At this time, it was repeats of the homework help that was on at three in the afternoon and on. People ages ten to eighteen could call in to ask questions. Later, it would be the taped university courses. Most of that went over her head, but she tried to watch all of the courses all the way through, with exceptions for when the courses were really, really dull or incomprehensible.

The sound of the television and the radio overlapped, but the radio was positioned on the floor. A gentle kick sent it skidding into the next room.

She blasted off the top of the Legendberry drink and took a swig. She winced, coughing, and put it down.

She grabbed an eclair, spearing it with her hook and then eating it off of the spike.

There was a part of her that wished Edict had given it to her in person. She understood why she hadn’t—Ashley had been in a bad place when she’d run into them two months ago.

Still… getting sick enough that she had been worried for her own life had given her pause.

She wasn’t even sure what she would say or do, had Edict turned up. To say ‘you win’? No. To ask questions? No.

If nothing else, she could question Edict’s taste, sensibilities, parentage and mental state, for putting this Legendberry drink in the same bag with eclairs.

She left the eclairs alone, and focused on finishing the drink, wincing as she did so.

It was a gift. It was supposed to help. It wouldn’t be right to not finish it.

The sound of sirens made her head turn, the bottle still at her mouth.

Not coming for her.

She finished chugging the bottle, then gave the plastic its due punishment for existing by annihilating it with her power.

She would have to eat something before having her eclairs, or the aftertaste would ruin them.

More sirens. That meant something had happened. If something had happened—Edict or Licit would be there. Maybe both.

What would she say or do? Why did that matter?

She found herself pacing, and in the midway point between feeling just how weak she was after her spell of illness and the sound of the next siren, she found herself moving toward the door.

She would see what was going on. This was her territory, technically, so it was important. She would handle things, maybe talk to the pair, and she would tell Edict off for the combination of Legendberry and eclairs.

Maybe.

She grabbed her mask, recently fixed up, and put it on.

She stalked her way through the streets, avoiding the people who were stepping outside to see what was going on.