Two found herself on an upper floor, staring down at the slums through one of the castle’s few open windows.

Twilight painted the sky in shades of purple and blue but the fading sun cast an orange hue. Below her, the slums expanded. A forest of looming monoliths and scraggly shantys.

Few lights rose to meet their spreading dark. A fire here a forgotten lamp there. All else was dim and quiet.

It was so strange to think she’d leave here tomorrow. Either she’d trailed behind Daisy a treasured pet. Or the noble would offer her an escape.

She decided not to consider the third option.

Here with the wind gently blowing onto her face, she had a moment’s calm.

She took a breath, dust and sweet rot suffused the air, along with that indescribable sense of dilapidation that had sunk into the stone even before its abandonment. The scent that had led her through the sewers. She tried to enjoy the familiar blend.

Lux looked down at the small feathered woman his brother had brought to speak with him. A smile played on his lips, he glanced sidelong at his brother.

“So we’re here for a day and you’ve already found us an adventure. I thought I was the bold one.” He could not help himself. A wide grin spread across his cheeks.

Igni rolled his eyes.

“This seemed like a problem you were more apt to solve. “

That was a nice way of saying he thought Lux would have fun playing hero. Lux didn’t mind, rather he was buzzing with energy. Their teachers had said the land was rife with suffering and intrigue and everything he’d seen agreed.

He’d dismissed over a dozen offers to various functions. Several attempted bribes and promises of payment if he supplied ‘angelic wisdom; and ‘ancient knowledge’. Most peculiar of all was the girl that tried to propose. Her red-faced parents had promptly dragged her off.

Truly this was a place of action and his brother had brought the most interesting conundrum.

Lux pulled his gaze from his brother, who was examining the invisible field presently hiding their conversation and turned to the woman responsible for it. “Miss Deadra you tell me your niece has been kidnapped and while my brother and I would be more than happy to help I’m not sure what that would entail.” He didn’t think the woman was lying. She didn’t display any of the signs he’d been trained to spot. However, there was no harm in caution and he’d be quite embarrassed if Curio had to rescue them after their first time in public.

“I suspect opposition if-“ The woman’s breath hitched, and a moment of worry escaped her hard exterior. “When we find her. No normal criminals would be able to overpower her and escape her guard. There’s something greater at play.”

Ah, there it was. The fly in the honey as the mortals might say. Politics getting In the way of doing the right thing. It would have been too much to aid without implication, unfortunately, it was not to be.

The spectre of politics was sure to hound them until they left for the academy. Even then it would lurk. If only all evils could be smote without consequence.

“To the best of my knowledge. Angels are not subject to Spes Nova’s suppression in the same way we are. You could be the difference if things escalate.”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Lux smiled wryly and glanced at this brother and the field he was observing. Essence constantly leaked from the thing like unravelling threads. The immaterial threads splintered and dissolved into the air. Only to be replaced by a constant influx from Leandra. The extent of the effort was hidden behind their firm demeanour.

Lux exchanged a glance with his brother. Curiosity shone in his eyes, a match to Lux’s scarcely controlled excitement. He weighed his concerns and the risks and found them lacking.

They were here to learn, to discover and to help. A little risk could not thwart that. Furthermore, he could feel Curio’s watchful gaze over his shoulder.

“In that case Miss Leandra send for us when the time comes and we shall be there should unforeseen problems arise.” He smiled the full extent of his joy leaking through.

The woman addressed stared blankly at him. “Miss Leandra?”

Igni briefly turned from his observations. “Give it a minute Lux they do this often.”

Two examined the small knife in her hand. The last fading rays of daylight glinted off its smooth metal. A few nicks marred its surface yet it remained robust and sharp.

It was a gift from Daisy in much the same way Daisy would remember her pending reward as a gift.

She slipped the blade into a sheath and returned them to her hip, beneath her cloak.

She pushed off the window and after paying a final glance to the slum, disappeared into the castle.

Two navigated the brothers with a simple and honest excuse. She was there to collect the prisoner’s scraps.

Stepping into the prison Two settled on a firm but slightly nervous expression. Then in the whispering tone the castle demanded she spoke. “Deadra, I’m back.”

A dark bundle peeled from the gloom and entered the scant light. “Two!” the girl exclaimed and was buffeted by a wave of chill.

Two leaned away.

“Two,” they tried again embarrassment took the place of their prior excitement. “I have a plan. I can contact- sorry signal my aunt. Tell her where I am.”

It was the start of a plan. Though it was missing many steps. Namely, the ones that ensured Two wasn’t murdered when irate nobles and their guard barreled into the slums. “How does it work and is there any way of ensuring I’m not mistaken for an enemy?”

“I can inscribe an array onto something. Then you can power it as for the other thing. Uh, we can work that out.” There was a note of contrition there. “But they shouldn’t attack you if you gave the array.”

Two pursed her lips. “It’s a good start but I need detail. How does this array work?”

“My aunt and I cultivate similar essences and were related. It’s enough of a connection that I should be able to reach her even though we’re in Spes Nova. The only problem is that I can’t power due to my bindings.” She raised the offending cuffs. “So you’ll have to do it.”

Many problems burbled in her mind but none were insurmountable. It was less than she hoped but better than she’d feared.

Two took a deep breath. She didn’t fight the fear that seeped into her expression. Instead, she rolled with it. In time it passed and all that was left was determination.

“Ok, first problem. I don’t know how to power an array.”

Deadra’s mouth flew open, an exclamation on the tip of her tongue. She froze before uttering the first word, then spoke slowly. “How do you not know how to channel essence? It’s the simplest thing.”

Two sent her a flat look. Perhaps it was but “I’m a commoner Deadra.” The woman reeled. Two could taste the forming apology. “It’s fine Deadra, can we get back to the point. Is this a problem we can solve.”

Deadra quickly returned to herself after a mumbled. “Sorry.” they focused intently.

Two waited for their reply.

“Yes, it’s solvable, though the array will be different than I planned.” The noble began fidgeting. “There’s an upside though. It’ll make my aunt less likely to attack you.”

Two didn’t like the way ‘less likely’ sounded.

When the woman asked for something sharp she liked it even less.

To Two’s mild surprise, Deadra cut herself when given the knife. To her great displeasure, she wanted to touch Two.

With great reluctance Two passed her left arm through the bars. Whereupon the feathered noble pushed down her sleeve and began painting intricate lines and symbols on Two’s arm. In their blood.

Two had a moment of fascinated horror as she watched the noble repeatedly slice into her finger. Gritting her teeth and wincing each time. Yet never uttering a peep. It was more, far more than two expected of her.

So two suffered through the painting and the touching without complaint.

“Are you okay?” She asked the girl who was squeezing her still bleeding finger.

“Yes,” she said and smiled. It was one of the worst faked smiles she’d ever seen. Two didn’t comment.

“What do I do now.”

“You just have to focus on it. Think of something that makes you emotional. Happy, sad, angry it doesn’t really matter. You know I’d planned on using a bit of cloth or something, but since you don’t know how to channel. This was the best I could up with.”

They were rambling. They squeezed their fingers as if all of their problems could be solved if they just stemmed the bleeding. Their gaze never left the bleeding digit.

“Deadra.”

“Blood isn’t the best medium but it’s the best I have. And it helps. Spes Nova doesn’t like eating essence when it’s still attached to something living and blood counts for a while becau-.”

“Deadra.” She said and used her hands to cover the girls. Vision blocked their gaze and rose to meet hers. “Let me see your finger.”

The girl obeyed numbly. Two examined the bleeding digit. Then used the knife to cut a piece of cloth from their black cloak then carefully tied it around their finger. “This’ll do until we get you out of here. Until then take it easy Deadra the hard parts done.” Two only believed half of what she said but she spoke anyway.

She tasted their dread their fear. Spiking and roiling like a boiling river. It was so different from the sweet joy that filled her when they first met.

Two was responsible for that change. It was necessary but she couldn’t convince herself it was right.

Deadra’s roiling emotions settled.

“You said just focus on it right.” She released Deadra’s hand.

“Ya.” They said staring at their bandaged finger.

Well, nothing to do but test it.