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Liam woke to a question dancing on his lips.
Why had he not dreamt a single thing last night?
For most people, a lack of a dream wouldn't be anything to worry about. However, when your boyfriend could literally manipulate dreams, it was concerning to not have a single one that night. Liam dreamed every night. This was a problem.
Rationality argued that Russell must've been too busy to enter his dreams. The hybrid doctor had a busy schedule. He would deal with everything from kids with runny noses to bullet wounds which messed with the scales of life and death. If Russell were too busy, then he must be tired, and Liam needed to fix that.
The bandit climbed out the window of his room - the easiest way to avoid having to talk to his father. His fox ears twitched at every little noise in the loud morning air. He could hear his grandma sitting on the porch rocking chair, likely trying to calm the newest addition to the family.
Venompeaks was more hectic than usual. Liam knew why - all hybrids especially knew why. Today was the day human and hybrids were packing up to move to Blindhollow. Virgil Holloway was promising safety for anyone who wished to move to his town, aided by the watchful eyes of his mercenaries.
Liam had given up arguing with Russell about why he thought Blindhollow was a bad idea. He didn't like fighting with the winged man, but they couldn't see eye-to-eye on the situation. Russell was loyal to Mr Crawford, which led to a bias and clouded judgement on Mr Holloway.
Liam just wanted his boyfriend to be safe, even if it meant they would always be living on the edge--
"Virgil Holloway isn't a hybrid," Liam rolled his eyes, swinging his feet from the wall he sat on. "He doesn't know what it's like for us. He's trying to do what's best, but maybe he's not the right person to do it."
"He's had my input into the idea the whole time. Ms Zupan's too," Russell argued, his hands occupied with grooming his wings. Liam didn't like how they always ended up with crooked feathers whenever Russell had a meeting with Mr Crawford.
"Yes, but have you thought about what Crawford will do when he finds out that half the people of his town are staging a mass leave? He's got powerful allies, Russ. I don't want you getting hurt."
Liam placed a hand between his shoulders, feeling the muscles relax under his grip. It was worrying how quickly Russell became complacent these days.
Russell hummed in agreement. "Maybe you're right. I- I should get back to Mr Crawford before he notices I'm gone."
Liam offered to walk him back. Russell was quick to decline.
Liam replayed that conversation over and over in his head. Despite the many attempts to solve the issue, he had yet to find a solution. Russell wanted to move to Blindhollow today. Even if he didn't believe in the idea (at all, he might add), Liam still wanted to help his boyfriend.
Crawford was a bad influence on Russell. That needed to be stopped.
That's why it was no surprise that his feet had led him to Manuel Crawford's mansion. One of the back windows, particularly. The room was Russell's bedroom and currently housed him and his tutor, Dr Lionel Chevalier.
A prison cell for them both. Liam knew the truth.
The window was ajar. Strange. Crawford did not let them open the window, only if they were emptying bedpans or shaking the dirt off their bedsheets. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze, enticing him inside as if to lure him to his doom.
"Russ, I've changed my mind," He started, pulling himself up through the window. "I'll help you get to Blindhollow."
As he swung his legs over the window frame, Liam noted that the room housed one less person. Russell's desk was a mess of strewn papers and books, scattered as if moved in a hurry. The opposite of his neat workspace.
"Russ?" Liam could feel his heartbeat thumping against his ribcage.
"May I help you, young man?" Dr Chevalier asked, his face showing no recognition of him. Russell had told him that his mentor was struck by a cart - on purpose - which had left his mind jumbled and confused.
"Where is Russell? The man who lives here with you. He- The doctor. The- The hybrid with the wings." Liam knew that he was supposed to stay calm. He couldn't help the anxiety that dripped into his words and mannerisms.
"Russell, that's a nice name," Dr Chevalier smiled weakly, his hands fiddled gently with something brown. "He- I think he left last evening. I told him it was too late at night to buy supplies, but he insisted he had to go."
"Go? Go where?" Liam asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"He said to give this to Liam," Dr Chevalier handed him the object. "Can you make sure Liam gets it? I can't leave my bed, I'm afraid. He was remarkably insistent that he got it if he came looking for him."
Liam knew what it was before his fingers even closed around the tip. It was a brown vulture feather. The stripes down the vanes alternated in colour; it was so clearly Russell's. He didn't know any other winged hybrids.
"Y-Yes," Liam nodded, tucking the feather into his shirt pocket. "I'll go now. T-Thank you."
He made sure to shut the window after he left. His thoughts were racing with fear. Where had Russell run off to in the night that was so important? What was he writing down in such a hurry? Had Crawford...
Had Crawford done something to him?
Liam needed to get to Blindhollow. Right now. He knew his parents were already offering to protect those who were leaving. He usually disagreed with their views, but it seemed this time would be different. Leaving with the emigrating hybrids was his best chance of finding Mr Holloway.
Because this was obviously all his idea.
"Are we moving to Blindhollow, too?" His younger brother had asked, glancing at his brother over his shoulder. His bull horns stuck through his shaggy black hair; he tried to keep still so Liam could brush the knots out of it.
"No, mate," Liam smiled, raking the brush through slowly. "We're all staying here to keep everyone safe."
"That's so nice of you!" His younger sister had cheered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "When everyone is safe in their new home, will we go, too?"
Liam hummed, running a hand through her blonde hair, "Maybe, we'll have to wait and see."
Everything was happening so fast.
Liam's entire family - minus Isabel and their grandma - were helping to load wagons and provide people with the ammunition they might need to protect themselves. Barely half of the townsfolk had taken off before the sheriff of Venompeaks was alerted to what was happening.
Someone had told Liam that Mr Crawford and his cobras were out of town on a bounty mission. That didn't make the situation any easier, though.
Liam's expertise in a shoot-out was minimal. He had crouched behind the post office to provide himself with some cover, popping his head out every so often to fire at the enemies. He didn't want to think about how fast they killed his younger siblings. At least it was quick.
Hopefully painless.
One minute he was shoving a young woman out the crossfire of a pistol, the next, he had a sharp pain in his abdomen. It was cathartic to know it had passed cleanly through him. Liam tried curling around the wound, but someone had begun to tie his wrist in front of him.
"Stupid mutt," They had sneered, pulling him to his feet harshly. "Get 'im on the gallows with the rest of 'em. He won't last long balancing on the beam, and maybe a collar-like rope around 'is neck will do 'im some good."
Execution. The traitors of Venompeaks were made to stand on a wooden beam, barely wide enough to fit their toes. With a noose around their neck, the incentive was not to fall off. Fatigue was a strong force, though. Everyone would succumb to it in the end.
Liam was grateful for the knife concealed in his pocket.
When the last guards left, he brought the knife to his neck and cut the rope in two. His knees roughly hit the wooden planks below him; they were too numb to register any pain.
He couldn't bare to look at those who failed to escape like him. His mother and father. His two oldest siblings. All of them. Gone. Just like that. His neck was sore from rope burn; his side ached from the bullet wound. He had to get up and run. The guards would be back any minute, and he needed to hide in an alleyway until he had more energy.
His feet felt heavy with every shaky step.
The dark alleyway greeted him like a cold embrace.
Maybe he could rest for a little while. An hour. Max. He would lay low until he could feet his toes again. After that, he would find Virgil Holloway and threaten him to take better care of his townsfolks. Liam's back slid down the wall until he sat on the filthy ground. His eyelids felt heavy.
Just an hour.
Then he would find Russell and make sure he was okay.
Just...
Liam's head dipped forward, and the white-knuckled grip around his stomach loosened. He lost the battle with consciousness quickly, falling into a deep yet fitful sleep.
He hoped he would see Russell in his dream. At least he would know he was okay.
No dream came to him this time either.