All of the Vampric packed the same things. White training uniforms folded in clear bags with gray shoes. Minimal toiletries, and an extra bag. Weapons clipped to their belts, ready for anything. Scarlett grazed her finger absently along the tip of the knife, and she drew minimal blood, as her skin stitched itself back together. The Vampric soldiers had to leave almost immediately. Scarlett didn’t feel the need to pack anything. All she had were pieces of random clothing and weapons, and her oracle. She’d been texting Liveria through Silas the entire afternoon. Suddenly, her dreams felt like nightmares.
The air was cold, as she heard minimal chatter all around her. Yet, in a crowd of so many of her peers, she felt completely and utterly alone. A few days ago, she was so sure of what she wanted, it scared her to know that it’d changed.
Scarlett walked up the stairs, and into the dragonplane. There were two rows of seats on each sides, inside. Everyone looked the same, Scarlett thought. Their expressions, at least. Shocked, poker-faced, and completely deranged-feeling on the inside.
As Scarlett was inside the dragonplane, her eyes peered outside of the window. She gazed at how the red clouds of Crimsroseyn had vanished away within itself, as the darkness of the sky had washed it all away. The Vampric city that she knew. She missed so many things. A part of her even missed her old house that’d gotten burned down. She didn’t have time to say goodbye to Liveria or Silas, or Morgen and Rovert; only an oracle call. She didn’t consider it a valid goodbye or departure. She didn’t get to hug them or see the reactions on their faces. She only heard their voices. It felt different.
The dragon blew yellow smoke from its nostrils as its red wings flapped. Its body shimmered beautifully against the horizon, as its wings had started to flap. There was a carriage attached to its back, the carriage that would take all the Vampric studs to Endlaysha. Whenever she peered out the window, she wished the air could carry her away from everything. Scarlett sat down in the far back. She placed her bag off of her shoulder, and to the seat next to her. Her oracle vibrated in wonder. And as she pulled it out of her bag and put it to her ear. When she saw who it was, she tensed.
“Silas.” She spoke, “I’m sorry for not saying goodbye.” She murmured. “Don’t hate me.” The plane was about to take off. She felt it ascending into the atmosphere, the slight pressure of it going up made her sink into her seat as her seatbelt locked, delaying the inertia to pull her forward. “How’s Liv?”
“She said she misses you, and that she’ll text you if something weird happens.” Silas chuckled slightly, but then his voice went serious.“Do you know when you’ll be back?” Scarlett placed her fingertips onto the window. She shook her head. “I have an idea, but it isn’t certain.” She spoke, remembering Lucian’s words from the meeting from earlier. “I’ve been stationed in Endlaysha, which is pretty far.”
There was silence. “Mm,” Silas pondered.“Well, this is what you wanted.” He pointed out. “You should be the happiest.” Something was off with him. “Grateful.”
“But not like this.” Her lips mumbled. She could hear the voice of his girlfriend through the phone line, amongst music and others, too. She tensed. He must have been with other people. She didn’t know why she was hit with a wave of jealousy. Scarlett crossed her arms, and cocked her head unknowingly. “You seem busy.” She spoke. “How’s Orika?”
“Not busy in the slightest.” He reassured her. But then his voice went into a low tempo. “We aren’t on good terms.” Silas spoke. Scarlett couldn’t see his face but there rested a slight crease in his forehead, and he gazed at the black ink on his fingers. He studied them. There’d been a new figure that traveled from his ring finger and slightly over the palm of his right hand. It had been drawn intricately, reminded him of the flames that licked the walls of Sylvano’s, and eventually tore them down. Scarlett’s flames.
“Oh.” She said, and leaned her head against the seat cushion. Somehow, she imagined it to be his chest. She played with the piercing at her cartilage. “Well then...” Scarlett pondered, as she tucked her head in. “Why?”
He shook his head slightly, even though he knew Scarlett couldn’t physically see him. “I don’t know, Scarlett.” Silas then shrugged, “maybe because we almost had sex?” His voice was blunt. “Maybe because I can’t get the thought of you on top of me out of my mind, and whenever I look at her, I see you. I'm tired of ignoring the feelings.”
Scarlett knitted her eyebrows together.“No.” She said, “This isn’t all my fault. And that isn’t fair.” Scarlett shot back at him. What was that supposed to mean? She didn’t have the time to talk about it or think about it or fantasize about it. She had to put her romantic life on hold.
“I helped you with your addiction last year, and we grew close. I had feelings, but I ignored them and got with someone else after you rejected them. But then, you kissed me. You started this. That one night in your room. You kissed me, and looked at me like you wanted everything to do with me. And then you ignored it. For weeks. And then in the bathroom after your mother died you felt vulnerable and sensitive and you came to me and I comforted you like you were precious, because you are. And then you got on top of me in the bathtub and I can’t get over that, Scarlett. I won’t.” Silas admitted. “You always run.” Somehow Silas always managed to dig deep within her and find her
