Vanessa drug her feet in the sand on her way back to the shed, chugging off the last of her water. She felt sore all over, and was now both physically and emotionally exhausted. Inside, she changed and flopped into bed.

Startling Vanessa back out of bed, Callisto giggled. "I got cold. Changed the bedding first, and I saw your secret."

"Secret?" she asked, easing back into bed more cautiously. "Do I want to know?"

"I know what you did. You disappeared when the suns were here, but when the moons came out I found you. Far away."

"I was practicing, it's not a big deal," Vanessa replied lazily.

"Big deal to them. It's very quiet out here, did you notice that?"

"Quiet without the angels?" she guessed.

"I'm sleepy," Callisto murmured, rolling back to face the wall.

O

O

Come sunup, Knives was snoozing peacefully in his loft, dreaming some interesting dream. The barn door slammed open and a rush of dry air hit him. He lifted himself upon his elbows to see her storm in. Vanessa's boot falls met the solid floor and betrayed the anger her voice would soon announce.

But she waited, standing there with the most hateful look upon her face. Scratching his head, Knives slowly descended the ladder to face her. "Good morning to you, too."

"How could you think I was that stupid?" she asked bitterly. "I can see where you tried to cover up your trail, but you didn't do a very good job."

He played innocent, standing there, eyes wide and silent.

"What did you do to them?" she screamed in his face, breathing hot against his skin. "What was the point?"

"It would have been easier if you believed they escaped on their own; would have saved me the time of being accused of…Listen, I didn't-"

"Don't LIE to me!" she yelled, hovering so close he could smell orange juice on her breath. "River and Simon – did you kill them?"

"For your information, I let them go," he admitted, smirking slightly. "I assumed you were going to anyway. Sorry, didn't know you meant to keep them as pets," he added, leaning back an inch or two.

"It's not as simple as that; I know you!" she insisted, voice wavering. "This is the first step for you, isn't it? Tomorrow…if you didn't kill them, you sent them as a trap, you must have-"

"About that trust I was asking for…"

"Knives, you snuck into their shed in the middle of the freaking night, to let them go? And that makes you saunter around with that nasty smile you had?"

"What did you come for, Vanessa," he whispered, leaning in until his nose pressed against hers. "What do you want to hear?"

"Something I'll believe," she whispered back.

"If you interfere," he hissed, "I might kill them all."

She glared back, stern, as her face grew hot and her lip began to quiver.

"Go to Glaston, I will take care of this," he pronounced slowly, allowing her to step back away from him. "We are out of time. A cart is packed. Leave. Now."

"I don't want to kill you," she choked out, eyebrows creasing her forehead.

Knives' gaze softened. "If you don't leave, I'm afraid I might kill you, too."

Vanessa continued to step backwards, eyes locked with his, until finally she turned and rushed out.

Standing in the shaft of sunlight the cracked door let in, Knives frowned, peering out at her as she shuffled away. He stayed there after she rushed into the shack, out of sight. His eyes fell to the ground just outside, staring, letting his eyes waver out of focus. Heaving deep breaths, one after the other, ignoring the rumbling of his stomach, the pounding in his head, he simply stared.

O

O

"I want to go, too," Callisto whined, crawling out of bed as she watched Vanessa stuff things into a knapsack.

"You should stay here," Vanessa insisted. "I'm not coming back."

"Good, me too, then! Me, too! Don't leave me with Daddy."

"Daddy? Don't…Listen, if you go with me you very well might die. Or worse, they could take you as a slave, or a prisoner…Do you have any idea what that means?"

"Books told me. Angels told me. Hm, YOU told me. Going on 100, you know. I just made a decision, and I'll fight you to go."

"You'd lose."

"One kitty, two kitty?"

"You're almost a hundred, but you're still a child! No cats. Only toma. Goodbye."

"You hate children," Callisto sneered, "Especially your own."

Vanessa tensed further. "If you want to run away, do it on your own."

"At least you don't LOVE your children, LOVE love," Callisto sang as Vanessa stomped out.