"And one more thing — my power. I hardly know anything about it. It's just hellish flame with which I destroy creatures," Lucien added.
"Wow, that's so cool! Can you show it?" Lily asked.
Suddenly the scene in front of Lucien seemed to shift. His old friend had also asked to see the flame.
" Didn't you see? I literally showed the flame a few minutes ago when I lit the gas stove."
"No, I was looking around the room. Even though you're a boy, you have beautiful paintings hanging almost everywhere. By the way, they have an unusual style. And then my attention was caught by that cute giant," Lily said, pointing at the refrigerator.
Lucien raised his left hand, and a flame flared on his index finger.
"Very interesting. Do you have friends or acquaintances with similarly unusual powers?" Lily asked.
"I don't have friends, nor acquaintances. To be honest — it's better to be alone right now. Family, friends, loved ones can be put in danger," Lucien replied.
The girl looked at him with surprise. Then she put her hands on the table:
"If you live like that, it's better not to exist at all than to constantly live in fear that your loved ones will die. That's foolish. We all lose dear people, relatives and friends over time, but that shouldn't dictate our lives."
Lily crossed one leg over the other and continued:
"The time we get to spend with them, we should try to make the best."
Lily's words sounded confident — like a light blow to the face. Those words brought Lucien back to reality.
"Maybe you're right, but that won't change my opinion," Lucien said.
Suddenly Lily jumped up from her chair and, pressing her hands to the table, shouted:
"You know what, let's go for a walk together! Let's drop by Ellie's and eat something tasty!"
Lucien leaned back against the oak back of his chair. Throwing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes, he replied:
"I walked enough yesterday, I don't really feel like going anywhere. Besides, you woke me up this morning."
Lily quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the exit, saying:
"Stop whining, you bore!"
"Wait, let me at least turn off the stove. I don't have savings to waste on new houses."
Lucien turned off the gas, looked at himself in the mirror and fixed a couple of hairs sticking out in different directions. Before leaving he remembered the always-hungry bird.
"Wait a second, I need to do something."
Lily lazily bent forward and sighed heavily:
"Hurry up!"
Five minutes later they were outside. The weather was perfect for a walk, though the sky was covered with a gray blanket of clouds, letting almost no sun through.
The wind was warm, the air light. The scent after rain combined with sun created an unusually pleasant smell.
They walked on a narrow sidewalk of beautifully curved stones. People seemed ready to knock you down just to avoid being late.
Lily darted a little ahead and suddenly stopped six steps from Lucien.
"Look at these beautiful flowers," Lily said.
"Hello, did something catch your eye? Let me pick a bouquet to your taste. Your young man will buy it for you," a stranger said, spreading her arms to show the whole assortment of flowers.
"We're not a couple! Maybe another time," Lucien replied.
He took Lily's hand firmly and they hurried forward, weaving through the crowd. Lily periodically glanced back at the stranger until the crowd finally closed her out of sight.
"Hey, that's not nice," Lily said, trailing behind Lucien.
"And stealing flowers from neighboring lands — is that nice? I know this man. He's a thief, but he has one remarkable trait, even a talent — he can talk people's teeth out," Lucien answered, pushing through the crowd.
Though it was an ordinary Tuesday, surprisingly many people were out. Passing by stalls with various goods, including food, they finally reached the cherished candle tent.
"Lucieeen," Ellie extended, "I hope your admirer found you."
"Hi, Ellie," Lucien replied.
Lily peeked out from behind him. Ellie didn't notice her at once — she was hiding behind Lucien.
"Hello, Ellie," Lily said shyly.
"Oh, you're here too. Just be careful — our Lucien loves staring at girls' chests," Ellie laughed.
Lucien closed his eyes. A faint warm smile appeared on his face.
"No way!" he added.
"Wow, you can smile?" Lily asked, surprised.
Suddenly they felt a touch on their shoulders. Lily flinched and turned around.
Before her stood a tall, well-built man with yellow hair falling to his shoulders. He wore a dark brown suit that emphasized his stature and confidence. His yellow eyes fixed on Lily with a piercing focus.
What immediately stood out was his neatly trimmed yellow beard and unusually smooth skin. Lucien didn't even flinch.
"Michael, learn not to scare people," Lucien said without turning his head.
"Judging by your face, you scare people no less than I do," Michael replied and laughed loudly.
Michael's laugh was overpowering, yet aristocratic and light.
Ellie rose from her chair, fixing her hair, and said:
"Since we're all together, let's have a cup of coffee or tea. What do you think?"
"Great idea!" Michael supported and clapped Lucien and Lily on the back.
"Well, we could… but I have no money," Lily said.
Ellie stepped closer and, placing her hands on Lily's shoulders, said:
"Don't worry, Lucien will pay for you."
A barely noticeable grimace crossed Lucien's face, but he preferred to remain silent.
At that moment Ellie put a small wooden sign on the table reading: "Temporarily Closed."
They headed to one of the best spots in London of those times — a cafe called Velvet Steamhouse.
The cafe was known for its soft chairs, mysterious atmosphere and pleasant aroma of coffee.
Walking down the street, Lucien and Michael barely spoke — which couldn't be said of Ellie and Lily.
"By the way, aren't you afraid of leaving your goods unattended?" Lily asked.
"See, you managed — you addressed me informally. Before, it was only 'you' and 'you'. I'm not that old — I'm only twenty-two. Don't worry about the goods, my stall is special. Nothing can be stolen or carried away from it without my knowledge," Ellie replied.
"You have an interesting life, though full of dangers. I'm even a little jealous… I never had friends, even though my family wasn't poor," Lily said, lowering her head.
"Oh, come on, it's nothing! Now you'll have new friends," Ellie smiled. "Here we are."
At the entrance the girls were met by a small group of thugs. They didn't know the girls had come with others.
"What beautiful women… Want to spend some time with us?" a voice from the crowd asked.
"No. People like you don't interest us," Ellie replied.
"Hey, bitch, how dare you refuse our boss? I'll—" one of the gang started.
"Could you step aside, please?" Michael interrupted.
Almost two meters tall and ninety kilograms of muscle gave weight to his words. Taking a few more steps forward, Michael stood before them.
"Hope we understand each other? And one more thing: apologize to the ladies," Michael said, folding his palms.
"You… we'll tear you to pieces!" the thug squealed, fear in his voice.
Michael expected a different answer. Because they didn't meet his expectations, his shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes.
"Too bad… I didn't want to use this…„ passed through his mind.
Suddenly…