18
Tas
Tas kept vigil all night, but Syndicate agents did not approach the motel. Just before dawn, he jumped down from the roof and knocked on the motel door.
The door cracked opened. “What?”
“I require admittance. Typically one knocks for entry,” he said.
The youngling opened the door, standing there with a pen in her mouth and a notepad in one hand. “Tas?” she asked, removing the pen.
“Chloe?” he asked in return.
“Junie, your date is here,” Chloe shouted.
The youthful slang confused him, but he said nothing. Juniper appeared at the door, hair mussed from sleep and her eyes half-shut.
“Tas, get in here. Don’t just stand there where anyone can see you.” She pulled him in, wrapping her arms around him. Instinctively, his wings wrapped around her to form a shield. “I was so worried
