Colorless

17 - Blue Tunic

"Ianthe?" Raleigh sat on the end of the bed with her feet tucked under her. Her teal hair lay over her shoulders in twin braids. Each fastened at the end with a red ribbon to match her shirt. For someone who criticized fashionable women, she was always very well put together. "She was the one who attacked you?"

"Yeah. That psycho bitch." Kin stretched his arms out to his sides. The gentle ache of his abdomen brought a satisfied grunt from his chest. The pain of the day before felt like a bad nightmare. Lettie had even supplied him with a blue tunic to wear that Kin suspected was one of her own tops. Cyran didn't wear shirts – certainly not shirts with sleeves – and it fit tight around Kin's toned arms.

"And the kid?" Cyran asked.

With Nell and Lettie together at the market, the three of them sat together like they had many times before: with Kaden lurking invisibly in some far corner. Though Kin enjoyed the time with his partners, he couldn't ignore his anxiety over leaving poor Lettie alone with Nell. The girl's jealousy was harsh and blatant, and he didn't want her abusing the pregnant woman.

Kin tried to push his pestering thoughts of Nell aside. He pulled on the sleeves of his shirt, thinking he'd be better off without it. "The kid was with her. I have no idea who he is, but Nell didn't seem to recognize him either. Fast as hell though. There's no way that thing's human anymore."

From the corner, Kaden snorted in amusement. Aside from Raleigh's sharp glare, he was ignored.

"I haven't seen speed like that since Cass died," Kin added and immediately regretted his words.

He heard Raleigh inhale, but she showed no emotion on her face. They didn't talk often about their former partner. Aside from explaining the situation to Cyran, her name had not been spoken since he joined them. It was easier to ignore her absence when they had him around. But still...

Kin stared at Raleigh who would not meet his eyes. He remembered how hard she had cried over the loss of their friend and partner of nearly eight years. That long, sleepless night she had spent in his arms, both pretending they couldn't hear the other's sobs or swears that broke the eerily silent night, undisturbed by Cass's gentle snores.

It had taken him weeks of sleeplessness to get used to the absence of her snores.

Looking at Raleigh's distant and hard eyes, Kin wondered if she was reliving the same night. Had Cyran and Kaden not been there, he would have offered her some comfort, but he knew any sympathy now would only hurt her pride.

"Was Cass fast?" Cyran asked. He spoke quick, unsure if he was allowed to ask questions about her when they'd never brought her up in the past.

"No." If Raleigh was upset, it wasn't heard in her voice. She always hid her emotions well. "She was slower even than Kin."

"Hey!" Kin kicked her, and the corner of Raleigh's lip twitched into half a smile. They locked eyes, and it fell away again. From that silent moment between them, Kin knew she still hurt. He could see the well of tears behind her eyes that she kept at bay.

She probably felt far more grief for Cass than he did. Through the years, Kin had grown more comfortable with the idea of death, having sent more than a handful to their own graves. If anything, he knew Cass was happier now than she ever had been with them. But Raleigh had never shared his beliefs on the idea of death and spirituality. And she – unlike him – had never mourned a family member before that night.

Thinking of his family had become far too common over the past week. Since the anniversary and since he had met Nell, he couldn't get their deaths out of his mind. And now, being so close to the place they died, it was like they were haunting him.