A beat of silence. Then two.
She blinked, then looked away quickly, blushing at the sides of her cheeks.
"…You're so annoying when you say things like that," she mumbled.
He chuckled.
"Come on," he said, stepping past her, motioning for her to follow. "I'll show you."
"Now?" she asked, eyes widening. "Like, now-now?"
"You said it yourself," he said, pausing to glance at her over his shoulder. "You want to live, right? Well, you can't do that properly if you're going to keep hiding behind skin that no longer fits you... Princess."
"Call me that again and I'll kill you!" she said sharply.
Alister simply chuckled.
...
...
Alister led the way in silence, talons clicking with each step like faint chimes against the stone path that led out of the inner sanctum of the city.
Miyu trailed just behind him, arms folded.
