Chapter Three Threads in the Dark
1056 Words
The streets whispered with the weight of the day’s blood.
Selene walked beside Mira, their cloaks brushing as they passed shuttered stalls and empty fountains. The city at night was never truly still—dogs barked, cats darted between shadows, and the occasional drunken human stumbled home—but tonight it felt different. Uneasy.
Mira pulled her cloak tighter. “You shouldn’t have gone, you know.”
Selene gave her a sideways look. “Don’t you start too. My mother already clawed my ears off.”
“I’m not clawing,” Mira said softly. “I just… you frighten me sometimes. You run headfirst into places most of us spend our whole lives avoiding.”
Selene tilted her chin. “Maybe that’s because most of you are too busy staring at your own boots.”
Mira shook her head, but there was no malice in it. “You’re bold, Selene. Too bold. And bold people get hurt.”
They turned a corner, the lamps here burning lower, shadows stretching longer. Selene let her fingers brush the rough stone of the wall as they walked.
“It wasn’t the wolves,” she said suddenly.
Mira blinked. “What?”
“Lorien’s death. Everyone was too fast to point claws and wands. But I was there. I saw Caelan. He didn’t know it was coming either.”
Mira’s steps faltered. “Selene… you can’t say things like that. Not out here. Not anywhere.”
“Why not? Because it might be true?” Selene’s voice was sharper than she meant it to be. “I can feel it, Mira. The pieces don’t fit.”
Mira glanced around nervously, lowering her voice. “Careful. If someone hears you—”
A noise cut her off.
Two figures stood at the mouth of a nearby alley, their cloaks drawn deep, voices hushed but urgent. Selene might have ignored them if not for the faint shimmer that pulsed around their hands—magic, barely contained, hidden from human eyes.
Wizards.
“—should’ve waited,” one whispered, the words catching on the breeze.
“Waited?” The other hissed. “For what? Another council meeting where we bow to beasts? No. The Alpha will bleed for this. And so will any who side with them.”
Mira caught Selene’s wrist. “Selene—don’t.”
But Selene was already straining to listen, her heart pounding in her ears.
The first wizard spoke again, voice heavy with pride. “Lorien was weak. Too willing to treat monsters like equals. His death was necessary.”
The words landed like ice water down Selene’s spine.
She sucked in a breath too loud.
The figures stiffened. One turned sharply, eyes scanning the street.
“Run,” Mira whispered.
They bolted, cloaks snapping, boots hammering stone.
“Faster!” Mira gasped, gripping Selene’s hand as they tore through the lane.
“I’m trying!” Selene hissed, her lungs burning. They vaulted over a toppled barrel, turned down another street—
And nearly collided with a lantern’s glow.
A boy stood there, human, tall and lanky, with dark hair falling messily over sharp eyes. His coat was patched, boots worn, yet his smirk came easy when he saw them pressed against the wall.
“Well,” he said, lantern tilting, “didn’t expect to find two pretty girls hiding in the dark. You know it’s not safe out here, right?”
Selene stepped in front of Mira, chin high. “Not like you’re in any position to talk.”
The boy raised an eyebrow, amused. “Fair enough.”
“There they are!”
The shout tore down the street. Cloaked figures surged closer, hands already sparking with runes.
The boy blinked, the lantern trembling slightly. “Uh—friends of yours?”
“Run!” Selene barked, but the wizards were too close.
One raised a hand. A crackle of violet light hissed through the air. Selene thrust her palm forward, instinct kicking in—wind surged, deflecting the spell into the wall, stone splintering. Sparks lit the alley.
Mira flinched back, whispering a chant, but her magic fizzled, the words stumbling. Fear made her clumsy.
The second wizard snarled, another strike building—
And the boy moved.
He darted forward, swinging his lantern hard against the man’s wrist. The light shattered, glass flying, but the sudden blow broke the spell.
“Come on!” he yelled. “This way!”
They tore through the alleys, stumbling over crates and puddles until finally the pursuit faded into the distance. Breathless, they skidded to a stop before a crooked wooden door wedged between shops. The boy shoved it open and dragged them inside.
The space was small but unexpectedly tidy. A low fire glowed in the hearth, casting light over shelves lined with maps and a table neatly arranged with tools.
Mira leaned against the table, still catching her breath, strands of hair falling loose around her flushed face. The boy glanced at her, his grin softer now, not mocking but almost impressed.
“You kept up well,” he said. “Didn’t think you’d have the legs for it.”
Mira gave a breathless laugh, shy but warm. “I didn’t think I did either.”
For a moment, their eyes caught—hers shining, his still alight from the chase—and Selene felt something twist sharp in her chest. She looked away quickly, pretending to study the shelves.
Mira cleared her throat. “You… live here?”
The boy gave a crooked smile, shaking his head. “Not really. I keep it. Safer than staying where people expect me to be.”
Selene’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the room. “So you own it.”
He shrugged, casual but calculated. “You could say that. Makes the nights easier. Looks rough on the outside, quiet on the inside. People don’t ask questions when they think you’ve got nothing worth taking.”
Mira’s gaze lingered on him, thoughtful. Selene folded her arms tighter.
The boy’s grin widened faintly. “What was that…? Magic? Wow. I mean—I’d heard stories, sure. Whispers about wizards and monsters. But I never thought I’d actually see it.”
He leaned back against the door, eyes bright with curiosity. “Mind telling me who you two are?”
- Writer
