BLOOD AND BONE | rewritten

40

Folding her arms around her ribcage, Delphinium wished she hadn't lost her jacket long ago.

A cool female voice said over the intercom in a series of languages, "Do not leave any baggage unattended, for it may be stolen. Any suspicious or criminal activity must be reported to a nearby safety officer." Arlo laughed his wild laugh, prompting Finn to hush him.

It was that time of the morning when businesspeople were rushing off to work, carrying briefcases and half-gone coffees. As the team walked through the station, Delphinium watched each person pass. Some of them were hidden Needles with bombs in their bags, she was sure of it. With a hand to her bright hair, braided away, she kept her head down.

A group of three girls in school uniforms approached, likely skipping school. They were laughing at something the blonde one in the middle had said. If Delphinium squinted, she could have been her. But none of her old school friends were close enough to have been relieved when she returned to Rienga.

Behind them walked two young men, one with an arm slung around the other's shoulder. She could tell just by the adoration on their faces that they'd been together for some time. She looked away. It was painful to see others overflowing with what you could never even dream of.

Feeling out of place was not a new burden. Delphinium was back, but never really returned. Despite having abandoned her blades in the vehicle, she was heavier than ever. She did not feel eighteen. She felt ancient.

It was clear she'd crossed lines others would not think of crossing. Ditching school was likely the worst thing that group of girls had done. What would they say if they knew Delphinium had slaughtered an entire innocent Ky city-men, women and children-leaving not a single building standing?

Though she knew she no longer deserved it, she couldn't help but long for her life before. Before she was so fractured, so scared. But that was the punishment she earned for what she'd done and continued to do. Even if she was brave enough to, she would make no cry for help. She'd accepted that this was the price she had to pay.

Delphinium heaved a deep breath, trying to change the course of her thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to remember how things used to be. Those memories were poisonous. What's done is done, she remembered. How can I go back now? It was Jake's advice. He'd also told her that he burned out the person he could have been and that she should do the same.

She snuck a glance at him. Was making yourself so cruel, so unsympathetic worth it?

Arlo said something strange then snorted at his own joke, which pulled Delphinium from her mind. Somehow, he'd convinced a regretful Kane to push him in one of the carts meant for large baggage.

The locomotive was large and gold, shining under its glass housing. It was strange to see daylight after being in Kybeshi for so long. The departure time was called over the loudspeaker just as the team filed into their compartment. Choosing the least of all evils, Delphinium selected a seat at Finn's side. Even then, she kept herself from leaning away.