Leave

“Anything?” Longinus asked in his usual clipped manner. He definitely didn’t mince words, that guy. I had barely set my bag down before he spoke.

I shook my head as I dropped into a chair, pulled my knees to my chest and draped my school sweater over my bare legs. Resting my cheek on my knee I fixed my gaze on the tapestry of the Tree of Life - or Ygdrisyll, really. The world tree.

Silence waited until I lifted my head and looked around. “What?”

“Tell us,” Knowles said from his shadowy corner.

“There isn’t anything to tell. I stayed out most of the night, and I watched. I watched and watched and watched. I’m telling you - there was nothing.”

Knowles didn’t blink, didn’t breathe. Just stared.

“Really,” I finally said. “Nothing happened, no one showed up - no creepy gray guy on a creepy gray horse.”

“But?” Knowles prompted. Sometimes I hated him. Seriously. He would stare me down until I gave in. I decided to save myself the trouble.