The Orphans of New Lur by Blake Vanier

Author:Blake Vanier [Vanier, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781701588752
Published: 2019-11-30T22:00:00+00:00

18

A Disappointing Purchase

Nero

Nero slips out of bed and into his clothes. Illi is just beginning to break the night’s hold on the sky. He sneaks out of his room and down the hallway. Thea is on the stairs.

She turns toward him. He freezes. “What are you doing, Nero?”

“Nothing… what are you doing?”

Thea looks down. “I had another bad dream. At least, I think that’s what it was. I just know it didn’t feel good.”

Nero sits next to her on the stairs. “How long have you had them?”

“They started when we ran away. Sometimes they’re not so bad, but sometimes they wake me up.”

“I’m sorry. Remember it’s only a dream. It can’t hurt you, no matter how horrible it is.”

Thea nods. “It just felt so real. I was talking to a man that wanted me to run away so that I could help him. I wanted to, even though something about it felt wrong…” They sit in silence for a while. Thea turns to him. “You haven’t been around much. I miss hanging out with you. What have you been up to?”

“I don’t know. Stuff.”

“Yeah, but what do you do in the mornings? I always hear you coming back before our morning exercise and you act different.”

“Uh… I just kinda go to the park… and run around a bit…”

“Could I come?”

“Uh…” Nero looks down. Would it show up if she were with me? “It’s not really that fun. It’s something I like to do just by myself.”

“Okay,” Thea says with a tinge of hurt. She stands up, walking back to her room.

Maybe I should have said yes… It takes him a moment to collect himself before he leaves.

*****

Nero runs through the park, grabbing the broomstick that he dropped the day before. No sooner does he have it in his hand than a bolt of energy zips over his head. He blocks the second and third bolts, and rolls out of the way of a fourth. He kneels behind a tree. The broomstick vibrates gently in his hand.

This must be Aether. Could I use it? He shifts his perspective and sees that the stick is glowing green. He notices that he is subconsciously pushing against the Aether in the stick. He relaxes. The vibrations increase slightly. A tingling flows through his hand, up his arm, and under his scalp, invigorating him. He leaps out from behind the tree with an excitement that carries him well past his balance and he tumbles. The Entity is flickering.

What are you flickering about? “Think that's funny?”

Nero leaps after the Entity and they begin to spar at a higher level than ever before. The Entity easily matches Nero's new speed and strength.

*****

After Nero's exercise with Sosimo, he hurries back to Saraf's, exhausted. When he arrives, Saraf is showing out the Borukin man and girl that Nero has seen before. The girl walks away without paying Nero any mind. The man with the white tattoos on his face looks at Nero briefly before he follows.

Saraf beckons Nero in. “You’re breathing awfully hard, boy.

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