their hiding place if someone finds the stolen vehicle.

Alouette gets out and walks to the opposite side of the road just as Harry steps out as well, wearing the coat she got for him. She tilts her head and watches as he crosses the street as well, a winged ghost in the night as wind blows through them.

Normality doesn't suit him. His innocuous-looking attire does nothing to hide the feral yet cunning gaze in his eyes. A wolf in sheep's clothing, a wild animal waiting for the perfect time to strike. He looks at the world as he would at a chessboard, calculating the trajectory of each piece and arranging for the other king's fall. Sometimes Alouette feels like the other player, others she wonders if she isn't in his team instead. Is she his knight, or is she nothing more than a pawn? Is she his queen?