The shadow jerked back at her response, moving away like the silhouette of a snake at the sight of her eyes.
Julia Padler stepped back, as if determined to prevent it, whatever it was, from touching the tips of her shoes. The sound of its annoyed whispers followed it to a place Julia couldn't fathom. These shadows, some called them demons, hated roaming the earth with no host or body to inhabit. Julia could only imagine it was off looking for someone to live in, just not someone like her.
Julia glanced over her shoulders to the damp and rainy streets, to the well-illuminated side of the road where cars drove through. She found only a few souls wandering, shoulders hunched, collars pulled up around their faces. There, between the garbage cans, was the shadow she had seen before, waiting patiently. Julia eyed it from the corner where she stood, and although it lacked eyes or a mouth, she felt it notice her gaze. And then it left, moving away once more.
With a sigh, Julia tossed her sports bag over her shoulder and then turned back. The spots of pain from her training began to throb, and she wondered if anything she did make a meaningful difference. After all, being a Willower didn't just mean one could see the unseen, but also use magic in one way or another. Something Julia found herself severely lacking. Even the simple spell of opening locks proved to be an impossible task for her. So, Julia wondered if being a Willower was an impossible dream or, if possible, it would prove to be a death wish. Something she would find out today.
Julia had made an appointment to meet with someone who worked for Callico, someone Rick had pointed out as having come from their impoverished neighborhood and thus would lend a hand to help them climb out of the said hellhole. Although Julia couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt from thinking of her home district that way, it was a place she had fond memories of. A place where she played as a child with all her neighborhood friends before they grew up and everything began to look gray and bleak.
Now, what was left were beautiful memories and some hard truths she could not help but want to run away from. This brought her to the center of entertainment for ground workers and magical creatures. A place for enslaved people to momentarily forget their daily routine and for magical creatures to just belong in this modern age.
Julia turned into a smaller alleyway at Burnburry, exiting the old shopping street at the edge of the city and into the branches of smaller alleys filled with rows of bars and midnight cafes. It was her favorite place to hang out, the small space was only large enough for two people to walk side by side.
The old bricks of Burnburry stood sternly, covered with chipped white paint and illegally drawn graffiti; the colors were an explosion of mismatched designs that added to its charm, an ignored slice of life in the veins of a mega-city.
The signs of every bar and cafe lit up with neon lights, the windows and doors thick with layers of old paint—dark green and gray, blue and white. The color palette of each one stood out like a sore thumb, while people sat with a glass of beer outside the bars, speaking quietly to one another. Their clothes were old but clean. Some of them were not even human; the glint of their eyes or the shape of their body parts gave them away. But they acted as humans, chatting, minding their own business.
As Julia walked past the tenth bar on that small path, leaning back to let a couple pass, she finally received a call. It was Rick.
"Hey, where are you?"
"Sorry, got carried away, look behind you."
Julia glanced over her shoulders. The boy she had been waiting for was standing by an open door, his face half concealed by a newsboy cap, revealing only the frown of his lips and the lengths of his hair. Julia recognized his height, the familiar navy blue sweater, black jeans, and tall boots he was often seen in. In the dark, he seemed paler than usual.
Only when Julia walked towards him did she notice a slight blush on his cheeks, the intensity of his gray eyes piercing as always.
She sighed, "I couldn't reach you. I thought you'd forgotten." Julia embraced the boy briefly before pulling back. Elerick Rivera looked down, the rim of his hat covering his face.
"It was my brother's remembrance day. You know how my mother gets; she needs full attention. Now come on, Emmeth is waiting." Rick looked up. Julia noticed the emptiness in his eyes, then wondered if he felt anything at all.
"I'm sorry I forgot," Julia admitted.
Rick waved away her apology, "Come on now, he doesn't have all night."
Rick led them inside the Crowned Crow Bar, a cramped but cozy place Julia had never visited before. It was not like their favorite place, Eden, a lovely garden cafe with comfortable armchairs, vintage decor, fresh flowers, all baby pink and blue. Crowned Crow did not have the soft color palette Eden had; the bar was mostly colored dark brown and moss green, and the ceiling was pitch black with low-hanging yellow light above each table. Tables were small and tall, each with two seats all bolted to the ground. The customers, mostly men, were sitting with their backs hunched over their drinks, some looking at a match on a small TV set at the corner above the counter.
Julia glanced past Rick to a corner booth where a man sat holding a large glass of beer in both hands. His face seemed familiar, although Julia could not pinpoint exactly where she had seen him. According to Rick, somewhere in their neighborhood long ago. His hair was the color of sand, with freckles adorning every inch of his nose and upper cheeks. His eyes, now that she noticed them, were the color of the Arctic Ocean—icy blue.
"No progress on the beer, I see," Rick commented. Julia moved in first as he beckoned her to do, so before he followed. Emmeth shrugged one shoulder, nervously staring at his drink. "I have to go to work tomorrow."
"That's why I ordered a small one for you." Rick smiled. A smile that did not touch his eyes, Julia noticed.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I thought I wanted beer, but I can't finish this."
"So ask for something else. Do you want coffee instead? I haven't ordered." Julia offered, a strange heavy lump formed in her chest, raising the speed of her heart. "Or maybe you just want to get this over with? I have so much I need to ask you."
At this, Emmeth raised his eyebrows, "So I've heard. I just can't finish this, maybe a cup of coffee?" He threw a glance at Rick, who muttered something under his breath but got up, "Do you want something?"
"Chocolate milk, warm, with sugar."
Emmeth leaned back, still playing with the beer in his hands. He tilted his head to one side, eyeing her curiously, "So, you want to be a Willower." He stated.
"Yes, I do."
"Why?" Emmeth searched her face, "Why would you want to take on such a dangerous job?" There was curiosity but there was doubt in his question as well. As if she was just a girl looking for attention and was willing to go this far for it. Julia didn't blame him. She would doubt herself too if she was sitting across from her. Julia realized not many women wanted to be a Willower, it wasn't the type of job one could be certain a safe return was guaranteed. Every night was a gamble but that was exactly why she wanted it.
"I like it." Julia concluded, never mind the lengthy thought process. She doubted he wanted to know that much. It was clear from his face he didn't want to know that much either, but he did look taken aback if not amused. Blinking for a moment just as Rick returned with two cups at hand.
Emmeth's gaze followed the cup of coffee given to him, but soon he stared at Rick who noticed, "What?"
"She said she wants to join the Willowers because she likes it."
Rick threw a concerned glance at Julia before shrugging, "The girl says she likes it so she likes it. Why does it matter to you why she wants to be a Willower? I thought what mattered was that she wanted it." Rick pointed out, referring to a conversation they had beforehand.
Emmeth's gaze fell, and his lips tightened into a thin line. He looked as if he wanted to say something but was not sure how to say it. He then shrugged, "Whatever, it's your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend." Rick said flatly, "She asked me for help so I'm helping out." He placed a hand on the table, half leaning. "It's getting late and you need to go to work so just tell us what we need to know about the exam."
Emmeth, half lost in thought, leaned back. It was clear he was not listening to what Rick had said, "How's your mom?" He asked.
For a moment it seemed to Julia that the boy in front of them was asking a random question. But remembering what Rick had said about him coming from the same neighborhood as them, Julia realized that Emmeth might genuinely know Rick's mother. She glanced at Rick sideways, seeing the tension in the set of his jaws.
Emmeth didn't back down, "Can't I ask her how she's doing?"
"She's fine," Rick answered, stiffly. "Can we please get on with the info?"
Emmeth, after a moment of staring finally nodded, "Sure."