“You’re shaking again.”
Slim tried to stop.
It made it worse.
“…c…can’t.”
Mira was already at the door, sliding the bolt shut.
“Sit.”
He dropped where he was.
The floor creaked.
“…t…too… much.”
“From where?”
He didn’t answer.
His color was wrong.
Too bright. Too full.
Like someone had poured lantern light into him.
“They’re asking about you,” Tomas said.
Slim flinched.
“…s…orry.”
“I’m not talking to you,” Tomas snapped. Then softer, “Sorry.”
Mira kept wiping the counter.
“Who asked?”
“The Theocracy Wolves came by this time.”
Slim went very still.
“…h…unt?”
“No one’s hunting you,” she said quickly.
Tomas didn’t say anything.
“You need to leave town for a bit,” Tomas said that night.
“No.”
“He’s oversaturating.”
“I know.”
“He’s going to break.”
“I know.”
“He’ll hurt someone.”
Mira didn’t answer.
Slim was in the back room.
Breathing.
If you could call it that.
“…M…ira?”
She was already there.
“Yeah.”
“…l…oud.”
“I know.”
“…h…e…re.”
He tried to pull himself smaller.
It didn’t work.
His surface twitched in sharp waves.
“…t…ake… i…t… b…ack.”
“You can’t,” she said.
“…s…orry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“…h…urts.”
“Where?”
“…a…ll.”
She reached for him.
“Don’t touch him!”
Tomas’s voice cracked.
“He needs to ground.”
“Not through you!”
Slim made a noise.
Low.
Wet.
“…d…on’t… f…ight.”
Mira ignored Tomas.
She pressed her hand to Slim’s side.
It stopped.
Not all of it.
But enough.
His shaking eased.
The light inside him dimmed.
“…s…teady.”
Tomas stared.
“…that’s not right.”
Mira felt it then.
The pull.
Like standing near an open door in winter.
Something leaving.
“…M…ira?”
“I’m okay.”
“…n…o.”
“I said I’m okay.”
Her hand didn’t move.
“You’re pale,” Tomas said later.
“I’m tired.”
“You were asleep on your feet.”
“It’s been a long day.”
“You’re letting him drain you.”
Mira didn’t answer.
Slim was in the back.
Quiet now.
Stable.
“…l…eave,” Slim said that night.
Mira blinked.
“What?”
“…i…f… I… s…tay…”
He didn’t finish.
“You’re not hurting me.”
A long pause.
“…w…ill.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know that.”
He didn’t argue.
“…i… c…an… f…eel… y…ou.”
Mira swallowed.
“What do you mean.”
Slim’s voice was thin now.
Like stretched glass.
“…i…n… m…e.”
Her hand tightened.
“…M…ira…”
“I’m here.”
“…s…orry.”
Final Episode Next Week!
Slim tried to stop.
It made it worse.
“…c…can’t.”
Mira was already at the door, sliding the bolt shut.
“Sit.”
He dropped where he was.
The floor creaked.
“…t…too… much.”
“From where?”
He didn’t answer.
His color was wrong.
Too bright. Too full.
Like someone had poured lantern light into him.
“They’re asking about you,” Tomas said.
Slim flinched.
“…s…orry.”
“I’m not talking to you,” Tomas snapped. Then softer, “Sorry.”
Mira kept wiping the counter.
“Who asked?”
“The Theocracy Wolves came by this time.”
Slim went very still.
“…h…unt?”
“No one’s hunting you,” she said quickly.
Tomas didn’t say anything.
“You need to leave town for a bit,” Tomas said that night.
“No.”
“He’s oversaturating.”
“I know.”
“He’s going to break.”
“I know.”
“He’ll hurt someone.”
Mira didn’t answer.
Slim was in the back room.
Breathing.
If you could call it that.
“…M…ira?”
She was already there.
“Yeah.”
“…l…oud.”
“I know.”
“…h…e…re.”
He tried to pull himself smaller.
It didn’t work.
His surface twitched in sharp waves.
“…t…ake… i…t… b…ack.”
“You can’t,” she said.
“…s…orry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“…h…urts.”
“Where?”
“…a…ll.”
She reached for him.
“Don’t touch him!”
Tomas’s voice cracked.
“He needs to ground.”
“Not through you!”
Slim made a noise.
Low.
Wet.
“…d…on’t… f…ight.”
Mira ignored Tomas.
She pressed her hand to Slim’s side.
It stopped.
Not all of it.
But enough.
His shaking eased.
The light inside him dimmed.
“…s…teady.”
Tomas stared.
“…that’s not right.”
Mira felt it then.
The pull.
Like standing near an open door in winter.
Something leaving.
“…M…ira?”
“I’m okay.”
“…n…o.”
“I said I’m okay.”
Her hand didn’t move.
“You’re pale,” Tomas said later.
“I’m tired.”
“You were asleep on your feet.”
“It’s been a long day.”
“You’re letting him drain you.”
Mira didn’t answer.
Slim was in the back.
Quiet now.
Stable.
“…l…eave,” Slim said that night.
Mira blinked.
“What?”
“…i…f… I… s…tay…”
He didn’t finish.
“You’re not hurting me.”
A long pause.
“…w…ill.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know that.”
He didn’t argue.
“…i… c…an… f…eel… y…ou.”
Mira swallowed.
“What do you mean.”
Slim’s voice was thin now.
Like stretched glass.
“…i…n… m…e.”
Her hand tightened.
“…M…ira…”
“I’m here.”
“…s…orry.”
Final Episode Next Week!
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