Scapegoat (SetoSolace)

Nine: Purple (and) Rain

Man, this book is so fun to write. I mean, it takes me ages (mostly because I write out of order), but it's definitely fun.

Also, my dudes! I recently started a blog - it mostly revolves around LGBT+ things, sprinkled with funny stories from my job and perhaps even some excerpts from upcoming chapters of my books. Feel free to check it out if you want, it's queerhaven dot com!

Anyways! Ennnn-juh-hoy, my be-ay-yoo-tiful Rulers!

Scapegoat

Nine: Purple (and) Rain

"Bam," Dale says, crossing his arms. "Back exit."

"Fantastic," Payten breathes, and we can barely hear them over the chaos happening inside the Dark Mage base. "Everyone get close, Brice and I will cast Swiftness spells on us all." In less than a minute, everyone is ready - except for Dale.

"Oh, no," he says, stepping back and putting his hands up as Payten stares at him. "I can't go with you."

"Why not," Payten deadpans.

"Go big or go home, right?" I ask. Even if I am majorly jealous of the guy, I could never just leave him behind.

"Always," Dale replies. "But leaving now would make everyone suspicious of me. I would never be able to join a new base."

"Here's an idea: don't join a new base!" Danielle huffs. "Just come with us, you muppet!"

Dale laughs. "Thanks, that's sweet. But I'm a Dark Mage; that's just what I am."

"You're lucky Seto wasn't awake enough to hear that," Brice grumbles, still trying to get Seto to respond to him.

"Come with us," Payten insists, holding out a hand. "You don't have to be a certain way just to be accepted."

"I..." Dale glances down at his arm, at the glistening silver numbers waiting there. "Not now. But I'll think about it, okay?"

Payten hesitates for a second before nodding and retracting their hand. "Okay. Thanks for your help, Dale."

"Any time," he responds, smiling mischievously. "Later!"

Payten looks on for a few seconds more before nodding again and turning away, grabbing my hand as they sprint away from the base. I reflexively grab Danielle's, and she reflexively grabs Brice's, and Brice and Seto are practically attached at the hip anyways.

When I glance back, Dale is gone.

☼☼☼

Our moods quickly descend into dangerous territory after that.

Brice has, unfortunately, reached the conclusion that Seto is basically brain dead. Kind of. He still walks and stuff. He just doesn't... act like Seto. He doesn't act at all - doesn't do anything except tag along after Brice.

Obviously, this is taking a bit of a toll on us all. Brice keeps randomly stopping, turning around to ask Seto just one more time if he's okay. Seto never responds. Meanwhile, Danielle can't stop glaring at Brice, and Payten refuses to fill the silence.

Oh. And it's raining.

Yeah.

Brice still has one hand latched onto Seto's arm as he drags the seemingly brain-dead sorcerer through the wet grass. He groans as his gravity-defying hair gets weighed down by rainwater. "You know," he huffs, tugging Seto along a little faster, "it'd be nice if we weren't being rained on at the worst possible time."