Thorns & Wildflowers

City, the

o the pitted asphalt below. Puddles c

ds brushed against plastic-half a box of expired rice balls. The packaging bloomed with condensation,

h of the alley. Pitter-patter.

r th

leader held up a phone, squinting as t

voice piercing the gloom. "Right a

rned his head, presenting only t

Did you cat

'em! They're

eing this, chat? The half-wolf from the Old Town-the o

used to belong to some mega-corpora

roup, yeah. A w

doing digging

ne kicked the dumpster, m

d the second rice ball into

gh the air, striking his shoulder

trickle crept down the bridge of his nose, the copper tang

hird

ched it out

looke

her oversized hoodie. Her soaked, flaxen hair clung to her cheeks. The sleeves swallowed her hands, leaving

red at

u think you

er up and down. "Non

er hoodie pocket. After a moment of rummaging, she pulled out a plastic

the bag o

e. E

omach growled. It was a loud, hollow r

said softly. Her stomach

o take it. His fing

, filming. "Oh, look at that! Someo

r erupt

oed from the far

the synchronized, heavy thud of combat boots crush

His legs were numb fr

hind him. Her wrist was so frail that

un

uh

un

leader glanced back, nearly

eets of muddy water. Their frantic footsteps scr

e other end didn't break

xe. The rain slicked their uniforms, stretching the fabric taut against the heavy contours of muscle beneath. The man out front

d, baring his teeth in a g

ack. His spine locked straight, his

thing to do

commanded, waving a dismissiv

ehind Cain's shoulder, rai

here to k

n at her. Her chin ba

rl, if you want t

alking right up to the line of thirty men. Her soaked hoodie clung to her f

N

r's brow

s mi

e storm suddenly intensified, pelting th

a roar of laughter. The thirty men joined in, their mocker

With what-that half-

l didn'

fted h

ound, not a tremor-but a sudden, viole

ted from th

e cracks in the asphalt, tore out from the mortar of the

, each spike as long as a finger, t

ty t

y thr

e se

ere was only the wet, heavy sound of con

ntly swept away by the deluge as

ed itself shut, smooth and unbroken, as if nothing had ever happened. Only the me

, his back drench

l turne

lear and calm. Rain rolled off her chin, and as she

r small nails framing flushed, red

ound n

She tilted her head. "I'm no

own at the flattened, mold

d it into his mouth, che

Let'

, her pale lips

The girl followed, stepping exactly where he steppe

s your

.

just call

.

ere are

.

hungry? I stil

et, her fingers swirlin

e you all

swiveled backward, locking onto the direction

l didn'

keep pace. Her shoes were waterlogged, sq

he back door of the

ed into the earth

Their petals, thin and fragile, were pierced

e saw