OVERLOOKED ㅤkotlc

071

KORAY.
SIENNALAIR
JAN 13 . 4:32 AM

I wake up to a knock.

My first instinct is to look over at Skylar, and she's very awake this time, because she's not even here.

Goddamnit, she's probably out setting fire to the halls.

Someone knocks again. It better be Skylar coming back with unused vandalism equipment, or else I'll be pissed. "I'm coming!" I call.

I pass the mirror on my way to the door and adjust my pajamas and hair. I look slightly ridiculous.

I open the door, and my gaze is directed downwards, since I'm expecting Skylar, so it's kind of awkward when I'm looking at Lady Gisela's boobs. I blame this on Skylar. Her existence has ruined my life.

Immediately, I look up and pray that she didn't notice. If she did, she doesn't show it.

"Koray," Gisela says with a nod. "My sources inform me you have a cache?"

Ah. I'd curse here, but the author is lame and grossly PG (ish). If only she'd bend her language to fit my whims.

"Uh—kind of?" I say. Again, I bet this is all Skylar's fault. "Um, let me check."

I turn to hide my growing panic and pretend to walk over to my desk. "Damn!" I say. "I guess your sources—"

Something glints in whatever light 4:36 AM provides. I instinctively reach for it, and when I feel it in my palm, I suck in a breath.

I'm free. And also, where the hell is Skylar?

I turn, probably too quickly. "I have it."

Gisela smiles, and it's not a scary one (kind of). "Well then!" she says, and extends her hand. "How does home sound, Koray?"

I watch her hand as if it's about to reach up and slap me. I clutch the cache and look at her face. "Home," I repeat, trying not to sound as lost as I suddenly feel.

"With your family?" she says.

"Don't they think I'm dead."

The bitter truth drowns us both in silence.

Gisela slowly nods. "I would think they do," she says. "After all, you abandoned them for years, and didn't tell them a thing."

Like she's not the one who cut off my contact with them? She was scared they'd track my Imparter? "Right," I say. "My bad, isn't it?"

She shrugs a little. "Is there somewhere else you'd like to go?"

Somewhere else. For now, maybe. I think I want someone's company. "Is Skylar still in Siennalair?"

Gisela's eyebrows raise. "The human," she says, sounding amused. "Why? Have you grown attached?"

In this moment, she reminds me of a puppetmaster. I'm not sure why, but it feels like she's pulling all the strings, watching everything messily piece together.

It's not like I didn't know that already.

"Um..." I feel like I'm always on-edge and vulnerable with Gisela. It has me drained. I'm done. "Up to interpretation. Could I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Where's Skylar?"

"The human again?" Gisela hums. "She's in Manhattan, New York. She said to give you crystals, because you're useless on your own."

The words sting from how Gisela says it. But I smile. That's something she'd say. "I'll exchange the cache for the crystals, then."

"Oh? Watching your own back?" She examines me. "I'm proud."

"Okay. The crystals?"

Gisela takes two from her satchel; one for the Forbidden Cities, and one for the Lost Cities.

Silently, we exchange items that mean Everything.

"One thing before you go," she says.

It's the way she says them: flippant, amused, curious. It's something bad.

"What?"

"We recruited a new Washer recently," Gisela says. She pauses, then gestures towards me. "You're going straight to the Forbidden Cities, right?"

I don't act surprised. I nod.

"Walk with me, then."

"Okay."

We walk, and a couple of seconds pass before I register her words. "You recruited a Washer?" I repeat, with a slow and stabbing sinking feeling.

"Ah, yes, we did. It's kind of an important position, don't you think?"

This woman loves her theatrics. "Yeah," I say, because I can't say anything else.

"We need it for troublesome little thieves."

I mutter a soft curse that translates roughly to screw off. I know what she's doing; what she's trying to say: Skylar doesn't remember me.

It hurts to breathe. "I'm sure," I say. It comes out quiet.

We stop in the Sunroom. The light is more moonlight than sunlight. Gisela turns to face me. "I'll see you around," she says.

I hope not.

We bid each other half-hearted farewells, and she leaves the room. Damn it. Damn it.

I freeze for a long time. My brain's racing, my heart too, I think.

Damn it.

I'm close to crying, but too shocked to actually cry.

I force myself to snap out of it. I have all the time in the world to grieve—and my family has eternity to wait for me—but I hardly have any time at all to coexist with a bratty human. How the hell am I supposed to find Skylar in all of Manhattan?

The problem isn't getting her to remember, because flashback after flashback will do its dirty work (the guy's a new recruit, after all); the problem's finding her.

My lips tip into a grim smile. I click the Forbidden Cities crystal into my pathfinder, adjust its facets, and hold it up to the light;

I'd better get to work, then.

AUTHOR'S NOTE !

i'm updaitng today (and next week) but after that it'll probably be a hiatus as i figure this fanfic out :,) i feel !! so close !! to being done !! but i'm also stuck not wanting to write this particular section !!

so i'll probably write some random upcoming scenes then piece it all together ,,, :,)

IM SO SORRY TO KEEP DOING THIS AJAJ BUT ANYWAYS

how were ur holidays! hru doing! my holidays were incredibly eventless but they were ok, and i'm also doing ok:)!

i hope! u have an amazing day / night! lyasm! (thanks for bearing w/ me <3)