Cloud Piercer

Twelve

When Casimir gets back as the sun is rising and slips into my room, I pretend to be asleep. He doesn't try to wake me or urge me to get up to go to school, and I'm glad. I'm not so sure I could face him after I found the fields empty last night.

He leaves shortly after for work.

I take my time getting ready, my mind a mess of emotions I struggle to sort through. For hours when I got back, I lay awake, trying to rationalise why Casimir would've lied to me, but I couldn't come up with anything that made sense.

If he has been going to the forge secretly like I was, why? Casimir isn't lying when he says we could use the extra money he gets from working. But if he isn't actually working any extra hours, where is he getting the money from?

The gun rises to mind. I haven't seen it since the day I found it, and Casimir certainly hasn't disclosed how he got it. The anxiety makes me nauseous.

When Professor Fin sees me in the doorway to class, I exaggerate my hobble as I move to my seat inside the class. His expression shifts to pity, and he ducks his head.

"Freya, I'm glad you were able to make it this morning."

I force a smile and hobble to my seat next to Cadence, conscious of the eyes that follow. I glance over my shoulder as he starts his lesson, resting on Killian's desk.

It's empty.

While I'm not surprised by his absence, I can't deny the slight disappointment. How did he know Casimir would go out last night? Why does he skip class so often? Why do I care? I wish I could rid my mind of him, but he's as resilient as a raging storm.

Professor Fin drones on about the upcoming quiz. It's standard around this time of year to be quizzed on the treaty, a mere month away from the Red Moon. It's supposed to be a reminder of the good things the shifters do for us, a reminder that without them, we would be unprotected. That's how I used to understand it, anyway. But not anymore. Now, it's a warning that we are powerless. That whatever happens during the Red Moon can't be stopped.

I stare out the window at the courtyard. The school buildings escaped the storm mostly unscathed, but outside, it's a mess. Branches have been torn from the trees like limbs, debris and mulch littering the land. When the class is sent out to help clear it during the break, Professor Fin dismisses me, eyeing my leg.

I slip out of class before he can change his mind.

It's mid-afternoon. I should head home. The healer warned me to rest my leg as much as possible when he visited yesterday, and Casimir made sure there was food in the kitchen before he left this morning. But I find myself walking through the centre village instead. The sun lingers low in the sky, casting shadows across the cobblestones.

Villagers linger in the streets, sweeping rogue debris and fixing broken, wooden signs. In the past year I've gotten good at ignoring the stares, but the eyes that follow me remind me of Killian's gaze—they're shameless, not caring if I catch them.

Did they hear my screams, too?

My feet have led me to Killian's street before my mind can catch up. I pause before rounding the corner; I hadn't meant to come here. The thought of facing Killian is terrifying because he has answers to questions I'm not sure I want to know.

Frustrated and familiar voices murmur towards me. Familiar voices. Frustrated voices. I frown, holding the side of the corner building and peering around.

Killian is halfway down the street half concealed by the shadows of the awning. Casimir stands across from him moving as he says something to Killian. I strain my ears, but it's too low. Killian reveals nothing as Casimir speaks, his expression neutral, posture relaxed. But I know Casimir like I know myself—I recognise the tension in his shoulders, the way his left knee juts out. They're arguing.