Page 58 of A Love of Wrath and Rapture

He scoffs at that suggestion.

“I’m fine,” he says.

But upon noticing my fury, he adds on. “But thank you for patching me up. It was very impressive.”

How could he go out into the village, knowing how weak he was?

I’m about to scold him further, just hoping he gets the message, when I notice a faintly tinged pink cloth wrapped around his wing.

I don’t remember treating a wing injury. Which tells me that he must have gotten that wound in the time since I fell asleep.

“What happened to you?”

He just scoops a bit of egg into his mouth, puzzling over how to reply.

I hear a knock at the front door.

He stares at me warily, as though warning me not to answer it. Immediately, I recognize the voice of Ephemera and realize the gravity of the situation.

I can’t keep her waiting, but I also can’t endanger Xeros.

The knock grows more insistent and louder.

“What did you do?” I whisper.

He doesn’t reply.

“Evangeline, the council will see you now.”

Before she can walk away, I rush to the door, pulling it open.

“Hi Ephemera,” I say casually, leaning against the doorframe as though nothing’s wrong.

I realize that I’m sweaty and covered in Xeros’s blood. Yet again, when the council seeks me out, I’m indisposed.

“You say the council wants to see me? What about?”

She wears the same stern expression as ever.

“You know that I couldn’t tell you, even if I were privy to that,” she says. “Shall I lead you there, or should we take you in later?”

She phrases the second option much more severely, emphasizing that it isn’t a real option.

I look back to Xeros uncertainly.

“I’ll be back later,” I tell him, looking back into the house before closing the door.

He cocks an eyebrow, his head following what little glimpses he can catch of me as the door shuts.

“Glad to see you’re coming willingly this time,” Ephemera says, leading the way.

“I came willingly last time…”

She chuckles.

“So you did. Sorry. I get our worst cases mixed up sometimes.”

I smile halfheartedly, trying to pretend as I pass children that I’m not afraid for my life. Aside from children at play, the streets are largely empty now, and I worry where everybody might have gone.

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