My skin is still crawling after hearing Lucien and Anne's conversation about me. The kitchen is filled with cold, silent steel, and lonely tables mark my path as I search for Mags.

I head to the staff room, where she's collecting her personal belongings from the locker. Noticing me, she smiles and manages to cast away a portion of the gloom. "Oh, there you are! Everything's all wrapped up for the night, so we can head home."

"That's great." If only I could teleport home instead of catching the last train. Normally I don't mind the cloak of night, but I think tonight I'd rather the sun had stayed up.

I follow her to the front door as she keeps up a light conversation, voice filling the large room. "You did well for your first shift. Learning a new system and a menu in a different language can be difficult, but I'm sure you'll get it in no time."

Should I say I'm not coming back? I don't want her to feel like my leaving is her fault. I open my mouth to say something, but as we step out the door, my eyes trail a group of pedestrians walking down the street.

Nothing unusual seems to be happening outside. There's no commotion like what I heard a moment ago. Streetlights illuminate the still-busy sidewalks, city dwellers appearing as they always do, focused on racing from one place to another. Maybe I'm overreacting.

Then I look further down the street, and spot them.

Hugh and Marc stand half a block away, concealing the opening of an alleyway. A pit forms in the bottom of my stomach. Lucien is probably nearby as well. Are they still busy with whatever I heard before? Does it have anything to do with the deal Kristi mentioned?

Mags continues on and double-checks that the door is locked tight. I steal a second glance down the block.

Colored light flashes across the side of Hugh's face from a neon billboard, and a strip of Anne's hair lights up from just inside the alley. Hugh looks directly at me, then Anne peeks out, but only for a second before they both turn back to the wall she's facing. I glance away. My mouth clamps shut.

Sorry, Mags, but I can't say anything. They can't overhear, and I'm not taking any risks even at this distance.

Before I can process a suiting goodbye—knowing it'll be the last time we see each other—Mags heads in the opposite direction from the train station and waves. "See ya tomorrow!"

The word goodbye sticks in my throat. "See ya, Mags."

I hurry to cross the street after a car passes, hoping to put enough distance between me and them. It's not like I'm alone, the sidewalk has a dependable trickle of night dwellers, but in order to get to the station, I'll have to walk past the alley where I saw Hugh and the others. Retreating tail lights glow on the pavement and bitter exhaust fills my nose.

Head set straight, I fix my gaze on the curb and walk steadily towards the entrance to the train station. I do my best to blend in with the others going in the same direction, taking advantage of their bodies as a partial buffer and temporary shield. I can't draw attention to myself. If Lucien is as overconfident as he seems, I'm sure he's confident that I'll come back to work tomorrow, and he couldn't care less what I do right now.

Unless he's watching me. The cold in the air intensifies.

My pace quickens and I push ahead into a small crowd.

The spring in my step I had earlier morphs into a coil of adrenaline. I try to not break into a run, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't trying to hurry. Hair from my ponytail tickles the back of my neck and I shiver, the exposed skin at my neck becoming sensitive to the slightest touch.

I brush past a stranger and swivel my head to look over my shoulder and into a slim alleyway. The shadows crawl, morphing into demon-like forms reminiscent of the ones in the stories Grandma used to tell.

I still remember her tales, especially how real she made the characters, even though she passed away when I turned five. That was when things got worse at home. When mother insisted I become a lady instead of filling my head with nonsense. Foolish things like immortal creatures and humans who had the power to control them weren't meant for children.

But that's not what gave me nightmares when I closed my eyes. It was the fake smiles of adults who took an interest in me for no apparent reason, who treated me like I was one of them even when I wasn't.

For some reason, I expect Lucien to appear in front of me without warning. All my senses are keen on picking up anything out of place. I turn to glance at the last place I saw them, directly across the street. Just to check if they're still there.

Steady breaths. Open the flow of oxygen so I can run if—

My step falters, and the group of pedestrians leaves me behind.

Lucien is staring directly at me. Head-on, as if the people around don't exist at all. His eyes are hidden by the deep shadow of sharp brows, and he looks at me with unmoving fascination. The barely visible scowl on his face curls into a smile.

A sign in a near-by store window flashes to a bright advertisement, and a slight glow is cast across the street. Hugh, Marc, and Anne are still inside the alleyway, crowded around what looks like a fifth shadowy figure. No solid details can be made out much in the dark, their black suits even better at blending in out here than inside the restaurant.

Hugh steps in front of Lucien only to get pushed aside. Then something knocks both off balance. Anne and Marc leap out from the shadows, looking ready to pounce, but all they do is glare down the street.

An impatient passer-by knocks into my shoulder from behind and steps around me on the sidewalk, muttering about the time. I pivot to look down the street, trying to see what Anne and Marc are after. But there's nothing there.

What is going on?

Hugh turns back to where Lucien was standing—and he's gone. Vanished. Did he disappear into the crowd? I search the figures across the street, but can't find any answers, my heart racing.

It's past time for me to leave.

Oh shit, the train!

I've been standing around the whole time and now I'll be late. I can't miss my ride home. It'll take twice as long for the next train since it's night, and nothing would be worse than waiting while Lucien is out here somewhere, watching me.

I break into a jog.

"Hanna."

I gasp, my scream choked off by desperately trying to hear where that voice came from. I spin, but no one is behind me. Everyone that was headed to the train is gone now, leaving the sidewalk empty.

"Catching the train?"

I whip my head back around and he's there, facing me.

Lucien examines the expensive watch around his wrist, holding it up so the diamond-lined rim sparkles at me. "If so, you just missed it."

He looks up, and I realize too late I forgot to look away. His eyes have faded since dinner, but they're still an eerie red as they begin to glow. I'm frozen. Everything in me wants to run, and yet I'm stuck as still as a statue. My lungs refuse to breathe. I might not be afraid of death, but for reasons I don't know, I am afraid of this man.

I blink, and my eyes begin to burn again. When I open them, Lucien's irises have returned to a light hazel color.

I blink again, staring at him. Was I tripping the whole time? Maybe earlier his eyes merely reflected red light, not actually turned red.

Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down. Hyperventilating won't do me any good, anyway. This doesn't have to be as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be.

Lucien clears his throat and straightens the cuffs of his suit jacket. "Don't expect this offer a second time, but I will give you a ride home. I'd hate to have you out here waiting for the next train, and you haven't gotten enough pay yet to justify taxi fare." The odd tone in his voice has disappeared and he sounds completely normal, apart from his superiority complex. "Consider it a congratulatory gesture, for doing so well on your first day."

My eyes itch. I must be more fatigued than I thought. Take a chill pill, Hanna. He's only a regular business man, not a monster in disguise. I'm making a fool of myself.

"Yeah, that'd be great," I reply.

I think it's best to take him up on the offer. Taking rides from strangers isn't something I do—ever, but neither is having hallucinations. With how I've been acting, maybe being alone probably isn't the best idea. Especially considering the fucked up mental state I was in last night.

In fact, Lucien looks strong and confident, like he could protect me should any real demons come my way. Maybe that's what they were chasing in the alley, what Kristi needs protecting from. If so, I can't take any risks by being alone.

"That would be appreciated," I say. "And normally I don't miss the train, so you won't have to worry about this again."

"Must have been the stress of a new job," Lucien says, corners of his mouth lifting into a sly grin. "My car is this way," he gestures the opposite way of the station, "I have a private lot in the nearest parking structure."

"Right."

I almost mention how I noticed Mags went the same way, but at the last moment I remember how highly he regards her and think better of it. I rub my eyes as we walk together, now feeling silly for the earlier anxiety.

I should be feeling grateful, not afraid. After all, Anne picked me up from the street and Lucien gave me an opportunity to work at such a nice place. There's no way they can be bad.

Thoughts? Predictions?

❤️‍🩹 Siberia