“Shut the fuck up, he did not!” Cassie yells out just as I open the door.

  “He did!” Ivy responds and the two of them burst out into ughter. “Speak of the devil!” Ivy stands up and pulls both Vince and I into a hug. “Gd you made it.” She whispers to me, although I’m not sure why. Vince is close enough to hear, and Cassie can hear regardless.

  Vince follows her into the room, and I take a moment to take in everything. Cassie is wearing a shirt that’s far too rge for her small frame. Her right arm is still stuck in a sling and held tight to her body, and a shiny silver arm sits on the dresser.

  I guess that means her arm isn’t going to heal. If I hadn't freaked out she wouldn’t have gotten injured. She’s losing another limb because of me. I-

  “Ow!” A sharp pain in my ear rips me out of my thoughts.

  Everyone’s heads turn toward the two of us and their conversation comes to an abrupt end.

  “You ok Little Blue?” Vince asks.

  “Yeah, sorry. Corax was helping.”

  Corax gives me a nudge, silently urging me to enter the room. I step inside and close the door behind me.

  “By biting you?” Cassie asks disbelievingly.

  “I was stuck in my own thoughts.” I’m sure that doesn’t expin anything, but I’m not exactly sure what else I can say.

  Corax puffs up on my shoulder, satisfied from his work being known.

  Cassie looks like she wants to say something, but instead drowns her tongue in a rge gulp of beer.

  “Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?” I ask her. I’m not exactly sure what happened to her, but I can't imagine alcohol is the cure.

  “Probably.” She gives a half-hearted shrug with her one functional arm. “I have to wait for the swelling to go down before surgery though.”

  “Lets try not to talk about what happened, and more importantly, where’s Lucas?” Vince asks Cassie.

  “Asshole chose his new boyfriend over us.” She responds.

  “Can you really bme him?” Ivy asks.

  “Of course I can! If I had a girlfriend I’d drag her in here with us. You know he still hasn’t introduced me?” As much as Cassie compins, her tone makes it clear she’s not actually mad.

  “He’s probably embarrassed by you.” Ivy says happily.

  “Shut up!” Cassie tosses an empty beer can in her direction while failing to hide a grin. “Blue, hand me another.” She gestures to a small pile of beer bottles next to me.

  “Ok. How do I open this?” Drinking wasn’t important enough for Finn to add to my mind when I was born. Maybe I just twist the cap off?

  “Just give me it.”

  “But your arm-”

  “What about it.” She cuts me off and jumps to her feet. She takes the beer from my hand before returning to her spot on the bed. In one quick motion she brings the bottle down, catching the cap on her leg and sending it flying off across the room. “If I need help I’ll ask for it.”

  She’s angry at me, and she has every right to be. Of course she’d be angry, especially after losing her legs. Why do I never think before I speak? Why am I so-

  Corax gives me a soft bite on my ear, gently bringing me out of my spiral.

  “Sorry.” My apology comes out barely louder than a whisper.

  “Just don’t do it again.” Cassie refuses to look at me while she speaks. “Anyway, are you good enough to drink yet Vince?”

  “Nope. Still feel a little off.”

  “Don’t worry,” Ivy puts her hand comfortingly on Vince’s shoulder. “I won’t let your drinks go to waste.”

  “I’m sure you won't.” Vince gives a small chuckle. “Even though you probably should.”

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “Maybe a little.”

  The two of them begin quietly teasing each other in a private conversation. Ivy keeps gncing at me out of the corner of her eye. What does that mean? Does she want me to talk to Cassie? I can’t imagine what else she would be trying to tell me.

  “What’s alcohol like?” I break the awkward silence between us.

  “Fucking awful, and then fucking great.” She takes another drink.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It tastes like something died in your mouth. But after that? You’re having too good of a time to care.” She takes another long drink to demonstrate. “See? That was miserable, which means I need more.”

  “You really voluntarily change how your mind works? Why?” I’d give anything to have complete control over my mind.

  “Because it’s fun.” She says simply, refusing to eborate.

  “But isn’t it dangerous? From what I’ve read, addiction is a serious concern, and withdrawal can be lethal. Not to mention how awful hangovers seem.”

  “My job is dangerous too, at least this is fun.” She takes a second swig.

  I guess she has a point.

  “Sit.” Corax says quietly in my ear.

  Vince, Ivy, and Cassie are all on the edge of the bed. There's space next to Cassie, but she probably doesn't want me sitting next to her.

  I lower myself carefully onto the floor.

  “Bnket?” Corax asks Cassie.

  “What?” She asks back.

  “Do you have a bnket we could use?” I expand on his question. I'm not sure why I need to, he was pretty clear.

  “Oh. Sure.” She puts her beer on her nightstand and tosses us a small bnket from behind her.

  I make a small nest from it between my crossed legs, which Corax immediately climbs into. After a few adjustments his quiet, content ticking noise begins once again.

  “What is he doing?”

  I can't hear anything other than curiosity in her voice.

  “Cozy.” Corax responds.

  “You sound like a cat, not a bird.”

  Corax’s humming stops for just an instant while he processes that. It's not long before he decides it's not a problem and resumes his ticking.

  “How do you know what cats sound like?” I can’t imagine any animals surviving out in the sands.

  “We had a few when I was a kid. Mean bastards, but cute I guess.” She takes another long swig of beer. “Except for Griffin. He was sweet.”

  She must be referring to before she met Vince. How can she talk so casually about her old life? I can barely think about the b without feeling sad. I kill that line of thought, I’d hate to make Corax leave his comfy nest.

  “I didn’t realize any animals survived.”

  “Of course they did. Rats thrive anywhere humans survive, and cats are a hell of a lot easier than setting mouse traps every day.”

  “I guess that makes sense.”

  I think she’s getting more comfortable around me. She looks more rexed at least, although that might just be the alcohol. Despite being a little more comfortable, she makes no effort to continue the conversation.

  “I wish I could see one.” I say half to myself, half to try to keep the conversation going.

  “Why?” Corax mumbles from my p. “Bird better.”

  That pulls a genuine ugh out of Cassie.

  “Of course, but I want to know how much better you are.” I tell him. The st thing I want to do is to put him in a sad mood right now. Him being self centered is better than the alternative.

  He fluffs up his metallic feathers to show off and sinks deeper into the bnket. I reach down and begin to gently stroke his head exactly how he likes it. That, of course, only makes his ticking louder. We sit in silence for a few moments until Cassie continues the conversation.

  “Only animals you’ll find in this city are pets of the rich. They cost more money than any of us will ever see.”

  “Oh.” I can’t keep the disappointment out of my voice.

  “I had a dog in my early years.” Vince finally rejoins our conversation. “Not sure I’d still be here without him.”

  “What happened to him?” I’m sure I already know the answer, but I have to ask.

  “He got too old for my lifestyle. He more than earned his retirement with an old friend on the gulf coast.”

  “Wait, the oceans still exist?” A thousand questions and implications rush into my mind. Why not build this city there instead of the middle of nowhere? I guess there is water under the city, but it can’t be more than an entire ocean. Maybe the power requirements to distill the seawater are too much?

  “For a while they did.” Vince’s voice rips my focus away from my thoughts. “Took about a decade to start, but eventually the oceans started draining. Miles of ocean were lost every few hours, leaving behind endless salt fts littered with dead sea life. I was on the west coast at the time. Went to sleep with the ocean at my back, woke up to a ten mile hike for water.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “It’s not all bad.” Vince reassures me. “Breakfast came easy that day, and there are some deep trenches where you can still find water. Pretty nice pces to live from what I’ve heard.”

  “If you can get over the smell that is,” Ivy says. “To this day the fts still smell like rotten fish.”

  “They aren’t that bad.”

  “Lucas vomited st time we got 50 miles from the old coast.” Cassie reminds him.

  “Ok, maybe they are a little bad. I’m sure you could get used to it though.”

  “What, already pnning for when the city goes to shit?” Cassie asks.

  “I have a lot of pns for a lot of things.” Vince shrugs. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to leave a burning city.”

  “It better not be your fault this time.” Cassie teases him.

  “What do you mean this time?” I ask.

  “It’s just a joke, Little Blue.” Vince reassures me with a gentle voice.

  An awkward silence settles over the five of us for just a moment, before Ivy breaks it.

  “We all should probably eat something. Vince, would you mind helping me?”

  “Sure. Be right back you three.”

  The two of them head out into the hallway, leaving Corax and I alone with Cassie. Starting one conversation was hard enough, how am I expected to start a second? We sit in silence for a few moments while I desperately search for a way to start one. Luckily, Cassie eventually saves me after finishing her beer.

  “So, how are you doing?” She asks.

  “Better, I think, thanks to Corax. I’m not sure if I would have survived the bus without him.”

  “Good. Make sure she stays that way.” Cassie orders the small bird in my p. “Getting shot once was enough for me.”

  “I’m sorry.” The memories threaten to flood my mind, only to be frightened away by a very scary raven biting my fingers.

  “It’s fine. I almost shot Vince once. I can’t be too mad.”

  “Really?”

  “Mm hm. Our early days were rough. To make a long story short, we got into a fucked situation, and the dumbass let me sleep with a gun under my pillow. I had a nightmare, he tried to comfort me, and I put a bullet in the roof. Just learn to miss and you’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll try.” If I can’t trust my own eyes, how can I know when to miss? Maybe Corax can help? “How are you?” I nod towards her arm.

  “Oh this? You should see the other guy.” She halfheartedly jokes. “That’s actually his arm over there.”

  “I don’t think I want to know the full story.”

  “Fair. Hand me another beer, would you?”

  I hand her another beer without opening it just as a knock on the door interrupts us.

  “Cass? You in there?” Lucas’ voice comes from the hallway.

  “Lucas!” Cassie jumps to her feet and pces her beer on her dresser in one smooth motion.

  She opens the door to reveal Lucas with a short man I’ve never seen behind him. The unknown man has his hand sitting gently on Lucas’ shoulder. He’s far shorter than Lucas, but also looks far stronger.

  “Hey, is Vince around? I need to talk to him.”

  “And here I was thinking you were going to finally introduce me to Ethan.”

  “Sorry, I will soon.” I can’t figure out what emotions are in Lucas’ voice. It’s a mix I’ve never heard from him before.

  “I’m just teasing. Him and Ivy are grabbing food. They’ll be back any minute. Speak of the devil.”

  It takes a few seconds before I can faintly hear two people coming up the stairs. That must be them.

  “Why does everyone keep calling me that today?” Vince’s voice confirms my guess.

  “Hey, can I talk to you?” Lucas turns to the hallway and asks.

  “Of course. Ivy, can you take the food?”

  After a bit of shuffling, Ivy enters the bedroom and closes the door behind her.

  JanePtinum