The Sciell

Darklings spilled out of the Academy. The confined hole became louder and more crowded. He’d earned the right to be annoyed with darklings unnecessary rudeness and dark humor.

He was never that bad. The racket they kept up made them sound like their own crowd.

A male darkling pulled up the skirt of a passing female and smacked her bottom. Vayle slapped the back of his head. The darkling gave him a pathetic excuse of a glare. Vayle stared at him unblinking. Screaming, they all jumped in the river.

It was poor design on Iniquity’s part to build the Main so small and over the river. Residents had little room to walk without getting wet. The crowds always forced someone into the river. Today, the stone bridge crossing the water had so many Del’Praeli, most resorted to either diving in the river or jumping over it.

This area always flooded when it rained, so did the shops. What sense did it make building a village across a river? Sometimes he thought Iniquity arranged Raesul to be infuriating to the residents. Iniquity never had these problems. They lived in a cavern well outside the village and away from the water.

The Main’s noise drilled into his ears. It had been a mistake to stay here. Enclosed spaces sickened him. The smell wafting from the Butcher’s was delectable. But, combine it with the scents and sounds of the Del’Praeli and the waste coming from the Outhouse in the second circle and the air became too thin.

Vayle retreated between the Academy and the Furniture shop, emerging in front of Shade’s place. He took great gulps of the clean air.

He hadn’t meant his escape to lead him to Savage Hall. He could visit. No. Shade wasn’t home.

This three-story cottage with the rounded front, tall windows and slanted roof sat empty for years before Shade moved in. No one talked about it. No one went in it. Vayle never knew why it remained unoccupied so long. He convinced Iniquity to let Shade live here at a reasonable price.

Not once since she moved in had any Del’Praeli stolen in to hurt her or worse, which happened too often when she lived with her parents. Iniquity called it Savage Hall. The name didn’t fit. Shade liked it.