Lucid (BoyxBoy) {Pipe Dream: Book II}

Chapter Twenty-Three: Cracking the Moon

Chapter Twenty-Three: Cracking the Moon

With Lady found, X drags me back to the Hollow Kite where it had landed a few obliterated streets over. Siem was just outside the airship's opening, taking in the ruins and rubble in the pure afternoon sunlight that probably hadn't touched the city in over a decade. X drags me passed him, his grip on my fingers ensuring I couldn't go anywhere but where he wants. Which was back inside the Kite and forcing me into a seat. When my ass hit the chair, I could feel a wave of exhaustion hit me like a truck. And it hit hard. The edge of my vision actually swayed, and I was half convinced we were on the water. Lady sad beside me, her stare was intense on my face. I felt like it was burning my skin off.

Lady no burn skin with eyes.

I must have accidentally thought too loudly. Then stop staring so much.

Dreamer wanders off. She moves her head closer to mine. Not this time.

I think the cat is literally grounding me.

I let out a breath and somehow notice X was still holding onto my hand and I squeeze his for a little bit of comfort. I was about to close my eyes and drift in the dizzy exhaustion but interrupted by someone's presence shift in front of me.

It was Siem, moving in to sit closer to Oz and barks an order to take them back to the "secret lair".
"Yue has just demanded we speak face to face," he adds, tiredly.

"Right now?" Oz asks. "Shit is literally falling down around us, and she wants a talk?'

"It's because shit has fallen around us is why she wants a talk."

"Mate. She started it."

"How did she start anything?"

I could hear the shrug, "She called in the cavalry."

"What other reaction would you expect?"

I felt like they've literally just had this fucking conversation and it was going in loops.

"What's done is done," Siem exhales. "All I can do is defend my people before Yue decided that we should be on the front lines. Again."

"She wouldn't, right?"

Siem met Oz with silence.

"Fucking...this is why I hate politicians."

"Better us than her city," Siem played the leader's perspective.

"What city?" was the snark reply from Hanna who had sat up from her seat.

"Not now, Hana."

"No, I think I will."

"Hanna," Siem warned.

"What?"

"No."

She probably poked her tongue out at him but instead chose to grumble to herself. For now.

I knew there were still a lot of Hexers out there and who knows how long the Miasma storm would last. It just sounds like a losing battle and from what I can hear...one that Yue would probably be willing to chuck Siem and his secret party club at. But my annoyance that stirred under my skin is more directed at how much Yue knew about her city. About Bolin and the truth of his Tower. The truth that I have been forced to hold. Bolin was kidnapped. Seth was kidnapped. So many of these child soldiers have been turned and twisted for war or to function as the city's power grid. How much was known by the one who 'ran' the city? Was her knowledge skin-deep or did it run far into the darkened depths of the city's infrastructure?

I don't know what I'll do if the last bit was true. Probably go apeshit. Even though I'm bone fucking tired. Even though I'm still half-naked. ...I'm still half-naked. I look up at X, who looks back down with a difficult stare. "Any spare clothes?" I whisper, knowing any more effort on my part would cast Hanna's attention and her sticky paws in my direction. I wasn't in the mood for her badgering and questioning. But I was going with Siem. Whether the Viking liked it or not. I wanted answers directly from her and then...I don't know...