We spent about an hour in the warehouse, searching for anything useful; weapons to bring back to the Vault for study, information on how many Skia there were, if they were organized, if others would be coming, who was making the offer and gaining them their powers. But also, we cleaned off and found suitable clothes as everything we had walked in wearing was unsalvageable. I missed my gear, and though Kael and Nevaeh had theirs in their bags, they didn't wear them, thinking it would draw too much attention. Not that any of us were particularly inconspicuous anyway.

When we left, James pulled Kael aside and turned him around to face the warehouse again. With his signature, nightmarish smirk he closed his eyes and inclined his head toward the building we had just left. He looked like he was praying, but a moment later fire sprung up, swiftly spreading from the front doors back into the deeper rooms until the entire monstrous warehouse was burning from within.

James opened his eyes and sagged a little from the amount of energy he had expended, but then he smiled at his friend. And though Kael didn't look at his brother, his attention transfixed on the flames now billowing out from the windows, he reached his arm around James' back, patting his shoulder as he watched, the fire reflecting in his black eyes.

We watched the building burn until we heard sirens screaming. It would certainly be a unique scene once authorities arrived. But we would be halfway to the Vault before the full story hit the news. As we left, I looked to Kael and saw a small smile still on his face as he surely remembered how much he used to enjoy burning buildings just like this one, long before James and the Clan. I wondered if he was feeling the same peace I had when we killed the Skia. The balance between my desires and finding an outlet for them, a way to act on my nature without the guilt, without the darkness. Feeling like I was finally on the path I wanted to be walking. Like I could be what I was, but also who I wanted to be. I wondered if he was thinking of how different he was now, as he stood before a situation so similar to the ones from his past.

I nudged him as we walked in the direction we would be able to find a busier road, one we could hail a cab from.

"We still friends, Spike?"

I craned my neck to look up at him as we fell into step, letting out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"I never hated you, I never even stopped thinking about you, or stopped thinking of you as my friend. I felt terrible for abandoning you. It was just- I had a lot to process and the one thing I did know was that I would stay with Nevaeh, so that's the one thing I acted on. It wasn't your fault, you didn't know what you were, are, and you never lied to me. I don't want you to think I left because I hated you. I was hurt, shocked, and confused, and angry. I hated what you were. I just didn't know how to reconcile loving who you were while hating what you were. The only one I ever really hated was James, at least for a little while, or something like hate. I think I was hurt by him and I thought hate and hurt were the same thing, they felt the same at least. But I never hated you. Never even considered it."

I could almost hear Abby saying that exact same sentiment just weeks earlier. Apparently, everyone else had learned that lesson before me.

"You're the second person to tell me that hate and hurt are different. I wish I had figured that out months ago."

» ✦ «

By late afternoon we were sitting on the train that would take us back to our city, my city, to Chi, and the Vault slightly beyond it. I passed the time talking with Kael, telling him about the Vault, my classes, my tutors. He seemed especially excited to meet Katz, but I had already expected that. Him around Prey and Parish gave me a headache just thinking of it. I told Kael about Chi and her Clan too, and eventually, I told him Syn's story. I could see Nevaeh listening out of the corner of my eye, though she pretended not to, filing her nails nonchalantly to dagger-like points.

Now that Nevaeh was back with us, we had an overnight car that looked like an apartment on wheels, three sets of bunks, a sitting area, even a kitchenette. Ailech claimed a bed as soon as we settled in and now snored quietly from his corner, his healings apparently taking more out of him than he had let on.

James was sitting in his own bunk, writing in one of his slim black journals in the heavy language and I wondered if I could read it yet. He seemed fully engrossed in his work, so I let him be.

Seeing him so casual still felt strange. I knew he wrote, had seen the evidence many times, even witnessed him writing once as he tried to teach me the Book of Dust, but it still looked strange to see him doing it now. He looked so different than he had back then, and to see him in his own head outside in the real world looked out of place to me. It made him look vulnerable, especially with how skinny he still was. He looked up as I continued to watch him, catching me and a smirk passed across his face before he dropped his eyes and continued to write.

We had all quickly and easily agreed to travel in one cabin, but it still struck me how natural it all seemed, how...normal it was. It showed how much more relaxed we were now, being together, even if nothing about our situation had changed. We still had the same battles coming, the same enemies, the same responsibilities.

But now we were together, we weren't broken apart, fragile and vulnerable and alone. We were once again one of the strongest Clans, maybe the strongest thanks to James and my connection and heritage. And that knowledge gave us some degree of peace. I felt relatively happy, though that feeling alone scared me. From my experience, the biggest drops were always right around the corner from my highest highs.

I knew this wouldn't last, but it was nice to have a moment of peace, a reprieve. I just wanted to soak it in, even if I had the nagging knowledge that we were still careening toward catastrophe. I knew Abby couldn't put off telling me the prophecy much longer, not with James and Ailech knowing most of it. Not with my Clan back, and James and I mended. His 'when the time is right' was clearly here, and I didn't know if I was happy or afraid. I could guess at enough of it - James and I would only have a chance at winning together, Ailech's healing must be involved too, I just hoped the rest of the Clan wasn't. And from James and Ailech's conversation earlier, it didn't seem like they held a role, at least not by James' interpretation.

At least we had already checked one task off our list by killing the Skia. There was still a strange air at times in the room, like one of us would remember the last months and the thought would spread like a disease. And I wasn't surprised. I knew Kael and Nevaeh couldn't go back to how things used to be in the span of a day. Even James and I weren't fully sure of how to act around each other yet, still figuring out how to be a team, or more, I honestly didn't know. One thing I did know, fighting together, hunting together again had done wonders for our connections already.

James hadn't talked to me about the sloppy end to my hunt, or his reaction, but the last thing either of us wanted was to have it discussed with the others around. And Nevaeh's keen sense of always catching our looks when we spoke in our private way had made me keep my Gift locked away for most of the day. Plus, I had a wicked headache from using my Sign so much, unlike James, who seemed absolutely fine after barbecuing a whole tribe and burning the equivalent to a city block. But then again, I knew he was used to extensively using his fire due to his childhood training.

We had close to twenty hours left before we returned to the city I still considered mine. It would be a long trek, steadily chugging farther and farther north, back up into winter. It was almost like a forced vacation despite the falling temperatures outside. We couldn't do anything for a whole day, couldn't train or even plan much. All there was to do was sit and talk. Or sleep, if you were lucky like Ailech.

Kael buckled under the silence first.

"Do you remember what you said to me the last time we were on this train, opposite direction? Months ago?"

He directed the question at Nevaeh, who was now painting her talons a deep, dark red, almost black.

"You're the leader now. I don't want it."

Kael nodded enthusiastically at her answer, his wild hair flying.

"A bit more colorfully, but yeah, that's the gist and I was glad. I knew I would be the leader and I wanted it because I needed the responsibility to hold myself together."

Kael turned to James' bunk and flung his hands out dramatically.

"Well, I'm handing this dumpster fire off to you now, brother. You're my leader, because frankly, I don't want it now either. I've changed my mind from earlier. Think of it as your punishment for lying to me."

James didn't even look up from his book at his brother, his smooth writing never faltering as he spoke.

"I don't need to lead this Clan anymore. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Ailech was right. It's antiquated. Plus, you've shown quite well that you can lead yourself."

Kael stared at James for a moment before chucking a pillow. James raised his arms to save the book and pen, but Kael still won as James was forced to break concentration on his little black book and look him in the eyes.

"Bullshit. I was a mess the entire time I was leader, I just know my angles and how to keep my cracks from showing. No, being the leader weakened me, I can see that now. But being a leader strengthens you, it always has. In some ways, you've always needed to serve others, just not in the traditional way, since you aren't exactly the submissive sort."

Kael snorted at that, gaining a half-hearted uplift of James' lips before he continued.

"I will be here, help shoulder anything, and I sure as hell get a say, I'm not changing my mind on that part. But you were made to lead this Clan, hell, you made the Clan, saved each one of us in a way. So, you are it's leader, at least, you're my leader."

James bit down on his jaw, his small smile disappearing, a sure tell that he was controlling the emotions that showed on his face, and gave a quick nod of acknowledgement before writing once again.

Kael ignored the cryptic agreement of his brother and let a comfortable silence settle over the cabin.

Ooh lordie. Big things next chapter. I tried to add them into this one, and in my final draft I'm sure I will add these two together. But the next chapter isn't ready yet, but I still wanted to get something out today - so here we are!

A little convo, a little understanding, and a lot more to come! What do you think the prophecy is?

T