Wednesday Snippet - Wherever she'd been, it wasn't their realm.

Happy mid-week! I hope you're all having the week you want, that your tea is hot and your favourite snacks are at hand. I've been neglecting Chaos Songs a little lately, which I've talked about a bit, but I thought I'd share a snippet anyway. Real life is calming down and balancing out again, which is good for me and hopefully good for my writing too. I have been kinda distracted by a couple of other projects, but in the spirit of the Year of the Kappa, I need to adjust and adapt and allow for that.

So! Let's catch up with Lola, shall we?

She lay in silence, listening. It took her a few minutes to realise what she was listening for. That music. That soul-rending sound. It seemed impossible that something so poignant and powerful could have only existed in her head. She didn't think she was that creative. And she didn't think it had been the patrons. Wherever she'd been, it wasn't their realm.

There was nothing to hear now, though. Disappointment seeped into her. Maybe if she slept again...

But the door creaked open again, and Tristesse swept in with a tray. Steam rose off the bowl balanced there, and Lola inhaled the fragrant scent of fresh herbs and rich meat, accompanied by the irresistible aroma of warm bread. The smells were like a punch to the gut, sparking a sudden, ferocious hunger in her. She forgot everything else as she struggled to sit up again.

"Slowly," Tristesse said, perching on the side of the bed. "I will not clean up if you're sick."

Lola didn't have much choice but to go slowly. Her muscles screamed in protest at every movement and bright points of light flashed in her eyes as she sat up. She couldn't say she was used to the sickness that came with chaos magic yet – it felt like it hit her in new and more awful ways every time – but she was resigned to it. It was never quite as bad as repaying the patrons, anyway.

Her stomach churned at the thought, her hunger dying abruptly. She pushed the bowl of stew away when Tristesse offered it. Shit. She really had been out of it if she'd managed to forget that. She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them with a groan. They weren't calling yet, but they would, and she wasn't sure she had anything to give them.

Tristesse slid her hand under Lola's chin, tilting her head up. "Eat," she said. "You need it."

Lola couldn't deny that. She uncurled herself and took the food. "What happened to Gulnara and Rags?" she asked as she picked at the stew. It was delicious, but she knew Tristesse really wouldn't clean up if she was sick, and she definitely didn't want to do it herself. "Did I pull them along?"

"Mmm. And the Guard, too." Tristesse helped herself to a piece of bread. "Oh don't worry. Gulnara took care of him very efficiently. But I fear he won't be the last."

"Do you think they found Sonneillion?" Lola asked, her scars burning.

Tristesse shook her head. "I think they found one of the demons I freed. What is it you humans say? No good deed goes unpunished." She dunked her bread in the stew and smiled sourly. "Still, it will take the rest of the Guards sometime to track us here. Time enough for you to recover and for us to plan our next move."

Find the music.

Sweet, delicious song.

Find the singers.

Devour them.

Lola nodded, both to Tristesse and the whispers in her head.