Traitors and Gods - an excerpt
“Dora?”
She dropped her hand and turned. “Aldryn.”
"What's going on?" he asked. He stood there, one hand in his pocket and the other tugging at a lock of his hair, his eyes tracking her as she swallowed down a wave of guilt.
"What are you doing here?" she asked instead. She shoved her hands into her pockets. "You're not meant to be in here."
A lie, of course. The owner didn’t care that he was only seventeen - she’d been coming here herself since she was far younger, after all - and wouldn’t care that so many people in here would hurt him. Had hurt him. She didn’t dwell on that, though, and reached out to take Aldryn’s arm.
“Outside. Let’s go.”
He gave a defeated sort of sigh and rolled his eyes at her, but didn’t resist when she pushed him toward the door. She cast a glance back at Kip, who was still blubbering over his broken nose, and then walked outside.
“You don’t have to do that, you know,” Aldryn said. He looked over her, and she shrugged. “I’m serious. I can handle myself.”
“Ryn,” she said softly. “Kid. It is far too dangerous in there.”
“Then why are you always in there?”
“That’s different.”
“It’s not. I’ll be fine Dora, really. I promise.” He gave her a wide smile, blond hair falling over his face. He was eager - far too eager for his own good - and determined, wanted in on everything going on. It would only get him hurt, and she couldn’t have that.
Not again, something echoed in her mind. She pushed it away.
-
Just a little piece to show a bit about how much Dora loves Aldryn / the way she shows it. She's basically adopted him at this point tbh
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