11-15-2022, 10:02 PM
Raffe nodded to the whisper. “I trust you,” he answered. He didn’t need to see the proof. Nox trusted Sage, and that was enough for Raffe.
Cruz looked a little out of his element in this new environment, but compensated well enough with the kind of confidence often afforded by the insurance of wealth. Or maybe it was buoyed by something else. Menace twisted Raffe’s stomach in knots and seeped sudden tension into his muscles as they wandered the hallowed shadows of the old church. He swiped a hand over the back of his clammy neck, and shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to that feeling emanating off another.
News of strangers in the church would probably ripple naturally amongst its current denizens. Cruz didn’t stick out too badly after changing his clothes, but he was looking at everything like it was another world. If Ekeziel was still here, he would know soon enough that something disturbed his sanctuary.
Meanwhile the woman Cruz tapped on the shoulder flinched in surprise as she turned, and Raffe winced a little for the wide discomfort in her eyes to behold three strange men. He wasn’t sure of her name, but he offered a friendly smile to soften the assertive demand. It made no difference. She murmured something and pulled away from them.
“Don’t take it personal,” Raffe said as she fled. He pat Cruz’s arm. It wasn’t like the man had done anything wrong, things were just different here.
He was about to say more, but was interrupted by soft fingertips walking a line along his shoulder. You came back,” said a voice, as deep and rich as fresh honey. Shadows had a way of clinging to Ezekiel, or maybe that was just the remnants of the fever talking. As Raffe turned in surprise, all he could think about was the skull he had seen in the clouds during last night’s storms. But the face that emerged was desert sunkissed not macabre white. Soft curls framed sharp features. Raffe caught a glint of large amber eyes as Ezekiel continued his sweep around them, the touch retreating as he came to stand among them. He glanced first at Sage, and then settled upon Cruz.
"And you brought friends.”
Cruz looked a little out of his element in this new environment, but compensated well enough with the kind of confidence often afforded by the insurance of wealth. Or maybe it was buoyed by something else. Menace twisted Raffe’s stomach in knots and seeped sudden tension into his muscles as they wandered the hallowed shadows of the old church. He swiped a hand over the back of his clammy neck, and shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to that feeling emanating off another.
News of strangers in the church would probably ripple naturally amongst its current denizens. Cruz didn’t stick out too badly after changing his clothes, but he was looking at everything like it was another world. If Ekeziel was still here, he would know soon enough that something disturbed his sanctuary.
Meanwhile the woman Cruz tapped on the shoulder flinched in surprise as she turned, and Raffe winced a little for the wide discomfort in her eyes to behold three strange men. He wasn’t sure of her name, but he offered a friendly smile to soften the assertive demand. It made no difference. She murmured something and pulled away from them.
“Don’t take it personal,” Raffe said as she fled. He pat Cruz’s arm. It wasn’t like the man had done anything wrong, things were just different here.
He was about to say more, but was interrupted by soft fingertips walking a line along his shoulder. You came back,” said a voice, as deep and rich as fresh honey. Shadows had a way of clinging to Ezekiel, or maybe that was just the remnants of the fever talking. As Raffe turned in surprise, all he could think about was the skull he had seen in the clouds during last night’s storms. But the face that emerged was desert sunkissed not macabre white. Soft curls framed sharp features. Raffe caught a glint of large amber eyes as Ezekiel continued his sweep around them, the touch retreating as he came to stand among them. He glanced first at Sage, and then settled upon Cruz.
"And you brought friends.”
![[Image: Raffe-banner--scaled.jpg]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Raffe-banner--scaled.jpg)