The light at the end of the alleyway was falling fast--Hawk sprinted to the railing that blocked the alleyway off from the empty space beyond.

"I donno, sunshine," Teige said, after a moment, with what sounded like great effort. The noise hissed in strange shapes around Hawk's head as he hoisted himself up onto the railing, wings unfurling. "But I don't really wanna die, if 'm being honest."

The stars had risen in a deep violet-blue sky below Hawk's feet. He had a sudden, intrusive memory of flinging himself from broken pavement into a bright blue afternoon sky.

He jumped and immediately plummeted thirty feet into a thick copse of dark trees and unkempt grass, into a royal-purple nighttime, the noise shielding his head and Teige's.

"You ain't gonna die," he said, with a strange calm.

His open wings slowed their descent but Hawk still landed heavily on one knee, up to his stomach in thick grass. Teige's eyes were nearly shut, but at least they were still glowing.

A different purple light was falling into the copse at Hawk. He started, then, when a voice said haughtily, "Honestly, I'm surprised it got this far."