Rise of the Night/Run of Night

Lyla watched Shadow sleep for some time. He was still recovering from all the stress his body had been through in the last twenty four hours and she was glad he could catch some sleep where it was safe.

She sighed and downed the cookies and water before getting changed into a tank top and shorts. Where Shadow had always had his connection to ice magic, Lyla was a lupus. She was naturally warm, running a bit hotter even when resting than the magi like Shadow. Most of her runners were the same, so the room was cool to offset their natural heat.

But it did concern her that Shadow might get too cold. She lightly put a hand on his cheek to check his temperature. It seemed fine so she let him sleep. She kept herself busy by updating some of the city maps she stored in the rafters. Normally the maps were used to train new runners, to get them used to basic routes.

She glanced up when Shadow began to shift around. It got worse as she watched so she could only imagine he was having a nightmare. She scooted back over to him and gently shook him.

"Shadow, wake up," she said, as gentle but stern as she could manage.

He woke up with a start, covered in sweat. He looked confused for a second, as if the nightmare still lingered. She sat closer to him, worried.

"You alright?" She asked, touching his arm.

"Yeah," he muttered, rubbing his face. "This place brings back memories is all."

"Bad ones by the looks of it," she said, getting up to grab him some food and water. "Here, you haven't eaten in awhile. You need to get your strength back." She plopped back down on the bed. "What happened?"

He stayed silent for a moment, his face dark as he ate and sipped the water. "The council wanted information."

"Did they get it?" she asked, eyeing him.

"No. No, they did not."

"What did they want?"

He looked at her. That same guarded expression was back, making it impossible for her to read him. It was so frustrating. "They wanted information about the gang. Who you and Congo and Shiva were. Where to find you. Everything."

Lyla shifted uncomfortably. What had they done to him to try and get all that? The thought left her feeling somber and the look on his face made her feel alone.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "For whatever they did."

He nodded and went back to eating. Lyla hugged her knees. They sat in silence for several long minutes.

"Why did you leave?" she asked suddenly, surprising herself with the question. It had been hanging in the back of her mind for six years. Now or never. "I know you wanted to train in magic but you could have done that and stayed with us. I... I missed you. A lot. I didn't want you to go... So why did you?"