Chapter 7: Rat's End

Zinnia kept her gaze transfixed on a crack in the flooring, willing herself not to engage with the other two people in the room. Distancing herself from them helped her pretend that she wasn't a half-step away from them.

Cultivators. Runners. The mastermind. The real lords who ruled from the shadows. They were all cut from the same mucked-up, gutter-soaked cloth.

Lucio whistled through the empty gap in his mouth. "Want something to eat? Got some corn so good it'll make you cry."

"No, thank you. I'm fine." Politeness came to Zinnia automatically, a kneejerk response. Vervain and Ianthe had raised her well.

Gracja squinted at her. "You're turning down the best damn corn this side of the city. Y'sure you wanna make that mistake?"

Zinnia folded her hands in her lap, tight, to keep her nerves from showing. "I ate before I got here. Do you know when Noemi's coming?"

"Loosen up! Yer way too focused on Noemi." Lucio squatted down next to her. She braced herself on reflex. "We're all friends here."

"Baby Z's always forgettin' that." Gracja stuck a lollipop into her mouth. "Always ready to bounce as soon as the deal's over. No time to hang out with her real friends, unless their name starts with a big ol' N. Actin' like she's got flies up her nose and shit." She directed her next question directly at Zinnia. "Do we embarrass you?"

"It's not like that."

"Tolerate us, then?" Gracja crunched down on the candy.

"Hey, can I get one?" Lucio held out his hands. Gracja pulled out another lollipop from her pocket and tossed it over to him. He ripped open the paper wrapper.

"I don't tolerate you."

"Ooh, I think that means she has a problem with us." His teeth too fragile, Lucio had to let the lollipop melt on his tongue.

"Please don't twist my words." Zinnia took a deep breath. "I meant that I like you guys. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm racing out the door every time I'm here. You know what it's like for me at home."

"Thing is that we don't." Gracja said. "Knowin' 'em is more Noemi's thing."

"I see what you did there." He grinned.

Gracja didn't miss a beat. "And by 'em, I mean you strays. She's got a mysterious way with you guys. No one likes hanging out with me and Lucio, but they're all over Lady Noemi. What's she got that we don't have?" Another crunch. More candy ground between her teeth.

"It's that lavvie mindlink power." Lucio tapped his hairline. "Pree sure that's how they met. They have an ear out for each other."

"That's our Pied Piper. Lures 'em right in."

"I'm not a child, and I wasn't lured in, either. I asked her if she needed help." Zinnia explained. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything further. It was bad enough that she'd let them get under her skin. She didn't want to give them more satisfaction than she already had.

"And became another one of her pawns running all over Stockbrunn. Nice." Gracja said. "How wonderful."

"Do you actually think you're not one just because you're a grower? It doesn't work that way. You're as much of a pawn as I am." Zinnia couldn't bite her tongue down hard enough.

Gracja and Lucio looked at each other, then back at her. Lucio's eyes bulged out.

Zinnia's words hung in the musky air. Her throat went dry. Why couldn't she have shut up?

"I'm sorry," she said. She couldn't look at them and their shocked(?), angry(?) faces. "I can wait for Noemi outside, if you'd prefer. I'll...I'll go and do that. Sorry."

The housemates burst out laughing.

"Shit, Z, no, don't go anywhere." Gracja grinned, her lollipop stick dangling from her lips. "We were stickin' you inna bottle."

"Oh..." They were just messing with her. A game. It had all just been a playful round of teasing.

"Sorry, you're an easy target." Lucio said. "Gracja, give her a 'pop for being a good sport."

Gracja tossed one to her. It hit her chest and fell to her lap. Red. Cherry, maybe strawberry. "Thank you." There was that automatic polite response again. Gracja and Lucio gave her hell, and yet she was still thanking them for a candy she didn't want to have. There wasn't an easy way to split it up for three people. No doubt that there'd be an all-out brawl over it.

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A/N: This is an interactive fantasy serial. Voting takes place on Thursdays through Sundays on the story's main site. The most up-to-date chapters can also be found there, but uploading will happen in parts on RRL as well.

The next post will be Chapter 7.

Chapter 13 is out now on the main site. This week, voting will end Sunday at 11:59 PM EST. Comments on the main site are especially encouraging to the author.