The List

Secrets

I climb up the garage wall to my camp, to prevent Ianus or any of his dogs from catching me at the entrance. My arm hurts like crazy, and I think about asking Weasel for help with it, as he helped Estelle. But  he can't know. No one can.

Luckily, Iota is gone, so I burrow into my pallet and clutch my arm tightly, biting my lip to keep myself from screaming. The pain is unbearable. 

Finally, I scream into my pillow, and my eyes roll back into my head.

I run through the alley with Angelo.

I grin as he smiles down at me, my hand tightly grasped in his. 

We're only twelve, but it's clear we were made for each other. I've long since allowed him to accompany me on my evening adventures, and it's made my life have meaning again. No longer do I dart through the alleys, stomach growling and teeth chattering. I laugh, I smile, I love him. I love him. I love him.

"Nice blade," I whisper as we catch our breath by a brick wall. Angelo moves his gaze from my eyes to the new switchblade he carries in his hand. It's a beauty, worth the time it took to take it. It' s sharp blade comforts me in a way. A weapon.

"Almost as perfect as you," he whispers back, and I giggle. "I'm serious. Ever since I laid eyes on you, I've been in love with you."

I smirk. "You don't know what love is, Costa."

He smiles at the mention of his last name. He's always thought it was adorable when I called him that. 

"Yes, I do," he argues. "I'm an Angel. I'm your angel. And you, you're my... what are you?"

"I'm your muse. Your Lyre," I tell him. "Our names are perfect for each other."

The thought of a land somewhere out there, with angels carrying lyres and sunshine and happiness take me away for a second.

His eyes on me bring a new feeling to my stomach that I've never felt before. Like the butterflies I get when a police car approaches me, but in a good way. It feels like I'm melting.

"I love you, Lyra," he says softly. "I-"

Angelo stops. I furrow my brow, looking over him, and my heart stops when he falls to the floor.

Seven figures come out of the shadows and surround him, and an invisible force holds me back.

"Angelo!" I shriek, unable to go to him.

The figures step back, and I run to him. He's covered in red suns, carved into his skin, ruining his perfection. Ruining his sense of freedom and independence. I shriek, looking at the marred and destroyed flesh. 

"Angelo, no!" I scream, tears falling out of my eyes.

A hand grabs me and pushes me onto the hard ground. I shriek as I see the glint of the switchblade, Angelo's switchblade. Green eyes leer at me, and the knife presses to my skin.

"ANGELO!"

I'm covered in sweat as my eyes fly open.

"Shush. You don't want them to hear, hermanita," says the familiar voice of Weasel. I'm confused. I lay on my pallet, as he sits next to me, surrounded by his medical supplies. There is a clean bandage around my arm, and it's numb and cold.

"What's going on-"

"You had a fever," he explains softly. "I found you, and then I found this." He motions to my arm. "Lyra, how could you have allowed this to happen to you? They killed your Angelo-"

I fall back onto the pallet. "It's not like that." For a moment, I close my eyes. There's nothing else to say but the truth to him. "I'm being blackmailed, Weasel. The kid Angelo and I chased down the alley, he knows it was me. And another girl knows that it was me that Tyr caught that night. The only way to protect my secret-"

"Was this." Weasel looks sickened.

"Promise you won't tell Ianus, or anyone," I plead desperately. 

Weasel hesitates, but nods. "Promise you won't get into any danger. This was a bad decision, Lyra. Ianus could have helped you."

I roll over, onto my side. "No, he couldn't have. He might be powerful, but the Lighters could kill him. I won't drag him into this. Or you."

"You already have."

Weasel casts one final worried look at me, and then leaves.

Alone in the silence once again, I stare up at the ceiling. At times like this, alone and afraid and upset, I would usually try to find Angelo, for him to whisper kind words to me and make the pain melt away. But I'm isolated from everyone now.

Ianus doesn't trust me.

Iota is a stranger.

Mariah is an enemy.

Estelle is broken.

Weasel is the only one who knows my secret. 

Tears spring to my eyes. Secrets. That's what everything started out as, and look where that got me. Broken, and afraid, and so unsure of what is to come.

It all started with a Secret.

hello!

Little filler chapter.

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