Movement No. 9
Yasmeena
Ithink I might despise my fiancé.
“This is not good,” I say, and Draven and Gemma nod. “She was a horrid nightmare to me a few nights ago, which is why Leo must have reported us for misconduct.”
“After everything Leo’s been through, he’s probably just trying to be careful,” Gemma offers, and I nod in agreement.
“She threatened me, so that makes sense. But even after that she was cruel to Una, according to Robyn. Tempest was telling Una something about Draven not believing in her?”
“That’s untrue and unnecessary,” Draven states and cracks his knuckles. “Reina, how was she for you?”
“Strange, but not too much of a cunt. She honestly came across more sheltered than anything,” Reina explains, staring down at her short, sharpened nails. If it weren’t for playing cello, I think she’d have long nails like claws. “Like she hasn’t seen much of Hel.”
“I think she’s only really seen The Cathedral, which should show her a lot of life.
Drunk people, drugs, partying, sex, but not everything.
It doesn’t show you love, and it definitely doesn’t show you history or art,” Gemma says, her brown eyes wandering like she’s peeking into glimpses of the past.
For a long while, Gemma couldn’t remember anything. Now, it brings me joy to see her lost in thought, especially with all the new memories we’ve formed together. She deserves happiness.
“I think Tempest did fine at dinner. We—” Draven points to Gemma and himself “—were on opposite ends of the table, but we didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.”
“Other than Absinthe over-explaining how we all feel about her,” Reina says before giving Absinthe a pointed glare.
The jester raises up her hands. “Hey, I was just telling it like it is.”
“Not helping.” Reina’s tone is sharp and irritable, and I hope she and Khalid aren’t fighting.
“Dinner was fine. She kind of stared at me a lot.” I look down at the floor.
“Well, you are engaged. That feels… maybe the most normal of her behaviors,” Gemma suggests and I shake my head.
“No, I mean before she looked at me like a predator, but last night it was like she was prey or I don’t know… in a trance?” I sigh, taking in a deep breath. “We mostly argue, but occasionally we’ll share a nice little moment.”
“Hopefully not too nice. Remember this is all just for show,” Gemma says, her tone soft, and I nod.
“Trust me, I’m not falling in love with someone as bitchy as her.”
Tempest walks into the conference room, and I hope she didn’t hear me. I try not to stare too hard at her, but I’m finding it difficult. Her presence consumes me, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. I don’t like her, but I find myself intrigued by her actions, and the way she carries herself.
“I wouldn’t overthink it. Now, let’s get down to business,” Draven says, his voice like a gavel on a podium, his word final. He cocks his head, gesturing to his wife. “Gemma.”
Gemma smiles politely. “I want you two to go on a hunt together.”
“What?” I ask, confusion etching its way into my features. I would’ve appreciated the heads-up from my friends.
Tempest looks just as thrown by the suggestion. “Do we not have any meat here?”
“No, we do.” Draven crosses his arms.
“Hear me out. Hunting together will serve two purposes. First, it’ll help me with step two of our campaign.
We need extra meat for a food distribution event we’ll be running in a couple of days,” she begins.
“And second, it will show you two how lupion and felion can work together, even on shared grounds.”
“You want us to hunt together to prove we can do it without killing one another?” Tempest asks.
Gemma scratches the back of her neck. “Essentially, yes. Bring the meat to Absinthe afterward, and she’ll take it to the local butcher to have it processed. We’re going to give it away to lupion in need.”
I nod. “Understood.”
“Let’s go tonight at dusk,” Tempest says, and I nod.
Rather than hunting where there might be other felion and lupion, Tempest and I hunt in the forest west of the carnival. The forest beyond the river is small, but it’s enough for us to find fish and small game.
“I hate to admit this out loud, but I wasn’t aware there were lupion in need,” I say to Tempest as we head towards the river.
The felion don’t have formal leaders, so we have no one to guarantee our needs are met.
Basic necessities on Haeresis are supplied by the government.
A simple apartment, and baseline foods like bread, pasta, and milk.
These things work well for those who eat like that, but for predators like the lupion and felion, we need meat. “I figured your pack took care of you.”
The twin moons illuminate the water, creating a dark, twinkling effect.
“Well yeah, but there are packless lupion,” she explains.
“How did they become packless?” I ask as we step onto a small bridge, crossing over the river.
“Some of them were born that way, others came here seeking refuge from other continents, forced to leave their back.”
Seeking refuge, just like Khalid and me. The felion and lupion are more alike than we want to believe. “Were any like… banished?”
“Yeah, exiled members of packs typically move to a different continent to avoid direct conflict, so you’ll find a decent amount of them here,” she says.
I can’t imagine being exiled from your entire support system.
Felion are a bit more every cat for themselves, but we at least try to take care of our own.
We definitely take care of our families, but that’s all we’re used to.
If I spent my entire life knowing and believing that an entire pack of beings had my back, it would be pretty heartbreaking to lose.
There is a thicket of brambles, and Tempest reaches out an arm, helping me through.
She stares directly at my face for a moment. “They typically have to do something horrible to get exiled,” she explains, as if reading my mind.
“So we’re dealing with violent individuals?” Goosebumps prickle down my arms.
She laughs, the sound coming out a little maniacal, somehow finding humor in my anguish. She turns her body, shifting so that her face is within a hair’s breadth of mine. “Are you not a violent individual?” she asks, rage seeping into every letter, every word.
Shock flows through my body, and I inhale, my breaths staggered as she backs off from me.
I was hoping we could use tonight to learn how to get along outside of our apparatuses, and that we could transfer the new connection over into our rehearsals, but now I’m not sure.
We don’t even need to become friends, we just need to be neutral enough to pull this whole engagement scheme off.
We’re silent for what feels like an eternity as we continue through the trees. I wait until I think she’s calmed down before I try to speak again.
The entire reason for this turf war between our species is that we’re all fighting for hunting territory; maybe I can bring it up, ease some of this negative energy festering between us and transform it into something more positive.
Our common goal. “Do you think this war will have long term effects on your people?”
Tempest shrugs. “I don’t know, do you?”
“If the children—felion or lupion—don’t learn to hunt, I imagine it’ll affect our society in the long run. It could create another famine,” I suggest.
She nods. “Then we had better stop this war before it really begins.”
“Do you want to fish, or would you like me to do it?”
“With the whole cave diving situation, don’t you hate water?” Tempest asks, genuine concern lacing her features. I’m surprised she cares.
“Yes and no. It’s complicated. Even though I’m quite literally the descendent of cat nymphs, I love water.
I chose a water rune for my atra tattoo.
I just don’t like being forced into water, or compact spaces.
That’s all,” I explain, and she nods, her crisp blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight.
We’re both in long, loose athletic shorts and t-shirts, appearing very different from our usual attire.
It’s a little chilly, but we’ll heat up plenty once we actually get started.
“That makes sense. Honestly, the idea of eating fish these days makes me uncomfortable. It feels like I’m betraying Taryn.”
My eyebrows shoot up at that admission. “Are you spending a lot of time with Taryn?”
“No. I mean, we talk nearly every day, but I wouldn’t say I spend a lot of time with her.” She scratches the back of her neck. “What are you jealous?”
I almost laugh. “No, Tempest, I’m not jealous that my fake fiancé is spending time with another woman—a mermaid who doesn’t take part in romance—at that. I’m worried that you’ve divulged our secret to another person.”
She raises her hands in submission. “I haven’t told her anything about our deal. Besides, you have Lilian. You tell her everything, can I not have a friend?”
We stop at a clearing. “Why can’t you talk to someone in your pack?” Leaning down, I grab a bottle of water from my bag and take a sip.
“And how would you suggest I do that?”
That’s fair. I guess I keep forgetting how much of a prison sentence this must be for Tempest. “I’ll try and get you permission to use a phone, okay?”
“Whatever. Fine, now go catch some trout,” she says, and I smile.
“Have fun hunting squirrels!” I retort back.
“Squirrels?” Her silvery brows are furrowed, and I can’t tell if she’s amused, challenged, or both. “I’m going to hunt a boar.”
We part ways, and I realize we’re pretty far from the river now. I’ll have to hunt something else.
Walking through a patch of trees, I look up at the sky. The forest looms taller at night, the branches reaching out towards the stars. Everything feels more intense. Visibility is lower, causing every other sense to heighten. I feel like I can hear the crunch of every leaf.
I spot a creature—a helfowl—perched on a lower branch, and I move towards it. Wisps of shadow emanate from the bird, making it easier to spot.
I hold my breath, listening for the rustling of smoky feathers. My tail stills and I shift closer—close enough to see the rise and fall of its body, and hear the tremor of its heart. Head tucked beneath its wing, the small being tries to hide from me, but it is no use.
Shifting my weight, I let my instincts do all the calculations. The distance I must run, the angle of my leap. Moonlight pours over my skin, and I launch myself.
My teeth come into contact with the bird, my hands closing around the warmth and feathers, until the struggle stops like a candle’s flame being snuffed. Placing the creature into the bag Gemma provided, I continue through the forest, drawn towards the sound of familiar footsteps.
There’s something breathing heavily, snorting and huffing through some undergrowth.
Tempest silently moves between the trees, stalking her prey in a way that seems to set my heart ablaze. I am completely captivated by her, and my breath catches on her every movement.
A boar bursts into the clearing, ivory tusks flashing in the light of the moons, but Tempest doesn’t balk. No fear shows in her body language as the animal charges toward her.
For a moment, I’m almost afraid, but then the powerful muscles of her calves flex, and a clawed hand sweeps outward, as elegant as an aerialist.
The air crackles between them and ice explodes from her fingertips in a spray of white shards, ricocheting towards the beast. Her use of magic doesn’t surprise me, but I wonder how she got it. If she has to use something like I do, or if it’s innate for the lupion like it is for demons.
She flicks the other fur-covered wrist, and the ice beneath the boar is frozen solid, causing its hooves to skid on the forest floor.
I hadn’t even thought to use magic. In all honesty, being a carnie has made me soft.
Reina invites me to hunt with her, but I politely decline more often than not, choosing to eat the meat Raph provides me.
I wonder if Tempest had food provided for her, or if she had to fend for herself. Maybe that’s why she’s so good at this.
I know what comes next, and I should look away, but I can’t keep my eyes off her. There’s a snarl, followed by a snap that resonates through my ears and chest.
She straightens, dragging the beast into her massive game bag, before she closes her eyes and whispers something, almost like she’s in prayer. Moon rays paint her in silver and shadow, and she looks radiant. Sweaty and strong… and truly stunning.
Tempest’s head tilts towards me and my heart slams in my chest. “You can come out, nuisance,” she says, and I come into the clearing.
Her gaze drags slowly over me, and I swear the air between us shimmers with her lingering magic.
“You actually got a fucking boar.” My eyes widen, and I’m impressed.
“That I did.” She smiles, her teeth on full display, and it makes me feel things I do not want to be feeling. “I’ve got a meeting with Luc and my father tomorrow, so we should get back to camp.”
We head back through the forest in a comfortable silence, until we reach the river. I whine about only having caught the helfowl, and she allows me to hunt some fish before we return. When we get into camp, Absinthe is waiting for us, and we hand her our game bags with pride beaming off of us.
When we reach our tent and I turn off the lantern light, there are a million things I consider saying.
I want to tell her how amazing it was to watch her hunt, or how sorry I am we’re even in this situation.
I want to apologize for her cousin’s death too, even though it wasn’t by my hand, guilt still seeps into the cavity of my chest sometimes, threatening to drown me.
Instead, I say the only thing that feels acceptable.
“Goodnight, princess.”