A year from now we'll all be gone

All our friends will move away

And they're going to better places

But our friends will be gone away

He'd done or said something wrong, that much was obvious. The nice thing about his sisters was how easily he could tell they were upset, since they literally changed into spirits and skeletons (so weird) when their emotions ran high. Zero frowned as Tae's edges flickered, then faltered, then began to disappear entirely. Desperate confusion filled the boy: he would have expected the thought of Grusha to calm the twin, not upset her more. Had they fought? Did he have to track the skeleton down and make her apologize?

Man, he didn't want to. That sounded like it should be Ma's job. But Ma was gone, and Gaucho was busy, and Zero was the grown-up now.

Zero tried not to flinch as the young wolves suddenly stood, their angry glares fixed on him- and then he tried again as Tae snapped at them, her voice so harsh. Weren't the dogs supposed to be her friends? Zero thought of Iso, or Själ, or Mesec or Zahra or really anyone else he knew with a companion. Had any of them ever seemed so angry with their friend? Well, yes, one of them had. The more he thought about it the more he realized Ma had never once been nice to Kygo in front of the boy. Is that where Tae's attitude had come from? Watching their Ma?

Had Ma somehow done the opposite of everything she'd wanted, and encouraged her children to be mean to their companions?

He didn't want to think about it too hard. That would mean Ma'd done something wrong, and right now the boy's faith in his mother couldn't afford to take anymore hits.

Then Tae decided to explain her sadness, and Zero felt his smile fall. I don't know where Grusha is. So I guess it's just you and me.

Well, shit.

To Zero's credit he recovered quickly. He smiled again, silver eyes bright as he lowered his head to look into Tae's eyes. "Oh, 'course, silly me!" the boy began, trying to sound cheerful as his mind struggled to come up with a plausible story to feed his sister. Inside he was frantic - how could Grusha be missing, too? But the boy was so exuberant normally, that on him anxiety just looked like a little extra excitement. Besides, there was no way he was going to let Tae know how worried he was. He'd do anything to keep her from feeling that same sinking grief which had filled him these past weeks. Anything to get that sadness off her face.

"That's what I was gonna tell you, actually. See, Ma had to go away for a little bit on a top secret mission." Yeah, that sounded good. "An' she took Skels with her 'cus she said... uh... well, she would'a been lonely otherwise. But!" he continued cheerfully, "She wants you to know that she loves you a whole ton and that she knows you're extra brave and strong, an' that's why she needed you to stay an' help me take care of the Throat, ok?" It was a desperate play, a stupid lie, one that would fall apart quickly were either Grusha or Ma to return, but the boy told it with a sincere gusto, his expression carefully fixed in an encouraging smile. If Tae bought his story it would give him time to hunt down the other twin.