Games at the border

He did exactly that, settling in before her. The mood of the two had changed, and he knew she was angry at him. He tried not to show how much that had hurt, that he didn’t understand what feelings had gotten in the way, muddied him. He had acted without thinking, and he already knew that was never a good thing.

He thought of the day he had looked up at Azure, as his brother stood on the cliff, looking down at the brother he had pushed. The moment he knew he and Azure would never be the close knit friends he had deeply desired, that his brother would betray as easily as breathe. He swallowed back emotion, terrified that he had broken this friendship, too.

He was subdued as he sat there, and his voice very soft as he said, “Yes, Miss Malalia” She cleaned his cuts with gentle precision, and he scarcely winced at the sting of her gentle touch. He kept quiet and still, letting her do her work.