Lux [h.s]

five

Cora was cleaning a glass when Harry walked into the hostel. It slipped out of her hands and she caught it, but it slammed against the counter and chipped its edge.

What was he doing there? The night was young, and the Fair was in full swing.

He leaned on the counter and regarded her with a long look, letting his leaf green eyes travel from the glass still clasped in her hands to her face. "How come you aren't at my Fair tonight?"

She looked down. She was wearing a pale yellow dress, and a ribbon of the same colour was in her golden hair. She'd meant to go to the Fair that night, but she'd been stopped by her aunt. That wasn't for him to know, though. "I'm working."

"That isn't a good enough reason." He pushed off the counter. "You're coming with me."

"I need to work," Cora replied, hiding behind her duties. She wanted to keep her distance from him, because he intimidated her. She never knew what to make of him. She could see why everyone was unsettled by his presence. "My aunt needs me here."

Unfortunately for her, her aunt strolled past them with a tray of food in that very moment, and Harry stopped her when she was on her way back to the kitchen.

"Would you allow me to take Cora out for the night?" he asked her with no hesitation. Cora sent her a pleading look, but for once she misinterpreted it—or not even she dared to openly say no to him.

"I want her back before midnight," she replied unsurely, sending her niece a worried look before walking away.

And so Cora, taken a deep breath, had to get up and round the counter, and exit the hostel under the gaze of everyone in the room.

Now they were inside a dark building, and she didn't know how or why she'd followed him there. Some could've called her naïve, but even she knew things were taking a dangerous turn.

She's thought Harry wanted to bring her to the Fair, but she'd been wrong. From the instant they'd left the hostel, he'd gone in the opposite direction and into the dark streets of the city.

She followed him into the darkness of the building despite all the voices in her head screaming it was an awful idea to get in a secluded space in the company of someone that was believed to be dangerous. To her he was a mystery, and she'd just been gifted with the opportunity of maybe discovering something more about him, and she couldn't pass it up.

They went up a slimy, wooden staircase that seemed to be seconds away from crumbling to the floor. The smell of wetness and mould permeated the air and made Cora's nose sting.

How could someone like Harry belong to a place like that? He was light, the silver shade of the stars up in the sky at night—he didn't fit in there. Why would he choose to hide away in a dark and dirty hole with all the shining beauty he'd created on the streets?

After what felt like ages they reached a new room, that was even staler than the stairwell.

The bluish light of the night peeked through the only window on the ceiling, enlightening its empty darkness. It was small and it smelled of old things, and Cora had no idea of why he'd brought her there, but she didn't like it.

Harry took off his midnight blue coat and threw it on the dirty floor. Underneath, he was wearing an elegant white shirt, the strings under his collarbones tied in a loose bow. It was tucked into his high-waisted trousers, and he looked like a vision amongst the dust of the forgotten room.

He walked under the window and opened it and, before Cora could realise what was going on, jumped up and eased himself out of it. His blue hat fell on the floor in the process. He sat on the roof and waved her closer. "Come here, Cora," he said, offering his hand to help her up.