Hilda’s smile grew impossibly warmer at Ferdinand’s statement. “Thank you. The extra help will be needed.” She watched him place his supplies on the floor, then slowly headed back toward where Thayva waited. “We haven’t really needed more, though, until now. We’ll have to bring it up to him or Thayva.” She gave a sad sigh. "But they've been a lot tenser than usual. More stressed. Perhaps it should wait until we get closer to needing to replenish our stocks." 

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	Kia groaned and flopped lifelessly on the rooftop. “Do we [i]have[/i] to move?” she muttered into the shingles.
	“C’mon.” Laya stood and kicked her lightly in the side, before she heard a commotion on the balcony below them.

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	“Leave!” Nick hissed to Jorn as Aurelian said “Run!”
	When the human bolted past them to the door, Nick made to follow, but then Aurelian tripped. Nick gave a surprised shout as he stumbled over the human, then landed on top of his friend.
	Above them, the heads of Laya and Kia peeked over the edge of the rooftop, peering down at them a moment before Belle joined them.
	“Nick?” Laya’s eyes went wide.
	“Aurelian!” Belle’s cheeks flushed and she pulled back onto the rooftop, disappearing from sight to those below.
	“Well, if it isn’t Jorn!” Kia said through a guffaw that echoed around them, as if having three boys listen in as they spoke about them was as far from embarrassing as possible. “You little eavesdroppers!” She rolled onto her back, her laughter intensifying at the mortified expressions on her friends’ faces. She could all but read their thoughts: How long had the boys been there for?