Even though it seemed that everything more or less was worked out and things were happier, the next day was a total and utter mess.

Fern fainted twice, pushing herself way too far after what had happened to her, which sent Soldrè into a mood. The two were then indisposed in the garden for the best part of the day as Soldrè ordered her to stay in the shade, sitting right next to Annonaceae Atemeoya as she read a book, a hand toying with a few leaves at all times.

Zack was hard to control all day, it was obvious that there would be a storm that night once again, something Meris wasn’t looking forward to, especially if it set Icarus on edge again and spark a fight which would pull them apart once more.

Telri whinged for the entire day, Domire got sick of her quickly and locked himself in their room, not letting Telri in even to get the book she was reading nor for Zack to have his nap. It wasn’t until Icarus swore that he would break down the damn door that Domire finally opened the door sometime in the late afternoon at about 4pm.

Which was about the time a scream was heard from downstairs, and Telri’s frantic cries reached their ears alongside it, and Melri ran downstairs to discover a neighbour was witnessing Zack rip apart a once live bird apart in his mouth.

Telri ran upstairs in tears, half about to throw up from the sight of the bloodied feathers everywhere and the way Zack had blood all over his mouth, and also with the thought that their neighbour was going to pull a gun on them for being exposed as freaks, and all because she couldn’t even keep an eye on a five year old for half an hour. She ran screaming from Icarus as he tried to find out what had happened, trapped up in the house as his wings were still exposed of course, with the fear that he was going to hit her for what had happened.

In the next moment Meris was finally back in the house, a bloodied child in her hands as she tried to swipe the feathers away from him and convince him what he had done was wrong. Or at least wrong in public, it wasn’t his fault at all.

“Bathe him!” she demanded at Telri, and then Domire as Telri was crying too much to comply.

“He caught a bird.” Meris explained to Icarus with a sigh. “…And was eating it…when a neighbour saw…”

Icarus closed his eyes with a groan, what excuse could they tell anyone about that? In the next hour the child welfare could be knocking on their door…the neighbour could be thinking god knows what, that they were bringing up the children to kill animals as sacrifices to their god of who knew what…and he rested a hand on Meris’ arm, squeezing lightly in a brief form of comfort, one they had shared only few times in their years together.

“We have to move.” He shook his head sadly. “…I’m sorry Rissy…but…we really can’t stay around like this. …Zack’s getting worse and we need to get him to a place where he can grow up without getting us all killed for something he can’t help…we could all get found out for this, you know…”

Meris nodded in silence, her mind flicking slowly through ideas.

“I know…” she finally replied, and moved off to see how Zack was, leaving Icarus to his muse of where in the hell they could disappear off to, and how soon.

“How’re you going little guy?” Meris asked Zack and Domire together, ignoring Telri as she sniffled in the corner of the bathroom.

“I think he’s hungry.” Domire replied dryly, showing Meris as he went to wipe away some blood from the side of Zack’s mouth, only to have the freakishly sharp teeth snap at his hand with surprising accuracy.

“…Guess he’s growing up.” Meris sighed, taking a seat beside the bathtub as she took up a wash cloth as well, Zack smiling wolfishly at her as she joined their game. That’s all it was to him, just a large joke with all attention on him. He loved it.

“Is he going to attack one of us?” Telri asked in a shaky voice, and Meris had half a mind leaning towards not bothering to answer the girl.

“He could.” She eventually answered truthfully, her voice a little cold. “…But I don’t think so. He has a sense of family with us…We’re not prey.”

“What if-”

“Not now Telri, okay?” Meris finally snapped. “Just not now!”

With a dramatic sob Telri fled the bathroom, bumping into Icarus and screaming before she ran to her room, Icarus swearing under his breath about her.

“Ignore her.” Meris sighed, knowing he had stuck his head around the bathroom door even though she hadn’t looked. “She’s just attention seeking.”

Icarus shrugged it off, already not interested. “Where’s Drè?”

“In the garden with Fern, I think.” Meris managed to capture Zack in her hands and held him firmly still while Domire took the chance to wipe the blood, feather bits and gunk from the little boys face and mouth. “But he’s in a horrible mood.” Meris warned. “…Don’t let a fight start Ru…” she added, in her own way pleading with him without sounding as if he wasn’t.

“I won’t.” he replied, and was gone, Domire listening slightly.

“Is this about the move?” he asked after a short silence, hoping he wouldn’t make Meris all the more frustrated as she was starting to lose her grip on the finicky child, who still thought this was all a game to everyone, one he hadn’t managed to win yet.

There was a pause. “…How do you know about that?” she asked quietly, they hadn’t told the children yet.

“I overheard you tell ‘Drè and Fern.” Domire replied truthfully.

There was another long silence. “…I don’t know what he wants to speak to ‘Drè about Mirey,” Meris finally replied. “…What do you think about the move?”

Domire shrugged, scrubbing away at Zack’s hands and making him laugh as the scrubbing brush tickled his palms. “I guess it would be okay. Some things just have to be done even if you don’t want them to, right?”

“That’s true.” Meris nodded slowly, then swore under her breath as Zack escaped and nipped her hand. “Zack, quit it!” she raised her hand as if to slap him (although she hadn’t once yet) and he recoiled, hitting his head on the tiled wall behind him and instantly bursting into tears. Meris cooed over him and offered out her hand which was seeping blood slowly, and let him curl up against her arm as she rubbed the back of his head gently, the distraction allowing Domire to finish cleaning the little boy finally.

“Why don’t you want to move?” Domire asked casually, getting a towel from the back of the door and wrapping Zack in it as Meris lifted him out of the bath, making him giggle.

“I just don’t like so much change in my life all the time, I guess.” She answered truthfully. “We’re settled here, and I finally like out home. …But you’re right…and living out in the rural area will be better for you three once we’ve all had to go back home.”

Domire nodded and remained silent as he took his little brother like figure back to their room and dressed him in fresh clothes, Meris disappearing to see if she could find out why Icarus had wanted to speak to Soldrè so badly.

Things were changing and although Domire was in the background for most of it, from now on he would make sure that he could do everything he could to help it all go well.