directly after The Reveal, from yesterday.
Urania ran straight into the demon’s wing membrane, dragging the skinny kid along with her. If she shoved through fast and hard enough, the door ought to push open. It might hurt a bit, but that was nothing compared to what would happen if a room full of demons got their hands on her.
She’d been hiding in the bleachers when they attacked her school. Urania had a very clear idea of what demons were capable of.
The demon made a surprised grunt, but they were going too fast for him to stop them. One sharp shove through with the heel of her hand, an awful bending and tearing noise, and they were through.
Forward and to the left, that was where they’d come in. Urania didn’t stop, didn’t slow down, just ran, catching the skinny kid as he stumbled, pulling him upright when he fell.
She’d be quicker without him.
She wasn’t going to leave anyone to the demons.
The warehouse-like room was right where they’d left it – Urania hadn’t ever seen a room move, but she’d heard about the possibility – and the stairs were still there, too. She darted up the stairs, stopping to help the skinny kid one more time, and shoved the door open.
There was a demon standing there, his tattered wing flapping about in the breeze. Urania stared at him. “How did you…?” It was enough to throw her off her stride.
“I guessed,” he admitted. He folded his wings against his back, and once again looked more or less like the gym teacher. “Take a walk with me? You have my word that I won’t attack you today.”
“Today.” She raised her eyebrows. “They say demon promises are binding.”
“It’s true.” He tilted his head at the wheatfield. “You’ll be able to see anyone else coming, if we walk out there.”
If he had beat her here, if he’d known where she was going, he could just stop her, couldn’t he? Maybe once they were in the field she could dart again, once he thought she’d relaxed. Then he couldn’t “attack” – probably.
“I could walk a little. But then we’re leaving.”
“Shouldn’t you let Alastair decide for himself?”
She glanced at the skinny kid. The name was nearly bigger than he was.
The kid, in turn, shrugged defensively. “Leaving sounds… I dunno. They may be demons, but there’s food.”
She pursed her lips, unwilling to admit he had a point. “I won’t make you. But I don’t want to leave you behind to be…” She trailed off, biting her lip. If he hadn’t seen what the demons could do, she didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
He raised his chin. “Talk to the man. He’s waiting patiently.”
“I don’t think he counts as a man.”
“Well, he killed three warcats who were trying to kill me. So. Call him what you will.” The kid who was too small for Alastair shrugged.
Urania turned slowly back to the demon, to find he was looking like a gym teacher again, wings nowhere in sight.
“I guess we talk?” she offered cautiously. “Since you promised. Just talk. And then I leave.” And she might just carry Alastair of with her, too.
“Just talk.” The demon nodded. “Let’s walk this way, the three of us.”
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