Flame

*

"That was beautiful, Maddy," Alex said, stacking the dinner plates with Yash's help, "I'm sure going to miss you guys when I head south in a few days."

"Why don't we all go?" Dorsey offered, and I snuck at a glance at her because voice had that too casual tone. But she was gazing at a mark on the table with too much interest to see me.

"But peace day is coming up and-" Bhask started, obviously upset at the idea his guests would leave on the city's greatest day.

"I know," Dorsey replied, "I want to go to the peace day celebrations in Griffin square. They're having a masquerade ball the night before and-"

"They're having fireworks on the harbor here! Beach parties!" Bhask implored, at a loss of how any inland city, even with a masquerade ball, could compare to that.

"Dorsey, do you-" Alex started cautiously but Dorsey interrupted him quickly.

"No," Dorsey replied softly, "But it's Blackheath's territory. I'll just feel safer there." I could see the unease in her eyes as she glanced at him, and the understanding in his.

"They're negotiating a ceasefire!" I exclaimed, suddenly understanding her unease, "Surely no one would engage in attacks now?"

"I know," Dorsey said, frowning in frustration, "I just… Come with me. All of you."

Maddy was looking upset, and took the stack of dishes into the kitchen. Bhask was shaking his head. "That's too close to the Soul-free zone," he murmured so Maddy wouldn't hear. "We have to stay here."

"Well, we don't have to decide anything tonight," I said lightly, hoping to calm the tension that was growing, "Who's for ice cream?"

***

"Sydney is Sanderson's territory," Alex explained to me in bed that night, talking low in my ear on the pillow, the heat his excuse for making sure not a single part of his body touched mine, "Dorsey doesn't trust him. She doesn't want to say anything in front of Maddy-"

"But Maddy ran from them!" I whispered back, indignant, "Ran for her life!"

"I know." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Look, I'm going with Dorsey, ok? Come to the ball with me. You and Yash. You can't let me go alone."

"I'll go to the ball with you, then I'll drive up the next day and spend peace day with Bhask," I said, turning to look at him in the moonlight. He looked unhappy.

"Tell me there's been a credible threat," I pressed, "Any evidence of a planned attack."

He could give me nothing, and he knew it.

"I've come all this way to see Bhask. I don't want to leave him alone now. We're supposed to celebrating."

He stilled looked uneasy, but made no move to cross the gap between us, meet me half way. As usual, I knew it would up to me, and bitterness made my words harder than they needed to be.

"Look, you keep Yash with you. Ok? It's my final offer."

And I knew from the escape of his sigh in the darkness that he would be settling with that.