everything is just shapes
The explosive sound of her own name shouted abruptly from behind her—amplified jarringly as it ricocheted against stone walls—made Aeluin launch herself instinctively into the sky, marbled wings outstretched and limbs posed long and lithe to push her from the earth. Only once she felt the chilled air embracing her, nimble paws dangling below her body, did the batling pause her wingbeats, coming to hover a few yards from where she’d jumped upward. Her heart raced within its narrow cage of bone. Her ears strained almost painfully forward, focused intently upon the faintly glowing fissure stitched into the caves . . .
A shape hurtled out of the portal, broad silken wings carrying an elegant dark-pelted frame. Another Chiroptera! And one she recognized!
“Jaenelle?!” Disbelief—shock—horror—anger—echoed in that single utterance, Lu’s facial features rearranging so rapidly from surprise to fury they ached. Piebald hackles rose along her neck, and the young Chiro plopped back down to the ground with an audible thud. Oh, yes, she recognized that face: it could only be Jae’s prying ginger muzzle pointed toward her, only those eavesdropping ears, only those judgmental lavender pearls, pretty as newly bloomed lilac yet cold as frost. The slightly older damsel had grown into her pearls only recently, as far as Aeluin was aware; that concilium stare might have still held enough of its original vision to latch onto movement, but Lu would swear that Jae knew exactly when the little batling made rude faces at her. Like some sixth sense. Well, the cymatilis brat certainly tested that theory now; she stuck her tongue out and stamped a forepaw as if she were no better than the flightless pups back at the nursery, a growl already thrumming in her throat.
“You followed me, didn’t you?!” Aeluin barked out the accusation before poor Jaenelle even had a chance to land and fold her wings. Had she been anybody else, the blue-eyed lass might have harbored enough respect to hold her tongue . . . or enough fear of the unknown to cling to Jae’s side, wondering where in the Underground they’d ended up. Except Lu wasn’t anybody else: she could only ever be herself. And “herself” was impetuous, daring—and what concerned her most right now was that Killjoy Jae had flung herself into AELUIN’S adventure, which meant the adventure was over. Why must the elder Chiroptera follow the path of her zodiac so flawlessly?! If you hadn’t noticed their scents, one might believe that Jae was Lu’s big sister, the way she constantly looked after the callow child. Saint Jaenelle. Darling, mature, wise Jaenelle, whom many of the clan regarded as some sort of angel for her good deeds. Aeluin had heard her own parents praise the russet-and-chocolate female; in fact, they’d mentioned more than once what wonders Jae might accomplish when she joined the council of Elders. Ugh. Of all the people to find the veil—it had to be Miss Perfect?!
Regardless if Jae began speaking—regardless if she’s already managed to spew a few syllables from that lovely mouth—Aeluin jumped to cut her off, teeth bared. “I really don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I’m not going back right now. No matter what!”
Chiroptera | cymatilis pearl | no home | no love | xathira