《Will You Be Alone? After The End? Don't You Know We're All Still Here?》


 Before ~ The Man With The Plan

    ~ Before ~


    The Man With The Plan


    The pub was dark, lit only by a single oil lantern, and that turned low. Three lawyers in the corner argued softly and amiably over the finer points of ancient cases, gesturing with wide, shallow glasses of jenever as they each put forward arguments worn smooth through repetition. Two tax clerks drank their beers without comment, each comfortable in the other''s silence. The women who worked at the haberdashery down the street sat together, sipping at wine and chattering quietly about the trials of the day. And at the end of the bar, perched on his stool like an affable vulture, hands clasped around his glass, was the man in the hat. He was probably some kind of clerk, or maybe a lawyer of the more bookish variety, or an alchemist, or perhaps a scientist of some kind¡ªhe was quiet and private, though friendly enough if approached or when ordering; he spoke crisply and with warmth in his voice, his accent cultured yet difficult to place, his manner polite and his smile genuine, and the sparkle in his deep blue eyes could not be thought of as unappealing, and yet nobody spoke to him more than once.


    Not ever.


    If this bothered the man in the hat, he didn''t show it¡ªbut then, he didn''t show much of anything. Every night at around six o''clock he came into the bar, and every night at around nine o''clock he left the bar, and in the hours between his coming and his going he would order and presumably drink four glasses of malt whisky (certainly by the time he got up to leave there were always four empty glasses upon the bar in front of his stool, but it was difficult to recall him ever actually raising a glass).This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    This routine seemed to make the man in the hat happy, because he always had a slight smile on his face, and, well, he kept coming back, didn''t he? Yes, he did. Every night for over three years now, ever since the current proprietor of the pub had taken it over, and perhaps longer than that. Every night he''d walk in, go to his stool (which was, somehow, always empty for him), order his first whisky, and then sit there hunched over it, holding the glass as if it were something precious, the way his hat hung over his face making it impossible to see where his focus lay. His thoughts, too, were impossible to fathom. One might assume that he was thinking of the past, an assumption that would be partially correct. Whatever he was looking at and whatever he was thinking about, one thing was certain and set; his routine was regular, reliable, and somehow reassuring.


    In at six.


    Four glasses of whisky.


    Out at nine.


    Regular as the sun setting and the moon rising.


    Six. Four. Nine.


    Six. Four. Nine.


    Six. Four. Nine.


    Six, four, nine, every day, six, four, nine, without fail, six, four, nine, never missing a night.


    Except once. Except tonight.


    He had come in at six. He had ordered his first whisky. But it was still untouched when he rose, slowly pushing himself up from his seat, staring at the wooden shelves opposite and the nondescript bottles they held, the look in his eyes both wondrous and unsettling. He remained standing like this for over a minute, staring, muttering softly under his breath, occasionally shaking his head as if to dismiss some unwelcome thought, and then he turned and, with a small nod to the proprietor, perhaps of thanks, perhaps of apology, he walked out of the pub, leaving his untouched glass of whisky behind, never to return.


    Seven years later the pub would be completely destroyed.


    This was not entirely coincidental.

 Maya & Ashley ~ 1 ~ From Storms Come Rainbows

    ~ Maya & Ashley ~


    From Storms Come Rainbows


    These two girls, Holly thought, are trouble.


    "What are we, if we don''t help those that need it?"


    And my sister, Holly thought, is hopeless.


    "No better than those oh-so-superior Rosanthians or those addlepated Pyrians, I say. Well this isn''t Rosanth and this isn''t Pyre, thank the spirits, this is good old Targe and I say we''re helping them, and I''ll spit on you if you call me a fool, Holly Young."


    "I''m not going to call you a fool," said Holly. She smoothed the front of her dress and looked out the window again, at the two girls waiting outside. The little one was standing patiently, her hands clasped together in front of her, while the other one paced like a caged animal. "I''m just saying that these girls look ... they look¡ª"


    "They look like a couple of lost girls who''ve run into a bit of trouble¡ª"


    "Exactly, I didn''t want to say it but yes, ''trouble'', exactly, Patricia, thank you. Trouble. They''ve come from trouble and they''re headed for trouble, and trouble''ll come following behind them, no doubt."


    "Oh, you''re a hard woman, Holly Young. You''re a hard, suspicious woman. How old do you think those two are? Barely out of their childhood, I''d say the younger one''s not seen a single red moon¡ª"


    "Really Patricia, you are quite oddly vulgar at times¡ª"


    "¡ªand if they''ve seen trouble I''m quite sure it wasn''t their fault¡ª"


    "Hah! You," said Holly, pointing an accusing finger at her sister, "have been reading too many fanciful story books. Did you see that th¡ªthe older one''s hands? She''s been in more fights than we''ve had arguments, those kind of calluses don''t come from digging ditches, let me tell you. And maybe I''ll be cursed for saying it but that little one''s got the hands of a thief, I don''t mean to judge but you can''t trust an innocent face¡ª"


    "You sound like Father!"


    "Well perhaps somebody has to," said Holly. "Seeing as he''s not around to knock sense into that thick skull of yours no longer."


    "Humph." Patricia crossed her arms and turned to face away from her sister. "I think that was particularly crass even for you." She glanced back. "Why are we here, if not to help those who need it?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "To get by! To survive!" Holly held her hands up for her sister to see. "Now THESE are the calluses that come from digging all day! I for one did NOT spend last winter tearing the skin off my hands hacking through that frozen soil out there just for our turnips to be eaten by a couple of straggly strays¡ª"


    "They are human beings, Holly, please do not make them sound like animals¡ª"


    "That''s how you have to treat them! Animals! Acting on instinct! Maybe you can''t blame a dog for eating your dinner but you can sure as heaven give him a bloody good kick up the backside for it!"


    "Holly. Really."


    "Or better yet stop the blasted animal from getting near your dinner in the first place¡ª"


    "I don''t care what you say. They''re sharing our supper and staying the night and¡ª"


    "They most certainly are NOT!"


    "Holly Young¡ª"


    "Patricia Young¡ª"


    "Do not oppose me!" both sisters said at once, scowling at each other, their resemblance to one another, often easily missed, in that moment quite remarkable.


    Outside, in the cold air of the early Targan spring, another pair of sisters (whose resemblance to one another could also be easily missed) tried not to shiver.


    "They''re gonna just tell us to bugger off," said the taller, broader, older one, scowling and shaking her head as she paced up and down in front of the farmhouse. She clenched and unclenched her fists, wincing at the pain this caused. "The way that one looked at us¡ª"


    "I think they will let us stay," said the smaller, quieter, younger one, as she stood quite still (aside from the shivering). "I think they''re kind."


    "You''re a dreamer," said the older one, whose name was Ashley, before reaching out to flick her sister''s ear fondly.


    "Ow, Ash! Don''t!"


    "That didn''t hurt," Ashley stated. "Take it as a fact."


    "That wasn''t a fact!" cried the younger one, whose name was Maya. "Because it DID hurt! And facts can''t be about that kind of stuff, Ash, don''t be mean to me! I don''t¡ª"


    Maya''s expression softened as she saw Ashley suddenly grimace.


    "Get away, get away, it''s nothing," Ashley muttered as Maya came instantly to her side, her delicate hands hovering inches away from her sister''s wound, unable to help but equally unable to stand not doing anything. "It just hurt for a moment, it''s fine now."


    "We''ve got to get it bandaged up better, if you keep bleeding¡ª"


    "I''ve had worse before," said Ashley, before grinning at her sister. "Besides, you know how tough I am."


    Maya frowned. "I know," she said, her voice small. She reluctantly stepped back from her sister, still frowning. "But even though I know that, I still think you shouldn''t have¡ª"


    "Look, it''s done now, okay? We got out of it alive, that''s all that matters."


    "But¡ª"


    "That''s ALL that matters, okay Maya?"


    Maya looked at her sister, her large brown eyes even sadder than usual. She didn''t say anything, just shook her head and turned away, looking back at the door, willing it to open, for the two nice ladies to be standing there with smiles on their faces, welcoming them inside. If that happened, Maya thought, if that could just happen, if that one good thing could just happen to us here and now, maybe I could forget. Even just a little, maybe I could forget.

 Maya & Ashley ~ 2

    Maya''s birth had been long and hard, an ordeal that almost killed her mother. Ashley was just three years old at the time, but she would never forget the screams and the blood of that night. It had been terrifying and traumatising for all involved, but no amount of screaming and no amount of blood could ever create a stronger memory for Ashley than that of looking down at her tiny, wailing, beautiful little sister for the first time, and knowing¡ªeven then, knowing¡ªwhat the purpose of her life was.


    Unfortunately, the love that Ashley felt for her sister was not shared by their mother.


    "Last bloody laugh of that useless stinkin'' father of hers, ain''t she. You''re just as useless and just as stinkin'' as he was, you know that? Worse even, why''d you have to be born a girl? Couldn''t get one thing right, could you. Not even one tiny thing."


    Their mother never passed up an opportunity to speak ill of Maya. Privately Ashley thought that her mother was trying to repay the pain of Maya''s birth, little by little, cutting remark by cutting remark, beating by beating.


    "Don''t touch her!" Ashley cried, her small hands clasping around her mother''s thick forearm, easily thrown off.


    "Don''t tell me what I can do to my own child, you little scrag!"


    On her back, and on her behind, and on the backs of her legs, near the top. The places that bruises and cuts wouldn''t show. After all, their mother had her pride.


    For the most part.


    "I''m off out working. Don''t eat anything while I''m gone, I come back and find one crumb missing I''m taking it out of your sister''s skin."


    "Maya can''t find her necklace. Did you take it again?" Ashley''s voice, though childish and thin, held an anger beyond her years. Her mother just laughed.


    "So how''d you think we even got food in the cupboards? She can go steal it back if she loves it so much. You know the place."


    Maya''s necklace was old and worn, made of dozens of tiny pieces of orange stone strung together. Ashley thought it was ugly, but to Maya it was the most important possession she had¡ªalmost the only possession she had. No matter how many times their mother pawned it Ashley always got it back for her sister, no matter what she had to do.


    "It''s okay, Maya, don''t cry. I got it back, see?"


    "She''ll just take it again!"


    "Then I''ll get it back for you again. Don''t you remember your facts?"


    Over the course of their childhood, Ashley had tried dozens of tricks to cheer her sister up, to give her something other than pain and hunger and disappointment to focus on, and had eventually stumbled upon ''facts''. Maya and Ashley''s world was one in which very little was permanent. They''d moved many times, always suddenly; both Maya and Ashley knew that any night they could be woken by their mother''s drunken shouting, be forced to gather up what little clothes and items they had and shuffle wearily from whatever tiny dirty stinking room they were currently living in to whatever tiny dirty stinking room they''d be living in next. They didn''t question this, it was just a part of life, but Ashley saw the effect that this, on top of everything else, had on her sister. And so, facts. Something hard and solid and permanent for Maya to hold on to.


    Like, ''My sister will always protect me, no matter what''.


    Like, ''I am strong and tough and clever and good and that is why I will survive''.


    Like, ''Things will get better''.


    Just because something was a fact, Ashley reasoned, didn''t mean it had to be true.


    "Ashley, why are we out here? It''s cold!"


    Ashley didn''t respond, just kept her eyes focused ahead and took a firmer grip on her sister''s wrist.


    "Not so tight, Ash, that hurts!"


    "Don''t squirm," Ashley hissed, glancing back at her sister as she pulled her along the snow-covered streets. "We''re almost there, we''re almost done, then we can buy food."


    "Apples?"


    "No! I told you already! We can''t afford apples!"


    There was a moment of silence, then Ashley glanced back at her sister again and scowled.


    "Don''t CRY, Maya! I already explained to you¡ªlook, I''ll buy you a gingerbread man, okay? One just for you, you don''t have to share it with me or anything, I promise."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Maya''s expression changed instantly.


    "Really?"


    "Remember your facts."


    Fact: ''My sister always keeps her promises''.


    Maya nodded.


    "So just be quiet now, okay? Just wait a little bit longer and we''ll be done."


    They marched through the streets in silence for a few seconds, the snow crunching beneath their soft shoes.


    "Ash¡ª"


    "What?"


    "Why are we OUT here? It''s COLD!"


    Ashley grit her teeth. She was just about to turn to admonish her sister when a heavy weight struck her arm and sent her sprawling against the icy street, cold pain shooting through her. Ashley struggled to get up, her feet scrabbling against the slippery cobblestones, her young voice sounding out in a cry of frustration and pain as she slipped and skinned her palm.


    "Having trouble there, sweet?"


    Almost in tears from shame and frustration and impotent anger, Ashley managed to get to her feet, whirling around to face a large man with a pocked and pitted face. He held a long, dirty knife casually in one hand, the other grabbing hold of the hood of Maya''s cloak.


    "You let her go," Ashley growled. "You let her go NOW."


    "This ain''t like that," the man said. Maya twisted a little in his grasp, but only to get more comfortable. She was gazing at her sister, her face calm and patient.


    Fact: ''If I get in trouble, my sister will help me''.


    "Let her go," Ashley repeated, trying to keep the fear from her voice.


    "I''m plannin'' to. Honest. But first I gotta get something from you, sweet. You''re one of Mr Amon''s little messenger birds, ain''t ya?"


    Ashley hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    "Thought so. You''ve got something real important in that little bag there, don''t ya?"


    Ashley nodded again. The man grinned.


    "That''s wonderful. So I reckon all you gotta do is hand it over, and you and this one''ll be on your happy way. That sound good?"


    Ashley''s eyes flicked to her sister''s; nothing but patient trust showed in them. She looked back at the man, then reached into her bag.


    "Ooh, now, see, that ain''t but smart," the man said, as Ashley pulled out a short, sharp knife. "That ain''t but a bit smart."


    "Mr Amon trusts me to deliver his messages," Ashley said, holding the knife up in front of her. "If I don''t do it properly we won''t get paid and we won''t get any more jobs from him."


    "That''s real sad, ya know?"


    "I know."


    "But, yeah, I got the same problem you got. Because the man I work for trusts me to get that message off ya. And if I don''t do what he wants he''s gonna do worse to me than make me go hungry, hear what I''m saying, kid?"


    Ashley nodded, something like fear in her eyes.


    "So ya still keen to keep that little knife in your little hand?"


    Ashley nodded again.


    "We need food," she said. "My sister is hungry."


    "Sister, eh? Wouldn''t have guessed it," said the man, looking down at Maya, at her large brown eyes and at the heavy black hair that hung around her face, then back up at Ashley, at her short dirty-blonde hair, at her light brown eyes, at her freckled, flat face. "Wouldn''t have guessed that at all. Reckon that makes this harder for ya, yeah?"


    Ashley''s eyes narrowed as she shook her head slowly. She could feel herself getting hot, knew her face was flushed. The man laughed.


    "Can''t fault yer heart, sweet, that''s for sure." The man twisted Maya''s hood tighter, and she let out a tiny yelp. "How old are ya anyway? Seven?"


    "Eight," said Ashley.


    "Lord bless me, eight years old and holding a knife like a pro. Well, almost a pro. Real pro wouldn''t show until he had to."


    Ashley scowled.


    "Reckon you know a thing or two, though," the man said, raising his knife in front of him, twisting his hand still-tighter in the hood of Maya''s cloak. "Reckon you can see I know how to handle this bit o'' sharp better''n most."


    Ashley glanced at Maya again, then looked back at the man before nodding once more.


    "So I reckon I''ll be charitable and give you one last chance, darling, for yourself and yer pretty little sister here. Put away that sweet little knife and give me what I''m after. We all walk away happy, right? I ain''t the kind that gets kicks from cutting up little girls. Don''t wanna be having bad dreams tonight, hear what I''m saying?"


    "Let go of my sister," Ashley said. "Then you won''t have to worry about bad dreams."


    "Yeah, but, see, here''s the thing," said the man. "I know bad dreams can''t hurt me. But my boss? Yeah, I sure know he can."


    The man pushed Maya roughly away as he lunged forward at Ashley, his knife swishing through the air just a few inches away from her face as she dodged back, her feet slipping on the icy street¡ªshe fell hard on to her backside and scrabbled back as the man lunged forward, grabbed the front of her tunic with one hand and effortlessly pulled her to her feet, pressing his knife against her throat.


    "Ain''t nothing but show, eh?" he growled, his face horribly close to Ashley''s. "Reckon when it comes down to it, eight years old is eight years old, don''t matter how pro you look¡ª"


    The hard, triumphant look in the man''s eyes disappeared, replaced by one of total shock.


    Fact: ''The best weapon is one the guy you''re fighting don''t know you have''.


    The pressure of the knife against Ashley''s throat vanished as the man let her go, and she fell back against the hard, cold ground¡ªhe staggered away, clutching at his side, staring at Maya as she stared back at him, her big brown eyes sad and bright, the little knife in her hand dripping with blood.


    Fact: ''If you gotta use your knife then it''s already too late to hold back''.


    Ashley had regained her knife and her feet now, and she moved quickly to stand between the still-shocked man and her little sister.


    "Don''t talk to me about being pro," she growled, knife held at the ready. "Now run away before we give you some real nightmares."


    The man stared at her, pain clear on his face, then he took a step backwards, then another, then he turned and staggered away, dripping blood down on to the dirty snow as he ran. Ashley watched him go, then she put her knife away and turned to her sister. After running her eyes over her, checking that she was okay, she reached out to flick her playfully on the ear.


    "Ow! Ash!"


    "Clean your knife and let''s get out of here," Ashley said. "We''re gonna haveta run if you want that gingerbread man."

 Maya & Ashley ~ 3

    "Let''s go. They ain''t gonna let us in."


    "Just wait a little longer¡ªplease, Ash. They''re just deciding. Sometimes it takes a while to decide."


    "They decided soon as they saw us," Ashley said, thinking, nah, more like as soon as they saw me. "They ain''t opening that door again. Probably gone to bed and forgotten us, and I don''t blame ''em for it."


    "They haven''t done that," Maya said. Ashley noticed that her sister''s fists were tightly clenched. "They''re just deciding."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "It doesn''t take that long to decide!"


    "Sometimes it does."


    "No it don''t!"


    Maya shook her head, very slightly.


    "Sometimes it does," she repeated.


    Ashley shook her own head, nothing at all slight about the gesture. She pointed at the door.


    "If that door ain''t open by the time I get back from those trees over there, we''re heading on. We can try to find a haystack or something somewhere."


    "Haystack?"


    "It''s a farm, ain''t it?"


    "This is a vegetable farm."


    "Whatever!"


    Ashley stomped off towards the trees, scowling. If she wasn''t the best damn thing in the world, she thought, I could get really sick of that girl.

 Maya & Ashley ~ 4

    "Look, I just can''t do it."


    "Try again! It''s not so hard, just keep trying!"


    It was a couple of weeks after Maya''s eleventh birthday, and the two sisters were both sitting cross-legged on the floor, a bucket between them. Ashley rolled her eyes and dipped her hand into the bucket, bringing it up with a small amount of water pooled in it. She held it for a moment, then let it trickle through her fingers back into the bucket. Maya shook her head.


    "That''s not how you do it, it''s like this."


    Ashley watched as her sister lifted a handful of water from the bucket, not pooled in the cup of her palm but held there like a lump of clear, wobbly jelly.


    "See?"


    "Maya, this ain''t something I can do." Ashley wasn''t frustrated at her failure. As soon as she''d seen her sister lifting handfuls of water from the bucket she''d known she wouldn''t be able to copy her. Another trick, she thought, as she watched her sister form the handful into a roundish ball of water. Another amazing trick.


    "Come on, Ash, just try once more, it''s really not so hard¡ª"


    "Nah, I''m just not good at that kind of stuff, magic tricks or whatever¡ª"


    "It''s not a magic trick!"


    "So what is it, then?"


    "I dunno, just ... something." Maya dropped the ball of water she''d made back into the bucket, then swished her finger around inside it, making tiny waves that grew bigger and choppier, like a miniature stormy sea. "But if even I can do it then you MUST be able to¡ª"


    "Maya, I gotta ask, are you stupid?"


    "I''m not stupid!"


    "Then why do you always do this? I ain''t mad at you, I just can''t figure it out¡ªI can''t make waves like you can, I can''t make little faces and stuff in the water, and I can''t make water balls or whatever you wanna call these¡ª"


    "Water balls IS what I call them!" Maya said, delighted.


    "Yeah, whatever, why do you keep trying to get me to do this stuff? This is, like, YOUR thing, okay? I love watching you do these tricks, you know that, I don''t get jealous or whatever. Just keep it as your thing, okay?"


    Maya traced her fingers within the water bucket for a few seconds, apparently not hearing her sister''s words. She took another handful of water from the bucket and absently formed it into a little ball, then she took another handful and did the same with that, and then a third. She held them up in front of herself, holding the three little water balls in both hands, then she started juggling them, not quite expertly, but well enough to keep the three wobbling balls of water in the air without dropping them.


    "That''s great, Maya," Ashley said, watching her sister juggle. "Just don''t drop ''em, okay? Because¡ªMaya!"


    Maya had let all three water balls drop to the floor, water splashing over the scuffed wooden floorboards and her dress. She gazed at Ashley with an innocent expression on her face.


    "Now we gotta get this dry, your dress too, what''s the matter with you? Why''d you do that?"


    A slight smile was Maya''s only response. Ashley shook her head.


    "Ma''s gonna get home pretty soon¡ªcome on, get up so¡ª"This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Maya was holding her hands over her dress, where it had been splashed. As Ashley watched, tiny beads of water formed on the fabric, running together and joining to become larger beads, and then drops, and then a loose mass, which Maya gently coaxed into her hands, holding it there for a moment before transferring it to the bucket and dropping it in. Ashley couldn''t help but grin.


    "Okay," she said, "that''s pretty cool."


    Maya nodded happily as she did the same thing to gather up the water that had splashed on to the floorboards, held her hands over it to draw it together, ''pulled'' it into her hands then threw it into the bucket, like tossing a ball into a basket. Ashley watched as Maya finished clearing up all the spilt water and picked up the bucket.


    "You gonna dump that out now? Because¡ª"


    With a small but mischievous smile, Maya had begun tipping the bucket upside down, the water already threatening to spill out.


    "Maya¡ª"


    "Watch."


    Ashley suppressed a sigh as she watched Maya continue to tip the water from the bucket, watched as it began to pour, almost stepped forward to stop her sister before she saw that although the water had begun pouring, it had stopped halfway to the floor. Maya stood there, smiling, holding the bucket in her hands, enjoying the look of amazement on her sister''s face as she kept the stream of water hanging there. With a somewhat jerky motion, she drew the bucket back, extending the stream, creating a curving snake of water in mid-air, glistening in the fading light.


    "Maya..." Ashley''s tone had changed now, was both softer and more serious. "How are you doing that?"


    Maya shrugged, then frowned, then gasped and lunged forward with the bucket. Too late.


    "Maya!"


    "Sorry! I didn''t mean to! I just ... I slipped! It''s hard keeping it up like that, and when ... I''m sorry, Ash, I''ll clean it up."


    Ashley watched as Maya began trying to pull up the water from the floor, but whatever trick she''d used before wasn''t working now.


    "Here, shift over, let me help with that. We might as well scrub the floors while they''re wet, they probably need it anyway."


    "Sorry, Ash! I don''t know why I can''t..."


    Maya fell silent, and for a few minutes the two sisters scrubbed at the floor without speaking.


    "Hey, Maya," Ashley said, looking over at her sister. "How DID you do that stuff? That ain''t like what you did before."


    Maya glanced at Ashley. "It''s pretty much the same."


    "Uh-uh, are you kidding? You made that, I don''t know, that water was just hanging in the air, that ain''t like what you''ve done before. It ain''t nothing like it."


    "It''s still water."


    "Yeah, but¡ª"


    "You didn''t like it?" Maya''s voice was small and hurt.


    "I didn''t say that, you know I love your tricks¡ª"


    "It wasn''t a trick! It''s ... something!"


    Ashley glanced at her sister as she squeezed out her rag into the bucket.


    "Yeah," she said. "Okay. Something."


    "But I bet you could do it too if you just¡ª"


    "Maya, you gotta accept this. You''re special. I ain''t."


    "But¡ª"


    "It''s a fact, Maya."


    "It''s not! You''re special too! I know you are!"


    Ashley reached out to flick her sister''s ear, but Maya ducked out of the way, scowling.


    "Don''t!" she cried. "I mean it, Ash! You''re special! If you just tried..." Maya trailed off as she saw the look on her sister''s face.


    "Let''s just get this cleaned up," Ashley said. "And then get some sleep, I gotta do some stuff tomorrow."


    "Can I come?"


    Ashley smiled a little at the sudden eagerness in her sister''s voice.


    "Sure, why not."


    "Is it more delivering?"


    "Yeah."


    "Good. I don''t like the other stuff you do."


    Ashley''s mouth was tight as she rubbed at a mark on the floor. "Yeah."


    "I can finish cleaning up here if you want to go to sleep now," Maya said. "If you''re tired."


    Ashley shook her head, kept rubbing for a couple of seconds, then she stopped. She stared at the mark for a moment, then she looked up at Maya.


    "Maya," she said. "I don''t have to work tomorrow."


    "But you said¡ª"


    "No, I don''t mean it like that. We could just..."


    Ashley trailed off as she saw the look in her sister''s eyes.


    "Forget it," she said, her voice rough. She gave the mark on the floor one last rub, then shook her head and stood up, tossing the rag into the bucket. "You deal with the water left in the bucket," she said. "I''ll get our beds ready. Look, the sun''s nearly down already, I bet you''re tired."


    While Maya emptied the water bucket Ashley prepared their sleeping mats, then both girls lay down to sleep.


    "Ash?"


    Ashley opened one of her eyes to see her sister gazing at her.


    "What?"


    "I love you."


    Ashley reached out a lazy hand to flick her sister''s ear.


    "Yeah, whatever."

 Maya & Ashley ~ 5

    "Door ain''t open? Right, we''re going."


    "Ash, PLEASE."


    "Maya, it''s already real late, the sun''s gone already, we''ve gotta find a safe place to sleep before we lose this light¡ªthose clouds up there look real bad too, we''ve gotta find somewhere sheltered."


    "This house IS sheltered!"


    "This house ain''t gonna welcome us!"


    "But ... but..."


    Ashley glared at Maya as Maya looked sadly down at her hands, clasped together before her.


    "Maya, I know you want things¡ª"


    Ashley stopped talking as she and Maya both turned; the door to the farmhouse was open. One of the women they''d spoken to earlier stood there, the brown-haired one with the pinched face.


    "Pretty cold night," she said. "You two should get inside before you freeze to death."


    "Thank you, ma''am," Maya said, her voice filled with relief and excitement. "I promise we won''t be any trouble."


    "Don''t say stuff like that," Ashley muttered to her sister, as they walked inside and were guided to a sparse but warm room with a fireplace against one wall.


    "Suppose you girls are hungry? We don''t have much but¡ª"


    "Now, now, here we are, you girls sit by the fire and warm yourselves, my name''s Patricia and this here is my grumpy sister Holly, here''s some soup for each of you, mostly turnip and carrots but there''s a little chicken in there as well, and here''s a couple of biscuits each, now they''re a little stale but then it''s not a perfect world we live in, is it, goodness no, I''m sure you girls know that better than I do, and here''s a mug of warm milk each¡ªare you warm enough, dear? You''re shivering an awful lot."


    "I''m fine," said Maya, her big eyes bright. "Thank you."


    "How about you, dear?"


    "Yeah, I''m okay," said Ashley, her voice gruff. "Thanks."


    "Eat up, then, don''t be shy, I''m sorry that we don''t have anything more filling, two growing girls like you need their food, I know, in any case I''ve made up a bed for you both, I hope you don''t mind sharing, it was our father''s bed, rest his soul, is the soup all right? It doesn''t need heating?"If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "It''s delicious," said Maya, smiling at Patricia between spoonfuls of the soup. "I can''t remember eating anything nicer."


    "Well," said Patricia, with a glance back at her sister, who rolled her eyes, "isn''t that lovely to hear. You girls just enjoy that food, don''t rush yourselves, there''s more soup if you want it, don''t be scared to ask, no more biscuits I''m sorry to say, now why don''t you tell me, where are you two from?"


    "Unity," said Maya, through a mouthful of biscuit. She swallowed. "It''s to the south."


    "Oh, I know where Unity is, dear!" said Patricia, laughing. "Most people would, even all the way out here! And it is a long way from here, goodness."


    Ashley shot her sister a look as she slurped up her soup. Maya was nodding, her face earnest.


    "It''s really far," she said. "We haven''t been back there for a long time, maybe more than a year!"


    "Goodness, that long! Your parents must be worried!"


    Ashley scowled into her soup, while Maya simply looked sad.


    "Maybe," Maya said, looking away, putting down her bowl of soup and picking up the mug of milk. Holly cleared her throat.


    "My sister''s not going to thank me for asking this," she said, ignoring Patricia''s glaring, "but I''m going to ask anyway. Are you girls in some kind of trouble?"


    Ashley finished her bowl of soup and put it down on the hearth with a sharp clink. She looked straight at Holly.


    "Not right now," she said. Holly raised her eyebrows.


    "How''d you get that cut in your side?" she asked. Ashley shook her head and Holly sighed. "I''d say you owe us some honesty, seeing as we''re being kind enough to shelter you for the night."


    "Holly, you don''t need to be¡ª"


    "No." Ashley looked at Patricia, her young face set. "It''s okay. It''s a sword wound. I got cut a few days ago. It''s not serious, though, I''ve ... I''m not ... it''s not serious."


    "You''ve had worse, is that what you were going to say?" Holly asked. Ashley shook her head, then picked up a biscuit and gnawed on the edge. "Did you do anything to deserve that cut?"


    Ashley shook her head again and put down the biscuit. "I was just protecting my sister," she said quietly.


    "That how you got those big tough hands? Protecting your sister?"


    "Holly. You''re being rude."


    Holly glanced at her sister, then shook her head and turned away.


    "Don''t cause trouble while you''re here," she said, without looking at Ashley and Maya. "You can finish your food and stay the night, but tomorrow morning you''re gone, you hear me? And if you''re thinking of robbing us just remember that you, young lady, are not the only one with a sister to protect. Understand me?"


    "We''re not thieves," Ashley said. Holly glanced back at her.


    "Funny thing," she said. "But there aren''t a lot of thieves who''d admit to being one. Mind you don''t bleed on the sheets."


    Ashley watched Holly walk out of the room, then looked at Patricia.


    "We''re really not thieves," she said.


    "Oh, of course you aren''t, don''t pay any attention to her. You''ve just had a run of bad luck, I''d imagine."


    Ashley''s jaw clenched. "Yeah," she said. "Something like that."

 Maya & Ashley ~ 6

    "What are you two lazy little wenches doing asleep? It ain''t even proper dark out yet!"


    Ashley and Maya woke to see their mother standing over them, wearing her special clothes.


    "Don''t you two brats listen to anything I say? I TOLD you to stay awake until I got back, didn''t I? Ah, up now anyway, up now."


    Ashley was immediately suspicious of this apparent good mood¡ªas she passed by her mother she sniffed, but it wasn''t the stink of cheap booze that assaulted her nostrils, it was a perfume that was trying to imitate the scent of a rose and failing by a wide margin.


    "Ashley, you''re to stay here," Ashley heard her mother say, as she washed her face. "Mind the house and clean up a little. I''ve brought some bread home, you can have half of it if you get hungry."


    Ashley glanced back at her mother, frowning, then she dried off her face and straightened.


    "What about Maya?" she asked.


    "Maya''s coming with me. It''s about time she started earning money for this little family."


    "She already does, she helps me on my jobs¡ª"


    "Don''t bring no more money in doing a job with her along than if you were alone, do it? No, no, not that one," said their mother, snatching the plain brown dress Maya was holding from her hands, "I''ve bought you a new dress, look at how pretty it is."


    Ashley watched her sister''s face as she looked at the dress¡ªit was red with black buttons, cut short with a ruffled hemline.


    "Oh, it''s beautiful!"


    "Don''t I know beauty? Put it on now, let''s see how you look in it."


    "What kind of work is it?" Ashley asked, as Maya put on her new dress.


    "The kind that puts food in our bellies, there ain''t nothing more you need know about it."


    Ashley''s eyes narrowed. "Maya''s tired," she said. "She can''t work tonight."


    "You ain''t tired, are you sweet?"


    "No, I''m okay¡ªAsh, it''s fine, I want to help earn money."


    "See? The useless daughter turns out to be a good girl in the end, just like a story," said their mother, fussing over Maya''s hair, roughly combing it straight. "And we won''t be long, won''t take more''n an hour or two."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "No," Ashley said, stepping towards them. "Maya ain''t working tonight."


    "You''d best shut your mouth, Ashley Thompson. You ain''t bigger''n your ma, not yet."


    Ashley stood there, fists clenched at her sides, glaring at her mother, watching her prepare Maya for work. After a few seconds her mother glanced at Ashley again and laughed.


    "Oh, don''t be jealous now, grouch. You''re doing well enough with your little jobs, Mr Amon''s treating you right good, just because you ain''t pretty enough to work like your mother¡ª"


    "Shut up. Shut up and get away from my sister." Ashley''s voice was low and dangerous. She could feel herself getting hot, felt her face flush, her palms itching. "She ain''t working, not like you do."


    "Would you listen to your fool of a sister," their mother said to Maya, as she pinched her cheeks hard. "She doesn''t know WHAT she''s talking about, does she?"


    "Hell if I don''t!" said Ashley, her palms itching more now, the prickling sensation spreading to her fingers as she clenched her fists. "And hell if you''re taking her out!"


    "She ain''t going on the streets, if that''s what you''re worried about," said their mother, pushing Maya''s hair back away from her face before staggering suddenly, the force of Ashley''s punch enough to unbalance her¡ªbut only for a second.


    "Ma, don''t! Please! I don''t mind working, I want to work, don''t hurt her!"


    Ashley squirmed in her mother''s firm grip, legs kicking out, her hands grasping at her mother''s thick arms.


    "That temper of yours is gonna get you into a lot of trouble someday," their mother growled, as she held Ashley tight and slapped her across the face, hard enough to leave a harsh red mark on her cheek. Ashley growled, tears in her eyes as she glared at her mother.


    "I hate you!" she screamed, before another slap, even harder than the first, sent her sprawling to the floor. She clutched at her cheek, crying in frustration and pain. "I HATE YOU!" she screamed again, as she twisted around, saw through blurry, teary eyes her mother pulling Maya towards the door, taking her out to¡ª


    Ashley pushed herself to her feet, the itch in her hands spreading to her knuckles, the prickle of before now more like a burning, but she ignored that as she burst through the door, running after her mother and sister, along narrow, dim corridors and down narrow, dim stairs, catching the two of them in the corridor leading outside.


    "LET HER GO!" Ashley screamed, as her mother went to open the door leading out on to the streets.


    "You ain''t never been smart," her mother said. She looked down at Maya. "Stay here, sweet."


    "Ma, PLEASE don''t hurt her! She doesn''t mean it, she''s just upset¡ª"


    "Oh, I know she''s upset, sweet. But that ain''t never been an excuse, not in my book."


    Ashley breathed hard, in and out, as she wiped her eyes and watched her mother approach, clenched her fists and put them up, like Mr Amon taught me, she thought, just¡ª


    Ashley shrieked as her mother reached out and grabbed her by the hair, lifting her off the ground.


    "Nuh. You ain''t near big enough to¡ª"


    With a roar of powerless anger Ashley swung her arm out, catching her mother across the cheek with a weak slap, the itching, burning feeling in her hand intense as she felt the impact, felt something more than the impact, and then her mother was screaming, and there was a horrible smell, and Ashley felt a hard shock as she was dropped, fell heavily against the wall of the narrow corridor, was dazed for a moment¡ªand then she saw her mother, still screaming in terror and pain, on her hands and knees but with one hand cradling her face, and beneath her hand Ashley could see the charred and burnt skin beneath, and then she looked up to see Maya, her sister''s eyes wider than she''d ever seen them, and then Ashley was reaching out, grabbing her sister''s wrist, and they were running, out of the door leading to the street, out of the building they''d lived in for the past few weeks, out of their neighbourhood, out of Unity ... just out.

 Maya & Ashley ~ 7

    "ASHLEY!"


    Ashley woke as cold water splashed over her¡ªshe gasped and sat up, blinking and breathing hard.


    "Ash, are you okay?"


    Ashley blinked again and looked around, focused on her sister.


    "Wha?" she managed.


    "You ... you had a nightmare. You, um ... you set the bed on fire."


    "What?" Ashley sat up and looked back at the bed, which was, as well as being wet from the water Maya had dumped over it, blackened and burnt. "Aw, no ... so you¡ª"


    Maya nodded. Ashley gritted her teeth as she got up, her underclothes damp and fresh burns on her hands. She gestured for Maya to step away, then closed her eyes and concentrated, a familiar warmth soon spreading through her body, bringing with it an uncomfortable awareness of the blood flowing through her veins. Soon steam began rising from her body, from her wet clothes¡ªshe nodded at Maya and she stepped close, holding her hands out, helping to draw out what water wasn''t evaporating and directing it into a bucket beside the bed.


    "Get dressed," Ashley said, now that she was dry, moving to collect her own clothes from the floor. She glanced at the wet bed. "Do you think it''s worth drying the bed?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Maya was already moving to do so, her hands over the sheets. "It''s mostly just the top that got burnt ... it''s lucky we were sleeping together, I felt you get hot before you set anything on fire, it was just starting to burn when I came back with the water."


    Ashley scowled and shook her head as she tugged her boots on.


    "Maybe we should leave some money or something," Maya said, as she finished drawing the water from the bed.


    "Nah."


    "But they helped us¡ª"


    "Yeah, and I''m real grateful to them for it," said Ashley. "But we need everything we''ve got."


    "Then maybe a note?"


    "What, burnt into the wall? ''Sorry I singed your sheets, thanks for the soup''?"


    "You don''t have to get like that, Ash!" Maya said as she got dressed herself, putting her shoes on. "We can find some paper¡ª"


    "Some of their paper, you mean. Take more from ''em than they''ve already given, no, let''s just go, they don''t¡ª"


    Ashley froze, eyes wide, as she heard a sound from elsewhere in the house.


    "Out the window," she said¡ªMaya was already moving, grabbing up her bag before pulling at the window.


    "It''s stuck!"


    Ashley pushed her sister aside and took hold of the window, tugged hard at it and jerked it open as she heard footsteps approaching their room.


    "Go!" she said, helping her sister up, nearly pushing her out the window before following, grabbing hold of Maya''s wrist and pulling her up, and then running, through the trees that surrounded the house, into the night, an all-too-familiar shout of surprise sounding out behind them.

 Maya & Ashley ~ 8

    "This place is lonely."


    Ashley glanced at her sister as they walked. Maya had the hood of her cloak up, her face hidden.


    "Yeah," Ashley said. It was several days after fleeing the farmhouse, and they were travelling north. The road was straight and long, the fields surrounding it flat and bare, the grass growing in scraggly pale green clumps, the few trees spindly and somehow discomforting. In the distance on either side of the path were thick forests leading to stumpy hills, and ahead and behind was only the road, stretching out into a kind of misty nothing. The clouds above hung low and grey, as they had for days now, threatening to burst at any moment.


    "Are you cold?" Ashley asked. Maya shook her head.


    "Just lonely."


    "Hey, I''m here, ain''t I?"


    "I don''t mean that."


    What Maya did mean, however, she didn''t explain. Ashley looked at her, worried, then shook her head and focused forward. Up ahead there were a number of large, jagged rocks to the left and right of the road, the smallest of them twice the size of Maya and Ashley put together. They were covered in pale yellow lichen, the ugly patches reminding Ashley of a mangy dog that had once belonged to a friend.


    "Are you hungry?" Ashley asked, as they came closer to the rocks. "We''ve still got apples¡ª"


    Maya was shaking her head. Ashley squinted at her, then focused on the road ahead once more. I really hope there''s something at the end of this road, she thought. Anything, really.


    "Ash ..."


    "What?"


    They were passing the rocks now, walking in their shadow¡ªAshley stopped and looked back at her sister.


    "Why did you stop?" she asked. "Come on, you can''t be tired, let''s keep going for another hour or so before¡ª"


    "I think," came a voice from behind the rocks, soon revealed to belong to a tall man wearing dark clothing and holding a long sabre, "that she stopped because she heard one of my men unsheathing his sword."


    Ashley grabbed Maya and pulled her close as a dozen men stepped out on to the road, in front and behind. Those who hadn''t already drawn their swords were now doing so, their eyes hard and cold.


    "Ash¡ª"


    "It''s okay," Ashley whispered to her sister, her eyes on the bandit leader standing before them, a smile on his long, unshaven face.


    "Well met," he said, with a chuckle echoed by his men.


    "We ain''t got any money," Ashley said. "Or any valuables."


    "Oh, I don''t know about that," said the bandit leader, his smile turning into a grin. "I''d say what you''re holding there might have some value."


    "Ash," Maya whispered, as she felt her sister''s hold on her tighten, felt Ashley''s body growing uncomfortably hot.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "You know what they say," the bandit leader was continuing, his eyes on Maya. "Even a girl with nothing is always worth something. Isn''t that right, bright eyes?"


    "Ash!"


    With a roar Ashley had lunged forward, bringing her fist around to slam into the bandit leader''s shoulder as he brought his sword up, his grin replaced by a look of shocked pain as he realised that his cloak had burst into flames¡ªhe yelled out and began beating at it, dropping his sword to try to get the cloak off before the flames spread. Ashley was already rounding on another bandit, dodging his slash before grabbing his sword hand with both of hers, her growl of anger joined by his cries of pain as his hand began to crackle and burn.


    "Ash! Help!"


    Ashley whirled around, already running as she saw two of the bandits moving to grab Maya¡ªshe leapt on to the first, bringing him down in a hard tackle, hands pressed firm against his chest, his screams horrible as she burnt through his tunic to the flesh beneath, then she was up, cried out as she felt a blade cut through her back, twisted around and kicked up, felt her boot connect with something then she was twisting again, regaining her footing¡ªshe glanced at Maya, saw fear and shock in her sister''s eyes but knew she was safe¡ªAshley cried out again as another sword slash nicked her hand, turned to face this new attacker and brought her hands up, clenched into fists, the air around them blurred with heat, and the bandit looked into her eyes for only an instant before turning and running.


    "What the hell kind of demon are you?"


    Ashley turned to see the bandit leader standing, his cloak lying on the ground behind him, his shoulder burnt but otherwise unharmed. He was looking at her with disgust and loathing clear on his face.


    "I haven''t done much good in my life," he said, as he advanced on her, "but putting down whatever kind of monster you are has gotta count in my favour."


    Ashley gasped as she just barely dodged the bandit leader''s first attack, darting to the side then trying to close the gap between them, this thwarted by a quick, clean flick of his sword that opened a gash in her shoulder.


    "Ahhh!" she cried out, as he followed this with another slash, this time catching her in the leg.


    "You may burn with hellfire, demon," the bandit leader growled, "but you don''t know a thing about real fighting."


    Ashley snarled as she lunged at him, but he danced aside and just barely missed opening the side of her neck¡ªbut as Ashley recovered from dodging he planted the heel of his boot in her side, sending her sprawling face-first into the dirt road. Before Ashley could get up she felt a heavy weight on the back of her neck, and she cried out as the bandit leader pushed his boot down hard.


    "ASH!"


    Ashley heard her sister''s tearful cry just before the intense pressure on her neck vanished. She lay there gasping into the dirt as Maya stood over her, little knife in her hand, staring up at the bandit leader as he clutched at his arm.


    "You little witch," he growled, before grabbing Maya by her neck and throwing her to the ground, "I''ll deal to you after¡ª"


    The bandit leader''s words were cut off as Ashley threw herself into him, both of them crashing to the ground, his sword flying from his hand. They rolled together, both struggling against the other, then the bandit leader cried out as Ashley got a grip on his arm, her hand burning hot against his flesh, and then she was on top of him, her face twisted with rage, bringing her fists down against his face again and again, crying out with every awful impact:


    "DON''T! TOUCH! MY! SISTER!"


    "ASH!"


    Maya ran forward, trying toignore the bandit leader''s horrible screams¡ªher sister''s entire body was now surrounded by a hazy wave of heat and her clothes were beginning to smoulder.


    "ASH!" she cried out again, but she could see that her sister was lost in her own private world of fury. She looked around desperately for something, a stick, anything, but there was nothing that she could see, just the unmoving body of one of the bandits, the others having fled, and the bandit leader''s screams were liquid now, too awful to bear, and Maya launched herself at her sister, felt the heat against her skin as she knocked her off the bandit leader and brought her to the ground.


    Ashley''s mind cleared in an instant as she looked up at her sister''s face, her hot rage cooling, leaving her aching and sweating and desperately tired. She let Maya help pull her to her feet, and, after a glance back at the fallen bandit leader, his face scorched and burnt, Ashley let her sister pull her by the wrist, and together they ran.

 Maya & Ashley ~ 9

    The next few days were spent silently walking, across the lonely fields, the forests and hills in the distance thinning and flattening, the odd white mist closing in, the spindly trees growing more and more infrequent, a faint, bitter smell growing stronger with every hour they walked.


    "Here," Ashley said, handing an apple to her sister after they''d stopped to rest.


    "What about you?" Maya asked, taking the apple. Ashley shook her head.


    "Just eat it," she said, after Maya had spent several seconds staring at the apple in her hands. "I ain''t even hungry."


    Maya looked at her sister, her eyes curious, then down at the apple again.


    "Could you heat it for me?"


    "What? This again? Why do you want a hot apple? That''s a really weird taste you got, kid."


    Maya shrugged as she held the apple out for her sister to take. Ashley rolled her eyes, but she took the apple and sent heat into it, being careful not to wince as this caused the burns on her hands to flare up in pain. After a few seconds she handed the apple back to Maya, who took it happily.


    "They''re just much more delicious like this," she said, before taking a bite. Ashley shook her head, but she was smiling. Maya glanced shyly at her sister, then she smiled too.


    "There''d better be something at the end of this road," Ashley said, when Maya had almost finished the apple. "And soon, too." She stood up and walked around, looking at the lonely fields around them, squinting at the white mist in the distance. "Ain''t no apple trees around here, that''s for damned sure."


    "I hope we don''t starve," Maya said. Ashley looked at her. "What? Don''t you hope that?"


    "You''ve got this bad habit lately," Ashley said. "Saying stuff that don''t need saying."


    "I ... I just..."


    "Forget it, I''m just playing with you."


    Ashley stretched her arms up above her head, then winced and let her arms fall back to her sides.


    "Are you okay?" Maya asked, after tossing the stem of the apple aside. "Your cuts, I mean."


    "They''re fine. Just gotta be careful how I move sometimes, ya know?" Ashley ground her teeth together, then she turned to look at her sister. "How about, uh, you?"


    "I''m fine," Maya said, a little too quickly, clasping her hands together.


    "Oh, yeah?"


    "Yes," Maya said. "I''m tough!"


    Ashley smiled. "Yeah, you are."


    "Let''s keep going, anyway. I don''t feel tired any more. Hot apples are really good for giving you energy, did you know?"


    "That right?"


    "Yep!" Maya said, smiling brightly at her sister. "More than twice as good as just a regular cold apple."


    "That''s pretty interesting," Ashley said, as she joined her sister on the road and they started walking again. "Why is that?"


    "Just one of those things, I guess," Maya said.


    It was around an hour later that the wind picked up, blowing cold and wet from the south. An hour after that it began drizzling, an uncertain, wishy-washy kind of rain, light drops splattering against the ground for a few minutes, then easing off, then a few minutes later a few more drops would fall¡ª


    "This rain is starting to piss me off," Ashley muttered. She looked up at the sky, at the dark clouds above. "Just rain properly if you''re gonna rain! Don''t muck around!"


    "You shouldn''t tempt fate," Maya said. Ashley shook her head as they kept walking.


    Less than ten minutes later there was a roll of thunder, long and low, and then the clouds split and within seconds both girls were drenched, the rain heavy and hard, picked up by the wind and thrown in their faces, seemingly coming from every direction at once.


    "I told you!" Maya cried, over the sound of the driving rain.


    "Shut up! Keep hold of my hand, I don''t want you slipping!"


    "I''m not going to slip!"


    Now that it had started raining they could barely see more than a few metres away¡ªas if the world had shrunk to just the two of them, nothing else in existence except two girls pushing forward along a muddy road, each holding the other''s hand and trying not to fall. Time seemed to slow, or stop, or otherwise lose meaning, there was only the rain around them and the road ahead, and walking forward, putting one foot in front of the other over and over again.


    "I think it''s clearing," Maya said, eventually.


    "What?" Ashley turned to look at her sister, Maya''s quiet voice hard to hear over the sound of the driving rain.


    "I think it''s clearing!" Maya repeated, raising her voice.


    "How can you tell?"


    The rain was still pouring down hard, the road had long ago turned into thick, sticky mud, and to Ashley it seemed that rain like this might never stop.


    And then it did.


    "Huh," Ashley said, letting Maya''s hand go and flexing her fingers.


    "Look, the sun''s coming out!"


    Ashley looked up at the sky¡ªMaya was right. Although it was still mostly overcast there were gaps in the clouds now, showing a pale blue sky and the brightly burning sun.


    "And a rainbow, oh look Ashley, there''s a rainbow!"


    Ashley smiled, more at the look of joy on her sister''s face than the rainbow itself.


    "It''s so pretty," Maya said, gazing at it. "Don''t you think it''s pretty, Ash?"


    "Yeah, it''s nice."


    "What do you think rainbows are made of?"


    "What do you mean, made of?"


    "Like ... I don''t know, just what they are."


    "Someone told me once, I think they''re just some kind of light. Like ... light that comes from water, I dunno."


    Maya cocked her head to the side, then she skipped over to a puddle and scooped up a handful of muddy water. Her eyes slowly narrowed as she concentrated, and Ashley watched as the water rose from Maya''s hand in a thin tendril.


    "How does light come from water?" Maya asked, her voice precise as her attention was split between maintaining her water snake and speaking.


    "Maybe I got that part of things wrong. But I''m pretty sure it''s something to do with light and water."


    Maya held her hand up, exposing the little water snake to the light of the sun. It glistened and sparkled, but didn''t do anything more than that.


    "I don''t think you can just make a rainbow, Maya," Ashley said. Her eyes narrowed as she looked past her sister, then she took a step forward. "Hey ... is that the ocean? Maya, the ocean''s just there! Can you see it?"


    Maya let her water snake collapse, the water splashing to the ground as she joined her sister in looking forwards.


    "Oh!" she said, as the thin strip of grey in the distance resolved into water. "Ash, that''s the ocean! We walked all the way to the ocean!"


    "Not yet we didn''t. Come on, let''s see what''s out there."


    Soon enough the flat fields gave way to a wide rocky beach, which in turn gave way to the ocean, dark grey and choppy, angry even in the sunlight. Not far out from the shore the girls could see sharp rocks sticking out of the water, like the jagged teeth of some nightmarish fish.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Well," said Ashley, as she looked out at the rocks and the rough waves splashing against them, "we sure as hell can''t go any further north, anyway."


    "Do you think we could catch some fish?"


    Ashley looked at the dark waters of the ocean.


    "Maybe not," she said, after a moment.


    "If we saw some fish, I bet I could grab them," Maya said, her tone serious. She looked thoughtfully at the ocean, then started running down towards it, skipping easily over the large round rocks that made up the beach. Ashley grimaced as she followed, her heavy boots not well-suited to the rocky terrain.


    By the time Ashley caught up with her sister at the water''s edge, Maya was already standing, feet spread apart, hands held out before her, frowning in concentration as a wide bubble of water rose from the surface. For a moment the bubble hovered an inch above the ocean, then it shook and burst, the water splashing down once more.


    "It''s hard," Maya said, with a little laugh.


    "Maya, there ain''t any fish here¡ª"


    "I just want to see if I can do it."


    Ashley clicked her tongue, then she shrugged and found a rock to sit on.


    "Go ahead, then."


    For half an hour Maya practised lifting pockets of water from the ocean, without much success¡ªonce they left the surface she began to lose control of them, and they soon went splashing back.


    "Ah!" she cried, as her latest attempt failed. She let out a heavy breath and raised her trembling hands again¡ª


    "Hey," Ashley said, reaching out. "Don''t push yourself¡ª"


    "I''m fine!" Maya said, jerking her hands away. "I''m just trying to figure this out!"


    "Yeah, just ... I don''t want you getting tired. We still don''t have any food, and there''s nothing around here."


    "So that''s why we need to catch some fish! Then you can start a fire and we can cook them, doesn''t that sound nice?"


    "Sounds real nice, ''cept what do we know about fish? Even if you get something, we ain''t gonna know if it''s good to eat or not."


    Maya scowled and turned away from her sister, her arms crossed.


    "Then what do YOU want to do?" she asked.


    "I want to keep walking¡ªthe road splits left and right, so I reckon Rosanth''s gotta be left and Pyre''s gotta be right."


    "Rosanth and Pyre," Maya repeated, as if tasting the words. She turned to face her sister again. "Rosanth sounds prettier."


    "Rosanthians are meant to be real arrogant and snobby," said Ashley. "But Pyre ain''t even a choice. Might find a village or something along the coast, though, and I guess heading that way''d get us to Clock Face after a while, always heard it was good for work. Then further there''s Harmony where Mr Amon comes from, he always said I''d fit in there, could be worth a try."


    "Um..." Maya thought for a moment, then smiled helplessly at her sister. "I don''t know about places. Sorry Ash."


    "Then perhaps I can help you."


    Maya and Ashley turned to see a man standing at the point where the fields met the beach, around a dozen metres from where they stood. He wore a tan travelling suit and an old-fashioned black hat, and he leant with both hands on a wooden cane planted into the ground in front of him. Around his waist was a slim leather belt, from which hung a sheathed rapier. His face was long and thin and friendly. Beside him stood a girl, silently watching the two sisters, nothing like an expression on her face. She was tall and slim, with straight black hair and large dark eyes, and she wore a simple black dress with a wide belt around her waist.


    "Where the hell did you two come from?" Ashley said, more than a little growl to her voice.


    "Well, that''s not important," the man said. "What IS important is what fate lies down each of the directions this rather muddy road leads in. To the west¡ª" the man pointed with his cane "¡ªlies Rosanth. There you would be hunted down, captured, and subjected to some rather unpleasant experimentation. In Pyre, on the other hand¡ª" the man pointed to the right with his cane now "¡ªyou would be tortured to death, for the holiest of reasons, of course. Heading south¡ª" the man put his cane over his shoulder to point behind him "¡ªwould eventually lead you to the city of Unity, perhaps the wisest direction of the three. There you would simply be killed."


    "We came from Unity," Maya said. "I know it''s dangerous, but you can''t just say we''d be killed if we went there!"


    "Can I not?" said the man, a smile in his voice. "Because I know that you¡ª" now he used his cane to point to Maya "¡ªare able to manipulate water, and that you¡ª" the tip of his cane swung towards Ashley "¡ªhave the ability to manipulate heat. And I know, as I suspect you also do, that the average reaction to a display of these abilities is generally not positive. How long is it, since you left Unity?"


    "More than a year," Maya said.


    "Goodness," the man said, raising his eyebrows, "I must say I''m impressed. The two of you survived on your own for that long? You moved from place to place, I imagine?"


    Maya nodded. Ashley was silent and still, studying the man, her eyes very slightly narrowed.


    "Well," the man said, "I should tell you, many things have changed in the past year. The city you left would not be the city you returned to."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Ashley said. "Who are you?"


    "I do apologise, you can call me Fin. This is my assistant and ward, Selene."


    Selene inclined her head, very slightly.


    "Are you two hungry?" Fin asked. "Would you like to come up and join us?"


    "Yes!" said Maya, before Ashley could say anything. "Okay, just wait there¡ªcome on, Ash!"


    Ashley scowled as she followed her sister up towards Fin and Selene¡ªgetting closer, she saw that there were two strong horses standing placidly on the road, one black, one brown, attached to a large, fine old carriage made of dark wood.


    "Selene, if you''d be so kind?"


    Selene nodded and went to the carriage, while Fin looked Maya and Ashley up and down.


    "Well," he said. "You two have been in the wars, haven''t you? Although it seems that most of the misfortune has fallen upon your body, Miss Heat."


    "Ashley," Ashley growled.


    "And I''m Maya, Maya Thompson," Maya said. She winced at the scathing look Ashley gave her. "Um. Just Maya, I mean. Um."


    "I''m very pleased to meet both of you. Ah, Selene, thank you."


    Ashley and Maya both accepted a small, hard loaf of travelling bread and a piece of tough jerky from Selene.


    "Thank you very much," Maya said, but Selene didn''t respond. Ashley glared at her, then glanced at Fin.


    "She don''t talk?"


    Fin laughed pleasantly.


    "Unlike myself," he said, "Selene does not waste words."


    "You saying we ain''t worth talking to?" Ashley asked, her voice hard.


    "The very opposite, actually. Excuse the abruptness of my asking, but I wonder, would you consider travelling with us?"


    Ashley eyed Fin suspiciously. He smiled at her.


    "I understand the look in your eyes. It''s quite familiar to me. But my offer is genuine, as is my friendship. I want to help you two¡ªsisters, yes?"


    "Oh!" said Maya, surprised. "How did you guess? Hardly anyone gets that until we tell them!"


    "Well, I find that difficult to believe," said Fin, smiling at Maya.


    "Hey. Eyes front, buddy."


    Fin turned his smile on Ashley. "Your protectiveness towards your sister is as understandable as it is admirable, Miss Ashley," he said. "She''s very special."


    "Damn right she is, so you can¡ª"


    "Of course, as ''just Maya'' here knows, you are as special as she is. Isn''t that right?"


    Maya nodded vigorously. "That''s what I always, ALWAYS tell her! See, Ash? I mean, right? You''re special!"


    Ashley didn''t say anything in response to this, just clenched her jaw.


    "But let me get back to my point," said Fin. He glanced back¡ªSelene was standing beside the horses. "Ah, good. Yes, my point. It is my intention to create a home, for people like yourself, Ashley, and for you, Maya, a place where they can be safe, where they can be protected, where they can live free of the persecution of the world."


    Maya''s eyes were wide. "That sounds wonderful! Doesn''t that sound wonderful, Ashley?"


    "Unbelievably wonderful," said Ashley, her voice flat.


    "Where is it?" Maya asked.


    "That," said Fin, "is a rather difficult question to satisfactorily answer. For now let me say ''it exists'', with the hope that this is enough."


    "Oh," said Maya, a little disappointed. "Um ... it sounds amazing¡ª"


    "It sounds like a con," said Ashley. "What''s your game, ''Fin''? What are you really doing out here? I don''t buy this ''I want to build a home'' crap for a second¡ªand don''t bother turnin'' those sparkly blue eyes on me, I''ve seen plenty of sparkly blue eyes before and in my experience they''re usually hiding a twisty-turny little mind."


    "Ashley! Don''t be rude, he''s being nice to us!"


    "And how the hell do YOU know so much about the stuff Maya and me can do?" Ashley demanded. "Why ain''t YOU scared of it? What makes YOU so bloody tolerant?"


    Fin looked at Ashley.


    "Miss Ashley," he said. "Have you ever lost a beloved companion?"


    Ashley stared.


    "In my time," Fin continued, "I have lost many people that I cared for. More than I like to recall. Most of them due to the anger of the ignorant."


    Fin looked Ashley straight in the eye, and she almost yelped as the image of a woman came into her head, her grey eyes wide and curious with a sparkle to them even on cloudy days¡ª


    "What the hell did you just do?" Ashley demanded, stepping forward as Fin stepped neatly back.


    "I apologise," he said, raising his hands. "I shouldn''t have imposed. But I felt I should provide an answer to your question, an explanation as to why I know so much about what you and your sister can do. My abilities are not very visual or impressive, so I had to resort to a rather cheap trick."


    Ashley glared at Fin as Maya looked between the two of them in amazement.


    "Once again I apologise," said Fin. "I won''t do anything like that again, to either yourself or your sister."


    "But what was it?" Maya asked. "You can do it to me, if you want¡ª"


    "No," Ashley said, turning to glare at her sister. "He ain''t doing NOTHING to you."


    "Ash¡ª"


    "Shut up, I said."


    "But I wanna know!"


    "Oh dear," Fin said. "It seems I''ve muddied the waters. I suppose I could offer a thorough explanation ... although at this juncture I fear it would be nothing but a long and confusing waste of time."


    "Yeah, obviously we''re too stupid to understand anything you say," Ashley spat. She glared at Selene as the girl made a sound, a disguised half-laugh let out through her nose. "What you laughing at, scrap? You and me got a problem?"


    "Now, now," said Fin, "let''s not fight."


    Ashley shook her head and turned away.


    "Come on, Maya. We ain''t¡ª"


    "Are you special too?" Maya asked, shyly, of Selene. Selene graced her with a thin smile. "What can you do?"


    "I can see and I can hear," Selene said, her voice quiet and crisp. Ashley had stopped when Maya had spoken, and now she turned to squint at Selene.


    "Yeah?" she said. "I can do that too."


    "Of course you can."


    "Yeah, okay, sure," Ashley said. "Look, thanks for the food, but I reckon we''re better off on our own."


    "Ash..."


    Ashley rubbed her cheek and avoided her sister''s eyes.


    "Of course, it''s your choice," said Fin. "I would be honoured and gratified if the two of you would travel with us, but I understand completely if you refuse."


    "We don''t refuse¡ªAsh, we don''t refuse, right?"


    Ashley looked at Maya, then at Fin, then glanced at Selene.


    "Ash! Please, we DON''T refuse, PLEASE!"


    Ashley let out a rough breath. She rubbed the back of her neck. She glanced at her sister, then turned to face her properly.


    "Yeah," Ashley said to Maya. "Sure. We don''t refuse."

 Ada ~ 1 ~ The Price Of Acceptance

    ~ Ada ~


    The Price Of Acceptance


    "Ada! Ada come quickly!"


    Ada grabbed her glasses as she leapt out of bed, bare feet padding quietly against soft carpet as she scurried out of her room, down the corridor, and into the collection of sounds and smells that was her father''s laboratory. He looked up from one of the larger cages, his wide bearded face the very picture of delight.


    "It''s the squirrels, Ada! The squirrels! They will not listen to Hans!"


    Ada stared at her father, then adjusted her glasses.


    "Do you know what time it is?" she asked, her tone gentle.


    "Time? Time? It is some time, it is the time when I discovered that the squirrels will not listen to Hans, what does it matter, time? Come here and observe with me, and let us hope we are obliged."


    Ada picked her way through her father''s laboratory¡ªit wasn''t a small room, just cluttered with desks and tables and chairs, which in turn were covered with cages and crates and terrariums. By the time she''d joined him at the large squirrel cage¡ªactually a reproduction of their natural environment, there was even a good sized tree¡ªhe was almost hopping with impatience.


    "Come on now, you can perform the scaring," he said, handing Ada a hand puppet made to resemble an owl. "I think you are old enough to do that, what are you now, you are thirteen years old?"


    "I''m nearly fifteen, Dad."


    "Yes, that''s right," said Ada''s father. "Now let us concentrate a moment. You know Hans?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Of course," said Ada, slipping the puppet over her hand as her father quietly opened the cage. "He''s that little one there."


    "They are ALL little ones," her father said, with a quiet chuckle. "But you''re correct. Wait, watch, then swoop!"


    Ada watched for a moment, then thrust her hand forward, creating the appearance of an owl swooping down upon the hapless squirrel. Immediately it scampered away, chittering wildly.


    "Now watch, watch the others," Ada''s father said, as Ada pulled her arm out of the cage and he closed it. Ada peered through the bars, watched as Hans ran towards the tree, watched as the other squirrels ... didn''t react in the slightest, went on doing whatever it was they were doing beforehand, apparently oblivious to Hans'' panicked chitters.


    "You see? No reaction! Can you guess why? Of course, it is because Hans," Ada''s father said, taking the puppet back from his daughter, "is the squirrel who cried ''owl''! Too many times has he called out, ''Danger! There is danger!'' when in truth there is none. Too many times has he sent the other squirrels running for safety when there is no need to do so. And so now when Hans cries ''Danger!'' the other squirrels simply think, ''Oh Hans, you have too much imagination''."


    Ada smiled, then slipped her hand into her father''s.


    "Don''t you think it''s so interesting?" he said, looking down at her.


    "I do, Dad ... but it''s late. You should get some sleep. Did you eat tonight?"


    "Egg," he said. "There was an egg, I believe. I think I ate an egg. Or was that yesterday? How long have I been awake? There are no windows here, it is so easy to lose track of the time."


    While her father talked Ada was guiding him around his laboratory, and he was automatically extinguishing the lamps.


    "Well, now you should sleep," she said.


    "I must have eaten," he said, as she led him to his bedroom. "Because I don''t feel hungry. If I don''t feel hungry, then I must have eaten. Or is that a false conclusion? This requires further thought."


    "You can think about it more in the morning," said Ada, as she gently pushed her father into his room. "For now you should get undressed and sleep."


    "Yes, yes, you''re right, because I am tired¡ªthat is a fact, a solid fact. Thank you, my daughter."


    "You''re welcome. Good night, Dad."


    "Good night, my treasure."


    Ada went to close the door, smiling as she heard her father speak¡ª


    "But was it not wonderful that they ignored Hans?"

 Ada ~ 2

    Ada''s mother, whose name was Monique, was a member of the Rosanth Blades, one of the most respected and skilled soldiers in the entire country. She was a tall, proud-standing woman, with fiery auburn hair and a hard face.


    "Where is my treasure?" she would demand, throwing open the door of their apartment, and Ada would come running to her, to be swooped up in her mother''s strong arms and drawn into a crushing hug. And then would come presents and stories of the places her mother had been, and sometimes of the battles she had fought, and for a time they would be together as a family, the three of them, and Ada''s father¡ªwhose name was Luc¡ªwas always more collected and focused when his wife was around, she made sure of that, kept him on track, and so Ada never believed her parents when they called her their treasure, because she knew that it was this time, when all three of them were together, that was the treasure.


    But always there would be further assignments, and the family would be split up again, and Ada''s father would become unfocused on Ada and refocused on whatever experiments he was currently running, and for Ada there would be a sense of lost time tempered only by the knowledge that her mother would eventually return.


    Monique was killed in a border skirmish a few days after Ada''s ninth birthday. This was during what would later be called the Scattered War, a series of several dozen small-scale incursions across the Rosanthian border by Targan forces. Monique was posted in a small city called Abelard, very near the Rosanth-Targe border. She fought valiantly and fiercely, defending the border and the citizens of the country that she loved. She fought until she could fight no longer, and she died bravely, a hero of the nation.


    She shouldn''t have been there.


    This was not just wishful thinking. Her squad should have received orders of relocation the previous week, but these orders never reached them. It was only later that the reason for this was discovered; a cat had caught and killed the pigeon carrying the message. By the time the mistake was noticed it was already too late.


    To Luc, this was unacceptable. Irrational. Stupid, foolish, insane, a terrible mistake caused by a chance occurrence, by the instinct of a near-mindless animal. Why did this happen? How could a cat destroy the carrier of such an important message? But to the cat, the pigeon was merely food, or perhaps not even that, a plaything, a momentary diversion, or even less than that, a fast-moving object that instinctively it leapt upon.


    Instinct. This was what Luc fixated on. The carrier pigeon was so much more than a source of food, so much more than a plaything, so much more than something to be leapt upon and killed. If only the cat could have understood that! Forget the stupidity of the conflict, some trifling dispute over borders, forget the inherent foolishness of war, this cat ... this bird ... and a husband is robbed of his wife, a daughter of her mother. How utterly ridiculous.


    And so Ada had watched her father become obsessed with animals and with instinct. What caused these impulses? Could they be controlled? Could an animal be made to realise the consequences of its actions? His was a gentle madness, one that, in turn, infected Ada as she found a fixation of her own; taking care of her father. She made him food, put out clean clothes for him in the morning, drew a bath for him at night, put him to bed, guided him through the necessities of life.


    In this way, both of them coped. The years passed. The sharp pain of loss dulled to a manageable ache. As Ada grew older she became more interested in her father''s experiments, in experimentation in general, in observation, in gaining knowledge and applying it¡ªthey lived at the Trinity College, one of the largest in Rosanth, located in the city of Grand Cerveau, and all of their needs were met without question. They wanted for nothing, except what they could not have.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Ada! Ada, my treasure, where are you?"


    Luc swept through the apartment to find his daughter sitting in the lounge, quietly reading by the window, a single lamp lit above her.


    "Ada, there you are, thank goodness. What are you reading? No, that''s not so important. Do you see this rain? This storm we are having?"


    Ada nodded, not looking up from her book.


    "Are you scared, my little wolf?"


    Ada shook her head.


    "Oh. Well then." Ada''s father turned to leave, to return to his laboratory, but then he suddenly turned back again. "Ah, but yes, there will be thunder, and lightning too, there hasn''t been such a storm here for some time. I remember you were scared by the thunder, during a storm like this."


    "That was when I was four years old, Dad, I''m not small now," said Ada, still not looking up from her book.


    "This is true. So you will not be scared?"


    "I think I can handle a little bit of thunder."


    "That''s good. You''re very good. Did you know I''m so proud of you?"


    At last Ada looked up at her father, as he stood there looking anxiously at her, his posture sloppy and his bearing weak, as he always looked when outside of his laboratory¡ªdeflated, somehow. Not quite his true self. She smiled at him.


    "I know, Dad."


    "That''s good, that you know. Well, I''ll return to my experiments."


    "Have fun."


    Ada''s father hesitated at this, as he always did, no matter how many times she said it to him, and then he nodded, just a little, as he always did, as if making the realisation for the first time that, yes, experimentation and observation WERE fun, this aside from being necessary and important, of course, and that in doing them he would, in fact, HAVE fun. With a little stutter of a step, he left Ada alone.


    Several minutes later Ada looked up from her book again, out the window this time¡ªit was evening, and already dark, so she couldn''t see anything except for the rain, pouring down outside the window, but a second after she looked up there was a bright flash that illuminated the college grounds and sent a tingle through her body¡ªshe didn''t even hear the rumble of thunder immediately afterwards, the feeling was so surprising and so strong. It took Ada a moment to even identify it, and once she had she felt sure that there was something wrong with her¡ªafter all, how could one feel sympathy for a storm? The feeling slowly faded, though it did not disappear completely, and Ada went back to her book ... but several minutes later she felt her gaze being drawn to the window once more, and once more there was a flash of lightning just after she looked up, and this time the tingle was stronger, almost like a buzzing throughout her body, enough to make her put down the book and stand up. She walked to the window and put her hand against it, felt the coolness of the glass, and she leant forward to press her cheek against it¡ªshe wasn''t hot, but the coolness felt somehow right. She stayed like this for a while, then looked back outside again, her gaze falling on an area of the grounds below¡ªshe couldn''t see it through the darkness and rain, but there was¡ª


    Ada gasped as a fork of lightning shot through the sky, grounding into a bushy elm tree directly where she was looking and splitting it apart, this accompanied by a crack of thunder so loud and deep as to be painful, and as Ada stared in shock through the darkness a small, rational part of her mind said: ''There are about half a dozen lightning rods dotted around this college, it seems highly unlikely that a lightning bolt should strike that tree instead of them¡ªor any of the taller trees in the grounds, for that matter''.


    How random, Ada thought. How unbelievably random that I should look out of the window three times, and each time see lightning flash¡ªeven be looking straight at the spot it hits. She reached up to push her glasses back, and gasped as a tiny spark jumped from her finger to the metal frames.


    "Ouch," she said, although in truth it hadn''t hurt. She hesitated, then pushed her glasses back again, this time with no spark. After a final glance out the window, Ada yawned and picked up her book, put it back on the bookshelf, then wandered off towards her room.


    "The lamp," she muttered, when she was almost out of the lounge. She''d forgotten to turn it off. She turned and walked back to her chair, leaned over it to turn the little key at the side of the lamp, it was always a stretch to do this, whoever installed the lamps in this apartment put them FAR too high¡ª


    Ada yelped as a bolt of white lightning shot from her outstretched fingers towards the brass lamp, grounding into it with a crackle of energy. She stared at her fingers and at the lamp and then, without much of a say in the matter, she fainted.

 Ada ~ 3

    The rooftops of Trinity College were a maze of greenhouses and spires and bird coops and observatories, weather vanes and lightning rods and barometers and rain-catchers, as well as dozens of structures and devices whose purposes were not so readily deduced.


    In a secluded corner, almost entirely blocked in by outcropping ateliers and turrets, Ada sat alone. It had been a week since the night of the thunderstorm, since she''d woken up to find herself slumped face-first against the chair in the lounge. She''d been sitting with her back to a wall for the last half hour, but now Ada stood, her heart beginning to beat faster, the palms of her hands damp with sweat. She pushed her glasses up, then, feeling just a little silly, held both hands out in front of herself.


    There was a burst of light, and a sharp crack, and Ada was looking up at the pale blue sky above, the rough dirty surface of the roof beneath her, a crisp tingling sensation coursing through her body. She didn''t feel hurt, except where she''d hit her head against the ground, just slightly numb and suddenly tired. Slowly Ada got to her feet, noticing then that she wasn''t wearing her glasses any more¡ªshe found them a few metres away, a little scuffed but otherwise undamaged.


    Metal, Ada thought as she looked at them, ignoring the sudden pang of hunger she felt. Like a lightning rod. She set her glasses down, frowning a little as she tried to get her hands to work properly, then knelt beside them and tentatively reached out a single finger.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    So now what, she thought. How do¡ª


    There was a living creature squirming deep in her stomach, a giant snake slithering through her veins. She gasped out, her arm jerking as a bright spark of lightning flew from her finger and into the metal frame of her glasses. Ada yelped as she felt a swell within her, like her body was going to expand until it popped¡ªshe pushed herself up and staggered, bent over as sudden nausea hit, then screamed as her arms and legs stiffened, crackling energy bursting forth from her hands¡ª


    When Ada woke it was dark. She was cold, and hungrier than she''d ever been, and so tired she could barely move. When she eventually managed to push herself up she found that her arms and legs were stiff and sore, her muscles aching like she''d been lifting heavy cages all day. She shuffled over to where her glasses lay and picked them up with shaking hands, trying to fight the dizziness she felt, then she made her way back to her apartment, where she ate an entire loaf of bread so quickly that she got a painful case of the hiccups, which didn''t stop her from going on to consume four green apples, two slightly stale cinnamon buns, half a block of thick chocolate and almost an entire cold roast chicken. After all that she felt bloated and a bit sick, and also incredibly thirsty¡ªshe guzzled most of a large jugful of cold apple tea before she felt satisfied. By this point she could barely move, but she managed to stagger out of the kitchen and into the lounge, where she collapsed on a couch, asleep within seconds.

 Ada ~ 4

    Ada woke late the next morning, aching and hungry. She made herself a large bowl of porridge with cream and brown sugar and ate it quickly, before (slightly guiltily) taking another bowl through to her father''s laboratory. As she''d suspected, without her influence he''d stayed there through the night without eating anything.


    "Very good timing that you came along now," he said, between spoonfuls of porridge eaten standing up. "I was just beginning to suspect that I might be hungry."


    "You have to take better care of yourself, Dad," Ada said, glad to focus the comfortably familiar.


    "I know, I know, I''m reminded of this often. I''m just happy to have my daughter here to draw my attention to the mundane necessities."


    Ada clicked her teeth together quietly as she watched her father eat.


    "Dad..."


    "Mm? Yes, my treasure?"


    Ada looked at her father, forcing herself not to click her teeth together. Childish habit, she told herself. You haven''t done that for years. Stop it.


    "You ... have you..."


    Her father''s expression was open and gentle, a faintly confused smile on his face. Ada sighed.


    "You''ve spilt porridge down your beard," she said, picking up a cloth and holding it out for him.


    "Ah, I''m so clumsy. Thank you, Ada."


    "I''ll take your bowl now¡ªare you still hungry?"


    "No, I''m¡ªoh!"Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Ada''s hands had slipped as she''d taken the bowl, sending it clattering down on to the wooden laboratory floor, the sudden loud noise disturbing the nearby animals. Silently, her mouth tight, Ada bent down to recover it, wiping the spilt cream from the floor as her father watched helplessly.


    "Are you fine?" he asked as she stood again.


    "Of course. I''m fine. I''ll go wash your bowl¡ªyou should take a rest."


    Ada fled the laboratory, squinting to try to force her eyes to focus. She took the bowl to the kitchen and washed it hurriedly, along with her own bowl and spoon¡ªshe realised then that the spoon her father had used was still in the lab, must have bounced away when she''d dropped the bowl, but she couldn''t bring herself to go and get it. Instead she left the dishes drying beside the sink and left the apartment, in sudden desperate need of fresh air. She walked along the familiar corridors, breathing deeply and consciously, the red carpet beneath her feet and the dark wooden panelling of the walls around her comforting¡ªshe could see down to the courtyard from here, too, through the carved stone windows to her left, and she stopped and steadied herself and focused on the bustle of activity below, regular and reassuring.


    "Goodness me, here''s one with all the troubles of the world on her slim shoulders. Whatever is the matter, Miss Hasard?"


    Ada looked up to see one of her father''s oldest friends standing in the corridor, his arms filled with rolled-up charts and long metal tubes.


    "Hello, Professor Greviste," she said, managing a weak smile. "Was I looking sad?"


    "Are you feeling sad?"


    "No, just ... confused, I guess."


    "Ah. Confusion. Now that is an emotion I am very familiar with. Is it anything I can help with?"


    "Probably not," Ada said, with a small sigh.


    "Well, you know my door is always open to you¡ªand to that wayward father of yours, I feel as if I haven''t seen him in months. You should both come around for tea sometime soon."


    Ada nodded. "That sounds nice."


    "Ah, the enthusiasm of youth." Greviste smiled at Ada. "I hope your confusion clears soon, Miss Hasard. As for myself, I''m up to the roof to indulge in a little confusion of my own. That storm played merry hell with my medians."


    "Good luck," Ada said, as Greviste ambled off. That''s right, she thought, watching him go. True scientists don''t give up just because something goes wrong or they don''t understand what''s happening. Confusion doesn''t mean failure, it just means you have to work harder to understand.


    Ada glanced behind herself, then turned and started walking. Until I figure this out, she thought, I''ve got to create a proper environment for experimentation.

 Ada ~ 5

    Ada''s room was large and comfortable, furnished with old but finely-made wooden furniture and with thick velvet curtains over a wide window, which looked out over the college grounds. Today the curtains were drawn and some of the furniture had been rearranged, to create an open space in the part of the room furthest from the door¡ªwhich was covered in thick black fabric, hanging from a series of hooks Ada had put in above it. On her dresser was a tray filled with an assortment of food, and beside that were three jugs; one of water, one of milk, and one of apple tea. She also had a medical kit handy, a large bottle of ligament rub, and two buckets of water.


    Heart beating fast, Ada took off her glasses and put them on her dresser, then walked to the centre of the space she''d created. Control, she thought. Stability. Focus.


    Hands raised and steady, Ada pictured a dam, holding back a huge amount of water but letting just a little through. She focused on the memory of a tree being felled, one of those in the college grounds that had grown too large to be safe, the way it had fallen, so slowly at first, almost hanging in the air, before suddenly crashing down. She pictured herself, pouring oil from a flask into a vial, the steady flow of liquid from one vessel to another.


    There was a swell of energy which Ada immediately struggled to hold back. I can''t possibly fight this, she thought, immediately following that with, no, wrong thinking, this isn''t some alien force, this isn''t some bizarre outside influence. This is me. Just me.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Ada clicked her teeth together, then she made two fists. She brought them together, then extended her index fingers to touch each other. Slowly she pulled them apart, suppressing a yelp as a little spark jumped from one finger to the other.


    "Good," she murmured, and she rubbed her sweaty hands together before bringing them up again, a little way apart. Lightning sparked between her palms with a short sharp snap.


    "Okay," she said, lowering her hands once more, her voice breathy with excitement. "Okay, okay."


    Despite the thrill she felt Ada forced herself to take a break, have a glass of milk, eat a biscuit.


    "Next," she murmured, back in the open space, her eyes on a lamp fixed to the far wall. She raised her hand, which was trembling only very slightly, and she concentrated.


    As Ada lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, she attempted to reconstruct the events of the last few seconds. She''d felt the energy build up, as before. She''d suppressed the urge to fight and experienced that thrilling sensation of control. After that she''d felt a physical shock in her arm and her chest, like she''d been punched hard, and there had been a bright flash and a loud noise, and¡ª


    Buckets, Ada thought, as she sat up. She looked at the two innocent buckets of water she''d filled earlier, then crawled over to them and pointed her finger at the water inside. She concentrated, felt the energy, smiled as a spark jumped into the water. Okay, she thought. So ... so lightning likes water more than metal? Or were the buckets closer than the lamp?


    Ada pushed herself up and smoothed down her dress. She took an apple from the dresser then went and sat on her bed.


    Clearly, she thought, as she crunched into the apple, I''ve got a lot of work to do.

 Ada ~ 6

    It was on an overcast Wednesday afternoon that Luc Hasard realised he hadn''t eaten for three days.


    "How careless," he muttered, opening his rabbit cage and throwing in a generous handful of lettuce. "How very careless."


    After feeding the rest of the animals he padded out of his laboratory and towards the kitchen, where he made himself a simple jam sandwich. Halfway through eating it he frowned, and added a few pickles and some cheese to his meal. He was just looking through the cupboards for more bread when it suddenly occurred to him that he had a daughter, and said daughter usually noticed if he did something foolish like forgetting to eat for three days.


    "Ada!" he called softly. "Ada!"


    She didn''t seem to be around. Not in the dining room, not in the lounge. He knocked on the door of her room but received no answer, and was just wondering where one might report a missing daughter when he heard a muffled curse from within.


    "Ada?" he called. There was a stillness, the kind caused by someone freezing up after being caught doing something dubious.


    "Don''t come¡ª"


    Luc had already pushed the door open, with a little effort. For some reason there was thick fabric hung over it. He peered in at his daughter, who stood surrounded by buckets of water, an intensely guilty look on her face.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Ada, what is this?" Luc''s tone was curious, all else driven from his head by the puzzle that lay before him. "These buckets ... that food ... why are you not wearing your glasses?"


    Ada looked around, then back at her father.


    "I..."


    "Is this some experiment?" he asked. Ada stared, then nodded tightly.


    "I wanted to know more, before I said anything. Uh, but ... but do you want to see?"


    "Of course, if you have some interesting results I would love you to share them with me," said Luc, pushing the door open further and stepping into his daughter''s room. He looked around with some interest, as if entering a place he''d never been before.


    "Maybe you should stay there," Ada said. "Don''t get too close, I mean."


    "Ada, this isn''t some type of dangerous experiment, is it?"


    Ada clicked her teeth. "It''s kind of dangerous," she admitted. "But just watch, okay? And then ... then maybe you can ... just watch."


    Luc looked on with interest as his daughter held her hands out, palms facing each other. Ada took a deep breath, then a spark jumped between her hands with a sharp crack. She was about to demonstrate further when she noticed the look on her father''s face.


    "Ada," he said, an anger and hardness to his voice like nothing she''d ever heard from him before, "what in all the world do you think you''re doing?"


    Ada stared at her father, at his wild eyes and reddening face.


    "I¡ª"


    "You are NEVER to do this sort of thing. Do you understand? I forbid it!"


    "Dad¡ª"


    "No more is to be said! No more is to be done! Forget you can do such things! Stay here in your room, please, you are to remain here until I say otherwise. Understand!"


    Luc pressed his palm to his forehead, shaking his head as he turned to stumble from Ada''s room, leaving her stunned and alone.

 Ada ~ 7

    I can feel it flowing through me. I can feel it building inside me. Now that I know, I cannot unknow.


    Ada sat on her bed, cross-legged, hands on her knees, unconsciously flexing her fingers as she stared at herself in the mirror on the wall.


    It isn''t a bad thing. It isn''t a good thing. It''s just a thing, is all.


    She slid forward to the edge of her bed and got up, walking closer to the mirror, looking into her own eyes¡ªorange-gold, called amber by some, wolf eyes by others, sometimes Ada enjoyed having eyes of such an unusual colour, sometimes she wished people wouldn''t make such a big deal out of them, but either way she''d never thought of them as being good or bad. They''re just eyes, she thought.


    Ada raised her hand, watching its reflection in the mirror as she spread her fingers wide. She smiled as a tiny spark jumped from her thumb to her index finger. She felt a faint tingle of energy, felt the thrill of control, but the overpowering urge that she''d experienced during her earlier experiments was almost entirely absent. I''m getting so good, she thought as she lowered her hand again, I just need to practise more, to do more experiments¡ªand Dad shouldn''t be trying to stop me, he should be trying to help me! Isn''t this more interesting than animals? Than ''the squirrel who cried owl''? He''s usually so rational, even in his obsession he''s rational, but with this ... all right, yes, Ada thought, it''s not all that rational a thing to happen, your daughter suddenly being able to shoot lightning from her hands, but even so ... he''s had over a week to think about the situation now, but still he forbids me from leaving ... why can''t he understand that I need him? That I''m doing my best by myself but with his help ... with his help...Stolen novel; please report.


    Ada turned away from the mirror and walked to her dresser. She poured herself a glass of apple tea, stared at it for a while, then left her room. She could hear the animals in her father''s laboratory acting up¡ªhe''s probably doing some sort of experiment in there, she thought. Good.


    Ten minutes later Pascal Greviste was mildly surprised, upon opening his door, to find Ada Hasard standing outside, the look on her young face one of firm resolve.


    "Professor Greviste," she said, walking past him into his apartment then turning to face him. "I have a very important scientific matter that I need to discuss with you."

 Ada ~ 8

    Luc Hasard didn''t normally allow himself nervous habits. However, on the morning he walked into the lounge to find his daughter shooting sparks from her fingers to the lamp on the wall, his fingernails had long been chewed down to painful stubs.


    "Ada!" he cried, dropping the bundle of papers he''d been carrying. "What are you doing? Didn''t I forbid¡ª"


    "This isn''t something you can just forbid and make go away, Dad," said Ada, turning to face him. "It''s something we both just have to deal with."


    "No! We cannot ''deal'' with this! It is not something you can make a ''deal'' with!"


    "That''s not what¡ª"


    "Ada, Ada, Ada, my treasure, my little wolf ... you do not understand." Luc raised his hands before his face, as if to bury it in them, but instead just kept them there, trembling, before lowering them again. He shook his head miserably. "Why is it you, why must it be you?"


    "Why not?" Ada grabbed her glasses from a table and shoved them on. "Why not me? Why shouldn''t a random chance favour us for once?"


    "This is not favour, this is a curse! This is terrible misfortune¡ª"


    "You sound like an ignorant, fearful idiot," Ada said. "You''re not even TRYING to understand this, you just¡ª"


    "Ada, no, it is you who does not understand." The sadness in her father''s voice cut through Ada''s indignation, made her shut her mouth as he gazed at her sorrowfully. "That you can do these things, this fact taken by itself, in a void containing only you and me this would be wonderful, in another world I would call it a miracle, but here, now, I cannot say this, except perhaps to call it a bad miracle."


    Ada was staring at her father, a small but horrible feeling growing inside her.


    "What do you mean?" she said, taking a step closer to him. He shook his head again as he bent to pick up his papers, his movements automatic.


    "There is talk, the latest talk, the widest talk, even to myself who does not listen to talk does this reach, that there are children displaying such talents. What a cruelty, what further proof of the irrationality and pitilessness of the world do you need, that it is only children this happens to, how sad, how reckless. There are times I wish there were such a thing as an almighty god, simply so that I might curse him."


    "I don''t understand," Ada said. "There are others like me?"


    Her father placed the now neatly-stacked papers on a nearby desk, shaking his head miserably. "You have heard me talk of Lumi¨¨re Island? Of Lumi¨¨re Hospital?"


    Ada nodded, her eyes wide.


    "What I have told you about that place is not a tenth of the true horror of it. I don''t tell you this now to scare you, but to attempt to make you understand¡ª"


    "They''re taking the children like me there." Ada stared at her father as he stared at her. "That''s why..." Ada trailed off, her hand going to her mouth, trembling uncontrollably. "Dad..."


    "Ada, my treasure..." He went to her, hesitantly put his arms around her, they had rarely touched even when Ada was young and the hug was awkward, but in that moment she could not imagine anything more comforting. Even so the tears came, for both father and daughter, and they held each other for a long while until either could talk.


    "What do we do?" Ada asked as she stepped back, her voice still shaking. "I don''t want to ... you can''t let them take me there¡ª"This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "No, no, never. We hide," said her father, a resolve to his voice that Ada had never heard before. "The only way to detect these powers is to see a child using them. We can be clever, my daughter, we can hide exactly where they see us. As long as¡ªwhat''s wrong, my treasure?"


    Ada was trembling again, fresh tears coming to her eyes.


    "Dad," she said. "I did ... I did something so stupid..."


    "What is it?"


    "But it was Professor Greviste," she was now muttering, nervously pacing in a little circle. "Surely he wouldn''t¡ªDad, I''m so sorry, I ... I''ve shown Professor Greviste what I can do, I wanted help and he was very kind, he didn''t seem shocked or angry or anything¡ª"


    "No. No, no. No no no, this is not good, you cannot understand, you could not have understood, you cannot be blamed but this cannot be seen to be good, Ada ... perhaps you were foolish and so was I, at this moment blame will not help us, I will not see you go to that place, I would sooner die¡ª"


    "Dad, don''t say that¡ª"


    "It is the truth, Ada!" Luc cried. "I would give my life for you, without a trace of hesitation, and I would pass from this world with the greatest smile upon my face knowing that you would be well, this is the TRUTH, all else is nothing more than theory but this I KNOW!"


    Ada couldn''t say anything, just shook her head, tears flowing freely down her face.


    "Then what?" she said, her voice choked. "What can we do?"


    "So we cannot hide," said Luc, watching his daughter cry with helpless sorrow on his face, "but perhaps you can run."


    "WE can run!" Ada protested. Luc shook his head.


    "No, no, of course I wish to protect you but I must be rational, what could I do with this weak body? With these arms that have never held a sword? No, my strength is here," he said, tapping his head, "and ONLY here. If your mother ... if your mother ... oh, Monique, you would know what to do! You would have the strength to protect our daughter no matter what dark forces gathered against her, and you WOULD be here but for the instinct of a base animal¡ª"


    Luc yelped suddenly¡ªAda had sent a tiny spark into his hand, little more than a pin-prick in strength. She hadn''t wanted to hurt him, of course, but hearing him begin to rant about her mother was simply too painful¡ªand too much a waste of time, a resource that Ada was becomingly increasingly certain they were running out of.


    She watched as her father raised his hand and studied it, his eyes wide, and then he laughed, just once, an ironic bark of understanding.


    "Of course," he said. "Of course, yes. Ada, your problem may become the solution. In yourself you have the means to protect your own safety. If only¡ª"


    Both father and daughter froze as there was a sudden, heavy knock on the apartment door. They stared at each other.


    "So soon!" Luc hissed. "So soon they have come for you!"


    "Dad ... I can''t¡ª"


    "Hush now, hush," said Luc, looking at the door. "You will hide for now, hide well, and I will tell them you are not here, that you are on the roof or elsewhere, and buy for us some time."


    "But¡ª"


    "Please, my treasure." Ada''s father turned to look at her again. "You must be safe. Do you understand? I have been ... distracted. I see this, I am not blind. Sometimes I cannot control what it is that I do or do not do, but eventually I am aware." He reached out to stroke Ada''s cheek, to push back a stray strand of her short brown hair, and he smiled gently at her. "If you are well, then I cannot be anything other than happy. Now, please go. Your room, or perhaps my laboratory, there are plenty of places to hide there."


    Ada looked up at her father, her amber eyes soft and bright, then she stretched up on tip-toes to kiss his cheek, and then she moved past him and was away, towards his lab, to hide among the caged animals and desks piled high with papers.


    Luc did not turn to watch his daughter go, knew that he must push her from his mind, that he must not think of her, that in order to do something that did not come naturally to him¡ªbe dishonest¡ªhe would have to free himself of all distractions and focus completely.


    He took a breath, fixed his expression into a forced smile, and pulled open the door.


    "Can I help you?" he said to the porter outside, and then he frowned. "You''re not a porter."


    The man standing outside was dressed in an old but fine black suit, with a cane held under one arm and an old-fashioned hat on his head.


    "No," said the man, as he removed his hat. "I''m not a porter. And I don''t believe it''s you who I seek."


    Luc took care not to react. His expression was passive, as was his voice:


    "But I am the only one here¡ª"


    "I understand your caution," said the man. "But I assure you¡ªwell, perhaps I should begin with this."


    The man smiled at Luc, his warm blue eyes sparkling.


    "You can call me Fin."

 Lina ~ 1 ~ Reflection Of Suffering

    ~ Lina ~


    Reflection Of Suffering


    "What do you think?"


    "Dunno. What do you think?"


    "Dunno."


    The two watchmen that had found the girl stood over her still form, looking down at her. One of them lit a cigarette.


    "Think she''s dead?" he asked, as he passed the cigarette over.


    "Dunno," said the other watchman. He took a couple of puffs then handed the cigarette back. "Looks dead."


    The girl was lying on her back as if she''d collapsed, wearing a simple green dress that was torn and muddied. She had the type of good solid build that came from working hard every day. A farm girl, in fact. Her hair was dark brown, long and wild, covered with leaves and twigs and mud, partially covering her face, which was simple and plain¡ªnot pretty, not ugly, just a face.


    "Don''t think she''s breathing," said the second watchman. The first watchman took a long drag on the cigarette to finish it off, then flicked the butt out into the darkness. He put down his lantern, knelt beside the girl, and reached out to feel for a pulse...


    <hr>


    "I''m sorry. I really am."


    Lina didn''t say anything, just looked away and blushed.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Look ... you''re younger than me, for a start¡ª"


    "It''s fine," Lina mumbled.


    "I''m sorry," Adam repeated. He shook his head. "I have plans, you know? If I was like the other boys here ... I think you''re quite sweet, and your hair is nice, braided like that, but you''re just too ... too ordinary."


    Lina watched Adam as he strode away, trying not to think about how much she loved the way he walked, each step so sure, and he did this little flick with his foot every three steps or so that made her chest go tight, and his hair always looked so ... so something, all messy and wild but in a good way, and his hands were so nice, big but not BIG big, not like Lina''s sausage-fingered older brothers¡ª


    "There you are. Mum''s gonna break a lung screaming at you. What are you doing out here in the orchards, anyway?"


    Lina shook her head as she walked briskly past her sister.


    "Oi, Nail!"


    Lina scowled at the nickname, but stopped walking.


    "That''s better," said her sister. She pinched Lina''s wrist as she came close, her grin crooked and knowing. "You must really like him."


    Lina didn''t say anything, although she knew that her traitorous cheeks were giving her away.


    "Awww, there it is! Ruddy old Lina, can''t tell a lie. Come on anyway, I wasn''t kidding about Mum, she''s got me and Terry and Gerty and Julia and Hob AND Hetty out looking for you¡ª"


    "I haven''t been away that long," Lina mumbled. "Seems like a waste of sweat. Sending everyone after me."


    "Reckon Mum might be squashing rebellion before it grows, you being away from your chores for any sort of time''s rare enough. Like I said, you must really like him to break your good girl habits."


    Lina blushed.


    "Shut up, Ursula," she mumbled.


    "Well, well, maybe you are becoming some kind of rebel!" Lina''s big sister laughed heartily, then reached out to pinch her cheek. "And such a modest little rebel, too."


    Lina made an annoyed grunting sound as her sister pinched her, though it didn''t hurt at all, then dutifully followed after her, heading back to the farmstead and a hard afternoon of mucking out the pig pens.

 Lina ~ 2

    "Lina! We''re going to market now, are you coming?"


    Lina had taken her sewing outside, despite the gathering clouds blowing in from the south, and she was sitting on a tree stump at the front of the house. She looked up to see two of her little sisters, two of her big brothers, and two of her little brothers looking back at her expectantly.


    "Well?" said Hob, her biggest little brother. Lina shook her head.


    "I don''t feel like it."


    Her siblings glanced at each other.


    "Are you sure?" said little Gerty. "It''ll be fun!"


    "I''m not in the mood for fun," Lina said. "You go without me."


    They didn''t need more persuading than that. Lina watched her siblings as they left, running off down the path leading to the village, the little ones laughing as they leapt up to try to touch the lower-hanging branches of the trees along the path.


    "And what manner of mood would you be in, then?"


    Lina sighed.


    "Not the sort of mood for your nonsense, Julia."


    "It''s that boy, isn''t it? That Adam boy."


    Lina tried to stop her cheeks from revealing her thoughts, but she might as well have tried to make her grey eyes turn brown for all the good it did her. Julia smiled, that sly, secret smile of hers.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "I bet you''re thinking I spied on you. I didn''t, if you''ll believe me. I''m just very good at noticing looks¡ªand the looks I''ve seen from you over the last couple of weeks have told a pretty story."


    Lina shook her head and tried to concentrate on her sewing.


    "But then," Julia continued, slowly twirling a strand of her long, curly black hair around a finger as she walked around Lina, "judging from the looks Adam has given you I can make a fair guess to the ending¡ª"


    "I''m trying to sew."


    "Oh, don''t be down about it. Adam''s just too dashing and adventurous to go for a local girl. He''ll be off out of here quick as a shot once his dad finally kicks it, you can bet that. To be honest I''m surprised you went for him, I would''ve thought your type to be more, oh, I don''t know, one of the Brians, maybe. Big and solid and dependable."


    "And ordinary," said Lina.


    "Yes, exactly! An ordinary boy for an ordinary girl."  Julia laughed as Lila scowled at her sewing. "Oh, you needn''t make that face, Lina."


    "I''m not making a face. This bit of sewing''s just difficult. I don''t mind being ordinary."


    "Really? How odd."


    "It''s not odd! It''s just who I am, you''re right, I''m an ordinary girl. That doesn''t mean I only have to like ordinary boys, does it?"


    "Well ... if you don''t mind having your heart broken, I suppose it doesn''t. Extraordinary boys don''t go for ordinary girls, though. That''s just a fact. You should accept it or you''ll never be happy. Anyway, I''m off to market now, are you sure you won''t come?"


    "I''m very sure that I won''t," said Lina.


    "Well then, I''ll leave you to your very ordinary sewing. I hope the excitement isn''t too much for you."


    Lina frowned at her sewing as her sister walked away. So who says ordinary girls and extraordinary boys can''t be together, she thought, where''s that written? Maybe that''s just what an extraordinary boy needs, someone nice and ordinary to ... to...


    "To weigh him down," Lina murmured, with a small sigh. What an idiot I am, she thought, to even think he might ever be interested in me. He''s right and Julia''s right.


    But really ... what''s WRONG with ordinary?

 Lina ~ 3

    Lina was woken by excited activity and raised voices¡ªa glance out the window told her it was still dark out, hours from sunrise judging by the colour of the sky. After splashing some water on her face and pulling on a dress, she made her way into the chaotic family kitchen, which was lit by a couple of lamps and packed with the entire rest of her family, except for her father.


    "All right, all right," her mother was saying, her voice raised over the noise of the younger ones. "There''s no panic, we''ve had this before, comes with living so close to the border. Just make sure you''ve all got your socks and shoes on, and your travelling coats¡ªyour good ones, mind¡ªand let''s all get ourselves organised."


    Well, thanks for waking me, Lina thought, but she didn''t say it, instead busied herself helping Gerty find her coat and two socks that matched.


    "Lina, you go ahead with Gerty and Terry," her mother said to her as they all got ready to leave¡ªalthough to where and for what reason, Lina still hadn''t been told.


    "Where to?" she asked.


    "To the village hall, of course, you daft girl! Come on now, let''s get moving, it''s an unpleasant chore, I know, but unpleasant chores are better''n being dead, as my pa used to say, and I reckon he''d be an authority on the matter. What are you doing still standing around, gaping like a landed fish, go!"


    Lina ushered Gerty and Terry out of the house and into the crisp, dark morning.


    "Look, Lina!" her brother cried. "The stars are really bright!"


    "If you look carefully, you might see a shooting star," Lina said to her little siblings. "And if you do, you can make a wish."


    "Oh! I''m gonna wish for¡ª"


    "No!" Gerty cut her brother off, her young voice serious. "You can''t tell or it doesn''t come true!"


    Terry clapped both hands over his mouth, his eyes wide.


    "Come on, you two. You can look for shooting stars and walk at the same time, but mind you don''t trip."


    Lina had already worked out why she was taking her little siblings to the village hall, even without being told. There was only one reason they''d have to do that so early in the morning, with no warning beforehand. Someone from the village must have spotted a raiding party headed this way, or a traveller had come through during the night, or else in some way they''d received the news; trouble is coming. Lina shivered as she urged her younger siblings along, both at the cold of the morning and a memory from when she was near Gerty''s age, hiding in the village hall''s big stone cellar, listening to the sound of fighting from above¡ªbandits, that time. They''d come down from the hills. Lina shivered again, hoping and praying that whatever trouble was headed towards her little village decided to pass it by. The clouds in the southern sky weren''t exactly reassuring, hanging black and heavy. Wind''s blowing from that way, Lina thought. From Crove.


    The village common was lit by six large flaming torches when Lina came to it, crowded with men and boys who wanted to be men, all talking in hushed tones¡ªwhich became even more hushed as Lina approached with her little brother and sister. She was quickly escorted to the village hall by Lowe, the blacksmith. Usually friendly and chatty, this morning his face was blank and the only thing he said to Lina was "This way" as he ushered her inside the hall. Looking back as she walked inside, Lina caught a glimpse of Adam in the torchlight. I want to see him fight, came a sudden thought. I want to watch him fighting to protect me.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    No, Lina corrected herself, as Mrs Law from the village bakery took over escort duties, clucking and chattering and fussing away as she led Lina and her siblings down into the cellar, what I REALLY want is for there to be NO fighting at all, ACTUALLY.


    The cellar was dry and warm and could easily hold the entire population of the village twice over if the need arose. The people of Lina''s village were nothing if not practical, seeing this kind of forced gathering not so much a time to cower in fear and reassure each other that it''d all be okay, but more of an inconvenient yet unavoidable break from the day-to-day chores and duties of village life, a time when it was okay to just sit around and gossip and catch up with one another, because there wasn''t much else they could do. It was also, by some unspoken agreement, the time when everyone brought out that extra pie they had, or those dried figs left over from last season, or even that bottle of wine they''d been saving. Consequently the two large tables set up in the middle of the cellar were almost bending from the feast they held.


    Lina didn''t have much of an appetite. She didn''t feel frightened, and not nervous either, not exactly, she just had a tremendous sense of anticipation. It''s not a question of if, she thought, as she watched her little brother and sister run to the food table, it''s a question of when.


    "Good, you got them here safe. Ursula, you take those trotters to the table, see if you can find a space for them. Ee, looks like a grand turn out this time around, doesn''t it Lina? Surprised you''re not stuck into it already."


    Lina felt herself blushing. She''d always been a big eater, the biggest in the family¡ªwhich, considering how much her older brothers could put away, was saying something. She didn''t want to be, it just seemed to take so much more food to satisfy her than it did for anyone else. Still, it wasn''t as if she shirked her chores¡ªI might eat more than everyone else, Lina often told herself, but I work harder and longer than everyone else, too.


    "They''ll be needing another table if this keeps up," Lina''s mother was continuing, oblivious to her daughter''s red cheeks. "Looks like even the Grants brought over a few cakes, glad they''re¡ªoi! You two best take whatever you''re putting your grubby little fingers all over, and you''d best eat it too! Even a time of bounty''s no time for waste¡ªdon''t you put that pastry back young man, you pick that back up and you eat it or I''ll take my hand off your face."


    Lina sighed, just a little, and moved away from her mother and the rest of her family, to the side of the cellar nearest the common¡ªthere weren''t any windows in the cellar, but there were a number of long narrow slits to let out the smoke and the heat of the low-burning lanterns. Lina positioned herself near one of these, hoping to hear the men talking in the common, but she found herself disappointed. She could hear them talking, certainly, the low buzz of their conversation so different from the loud chatter within the cellar¡ªmore measured, more serious¡ªbut she couldn''t even begin to make out what they were actually saying. For a moment Lina wished she was out there, talking about ... whatever it was they were talking about, swords possibly, battle, blood and war. Then she chastised herself for being foolish. I''m a girl, she thought, what could I do out there, if enemies came? I don''t know the first thing about fighting, I''d just get in the way and cause trouble. I doubt I could even talk about fighting without feeling nervous and probably embarrassing myself. No, down here is where I should be.


    Lina turned away from the little chimney-slit and looked around the room, smiling as she saw a couple of her friends near one of the food tables¡ªBetty was holding up a large salami and they were all laughing, Lina could feel herself blushing even without hearing what her friend was saying but somehow, despite her embarrassment, she wanted to be part of that conversation. Her odd feelings and urges of the moment before forgotten, she went to join her friends, to try to chat away her fear.

 Lina ~ 4

    The storm had passed, but talk of Lina''s actions was gathering strong. After healing Adam, Lina helped carry him to the hall cellar, where she''d stayed by his side until he''d woken, several hours later. He wasn''t in any pain at all, just tremendously tired and weak, so Lina held his hand and stroked his forehead and brushed his hair back from his eyes, talking to him in calm tones about nothing much at all, as much to distract herself as to soothe him. She''d stayed by his side until the evening, when despite her protests she''d been swept up by her family and taken home. That night Lina slept like she''d never slept before, and the next morning she had three helpings of porridge before running off into the village, only to find herself barred from seeing him by Mr Graft.


    "Lad needs his rest," he said. "Best to leave him be for a spell."


    Lina''s face fell. "But I thought¡ª"


    "Just for a while," Mr Graft said. "Come back tomorrow, after ... tomorrow."


    Lina could have argued. Could have pushed her way past. Those were certainly options, for a girl that was more than ordinary.


    She ended up just walking back home, mindless of the strange looks she was attracting, and she busied herself with her very ordinary chores.


    "So," Lina''s mother said, while Lina washed up for dinner. "How''s our great heroic nurse, then?"


    Lina blushed, and her mother and older sisters laughed.


    "Really, we''re proud of you," said Ursula.


    "Although I think I may know the reason you were so eager to help," Julia put in, with a sly smile.


    "Just don''t let it go to your head, my daughter," said her mother. "There''s no room for heroes in a village, least not heroes who don''t do their fair share of the work."


    Dinner was lamb stew, thick with dumplings and potatoes. Lina had two enormous helpings with extra bread then went straight to bed, snoring almost before she''d properly laid down. The next morning she rose early, still feeling tired but trying to ignore that.


    "Off to the village again?" Julia asked, as she watched Lina wash her face. "Goodness, I wonder what in the world could be drawing you there?"


    "Nothing you need to worry about," Lina said, briskly.


    The sun had only just risen but the young ones were already hard at play, climbing the big old elm near the house.


    "Gerty, mind you don''t climb too high!" Lina called out as she passed.


    "I won''t!"


    The village was quiet, just Harry from the valley and Stuart from up the hill talking around the well, although they stopped when they noticed Lina.


    "Good morning," she said, and they nodded to her and waited for her to pass before returning to their conversation.


    Mr Graft was seated beside the door to Adam''s house, hat over his face.


    "Good morning, Mr Graft."


    "Young Lina," he muttered through the hat, before pushing it aside and stiffly standing to greet her. "Good morning. I''d say there''s only one reason you''re here, aye?"


    Lina blushed.


    "Suppose it wouldn''t hurt for you to see him," Mr Graft said. "Go on in and see if he''s awake, his dad''s in there too but don''t mind him."


    Adam''s father had been sick for a long time, with weak lungs and an oddness of the head. He was generally regarded as pitiable but harmless.


    "Good morning, Mr Free," Lina said, as she spotted him in the little house''s main room. He was sitting in a rocking chair, wheezing gently as he stared at the wall. At the sound of Lina''s voice his unfocused eyes slowly dragged over to her.


    "Down," he said. "Going down. Down. Down. Going down."


    "I''m just here to see Adam," Lina said, not really sure how to act around the odd old man and deciding to stick with what she knew; ''ordinary''. "Is he in his room?"


    "Down, down, down, he''s going, he''s Adam, he''s done with that, my girl, done with that, why don''t you bear? Won''t you bear?"


    "I, um, I''ll just go in to see him, then," Lina said, before fleeing into Adam''s room. Once inside she hadn''t so much as glanced at him before her cheeks grew warm. Alone with a boy in his room, she thought. Never mind the circumstances, that''s ... that''s...


    Curtains, she told herself. This room could do with a bit of light. Let''s open the windows too, get some air in, it''s not good for a room to get stuffy especially when someone''s recovering. There, see? With the light I can see his face properly...


    "Um!" Lina said, stepping back as Adam stirred.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Huh?" Adam yawned and blinked and gradually focused on Lina. "Oh ... Lina?"


    "Um." Lina took a breath. "H-how are you feeling?"


    "Tired," he said, smiling weakly. Lina managed to smile back. Adam squirmed in his bed and she took a little half-step forward, wanting to help but not sure what she could do.


    "Do you want anything?" she blurted out, the words coming too fast and too thickly; not for the first time Lina cursed her fat tongue. Adam shook his head slowly.


    "I''m ... okay," he said. He looked at Lina again. "You''re the one who helped me."


    "I ... I did what I could¡ª"


    "You saved my life," Adam said, Lina blushing at the earnest look in his deep brown eyes. "I was dying, I know I was, and ... thank you."


    Lina turned away. "I just ... it''s okay."


    There was silence, then Lina glanced back at Adam, blushing deeper as she saw he was still looking at her.


    "What?" she said.


    "I¡ª"


    "Down. Going down, down. Adam''s turn. Thick blood."


    "Dad," said Adam, as he and Lina both turned to look at the old man standing in the doorway, an anguished look on his face. "Please go and sit down¡ªLina, could you please take him back to his chair?"


    "Of course," Lina said quickly, going to Adam''s father''s side and gently taking his arm. He turned to frown at her, incomprehension in his eyes.


    "Touched," he said.


    "Yes, I''m just helping you back to your chair," Lina said, as she guided him across the room. "Do you want a blanket?"


    "Touched," he repeated, nodding to himself as he sank into his chair. It wasn''t a warm day, so Lina fetched a blanket and put it across his legs.


    "There," she said. "Do you ... do you need anything else?"


    "Thick blood," Adam''s father said, still nodding away. "Down, going down to thick blood."


    Lina patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. "You can just stay here," she said. "It''s okay, I''m looking after Adam."


    "Are you now?" came a voice from the front door¡ªMrs Roberts, Lina saw, as she straightened and turned. "We''ll see about that."


    "Good morning, Mrs Roberts," Lina said, curtsying. "Are you¡ª"


    "I''m here to check on the boy. You can leave."


    "I don''t mind¡ª"


    "You can leave."


    "But really¡ª"


    "Do I need to brew you up some hawthorn tea before you''ll listen to me? Or maybe bishop''s weed would be more appropriate." Mrs Roberts cackled as she strode into the main room, her piercing grey eyes on Lina.


    "I¡ª"


    "You," said Mrs Roberts, jabbing a finger at Lina. "Can leave."


    Lina hesitated then fled, past Mrs Roberts and outside.


    "Wise choice," Mr Graft mumbled from his chair. Lina glanced back at him as he looked up at her. "Don''t get between Glenda and what she''s fixed on. That woman''s more focused than a hawk on its prey."


    "She''s ... she is good, though, isn''t she?"


    Mr Graft chuckled. "Rather than evil?" he said, before holding up his hand as Lina went to correct him. "Just having a little fun with you. You can trust her with your boy, as far as healing goes."


    "He''s not my boy," Lina muttered.


    "Oh?" Mr Graft chuckled again, a little unfairly Lina thought.


    "Um," Lina said, with an anxious look back at the house. "Do you think she''ll be long?"


    "What do I think. I think you''ve got chores to do today."


    Lina bit her lip. "I suppose I do," she said. "But¡ª"


    "Take care of the basics first," Mr Graft said, his voice gruff. "Fancy can follow. Your boy''ll keep till tonight. Why don''t you come back then."


    Lina sighed. Mr Graft was right, she DID have chores to do, and if she was really honest with herself being here with Adam wasn''t going to help him.


    "All right," she said. She smiled at Mr Graft. "Thank you for looking out for Adam. It must be a hardship, sitting out here all day."


    To her surprise Mr Graft went a little red.


    "Ah, well, you know," he said, more than a little fluster in his voice. "We all do our part for the village. Give my regards to your parents, won''t you."


    "Of course. I''ll see you tonight, then."


    "Aye, like as not you will."


    Lina made her way back home, feeling anxious but somewhat relieved¡ªMrs Roberts IS good, she thought, in both ways, even if she is a bit mean and bossy and weird sometimes. And Adam seems fine anyway, he''s recovering quickly, it''s not¡ª


    "What''s going on here?" Lina said, as she ran towards the wails of pain¡ªit was Gerty, holding her leg where she''d scraped her knee, the other children gathered around her. "Gerty! You fell out of the tree, didn''t you! AGAIN!"


    "She climbed too high!" Terry cried with a note of triumph in his voice. "Even though you told her not to!"


    "Never mind that, let''s have a look. Oh, this isn''t anything more than a scratch, when I was your age this kind of piddling thing wouldn''t even make me cry."


    This was true. Lina had never reacted much to any kind of injury, when she''d even sustained them¡ªshe remembered falling out of a much higher tree when she was eight, landing heavily on her arm, but she''d walked away from that with just the wind knocked out of her.


    "Come on, you''ve not even lost any skin," Lina said, making her voice jolly. "Let''s just¡ª"


    There was an odd kind of flutter deep within Lina''s stomach, this followed by a sensation of stillness. She looked down at Gerty''s leg, at the scrape on it, then up at her sister''s tearful face. Lina felt as if she and her sister were the only things that really existed in the entire world¡ªeven though they were surrounded by their other brothers and sisters, and were on the road that led to their house, and taking a wider view of things they were, of course, in the country of Targe¡ªbut somehow, in that moment, it was like all those things were simply irrelevant. The world had been reduced to nothing but Lina and her sister, or even less than that, just this scrape, this wasn''t what Gerty''s knee should look like, all scraped up and bloody, and this pain her sister was feeling, that wouldn''t do, of course Lina didn''t want any of her family to be in any kind of pain ... well maybe Julia and Ursula sometimes, but regardless of that she reached into Gerty and she pulled, and she felt an odd pricking in her fingertips which spread throughout her body, not pain exactly, just a presence of something, and soon even that was no more than a little flicker of nothing much at all way down deep in her gut, and then the stillness was gone and Lina was staring at Gerty''s knee, and her brothers and sisters around her were quiet, because there wasn''t a scrape there any more, not even the trace of one.


    "There," said Lina, matter-of-factly. "Doesn''t that feel better?"


    Gerty nodded, her young eyes wide.


    "How..." Hob trailed off, squinting at his big sister.


    "All right, drama''s over," said Lina, although she shared a lot of her little brother''s confusion¡ªshe had no idea how she''d healed Gerty''s knee, only that it had all seemed very clear at the time. Now that she thought back on it, she wasn''t at all sure what she''d done. Lina straightened and reached out to tousle Hob''s hair. "You can all get back to your wasteful playing, some of us have chores to do."

 Lina ~ 5

    "Ooh, how''d you do that, daughter?"


    "How''d I do what?" Lina asked, as she dragged a big wooden tub across the kitchen floor.


    "That wee cut on your wrist there, was that while you were weeding?"


    Lina looked at her wrist, then at her other wrist¡ªher mother was right, on her left wrist was a thin but noticeable white mark. How her mother had spotted it from across the room she didn''t question; when it came to her own children''s injuries, the woman had eyes like a hawk.


    "Huh," said Lina, looking at it. "I don''t know. I didn''t even do weeding today, I was helping Dad in the fields."


    "Let''s have a look." Lina held her hand out to her mother, who examined it with pursed lips. "Could be worms, white mark like that."


    "Mum! I don''t have worms!"


    "Just saying," said Lina''s mother mildly. She peered closer at the mark. "Seems a bit straight for that, though you never can tell. Go see Mrs Roberts when you go back into town."


    "How''d you¡ª"


    Lina stopped talking as her mother tapped the side of her nose knowingly. Her cheeks were warm as she picked up the tub again and resumed dragging it outside.


    Ten minutes later, as she sat in the tub scrubbing at herself with a soapy cloth, Lina noticed a second mark, this one longer and somehow deeper, on her right breast. Like the one on her wrist it was pale and smooth to the touch. They''re like little scars, Lina thought, as she frowned at the one on her breast. Then she shook her head and got on with washing.


    "I''m going to the village!" she called out, after drying off, and dressing, and carefully re-braiding her hair. She quickly made her way along the road leading to the village, feeling more excited with every step.


    "Someone''s in a good mood this eve," said Mrs Peterson from the valley, as Lina passed her by. "Nice little tune you''re humming."


    "Good evening, Mrs Peterson," Lina said, turning back to wave. I didn''t even realise I was humming, she thought, I must be happy. She walked on for another few minutes before hearing someone else call out to her¡ª


    "Oh, good evening Miss Grey. Thank you for what you did for our brother."


    Lina turned to see Tom Strop standing in the field to the right of the road, hoe in his hands. She walked over to the wall at the side of the road, her cheeks a little red.


    "I didn''t really do much," she said. "Mostly it was Nancy. Is he doing all right?"


    Tom nodded. "Keeps wanting to come out and help in the fields, me and Jim almost have to tie him to his bed."


    "I''m glad he''s feeling better."


    "Thanks to you, Miss Grey. Reckon people are talking nonsense, all that stuff they''re saying. Anyway. Have a good evening, eh?"


    "Oh ... you as well, Tom," said Lina, feeling more than a little confused as she started walking towards the village again. Then she remembered where she was headed and all the warmth and happiness came flooding back into her at once.


    By the time Lina reached the village the sun was only a few hands above the horizon. This had long been her favourite time of day. All the day chores had been done and the evening chores could be put off, at least for a while, and so there was space for unnecessary things. It was a happy time, a relaxed time, a time of gossip and lightness. Lina exchanged greetings with several people as she made her way through the village, and waved at her friend Betty as she saw her on the other side of the common. Betty didn''t notice her, so Lina headed straight for Adam''s house.


    "Ah, now." Mr Graft stood as Lina came near, standing in front of the door.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Good evening, Mr Graft," Lina said. "Can I go in?"


    "Maybe better if you don''t," he said. "Not this evening."


    "Why not?"


    "Might just be better if you come back tomorrow."


    "What''s wrong?" Lina said, voice tight. "What''s going on? Is Mrs Roberts in there with him? Has she ... has she been in there all day?"


    "She¡ª"


    Both Mr Graft and Lina looked up as the front door of Adam''s house opened and Mrs Roberts appeared, her old face grey and wan. She looked at Lina, then at Mr Graft, and then she gave the slightest shake of her head, almost imperceptible. But Mr Graft saw it ... and so did Lina.


    "No!" she shrieked. "No, he''s not! What did you do? What did¡ª"


    Mrs Roberts lowered her hand from where she''d slapped Lina¡ªit wasn''t a hard blow, and it hadn''t hurt at all, but it shocked Lina out of the hysterics she was working herself into. She stared at Mrs Roberts as Mrs Roberts glared at her.


    "Calm yourself, girl," she said. "Getting yourself into a state won''t help anyone."


    "But he''s ... he''s..."


    Mrs Roberts looked into Lina''s eyes, and she reached out to pat her on the shoulder.


    "He''s gone," she said.


    Lina stared at Mrs Roberts, then she rushed forward, burying her face in the old lady''s shoulder, clutching at her practical black dress, sobbing uncontrollably.


    <hr>


    "The way I look at things, it''d mean risking the village. Forget everything else and think about Banding. Like I''ve always said, the village has got to come before any single person."


    "And what if it was your daughter, eh? Or that little baby son of yours? Or your wife?"


    "Then I''d like to think I''d be sitting here saying the same thing. We''re not talking about some petty business here, this is witchcraft¡ªor maybe even worse than that. You hear tales of those that''ve been demon-touched, or cursed by spirits¡ª"


    "Doesn''t sound like you, to be talking of that manner of thing¡ª"


    "Maybe it doesn''t. But then you weren''t there when she did it. I tell you, that boy was hammering on death''s door with both fists, making the unholiest noise I''ve ever heard in my life, and then that girl ... that girl ... of course we know it was some kind of cursed trick she pulled now, but..."


    "Let''s get back to the point here. I like things to be simple, as you all know, and the way I see this is that we can''t know if she''s a danger to the village or not. Before anyone else dies¡ª"


    "I wanna say somethin'' here. Now, it weren''t like I was there or nothin'', but the way I''ve heard it told that boy was as good as dead anyway. This girl did something to him, gave him a day or two more than he should''ve got, or maybe just made those days he had left more bearable, I dunno. Important thing bein'', from where I''m sittin'' it don''t look like this girl killed the boy at all. Now I dunno what she did and I dunno whether she''s a danger or not, but as far as killin'' anybody goes¡ª"


    "Mrs Roberts has spoken for her, it''s true. She says it was bad blood that killed the boy, like when old Oaks got squashed up against that fence by his cows¡ªyou remember that? Walked away with barely a mark on ''im, dropped dead a week later¡ª"


    "Getting back to the point, we''ve got a decision to make here¡ª"


    "I don''t reckon that''s true. I reckon it''d be unfair to make a decision before knowing what¡ª"


    "If a man came into the village, and if you knew he was a murderer, would you wait for him to kill again before you locked him up? Or better yet, sent him on his way?"


    "Like I just said, this girl ain''t killed no one, not by my figurin''. Actin'' like she has¡ª"


    "She comes from a big family. Pulls her weight by all accounts, but it''s not like she''d be missed."


    "Excuse me, sir, but what in the hell kind of thing is that to say? She''s their daughter, their sister, how in the hell are you gonna sit there sayin'' she ain''t gonna be missed?"


    "I''m saying that the farm would do fine without her, I''m trying to look at this rationally¡ª"


    "There ain''t a drop of rationality in tearing a girl away from her family¡ª"


    "And what if this girl is demon-touched or some kind of witch, or cursed¡ªyou hear stories about the Devastation, about the monsters that were around back then¡ª"


    "Yeah, ''stories''¡ª"


    "¡ªso what if we have one of those monsters here, in our village? What if she isn''t their daughter no more? What if she never was? This girl was a quiet one, by accounts, never made trouble, never spoke out, an ordinary girl¡ªmaybe that was some kind of disguise¡ª"


    "And so she breaks that disguise by pretending to heal a boy who was gonna die anyway? Sorry if I''m being stupid, but that don''t make a lot of sense to me."


    "Who knows how demons think? Maybe this is how it starts, maybe we head out to the Grey farmstead tomorrow morning and find the rest of that girl''s family dead¡ª"


    "Maybe she''s an angel come down to give us a spot of hope in these dark times¡ªlook, I don''t necessarily believe that myself but once you start throwing maybes around¡ª"


    "I''ve got another issue. We''re thinking about our village here. What happens when word of this spreads¡ªand you know it''s gonna. What happens once this starts attracting attention?"


    "That''s a good point. I don''t wanna be associated with this kind of goings on, Banding''s a grand little village and a good place to live, we don''t need any kind of attention from outside."


    "Well ... well damn it, we''ve got to do something."


    "What, then? What do we do with her?"

 Lina ~ 6

    Lina sat in the corner of her shared bedroom, knees hunched up to her chest, hands atop her knees. She was still dressed for work. She hadn''t even taken off her boots.


    She looked up as her father entered the room.


    She looked back at her hands.


    "I think I killed him," she said, nothing like emotion in her voice.


    "Now, nobody''s saying that," said her father.


    "Don''t lie."


    Lina''s father looked at her helplessly.


    "Your mother and I, we were talking¡ª"


    "Are they going to burn me?" Lina said. "That''s what they do to witches in Pyre."


    "Now listen here, daughter. You''re not a witch."


    "Then what am I? Cursed? Or maybe demon-touched, or maybe I AM a demon¡ª"


    "Don''t start saying that kind of thing."


    "I''m something bad, anyway," Lina said. "Maybe this is punishment for wanting to be something other than ordinary." But I never asked for that, she thought, I never even wanted it, I was HAPPY being ordinary¡ª


    "Now," her father said, and he stopped and swallowed before going on. "Now none of us know what''s going on here, not really, no one''s heard of anything like this before¡ªyou can believe I''ve asked around. So like I said, your mother and me were talking, and we reckon it might be best if you ... if you went on a little trip."


    "Mm."


    "Maybe head out tonight, even."


    "Why not right now?"


    Lina stood, but found her legs were shaking, wouldn''t take her weight, she would''ve fallen if her father hadn''t stepped forward to catch her, his strong arms around her, hugging her close to him as Lina began crying, sobbing into his chest.


    "I don''t wanna go!" she wailed. "Don''t make me go!"


    "Come on now, sweet child, don''t be scared," her father said, as he awkwardly patted her on the back. "You''re a big, strong, sensible girl, and the road from here to Unity''s a good one, we''ve got a little put away that you can take with you, and we''ll send one of your brothers with you for part of the way¡ª"


    "Which one?" Lina sobbed. "Little Terry? He''s the only one out of the lot who isn''t terrified of me now!"


    "Dad."


    Lina pushed away from her father as Julia came into the room.


    "Go away!" she screamed, furiously wiping at her face.


    "Lina¡ª"


    "GO AWAY!"


    "NO I WON''T!"


    The two sisters glared at each other, then Julia broke it off to send their father fleeing with a glance.


    "Sit down!" Julia commanded, looking back at Lina. When Lina didn''t move, Julia slapped her hard and pushed her down by her shoulders, or tried to at least. After a moment of resistance Lina let her sister win, sitting heavily on the floor, on her sleeping mat, sniffing noisily as Julia sat next to her.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "You''re far too strong," Julia said. "Is that part of it too?"


    "Part of what," Lina muttered. "Being a demon?"


    "Or a witch, or whatever it is. I think that''s it, though. You''re a witch."


    "Shut up," Lina growled. "Shut up and just leave me alone if you''re going to¡ª"


    "I think it''s amazing."


    Lina raised her hand to strike Julia, but the look of affectionate pride on her sister''s face stayed her hand.


    "Shut up," Lina said, again.


    "I''m not lying and I''m not trying to make you feel better. The truth is I''m horribly jealous. You''re amazing, Lina."


    "I''m not. I''m cursed."


    "Oh, maybe. But if being cursed means you can take away people''s pain and heal your little sister''s scraped knee without a mark¡ªyes, I talked to Terry¡ªthen I wish I was cursed, too."


    Julia''s tone was wistful. Lina stared at her.


    "You really do," she whispered. Julia smiled at her. Lina launched herself at her sister, slamming her to the floor. "TAKE IT THEN!"


    There was an enormous horrible pressure deep inside, swelling and bloating and then exploding, and Julia was screaming, screaming like Lina had never heard anyone scream before, not even when Adam had been lying with his stomach cut open had he screamed like this, and Lina was trying to grab hold of her sister, to take the pain out of her, but she didn''t know how, she couldn''t feel it, and then there were hands on her, a lot of hands dragging her, and she was kicking and striking out and the hands weren''t on her any more, and she struck out again and there were more cries of pain and then she was running, just running, out of the house and across the road and across the fields and away, just away, she couldn''t be around people, that was all she knew, because she was a witch, because she was a demon, because she was cursed to hurt or kill everyone around her.


    Lina ran until she was too exhausted to run any more, and then she walked, and then she staggered, and then she collapsed, and when she woke she walked, and then she ran, and this time she kept running, she''d never really run before, not like this, but her legs were thick and strong from long days of hard chores, at first her dress was a nuisance but it had soon torn enough that she could really get her legs moving, pounding away at the ground beneath, and she ran over fields and through forests and over hills and through swamplands, leaping over boggy ditches, her work boots taking her over whatever lay ahead, there was night and there was day and she slept a little and then she ran again, and she ignored hunger, told her body that it didn''t need food and somehow that was enough, she didn''t know where she was going, only that it was away from her village and her family, far enough away that she''d never cause them trouble again, and it got dark and became light and got dark again as she ran, but she hardly noticed this, just as long as she had enough light to see the path ahead, and she ran and she ran and she ran until there was nowhere left to run.


    Lina blinked.


    She was standing on a sandy beach, looking out at the waves of the ocean. It was dark¡ªnight, actually, the stars above shining bright, the moon almost full, the waves large and angry.


    The ocean, she thought. I''m looking at the ocean. I never thought I''d see it. How beautiful.


    Lina blinked again and shook her head and turned away from the ocean and picked a direction and started moving before she could remember or regret, so once more there was nothing but running and running and running, when she was running she didn''t have to think about anything, didn''t have to be anything, I''m just an ordinary girl, she told herself, as she ran over hills and through fields and then along a road, passing shadows that might once have been human, I''m just an ordinary girl who''s running, and what could be more ordinary than running? One foot in front of the other, over and over and over, there couldn''t be anything more ordinary than that.


    Eventually Lina was forced once more to stop. This time it wasn''t running out of land that did it. It was a wall.


    Lina looked around, at the wall stretching out to the left and right and high above her, and for a moment she had the wild, crazy thought of simply running right up and over it, but no, she told herself, that would not be ordinary. If this is a wall then this is a city. It would be ordinary to go in through the gate. That is what I will do.


    As Lina ran beside the wall she felt a twinge from her legs, but she told them that it wasn''t ordinary to twinge and so they stopped, and she felt a twinge from her stomach and she told it that ... well, that being hungry was quite ordinary but that right now wasn''t a good time, and her stomach seemed to accept that, and then from all over her body Lina felt a sudden unbearable pressure, and an intense, aching weariness erupted inside her, she could feel it like a spiky little growth within her body, inside her veins and her bones, spreading everywhere like some awful uncontrollable disease, and she wasn''t running any more; she was walking; she was staggering; she was falling; she was dying.

 Lina ~ 7

    The watchman''s name was Leid. He drank more than he should and got into fights because of it, and he had a daughter in one of the poorer parts of the city who he''d never met and pretended didn''t exist, and he thought it was funny to kick cats because of the noises they made. He was also personally responsible for saving the lives of seven citizens of the city of Unity from untimely and violent death, had, in his time, ensured that several dozen cases of attempted rape went no further than that, and had, over the course of his thirteen years as a watchman, never once looked the other way when he''d seen something wrong taking place.


    All things considered, he didn''t really deserve what happened to him when he reached out to check if the girl had a pulse.


    "Leid? You all right?"


    As soon as Leid''s fingers had touched the girl''s neck he''d stiffened, frozen in place. As the other watchman looked on Leid''s body convulsed, a violent spasm that sent him tumbling away from the unmoving body of the girl, the wet crack of a broken bone sounding out into the night.


    The other watchman gaped at Leid where he lay, silent and unmoving, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.


    "Leid?"


    There was a noise, or a presence, or something that made the watchman look away from his fallen friend and towards the girl. She hadn''t moved. She was just lying there, face pale, as still as dead.


    The watchman drew his sword, held it at the ready as he stepped towards her, the tip trembling as he neared that corpselike body.


    Lina''s eyes opened.


    The watchman dropped his sword and fled.


    Several minutes passed.


    The softest of breezes blew, coming from the south.


    Lina stood up.


    Her head was throbbing and her body couldn''t decide whether it was hot or cold, kept changing its mind every few seconds. She felt dizzy and disorientated, a deep sickness in her stomach, at once strangely light and oddly heavy. She didn''t notice the watchman''s body as she staggered away.


    Though someone else did.


    <hr>


    The sun rose over the city, driving away the darkness of the night, lighting up streets and avenues and bridges and alleyways.


    It fell on Lina''s face, the warmth and brightness causing her eyes to flutter then open, and she raised a sluggish arm to ward it off.


    Then the smell hit her. It was like nothing she''d smelt before, thick and oily and smoky and rotten and sour and sharp, making her gag and cough, and the cough turned into a choke, and she fell on to her hands and knees as she retched.


    Some time later Lina emerged from the alleyway, looking like someone who had just spent the night in an alleyway. She stared around with dull eyes, at the city that surrounded her, at the wide, roughly paved street, at the shops and houses all squashed together, at the people walking by not giving her a second glance, all of them dressed in their best clothes. Lina took all of this in without really understanding any of it. With few other choices apparent, she began walking stiffly in a random direction.


    "Here''s one."


    "What, her? Nah."


    "You know your problem, Buck? You can''t look beneath the surface. Couldn''t spot potential if it were pissing on your head."


    "I still say ''nah''."


    "You''ll see. Oi! Girl! Oi, I said! Yeah, you!"


    Lina stopped and slowly turned. With blank eyes she looked at the two men at the side of the road, then she turned away from them and went to keep walking.


    "Hey now, we don''t look THAT scary, do we?" said one of them, as he jogged over to Lina and took her arm. "Just wanna chat, maybe tell you something interesting."


    Lina looked down at where the man held her, then up at his face.


    "You shouldn''t touch me," she said, her voice lifeless. "I might hurt you."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The man laughed. "Yeah, reckon you could, at that! Got a good pair of arms on you there, good pair of legs too, I''d say you grew up on a farm, that right?"


    Lina stared at him, then nodded slowly.


    "But I ran away," she said.


    "Of course you did," the man said, glancing back as his partner joined them. "Why don''t we go have a drink? I know it''s early but, well, for some of us the morning''s just an extension of the night, ain''t that right Buck?"


    "Could be," said the other man, his voice low and thoughtful. Lina turned her blank gaze to him, then back to the first man, who grinned at her.


    "So what do you say, girl?"


    "I don''t care," said Lina.


    "That''s as good as a yes in my book, come on then, we''ve got a place¡ª"


    "OI! DON''T MOVE FROM THERE!"


    The piercing sound of a watchman''s whistle accompanied the yell, and in an instant the two men were gone. Lina looked up without interest as a couple of watchmen ran towards her. Those men must be bad, she thought, just before the watchmen stopped, swords out and pointed at her. One of them blew his whistle again, two short blasts.


    "Don''t move, girl," said the whistleblower. "Just you stay there and don''t you move, unless you want my sword through your heart."


    Of course, Lina thought. Those men aren''t the bad ones. Not compared to me. I don''t know how these watchmen know, but they can obviously tell how terrible I am.


    "Maybe you should just do it," she said. "Killing me now would probably save everyone a lot of trouble."


    "Shut it," said the other watchman. He glanced around at the sound of approaching footsteps, as three more watchmen ran up to join them.


    "This her?" one asked, squinting at Lina. "You sure?"


    "So how many other girls do we got walking around looking like this?" the whistleblower said.


    "What, here in the Gant? This time of morning? Couple of dozen, I''d say," said one of the newly arrived watchmen. "No, this is her though. It''s you, ain''t it?" he said to Lina. She shrugged listlessly. He looks different to the others, some part of her noticed. Tidier.


    "So what do we do with her now?" one of the other watchmen asked, before giving a cold look to a passerby taking a little too much of an interest in proceedings.


    "You lot can get back to your beats. I''ll take her from here," said the tidy watchman.


    "You sure, sir?"


    "I''ve dealt with her sort before."


    "But ... I mean, the stories you hear, sir, especially lately¡ª"


    "As I said, I''ve got experience," said the tidy watchman. The whistleblower, who had been staring at the tidy watchman since he''d arrived, suddenly spoke up:


    "I don''t think I''ve seen you around before. You new?"


    "No," said the tidy watchman. "I just don''t usually walk the streets."


    "Oh?" said whistleblower. "Why''s that, then? Thought every dog in this city walked the streets."


    "Some of us," said the tidy watchman, his eyes fixed on whistleblower, "have moved beyond the streets."


    "Shut your trap, Glen," hissed one of the other watchmen, "don''t you get it? He''s with the bloody wolves!"


    "Oh, so what, you think you''re above us, that what this is about? Bunch of lowly street coppers couldn''t handle this girl, something like that?"


    "I don''t think I''m above you," said the tidy watchman, his voice level and friendly. "Quite the opposite."


    "What the hell''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Glen, shut it!"


    "No, no," said the tidy watchman, eyes still fixed on whistleblower. "We''ve all of us got the right to a voice. Ain''t that right?"


    "Yeah," said whistleblower. "Reckon it is."


    "So, seeing as you''d prefer to take this girl yourself¡ª"


    "Now, hang on. I didn''t say that¡ª"


    "Then what were you saying?" the tidy watchman asked, his voice still quite level, still quite friendly. Whistleblower clenched his jaw, then let out a short, sharp breath.


    "Nothing," he muttered, turning away. "Nothing at all."


    The neat watchman watched whistleblower leave, then turned to the others.


    "Anyone else¡ª"


    He smiled at the level of vehemence in the insistence that they had no problem at all with his authority, sir, thank you, sir.


    "Then I''ll be taking the girl," said the tidy watchman. "Good work, all of you."


    The tidy watchman put his full attention on Lina as the rest thanked him and fled.


    "You gonna be any trouble?" he asked. She shook her head.


    "I don''t care what happens to me," she said. "I probably deserve it."


    "Well," said the tidy watchman. "Come along, then."


    "You''re not going to tie my wrists or anything?" Lina asked, as the tidy watchman led her away.


    "Are you going to try to overpower me?"


    "No."


    "Then I don''t see any need for that."


    "But what if I tried to escape?" Lina said, curiosity burning through the grey fog of her mind.


    "Well, again, are you going to try to escape?"


    "No."


    "Then, again, there''s no need."


    They walked on for a little while. The tidy watchman glanced back at Lina.


    "What''s your name?"


    "It''s Lina."


    "Lina," he repeated. "Hm."


    They turned a corner, into an alleyway, where four girls and a carriage stood waiting.


    "Ah, Selene, good," said the tidy watchman. "Everything looks ready." He turned to Lina and smiled, a genuine, open smile. "Perhaps now I can properly introduce myself," he said, as he tugged off his helmet, handing it to the girl he''d called Selene and in return accepting a fine, old-fashioned hat, which he put on his head with an air of satisfaction. He turned back to Lina once more, a sparkle in his deep blue eyes.


    "You can call me Fin."

 Sophia ~ 1 ~ An Escape Into Hope

    ~ Sophia ~


    An Escape Into Hope


    Lady Sophia Worth sat in the family lounge of her home, arms crossed, the expression on her face not quite impatient but certainly getting there. She had dark green eyes and ash-blonde hair that couldn''t quite be called long, a somewhat cheeky smile and a slightly broad nose. Although Sophia couldn''t accurately be described as fat her fondness for sweets did show through in her figure, and despite years of dance and physical comportment lessons there was a certain clumsiness to her movements.


    "Are you hungry, my lady?"


    Sophia shook her head.


    "Would you like some tea?"


    "No."


    "Are you hot? I could open a window¡ªor too cold, I could put some more logs¡ª"


    "I don''t require anything, thank you Margaret. Just ... go away and dust something, I don''t know."


    Sophia clicked her tongue as she watched Margaret scurry out of the room. That girl, she thought, could be outsmarted by a cocker spaniel. And talk about not being able to pick up on moods! How difficult is it to tell how someone''s feeling? Not very! Oh, honestly, where are those two, this is the only time I ever really get to see them and they don''t have the common decency even to show up on time, I mean I know they''re busy and oh so important but really now, I AM their only child. Even if it is just to discuss my future and my duties and my ''path'', I still¡ª


    "There she is. The prettiest girl in the whole of the city."


    "Good evening, Sophia. Your posture is excellent."


    Sophia smiled brightly as her parents made their appearance, her father tall and neat and dignified, wearing his small square spectacles and dark suit, her mother slim and elegant and businesslike, her bushy blonde hair tied into a short ponytail. They sat on the couch opposite Sophia and smiled at her as she smiled at them.


    "Should we have some tea?" her mother asked.


    "I already had some before," said Sophia, her smile becoming fixed as she noticed her father had already taken out his pocket watch and was checking the time. He noticed her looking at him and hurriedly put it away.


    "We had been thinking," said her mother, as she smiled at Sophia, "that perhaps you''d consider something in the way of education? You''d make a splendid governess."


    "I''d only be able to influence a couple of children if I did that," Sophia said.


    "Perhaps a teacher then¡ª"


    "Only a couple of dozen children."


    "Professor at¡ª"


    "Only a couple of hundred," said Sophia, "most of them rigidly inflexible adults or near-adults, and by the time the people in charge have judged that you''ve learnt enough to teach anyone else you''ve forgotten anything useful you knew. No, education isn''t for me. It''s too ... passive. I want something more direct."


    "Lawyer, then," said her father promptly.


    "As I have told you many times, Father, I have absolutely no interest in following in your footsteps," said Sophia. "Besides, lawyers don''t do good, not in the way I''m thinking."


    "Going back to one of your previous arguments," said her mother, "I''d like to make the point that ideas are the basis of any change¡ª"


    "You''ve made that point about a million times, Mother. I am not becoming anything to do with philosophy."


    "I still think that if you''d just come along with me to the college again¡ª"


    "I''ve been with you over a dozen times and felt nothing, I hardly think that''s going to change now."


    There was silence for a few moments.


    "Doctor?" her father suggested, breaking it. Sophia shook her head.


    "All you can hope to achieve with that is giving people more life, and I bet more than half of the patients don''t even deserve it, not really. Also you know of my distaste for ... insides."


    "Then how about becoming an architect?" her mother suggested. "You''ve always had a good eye and a fine hand, you could design great theatres and universities and cathedrals¡ª"


    "But really, they''re just buildings. If I didn''t design them someone else would, and besides which it''s what goes on INSIDE buildings that''s important."


    "Politician?"


    "I do read the newspaper, you know."


    "Then how about something more abstract?" her mother said. "Musician, artist, singer, writer¡ª"


    "At our last discussion it was you who said ninety-nine percent of all art was worthless," said Sophia.


    "I also said that the remaining one percent more than made up for all the rest, dear, try to pay attention."


    "Well, I don''t like those odds."


    "Sophia," said her mother. "You''re sixteen now, it''s well past time you found your path and began¡ª"Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "It''s not as if I haven''t been looking," Sophia said. "I''m diligent in my studies, I''ve read more than half the books in the library even if most of them were extremely boring, I''ve talked to people in just about every profession you could care to name, we have these little discussions every month and I do always make a very good effort to take an active role, you cannot fault me for that, even if I do somewhat regard them as a waste of time. I am trying, I hope you can see. I am doing my best."


    Sophia''s mother and father exchanged glances again. Her father was about to speak when her mother began talking¡ª


    "It''s not as if we want to rush you," she said. "But time waits for no girl."


    "Well, that may be as so," said Sophia, as she stood up. "But it''s going to have to wait for me. I''m not choosing a path until I''m sure it''s the right one."


    <hr>


    A few weeks after Sophia''s monthly discussion with her parents, midway through her morning lesson, it began to rain.


    "Gosh, that rain''s heavy," she said, interrupting her teacher, who was trying to explain the finer points of early Targan post-Devastation history to her. She leaned back in her seat to look out the window. "Do you think there might be thunder?"


    "I''m not here to teach you about the weather, my lady."


    "Oh, right, right. That silly old Devastation and all that." Sophia waved a hand. "Carry on, then."


    Sophia''s tutor opened his mouth, then shut it again and frowned.


    "Where was I?"


    "You were saying something about all the little southern war tribes banding together¡ª"


    "I certainly was not."


    "Oh. Weren''t you?"


    "We were discussing the early emergence of order in Targe, the reason for our nation''s great success."


    "Oh."


    "I believe I was just about to move on to the founding of this city¡ª"


    "I''ve done this," Sophia said, frowning. "I did this last year¡ªand Unity wasn''t founded. It was just, well ... found. It was already here. Everyone knows that."


    "You did the basics of the history of this city last year. Now you will learn about all the gaps that were missed."


    "Oh. Good."


    "And this city was not ''found'', not as it exists today¡ªthere were certain buildings, certain remnants of streets and so forth, but were you to travel back in time a hundred years or thereabouts I believe you would find yourself rather astonished at the difference. I would imagine you''d scarcely recognise the place."


    "Travel back in time," Sophia repeated. "Do you think that could be possible?"


    "Of course not. We travel in one direction; forwards. That''s why it''s so important to study the history of our land, to avoid the mistakes of the past."


    "But there''s only about a hundred years of history anyway¡ª"


    "Closer to one hundred and fifty, actually," her teacher corrected curtly, "according to recent theories¡ª"


    "Well whatever, my point is that it only goes back to the Devastation¡ª"


    "All the more reason to study it!"


    "But wouldn''t it be more useful to know what actually caused all that to happen?"


    "I daresay it would," said Sophia''s tutor. "A pity, then, that there are no surviving records of the times before the Devastation."


    "Doesn''t that seem suspicious to you? It''s like something''s being hidden."


    "It would, perhaps, seem more suspicious if not for the cataclysmic event that all-but wiped life from the world at the time. Writing down what''s happening might not seem so important, when ''what is happening'' happens to be killing you."


    "But surely SOMETHING must have survived¡ª"


    "Only stories, most of which I''m sure you know."


    "Oh, those things. They''re just a bunch of rubbish about monsters and demons and swords that can cut people in half, those aren''t real. Personally I think the Flaklanders are probably right and it was some kind of machine. Some kind of huge great machine that rolled across the country eating up everything."


    "And where would this machine be now, then?"


    "Don''t ask me! Maybe it rolled over the mountains, or into the ocean, does it matter? We''re all here now, is how we got here REALLY so important?"


    "My lady," Sophia''s history tutor said, showing great restraint in not killing and eating her. "If you could¡ª"


    "Oh, wow! Did you see that?" Sophia was already up out of her seat, skipping to the window and staring out with wide eyes. "Lightning! And that means¡ªoh!"


    Sophia let out a delighted kind of frightened gasp as the thunder rumbled low and long.


    "Storms are so romantic," she said, with a happy sigh. "Don''t you just get the feeling that simply ANYTHING could happen during a storm like this?"


    Sophia looked back at her tutor''s stony expression.


    "Well ... I suppose YOU don''t."


    "My lady, really¡ª"


    "There''s another one!" Sophia cried, as a flash of lightning painted everything white for a second. "That''s really close, this is going to be a wonderful storm." She paused, grinning, then half-shrieked, half-giggled as the sound of thunder rolled through the room. "How perfectly thrilling," she trilled.


    "My lady."


    "Oh, just relax. It''s not as if it matters to you how much I learn today. This is MY education, after all, not yours, I feel I should have some control over it. And if I want to delay learning about the history of the city then I feel that should be my prerogative. Prerogative? Is that the right word?"


    "Ask your language tutor," the history tutor mumbled.


    "Pardon?"


    "As my lady wishes," the tutor said, through gritted teeth. "Perhaps I should leave you alone to reflect on what we''ve already discussed."


    "Half an hour should do! Or until the storm''s over, anyway," Sophia said, already dragging a chair over to the window. She sat down as the tutor left the room, shaking his head and despairing over the state of modern youth.


    It''s a pity this rain''s so heavy, Sophia thought as she gazed out, waiting for the next lightning strike with wide eyes. I bet the gardens would look very pretty lit up by the lightning if I could see them. Even though it''s daytime. Isn''t that odd, how lightning works even during the day, you''d think it wouldn''t. I guess everything being all dark and grey and a bit yucky helps. I bet the city would look quite nice lit by lightning too. Or even without being lit by lightning, how long is it since I actually left this house? It has to have been a month, at least. Oh, no, wait, I went to Lillian''s birthday party. That was fun. Kind of. No, it was. Kind of.


    Sophia stared out at the rain, the delight of before now gone from her face as thoughts of her path came back to her. As much as she scoffed at her parents for continually talking about it, the truth was that Sophia was more concerned about her future than she let on. She felt a deep, pressing urge to do something, something important and meaningful and lasting. As childish as it sounded¡ªand Sophia had never said this out loud¡ªshe wanted to do good. And not on a piddling, small-scale, one-person-at-a-time basis, but on a grand, large-scale, everyone-at-once basis.


    Sometimes¡ªoften, actually¡ªSophia wished that there were monsters, so that she could slay them. That would make things very simple, she thought. Or if I was a genius then maybe I could invent something that''d be so useful and wonderful that it would change everything forever. But I''m not a genius, I have to admit that, I''m just very clever. So then what? What? WHAT?


    Although Sophia didn''t come to any kind of meaningful conclusion that day, using the time she should have spent learning about history instead staring out at a storm, her meandering, circular thoughts eventually led to the seed of an idea being sown. Over the course of the next week this seed grew, a presence in Sophia''s mind that she was barely aware of¡ªthat is, until a few days before the next monthly discussion with her parents. It was as Sophia was just falling asleep that the idea suddenly blossomed, all so clear and all so obvious, she felt like an idiot for not thinking of it sooner. She barely slept that night, and in the days leading up to the next discussion with her parents it was all she could think about, to the despair of her tutors, and for the first time she found herself looking forward to talking about her path.


    Whether the seed had grown into a flower or a weed, however, was as yet unknown.

 Sophia ~ 2

    "That," said Sophia''s father, his tone patient, "is the most ridiculous idea that I have ever heard in my entire life. Forget it immediately."


    "What? No!"


    "I agree entirely with your father. Unrealistic, short-sighted, and above all dangerous¡ªSophia, I forbid it."


    "Do you now," said Sophia. "Well. That''s very interesting. In that case, I shall be forced to do it by myself."


    "And how were you planning on doing that?"


    "I shall run away. And before you say ''don''t be silly'' or something, just think about how long you two actually spend in this house. I have plenty of opportunities to slip away. It''d probably be days before you even noticed I was gone, if I timed it correctly."


    "Sophia, don''t ... let''s talk about this reasonably," said her mother.


    "I''m being reasonable," said Sophia, mildly. "Am I not being reasonable? Travel is the perfect path. Somewhere in this world there is a me-shaped hole, but I have no idea where that hole is because I''ve never gone outside of this city. I''ve never actually gone outside of this neighbourhood, not really."


    "There are reasons for that," her father said, before Sophia held up a delicate hand, stopping him.


    "I don''t know what to do," she said, "because I haven''t seen what needs to be done. Of course I can''t decide the direction I should go in. I''m trying to find the solution when I don''t even know the problem! And so I shall travel, all around the world, to every country or nation or whatever you want to call them¡ªhonestly, someone should sort that out, it''s ridiculous really¡ªand I shall look and learn and find what needs to be done to make the world a better place for everyone. And then I''ll do it."


    As Sophia''s parents stared at her, it occurred to them that perhaps insulating their daughter from the world might not have been the best possible way to bring her up.


    "And I know what you''re thinking now," Sophia said. "You''re thinking that the world is dangerous and that I would be foolish to travel on my own. You''re absolutely right. That''s why you need to find me a bodyguard."


    "Sophia¡ª"


    "Of course, I have to be happy with him. Or her. So you two need to find me some candidates. Of course, I''ll also need travelling clothes, I already made a list¡ª" Sophia handed a neatly folded piece of paper to her mother "¡ªand travelling money, I do have some savings of course but I think travelling must be quite expensive, isn''t that right? I''m sure that side of things won''t be a problem, though."


    Sophia''s parents stared at her. She gazed placidly back, a pleased little smile on her face.


    It was a battle that her parents never even had a chance of winning.


    <hr>


    "Well I must say, I don''t see what was wrong with him."


    "Are you honestly serious? FAR too stuffy, FAR too old, FAR too ''clunky''. He seemed as though he wouldn''t even be able to keep up with me!"


    "He came very highly recommended," said Sophia''s father. He held up a piece of paper and read from it: "Served as a sergeant in the army for fourteen years, worked for the earl of Endure as the captain of his guard for six years, was the personal bodyguard to his children for a further three¡ªhe has a lot of relevant experience, Sophia, I think you''d be safe with him."


    "It''s not just about that," Sophia said. "How can I explain it so you''ll understand ... well, maybe I just can''t. Sorry, but he wasn''t right. If I''m going to have someone around it has to be someone that matches me."


    "And what did you have in mind, for a match?" Sophia''s mother asked. "Perhaps it would be easier for us to find someone that meets your standards if you could give us some idea of what it was you wanted."


    Sophia sighed hugely. "Don''t you EVER listen to ANYTHING I say? My main problem is that I haven''t seen anything! That''s why I''m going on this journey! And with this it''s the same situation. I don''t know the first thing about bodyguards, so I''m going into this with no preconceived notions whatsoever, no prejudice or bias, no image at all of who I should travel with. But when I see them, I''ll know they''re right."


    Sophia''s parents exchanged a glance that she didn''t come close to noticing.


    "Anyway," she said. "Who''s next? I''d like to get through them quickly, if you don''t mind, I do have other things to do today, you know."


    "Mr Steiner was the last candidate," said her father. He sighed softly. "We thought that out of a dozen choices, you might have found someone acceptable¡ª"


    "What? That''s it?" Sophia picked up a couple of the pieces of paper on the table in front of her. "These are the best you could come up with? No, no no no, I think you''ve got the wrong idea entirely, these are all military people or professional bodyguards¡ª"


    "Excuse me if I thought hiring a bodyguard to be a bodyguard seemed like a sensible approach," said Sophia''s mother curtly.


    "No, you just don''t understand ... I don''t JUST want a bodyguard, I mean not just someone to keep me safe, I need someone who can accompany me on my journey, someone who can help me along and show me the REAL world." Sophia sighed. "It''s partially my fault, of course," she said. "I wasn''t clear enough about what I wanted. But now that you know¡ª"


    Sophia stopped talking and glared at Hopkins, the butler, who had been standing near the entrance to the room with a patient air for almost a minute. He had just cleared his throat in the politest possible way.


    "What is it?" she snapped.


    "My apologies, but I wondered whether you were ready to see the next candidate."


    Sophia stared at Hopkins as her mother turned to address him:


    "There are no more candidates, Hopkins, we''ve seen them all."


    "Very good, my lady," said Hopkins. "It''s just that there seems to be a young miss out here with the impression¡ª"


    "What?" Sophia shot a look at her parents. "You said there weren''t any more! Show her in, Hopkins."


    "At once, my lady."


    "Well, I certainly didn''t think there were any more," said Sophia''s mother, frowning as she picked up the papers on the table and flicked through them. "Hopkins said ''young miss'', didn''t he? I''m positive we didn''t conduct any preliminary interviews with anyone matching that description¡ªunless he means that Liz woman, but we''ve already seen her¡ª"


    "Someone younger," Sophia was saying, as if tasting the idea. "Yes, maybe that would fit ... maybe part of the problem has been that everyone I''ve met today has been too old, I hope¡ª"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Miss Alicia Lane," said Hopkins, showing in a slim, bright-looking girl. She had dark skin and short straight black hair and narrow, slightly slanted eyes¡ªwith a small crescent-shaped scar under the left, Sophia noticed with a quiet thrill. Her clothes were well-worn and practical, a sleeveless white vest and tight trousers coloured a dull orange. Around her waist was a narrow black belt, from which hung two wide-bladed knives in dark leather sheaths. She moved with a confidence that Sophia found immediately and intensely appealing, and when the girl smiled Sophia felt, yes, this is a girl I can definitely trust.


    "I, uh," Sophia''s father said, with a glance at his wife, "you ... where did you come from?"


    "From away south," said the girl, her voice quick and sharp. "Grew up in Aegis, just recently came to Unity. Nice city you''ve got here, sir."


    "I think what my husband meant is that we haven''t met you before," said Sophia''s mother.


    "This is the interview, right? For bodyguarding? Are you the girl?" Alicia asked, looking at Sophia with openly interested eyes.


    "Yes," said Sophia, stepping forward and holding out her hand, which Alicia shook firmly. "I''m Sophia, it''s very nice to meet you."


    "Same here," said Alicia, releasing Sophia''s hand. "Thought you''d be younger, to be honest, I wasn''t expecting someone my age."


    "How old would that be, exactly?" Sophia''s mother asked.


    "Seventeen this summer," said Alicia promptly, turning to smile at Sophia''s mother.


    "I see. So I imagine your experience would be rather limited?"


    "Given your young age," Sophia''s father added, "you might not, perhaps, be quite qualified for the role."


    Alicia had waited patiently for Sophia''s father to finish speaking, listening attentively, then she smiled at him and nodded.


    "That''s a fair thing to think," she said. "But I''ll tell you right now, if you searched for a year you wouldn''t find anyone faster than me. I know that might sound arrogant, sir, but I wouldn''t say it if it wasn''t true."


    Sophia''s father had raised his eyebrows.


    "Well," he said, "regardless of that¡ª"


    "I''d be happy to demonstrate, if you like."


    "Demonstrate?"


    Alicia was already looking around the room. She frowned a little. "This room''s kind of too nice to do much ... okay, something simple. Sophia, right?" she said, as she pulled her knives from their sheaths. "Hold these a moment."


    "Um, uh, yes," said Sophia, taking the knives¡ªthey were lighter than she''d expected, single-edged except near the tip, where an inch of the blade''s blunt side had been sharpened. The knives were almost identical, apart from their hilts¡ªone was black, the other a somewhat grubby white. "What, um¡ª"


    "Just hold ''em for now. That wood up there''s oak, right?"


    "I, er, what?" said Sophia''s father. He followed the line of Alicia''s eyes and saw that she was referring to the exposed wooden crossbeams on the ceiling. "Oh, yes."


    "Old oak, too. That''d be pretty hard. Maybe not then," Alicia muttered to herself as she walked to the other end of the room, around a dozen metres away. "Okay, toss ''em."


    "The knives?" Sophia said. "I don''t know how!"


    "Just chuck ''em any old way. Anywhere you like. Well, away from yourself and your parents, of course, don''t want anyone getting hurt."


    "Now, hold on a moment," said Sophia''s father, but Sophia had already flung the knives forward. In an instant Alicia was running, her movements almost too fast to follow as she leapt and plucked the first knife from the air, twisting and reversing direction in an impossible manoeuvre that sent her rolling across the floor to grab the other knife just before it hit the ground. Then she was somehow up on one knee, holding both arms out, one knife held with the blade pointing up, the other held with the blade pointing down, a wide grin on her face.


    "Ta-da!" she said. Sophia clapped, a little confused as to the point of the demonstration but nonetheless impressed.


    "That was very ... interesting," said Sophia''s mother.


    "You certainly seem ... fast," said Sophia''s father.


    He and his wife exchanged glances.


    "That was just showing off, I admit," said Alicia quickly, before they could continue with a sentence that began with ''but'' or ''however'' or ''nonetheless''. "In an actual fight I''m not so showy. If I was with your daughter, I''d try to get her out of danger as quick as I could."


    "Well, I should think so," said Sophia''s father.


    "Of course, fighting''s always my last choice, anyway," said Alicia, as she sheathed her knives. "Usually things don''t go that far. But if I have to defend myself, or someone else, I can. See this scar here?" she said, pointing to the one Sophia had noticed earlier, the little crescent under her left eye. "That''s the only real scar on my entire body. Only time I''ve ever been cut worth a damn¡ªuh, excuse my language, sir, ma''am. Oh, wait a minute though, you''re some kind of duke or something, aren''t you?"


    "I''m ... technically I''m an earl¡ª"


    "Your lordship, then," said Alicia, with a kind of odd bow. "And that makes your wife and daughter both ladies, right?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Of course," said Alicia, "I''m a lady too, but I ain''t showing you the proof of that!"


    She laughed, and after a second Sophia joined her.


    "Goodness, but," said Sophia, laughter still in her voice, "please don''t call me ''my lady'' or anything. Sophia is fine."


    "Sophie, then," said Alicia. Sophia opened her mouth to correct her, then shut it again. Sophie, she thought. Well, maybe.


    "Perhaps we should all sit down," said Sophia''s mother. She smiled thinly at Alicia. "After all, this is supposed to be an interview."


    "Oh, right, sorry," said Alicia, as she sat on a couch opposite the one Sophia''s parents were sitting on. "If I start chattering on just tell me to shut up, my mouth''s just as quick as the rest of me sometimes."


    Sophia sat down next to Alicia. I like this girl, she was thinking. She seems real.


    "Now," said Sophia''s father, peering at Alicia over the top of his glasses. "I hesitate to ask, but do you have any references from previous employers?"


    "Ooh," said Alicia, with a kind of grin-grimace. "People I worked for ain''t the kind to give references. But I''ve been working since I was eight¡ªI''m talking serious work. I''ve helped out with stuff since I could walk, pretty much."


    "Wow," said Sophia. "What kind of work?"


    "Courier," said Alicia. "I was good at it, too."


    "If you were good at it, why did you stop?" asked Sophia''s father.


    "Circumstances," said Alicia.


    "I see," said Sophia''s father, his tone indicating that, perhaps, he didn''t. "This was in Aegis, I assume?"


    "Yes, sir. I grew up there."


    "And the reason you left¡ª"


    "Circumstances," Alicia repeated, her voice holding an edge of darkness now. "Kind of ... personal circumstances."


    "Dad." Sophia looked over at Alicia, trying to convey her silent support and understanding. Alicia glanced back at her with a quick smile, in response to which Sophia veritably radiated smugness.


    "I suppose asking whether or not you belong to any organisations would be a waste of time," said Sophia''s father, somewhat wearily. Alicia''s brow creased.


    "Organisations?"


    "There isn''t a ''guild of bodyguards'', despite the push for the creation of something along those lines a few years back," said Sophia''s father. "But there is, for example, the, ah, the duellist''s guild, the association of free soldiers, various independent mercenary groups exist, I understand¡ª"


    "Oh, I get it. No, I don''t belong to anything like that."


    "So to sum up," said Sophia''s father, with a glance at his daughter, "you are unqualified, lacking in quantifiable experience, have no one that can vouch for either your expertise or your character, and are unwilling to expound on your background."


    "I mean when you put it like that¡ªhey, look, I''ll answer any questions you have, it''s just sometimes the answer isn''t going to be very long or interesting. But the other stuff you said is true. I don''t know anyone here, all you have is my word that you can trust me, and I didn''t learn how to fight or move or pick up on a bad situation before it happens from a school or anything like that, so I don''t have a piece of paper saying I can do any of it. I guess you could say I don''t have any proof of being a good bodyguard except that I would be."


    "Hmm," said Sophia''s father.


    "Thank you for coming to see us," Sophia''s mother said. "But I think¡ª"


    "I think you''d be perfect," said Sophia, decisively. She stood, and held her hand out to Alicia. "I''d like you to start immediately."


    Alicia stared at Sophia''s hand, then stood up and took it, shaking firmly, once, before grinning and moving forward to hug Sophia. Sophia stiffened, but she managed a hesitant pat on Alicia''s back before the shorter girl stepped back.


    "Could I just¡ª"


    Sophia silenced her father with a sharp look, then followed this with another directed at her mother, who was looking more than a little shocked.


    "That''s all settled, then," said Sophia. She smiled at Alicia. "Of course, you''ll stay for dinner tonight. Seeing as it''s a very special occasion I''m sure it''ll be a nice family affair." She gave her parents a hard look. "Won''t it."


    This time they didn''t need to exchange glances. Each knew exactly what the other was thinking.


    "I''m sure it will," Sophia''s parents said, together.

 Sophia ~ 3

    "Gosh it''s exciting, isn''t it? And such beautiful weather to be setting out with, it''s almost too perfect."


    Sophia was lacing up her boots¡ªbig, heavy, dark brown leather travelling boots with complicated laces. She looked up at Alicia as she struggled with them.


    "You''re ready, aren''t you?" she asked.


    "I''ve been ready for some time," said Alicia, not allowing even the trace of impatience to enter her voice.


    "Sorry, I should have practised with these clothes first¡ªbut I wanted to wait until I was setting off before I put them on. Um ... there, that seems fine."


    "They''re too loose," said Alicia, as Sophia straightened.


    "Pardon?"


    "They''re too loose, you''ll get blisters if you wear them like that. Here."


    Sophia stiffened as Alicia knelt beside her, quickly and deftly undoing the laces then retying them tightly.


    "Isn''t that a little TOO tight?" Sophia asked, as Alicia tugged at the laces.


    "Nah, you''ve gotta have it like this to start. Probably you should''ve started breaking them in before we set out proper. Too late for that now though."


    "Oh," said Sophia, looking down at her boots. "Well, I suppose you''re right, it''s too late to worry about that kind of thing now. How about the rest of my clothes?"


    Alicia looked Sophia over. She had on her new boots, of course, and a pair of black trousers, and a fine dark red shirt with a wide, slightly ruffled collar. Over this she wore a splendid dark brown frock coat which reached almost to her knees. On her head was a cream-coloured cloth cap, and she''d tied her ash-blonde hair into a short, sensible ponytail. As Alicia watched, Sophia picked up a sturdy tan leather satchel and slung it over her shoulder to complete the ensemble.


    "Well, you look good, that''s not in question," said Alicia.


    "Oh, thank you!" Sophia did a little twirl, then smiled shyly at Alicia. "You look good, too."


    Alicia was dressed in a black sleeveless vest, sturdy-looking tan linen trousers, fingerless black leather gloves and somewhat odd slippers¡ªthey were made of soft red leather, the colour faded and dull with age, and were split at the toes, reminiscent of a cow''s hoof. She also had on a mercenary''s pack, a kind of half-backpack that nestled into the lower back, small and flat and made of soft strong cloth. This in addition to a small green canvas satchel.


    "This is just my usual gear," said Alicia, looking down at herself. "Nothing special, just what I''m comfortable with."


    "Don''t your arms get cold?"


    "Sometimes, but that sort of stuff doesn''t bother me."


    "I wish I was so sturdy," said Sophia. "I know it''s getting warmer now but even so I''m a little bit nervous about how cold it might get. Do other places get colder than Unity?"


    "Dunno, haven''t been here that long. Aegis gets pretty cold in the winter, though."


    "I suppose I can always buy more clothes later if I need them. Um, for you too, if you want. I mean, you''re my bodyguard and I know I''m paying you, but I don''t mind buying you things you need. Um, can I ask, those knives¡ª"


    "These old things?" Alicia had them drawn in an instant. "Pretty usual for couriers, nothing special about ''em."


    "Oh. I thought maybe they''d have some story behind them. The black and white, um, what do you call them, is that the hilt? Do those colours have a special meaning?"


    "Nah, used to have both of ''em black but I lost one. Picked up this white guy to replace it. Dunno why, just thought it''d be more interesting to have ''em different. Lot of couriers have lucky colours, not me though." Alicia grinned at Sophia. "I make my own luck."


    "Do all couriers use that kind of knife?"


    "Yeah, pretty much. They''re nice and light and don''t get in the way even if you''re running, not like a sword or something would. Don''t have to think about these guys until I need ''em." Alicia gazed at her knives, then had them back in their sheaths. "Girl''s gotta have someone looking out for her, right?"


    Sophia smiled at Alicia. "Should we get going?" she said. "I''m quite keen to set off!"


    "You''re the boss."


    "I suppose I am, but don''t think of me like that," said Sophia. "Let''s just travel like friends, okay?"


    Alicia almost said something, but just smiled brightly and nodded instead.


    "Okay, then." Sophia couldn''t suppress an excited little giggle. "Let''s go!"


    "Are you gonna say goodbye to your parents first?"


    "I already did that this morning, they''re not even here right now."


    Again, Alicia almost said something but stopped herself.


    "Anyway," said Sophia, as she looked around her room one last time. "I don''t think I''m going to get more ready. First stop, Unity!"


    "What? We''re already here, though."


    "I know, but I''ve never really been anywhere except the rich parts of the city. I want to go to the poorer parts and see how people live."


    "Well," said Alicia, as she shouldered her bag, "if you say so."


    <hr>


    "To be quite honest I don''t see what was so wrong about it. I was just buying an apple, for goodness sake."


    Alicia''s mouth tightened, then she forced herself to relax.


    "It''s just ... look," she said, "when you do anything in a place like this, you''ve gotta keep it quiet, understand?"


    "I don''t think I was particularly noisy."


    "It''s not just your voice, it''s ... it''s how you look, and what you say, and the way you move, and using a gold piece to pay for an apple is¡ª"


    "I only HAD gold pieces, I have lots of change now, though¡ª"


    "Yeah, I noticed, you cleaned that stall owner out. Did you notice he short-changed you?"


    "He what?"


    "Counted the same silver three times, for a second there I thought he might try for a fourth."


    Sophia pulled out her purse and clinked through the coins inside, then her mouth went thin and hard.


    "Right," she said. "Well, I''m going to just have to give him a thorough talking-to¡ª"


    "That''s just what I was talking about. Pulling your purse out in the middle of the street like that, it''s just asking for trouble. And you can''t go argue things now, apart from anything else this is his house."


    Sophia frowned. "He lives on the street?"


    "Nah, this area, this is where he lives and works, right? All these people around, they know him¡ªand I''ll bet you whatever you like that he never even thinks of cheating any of ''em. You try anything and you''re gonna find yourself real alone real fast."


    "You mean you''d abandon me?"


    "No, I mean all these locals are gonna gang up on the rich uptown type who''s arguing with one of their own."


    "''Rich uptown type''?"


    "Well ... yeah, I mean ... that''s why he cheated you. Look, you wanted to learn about the world, right? Think of this as a start. Expensive apple, cheap lesson."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Sophia pursed her lips a little. "I suppose it''s just a couple of silver," she said.


    "Yeah, not like you ain''t¡ªwhoops."


    "What, ''whoops''?"


    "You know how I just said about keeping quiet? About how pulling out your purse in the middle of the street''s not a great idea?"


    "Yes?"


    Alicia pointed past Sophia. Sophia turned, but couldn''t see anything out of place, just a busy, bustling, afternoon street in one of the poorer parts of Unity city.


    "What?" she said.


    "You couldn''t see him? He''s gone now, ducked into that alley up there, there was a guy wearing a brown cloak and green leggings. You really didn''t see him? He was the one with ''I just pinched some rich girl''s purse'' written all over his swagger."


    "WHAT?"


    Sophia''s hand flew to her pocket, which was flat and empty. She stared at Alicia.


    "Well?" she said, after a second. "Don''t just stand there, get after him!"


    "Eh, not really my job. I''m just supposed to protect you, not your money."


    "Excuse me?"


    "Sorry, but the way I see it leaving you alone here''s gotta be worse than you losing a few coins."


    Sophia''s face was flushed now, her expression angry.


    "Fine!" she said. "I suppose I''LL have to go after him, then. Which alley was it?"


    "Are you crazy? He''s well gone!"


    Sophia was looking up the street, standing on tip-toes to try to see through the crowds of people.


    "That one up there, I assume." She shot Alicia an annoyed glance, then she was away, awkwardly making her way along the crowded street. Alicia watched her for a moment, then clucked her tongue and started after her.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" Alicia demanded, as she smoothly slipped through the crowds, close to where Sophia was clumsily (but politely) pushing forward. "What are you gonna do even if you catch him, ask nicely if he might consider giving your money back?"


    "I don''t know. But I can''t just do nothing. Apparently I''m not like SOME people."


    "You don''t even have a weapon!" Alicia side-stepped around a large man then ran to catch up to Sophia, managing to grab her arm just in front of the alley.


    "Sometimes," said Sophia, trying to pull away, "it''s better NOT to have a weapon."


    "What?"


    Sophia tugged free of Alicia''s grip. "I''ll be seen as less of a threat," she said, as she started into the alleyway, which was narrow and littered with garbage. She hesitated as the smell hit her, then pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and held it to her face as she walked in, Alicia close behind.


    "You don''t want to seem LESS of a threat," Alicia said, as she neatly avoided stepping in a dead cat, "in this type of place you need to make yourself as big as you possibly can!"


    "Oh? I thought you had to be ''quiet''."


    "This is different now! Once there''s trouble you ... look, just give up on your purse, okay? That guy''ll never be stupid enough to¡ªoh, what kind of thieves do you have in this city?" Alicia cried, as they rounded a corner into a squarish area formed by the backs of a couple of buildings, to see the thief standing with Sophia''s purse in his hands, staring into it. He looked up sharply at Alicia''s voice, scowling as he glanced around¡ªhe realised that he was blocked in by the two girls at just about the same time they did. The purse disappeared, replaced by a long knife¡ªlittle more than a bit of sharpened metal, but no less scary for that. As Sophia stared, and Alicia sighed and drew her own knives, the thief assumed a low stance, carefully advancing on them, his step assured and smooth.


    "He''s good," Alicia hissed to Sophia. "Get back a ways, looks like I''ve gotta guard you now."


    "I''m sure this doesn''t have to turn violent," Sophia replied, her face pale but her voice strong. "This is a situation ripe for negotiation, something I happen to be quite good at."


    "WHAT?" Alicia stared at Sophia, then turned her attention to the thief, who was less than a dozen metres away now. "Buddy, hold up there," she called out, her voice hard but not unfriendly. "We don''t want any trouble."


    "Exactly," Sophia added. To Alicia''s shock she smiled at the thief, and spread her arms wide. "I''m unarmed, and I don''t know the first thing about fighting."


    "Well don''t TELL him that!"


    "But it''s clear," Sophia continued, as the thief stared at her, "that both you and I want something. I want my money back, and you want to get out of here unharmed." Sophia half-turned to indicate Alicia. "I happen to have with me one of the greatest fighters in the world." Alicia gritted her teeth¡ªit didn''t escape her notice that the thief had gotten over his shock and was now advancing on them again, slowly but surely getting nearer and nearer. "Now, I''m sure you know how to use that ... knife, I suppose it is, but let me assure you, Alicia here¡ª"


    "Shut up," Alicia hissed, her eyes fixed on the thief as he approached¡ªonly half a dozen metres away now, his own eyes flicking between her and Sophia.


    "¡ªcould certainly give¡ªexcuse me?"


    "Shut up and get back!"


    "Really now, I¡ªAAH!"


    Sophia screamed as the thief came at her, bringing her arms up instinctively as he slashed out at her¡ªat first it felt like an intense impact, like he''d struck her with a hammer rather than slashed her with a knife, but then came the pain, cold and sharp and overwhelming, and she felt the wetness on her arms, and then another impact¡ªhe''s killing me, said the tiny rational part of her brain that wasn''t busy screaming and sobbing and flailing wildly along with the rest of her. He''s stabbing me and slashing me and I''ve gone into shock so I can''t feel it, and soon I won''t feel anything any more because I''ll be dead. When did I fall over?


    "Come on, get up. Come on, I said, that''s not more than a nick."


    Sophia blinked, and the tiny rational part of her brain suddenly received and subsequently processed a large amount of information all at once, and at the same time she realised that the rational part of her brain WASN''T tiny, it was pretty big, actually, and in fact¡ª


    With Alicia''s help, Sophia got to her feet. For a moment she just stood there, then she was about to say something like ''Oh, you''re right, actually there''s not much pain at all'' before she realised that this would be perhaps the biggest lie she''d ever tell.


    "It hurts!" Sophia wailed, as Alicia took firm hold of her wrists and tried to examine her wounds.


    "Stop thrashing around like that! What''s the matter with you, never been¡ªwell I guess you haven''t. Stop squirming anyway, you''re embarrassing yourself."


    Eventually Sophia managed to calm herself down from ''wailing incoherently'' to ''sniffing and hiccupping and letting out a shuddering kind of semi-sob from time to time'', and Alicia managed to get a good look at where she''d been cut.


    "Like I thought, it ain''t bad," Alicia said after she''d finished, as Sophia examined the cuts herself¡ªthere seemed to be an awful lot of blood, which she wasn''t exactly comfortable with, especially seeing as it was HER blood. "Long cuts, but real shallow¡ªyour coat helped you out there. I reckon we should find a healer anyway, get you cleaned up and dealt with proper."


    Sophia appeared not to have heard Alicia, she was still staring at her arms. The bleeding had slowed to a seep, this helped by the cloth of her shirt being stuck to her skin by blood. She drew in a long, shuddering breath, forcing herself to be calm and controlled and sensible and tough.


    "What do we do?" she wailed. "I don''t even have any bandages!"


    Alicia sighed.


    "Come on," she said roughly, as she put a hand on Sophia''s shoulder and gently encouraged her to start walking. "Just follow me, you''ll be all right."


    <hr>


    "YOU KEPT ALL YOUR MONEY IN ONE PLACE?"


    "I ... but you didn''t ... I thought ... I mean I didn''t..."


    The healer looked from one girl to the other.


    "Well," he said mildly, "I hope someone''s able to pay me. Otherwise I''m going to have to take this scalpel and open those wounds right up again."


    Sophia stared at him, unsure whether he was joking or not, then looked at Alicia pleadingly.


    "Could you ... could you please lend me some money?" she asked. Alicia glared at Sophia, then she made an annoyed noise and reached for her purse.


    Several minutes later they were out on the street once more. The sun was only just visible in the sky and everything was beginning to go soft and warm; even this poor part of the city looked inviting and friendly in the golden hour before sunset. This was a quiet area and there were only a few other people on the street, all of them hurrying some place or another.


    As soon as they left the healer Alicia started away immediately, arms held out a little way from her body.


    "Alicia, please don''t walk so fast! I''m still recovering!"


    Sophia''s injuries weren''t bad, not requiring much more than a few bandages, but they still hurt quite a lot, and she felt a little bit dizzy and a little bit sick. Alicia stopped and waited, not looking back, until Sophia had caught up, then she started walking again.


    "And, um, I don''t like to have to bring this up," said Sophia, "but I am sort of in charge here, I should be the one saying where we''re going."


    "I thought that''d be obvious," said Alicia, still not looking back. "Your home."


    After a few seconds she stopped.


    "What?" she said. After a further second she turned her head to see that Sophia was standing with her hands clasped together, her back straight and her face set.


    "Why would I be going back there?" Sophia said, her voice just as firm as her expression. "I just left this morning. I have a lot more travelling to do, I''ve barely even begun."


    Alicia turned to face Sophia properly.


    "What?" she repeated.


    "I think we should probably find somewhere to sleep for the night," said Sophia briskly. Alicia gaped at her.


    "You haven''t got any money!" she cried. "You''re hurt!"


    "That''s no reason to give up," said Sophia. "It just makes things a little harder, that''s all."


    "Where are you going to sleep? In the gutter?"


    "I thought perhaps an alleyway or a park? Somewhere out of the way?"


    "Are you crazy?"


    "No. I''m not. And to prove it, I''m not the one raising my voice."


    "That doesn''t prove anything!"


    "Regardless, I''m very grateful to you for protecting me and for paying the healer, and I''ll pay you back once I''m able to¡ª"


    "You can pay me back," said Alicia, "once we return to your house. It''s only about an hour away, come on."


    She turned and started walking. After a few steps she gave an exasperated sigh and turned back to face Sophia. She hadn''t moved.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Alicia demanded. "You got a death wish or something? This ain''t the kind of place you can just hang around in after dark!"


    "I''m sure you know," said Sophia. "That''s why I''m relying on you to keep me out of trouble."


    "How am I supposed to do that when you don''t listen to anything I say?"


    "I listen to everything you say," said Sophia, her tone a little hurt. "I have a lot of respect for your streetwise wisdom."


    Alicia''s left eye twitched a little.


    "Okay then," she said. "Listen to this bit of ''streetwise wisdom'', then: if you''ve got a bloody home to go to then you DAMN WELL GO TO IT."


    "No," said Sophia, with a little stamp of her foot. "I am NOT giving up so easily. It seems like I was wrong about you, I thought I sensed some kind of connection between us but obviously I read your character completely wrong. Thank you for rescuing me from that thief, and thank you for paying the healer. It seems I won''t have the opportunity to pay you back, but I''m sure the money you received from my parents will more than cover it, seeing as you won''t be needing to work for the rest of it. Goodbye Alicia."


    She turned and stomped off, away from Alicia, who watched her walk away, her jaw clenched. The former bodyguard took a breath, and another, then shook her head and turned away, once more aimless and without direction.

 Sophia ~ 4

    I expected there''d be parks in the poor areas of the city, thought Sophia. I''m not sure why I had that expectation, but now I know it certainly isn''t true. That''s a kind of progress, I suppose.


    After investigating a few alleyways Sophia had decided that they were not, perhaps, the most inviting places to spend a night, and so she''d walked around the part of the city she was in¡ªand it''s so BIG, she thought, as she wandered down street after street. I never knew the city I lived in was so huge. I just want to keep exploring¡ª


    But already Sophia was tired and her feet were sore and her arms were beginning to throb dully. I hope that''s not a bad sign, she thought, as she walked along yet another street. Probably I''m just not used to getting hurt, probably an experienced traveller and adventurer wouldn''t even be bothered by cuts like these. I should look at this as an opportunity, travelling can be dangerous after all and getting hurt is, what''s the phrase, an ''occupational hazard''. Maybe I should''ve learnt how to fight or something before I started this journey. Oh well. Too late to worry about that now. If I get into trouble again I can ... I can run, these boots are a little uncomfortable and stiff but I bet I could outdistance most people. And the exercise would probably do me good.


    Another pain poked at Sophia. All she''d eaten since a rather poor lunch of stew and bread had been an apple, and her stomach was reminding her of this with some urgency. We''ve got a routine, you and I, it was telling her. You''re already several hours behind; what''s the hold up?


    "I''ll just have to go hungry tonight and see if I can''t figure something out tomorrow," Sophia muttered, as she walked down yet another street¡ªat night it was even more difficult to tell them apart, and it was getting darker by the minute. She shivered, although it wasn''t particularly cold, and glanced at a nearby alleyway. I suppose one''s as good as another, she thought, and considering that there don''t really seem to be any alternatives...


    As far as alleyways went, this one wasn''t too bad. There wasn''t much garbage in it, just a small pile of rotten cabbages at one end, and the smell wasn''t SO awful, better than other alleyways Sophia had encountered anyway, and the spot she picked out seemed fine enough¡ªit was an ancient doorway tucked between a couple of broken crates and a cracked rainwater barrel. Sophia felt oddly protected by the narrow alcove, even as she hoped the door was as unused as it looked. So she settled in and drew her frock coat around herself, then started suddenly as she heard shouts nearby¡ªdrunks, she thought, as the shouts came nearer, they sounded like they were just outside the alleyway, and then they came nearer still, they must be IN the alleyway now, Sophia thought, eyes wide, pushing herself further into the doorway, oh please don''t see me, please don''t bother me...


    She needn''t have worried. As the shouts grew more distant Sophia realised that they hadn''t come anywhere near the alleyway; they were just incredibly noisy.


    "Well," she whispered to herself, "if that''s all I have to deal with tonight I''ll be lucky."


    It wasn''t. Eventually Sophia managed to fall into a light, uncomfortable sleep, but she was woken a dozen times in the night by different sounds¡ªshouting, close by or in the distance, the sound of something large crashing against cobblestones, a dog that decided to use the alleyway as a toilet almost made Sophia involuntarily use it as one too, as she woke to hear its heavy panting nearby and thought for sure it was a hideous hulking man come to molest her. All in all, she didn''t get much sleep at all before the sound of a bottle smashing and loud, drunken laughter woke her a few hours before dawn.


    Sophia sat bolt upright¡ªthis time was different, she knew it was, she could feel it deep in her chest, sure as the rapid beating of her panicked heart, they were coming into the alley, their voices were too loud, too clear, she could hear their footsteps, could almost smell their sour breath as they laughed and yelled¡ªStolen novel; please report.


    "COME ON! COME ON! YOU''RE GONNA COME ON!"


    "SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!"


    "WHERE''S THAT¡ª"


    "THERE!"


    Around the edge of the broken crates Sophia saw several hulking figures, she was too terrified to even scream as her boots scrabbled against the cold stone beneath her, as she tried desperately to push herself to her feet, and they were coming towards her now, dozens and dozens and dozens of them, big grasping hands reaching for her, somehow she was on her feet and she had no idea what she could do but she swung her arm at the nearest hulking form, yelled out defiantly as it impacted painfully against something solid, and she was crying now, sobbing, the pain in her arms unbearable but barely noticed above her panic, as huge great hands grasped her wrists and then her ankles, she was being lifted off the ground, she struggled but what could she do? What could one girl do against hordes of hulking great shadow-men like these? Sophia could hear herself screaming, could hear the laughter and shouts of the men around her, and the stink of them was worse than any alleyway, and the grip they held on her arms and legs was too strong, too painful, her bones were being crushed, she knew they were, they must be, under such a brutal grip, and she was still struggling even though she knew it was hopeless, knew she couldn''t do anything¡ª


    The crushing grip on her left leg was gone, Sophia suddenly realised through her pain and panic and terror, informed by that tiny rational part of her brain that seemed to keep working even when the rest of her had gone completely to pieces, and she kicked out, hoping to connect with something, to at least cause some pain to these beasts that held her, and there was a dull orange light, that was odd, but she didn''t have the rationality spare to deal with that now, because she was looking up, could now identify the brute holding her right leg, could make out the shape of him through her terror, and if she twisted and kicked as hard as she could¡ª


    Sophia felt a rush of triumph as she heard the bellow of pain, the crunch of the impact as she drove her heavy boot into her attacker''s ribs the most satisfying feeling she could remember having, even though he didn''t release his grip on her leg¡ªnot until she drew her foot back and twisted again, managed to catch him in the stomach this time, and it was odd but the noise this made was a sharp loud ''crack'', and it almost seemed like the alley was lit up with bright clean light, and this was followed by a hideous scream of pain¡ªSophia suffered a moment of disorientation as the thought ''Did I hurt him that badly with such a weak kick?'' was quickly overridden by the second thought of ''It wasn''t the one I kicked who screamed like that. What''s going on here?''


    It took Sophia a few seconds after she''d had this thought to realise that she was lying on the dirty ground of the alley, the crushing grip on her wrists somehow gone, and for a while she just listened to the odd sounds around her¡ªa noise like heavy rain that stopped and started, that odd cracking sound from before, various screams of pain and anguish, mostly hideous, and there were odd sights too, though her eyes didn''t seem to be working properly, flashes of light and again the flickering of flames, and then there wasn''t anything at all.


    Sophia continued to lie there, listening to the sound of heavy, rapid footsteps, and then silence¡ªno, not silence, voices, I''m hearing voices:


    "Do you think she''s like us?"


    "Whether she is or not, you helped save her."


    "She gave one of ''em that was holding her a damned good kick in the ribs, did you see?"


    "That''s not ''special'', though. That''s just ... ''feistiness''."


    I wish I could understand what any of them are saying, Sophia thought, I''m sure they''re speaking Common but I just can''t deal with matters of comprehension right now. After a few seconds Sophia became aware that the reason she couldn''t see anything was that her eyes were closed, so she opened them. She looked up at someone, it was dark in the alley and even without confusion and fear and pain clouding her mind it would''ve been difficult to make out any kind of detail at all, so she concentrated on his voice (it was a man''s voice, that at least she was certain of) as he spoke to her. Kind, she thought, even as the words he was speaking went beyond her current level of comprehension. Dedicated. Driven. I may be able to trust this person.


    "Do you think she can hear you?"


    "Yeah, she''s listening. Ain''t ya?"


    Sophia managed to nod. There are lots of people in this alley, she thought. And ... horses?


    "There will be a lot of questions later," the man was saying to her, and now she could understand him perfectly, "and a few answers, too. For now, perhaps, we should begin with this: you can call me Fin."

 Felony ~ 1 ~ Strength To Surpass

    ~ Felony ~


    Strength To Surpass


    "You''re old enough now, I reckon, old enough that most of what I''m about to tell you won''t come as much of a surprise. That''s how it was when my Dad told me, like a bunch of stuff I always kind of suspected all came together. Anyway, here''s how it goes¡ª"


    "I need to go wee first."


    "Do you now? Well, you''d better take care of that before anything else."


    Gil watched his daughter scamper off.


    "Giving the talk, eh?"


    He looked up to see a tall, long-haired man grinning down at him, an unsheathed sword in his hand.


    "Ho, Marko!" said Gil, grinning back.


    "Best be hard about it," said Marko, as he sat on a crate opposite, jamming the sword down into the dirt between two dusty paving stones.


    "Lot of the mollies have been hard on ME about it, you can bet that."


    "Ah, mollies," said Marko, dark eyes flicking up to meet Gil''s. "Don''t listen to ''em. Time like this, mollies have gotta be soft. You and me, we''ve gotta be hard."


    "I''d drink to that if there were a bottle handy," said Gil, with a chuckle.


    "Figure that girl of yours is plenty hard too."


    "She ain''t no molly, that''s for sure," said Gil. "Reckon she mightn''t even need the talk, but¡ª"


    "Nah. She needs it, same as everyone. Mollies been saying she''s too young? I say maybe she could''ve taken it earlier. Not saying you''re too late, just saying ... Melantha can take it."


    "She can at that. Ah, speaking of that particular devil¡ª"


    "Uncle Marko! Are you going to talk at me too?"


    "I''ve got a few things to take care of right now," said Marko, disengaging from Melantha''s hug and pulling his sword from the ground. "But I''ll see you later, right enough."


    "Tell Chell and Hazel and Wesh and Shey and Faith I said hi, okay?"


    "I will, if I see ''em." Marko leant down to kiss Melantha on the forehead, then exchanged a last glance with Gil before making his way out of the alley.


    "Now then," said Gil, as his daughter sat down opposite him, her dark eyes bright. "All ready to listen?"


    Melantha nodded eagerly.


    "Good. Now here''s how it goes, the truth of the world, so listen up and remember, bright eyes. Outside of your family it''ll be a rare person that''s not out to get you, and if you let ''em get the jump on you then you''re gonna get locked up or killed or otherwise done bad by."


    Gil leant forward, smiling, holding his six year-old daughter''s complete and fixed attention with his words.


    "But they can''t do any of those things to you, if they can''t catch you..."


    <hr>


    Mel tore down the alleyway, slim cloth package clutched to her chest. She skidded around a corner and launched herself down an even narrower alleyway, young face set as she leapt for the nearest wall, running up it at an angle before launching herself to the opposite wall, reaching up with her gloved hand to catch a ledge above, pulling herself further up, and there was another ledge, and part of a rickety wooden drain that came away from the wall as Mel grabbed it¡ªbut the instant it held was the instant she needed, and she was hanging from another ledge now, turning, pushing against the wall with both feet to propel herself upwards and on to the roof of the neighbouring building, running as soon as she landed, and she was free now and away because this was her house; the rooftops of the city of Clock Face. Even if her pursuers somehow managed to get up to the roof, they''d never catch her. Not here.


    Mel slowed her run, settling into a comfortable pace as she ran along rough yellow rooftops that shone in the harsh sunlight, leapt across gaps that were six storeys up over alleys crowded with makeshift structures and indefinable people, her dark eyes fixed on each obstacle in turn as she let the city take her where she needed to be.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Hey, if it ain''t Mel-Lene. Goin'' my way?"


    Mel glanced over at the lanky, shaven-headed boy running over the roof of the building next to her. He leapt over the gap between them and came up close, so he was running beside her.


    "Hey Wesh," said Mel, not looking at him as they ran across a long, wide rooftop.


    "Oh," Wesh said, as they leapt over the next gap together and ran along a series of narrow, flat rooftops connected together by wide planks, "you heard of this new invention? It''s called a ''bag'', means you don''t gotta hold on to stuff with your hands."


    Wesh had a package too, sticking out of a bag that had been tightly wrapped around his chest with a couple of belts.


    "Lost it," Mel said, as she put on an extra burst of speed, taking her ahead of the boy to leap across a three-metre wide gap and land running. She looked back over her shoulder as she sped forward, heading in a different direction from him. "And the only time I''m going your way is in ... your ... DREAMS!"


    Mel launched herself off the edge of the roof with a wild cry, leaping down to a lower building, rolling as she landed then up again in an instant, speeding towards the edge and leaping across to another, and then another, and then across a sequence of narrow planks before leaping down to a lower rooftop, only a couple of storeys above the street now and near her goal, and after a final hop, skip and jump Mel leapt off a final rooftop, grabbing hold of a rope and hanging on as a heavy counterweight came rocketing up, letting go to drop the last few metres into a narrow alleyway.


    Mel spent a few seconds catching her breath, then she knocked on a nearby door twice, then paused, then knocked once more. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then looked up as the door opened.


    "Package," she said, holding it out to the hooded man who''d opened the door. "Hear the hawks cry."


    "Their prey is lost," said the man, as he took it.


    "Any returns?"


    "Not today."


    "Okay. See ya!"


    With that Mel was away, feet barely touching the ground as she raced back towards the depot, grinning with perfect happiness.


    <hr>


    It was dark by the time Mel returned, coins clinking in her pocket and a new bag hanging at her side. It took her longer than usual to get there¡ªseveral times she was forced to duck down inconvenient alleys, and at one point she had no choice but to hide in a doorway, flattening her body into the narrow alcove for a tense minute before it was safe to go on.


    But she was home now, familiar voices and music and laughter around her, the bright light of the fires and the smell of roasting meat welcome after her long day''s work.


    "Here''s one for trouble!" her father called out as she came to sit down beside him. She rested her head fondly on his shoulder and let him tousle her short hair, before she sat up straight and took off her bag. "How was your day, bright eyes?"


    "The usual," she said.


    "Anyone come close?"


    Mel grinned. "No one even came close to comin'' close."


    "Good girl. You hungry? Why don''t¡ªho, Marko! Heading for the stables?"


    Gil chuckled as Marko looked towards him and his daughter, but stopped as he noticed the serious look in his friend''s eyes.


    "What''s wrong, Uncle Marko?" Mel asked, as he approached them.


    "Rumours," he said. "The war''s worsening."


    "Ah, the war''s always worsening, the fighting''ll never get here," said Gil. "Sit down and have a drink¡ªMelantha was just about to tell me about her day."


    Marko was shaking his head. "Word is the real army''s pulling back. Gonna be a lot of greenshirts around."


    "Huh," said Mel. "Greenshirts ain''t nothing, they can''t run for pudding in all that armour. Anyone gets caught by them deserves the beating."


    "Way I hear it, getting off with a beating''d mark you as lucky," said Marko. "Way I hear it, the nobs are taking every body they can grab and throwing ''em at the Crovians. You two know about Werner and Hugo?"


    Gil and Mel both shook their heads, their expressions now serious.


    "Pair of ''em got their throats slit today. Word is if you get caught by the greenshirts, you get a choice; join them or join the dead."


    "IF you get caught," muttered Mel.


    "Yes," Gil agreed. "Werner and Hugo, lord rest ''em, were never the brightest couple of jacks."


    "True enough. Still, maybe best to keep things quiet for a few weeks. No risks."


    "I never take risks," said Mel. Marko smiled at that, and reached out to pat her cheek.


    "Of course you don''t," he said. "Just you make sure¡ª"


    "Well now, look at this! Excuse me, young lady, but you look a little bit familiar to me, have we met before?"


    "Hi Mum," Mel said, smiling up at her mother.


    "Goodness, could it be true? My own long-lost daughter come back to me after these many years?"


    "I saw you a few days ago, Mum, you don''t have to get so dramatic."


    Melantha''s mother smiled at her, then looked between Marko and Gil.


    "Hello, you two," she said. "Up to no good as usual?"


    "Hello, Tala," said Marko. "I was just telling your daughter she should keep things quiet for the next while."


    "''Quiet'' isn''t something Dabrowska women have ever done well," said Tala, with a laugh. "Regardless of our other talents."


    "I''m great at quiet!" Mel protested.


    "That''s because you''re not JUST a Dabrowska," said her father. "Quiet is what we Lenes do best."


    "Well, whatever you are," said Tala, placing a fond hand on her daughter''s shoulder, "you should go and wish Faith and her parents luck, they''re heading off to do that thing tonight."


    "Okay," said Mel, standing. She looked down at her father seriously. "Look after my bag, I''ve got some stuff to show you later."


    "I''ll surely look forward to it," said Gil. He watched his daughter skip off with a smile on his face, but this faded as he looked back at Marko.


    "Now," he said, as Tala sat down beside him. "Let''s have a talk about this little problem of ours."

 Felony ~ 2

    "What the heck are you doing?" Mel laughed, as she watched Hazel fall painfully on her backside. "You weren''t going NEAR fast enough, if you were being chased by a couple of greenshirts you''d be up against the choice right about now."


    "Let''s see you do it then, Melanie Mouth," said Hazel, as she picked herself up and dusted herself off.


    "Don''t call me that. Told you, it''s Felony now."


    "Nobody''s gonna call you that, it sounds stupid." Hazel twisted around to try to see the back of her shorts. "I didn''t tear ''em, did I?"


    "Nah, you''re fine," said Mel. "Now watch and learn."


    Mel stretched as she studied the high stone wall at one end of the dead-end alley¡ªit was around four metres high, and had once been part of a large stone building. There were a couple of crates weighted down with rocks stacked up against it, and it was covered in marks drawn with rocks or pencil or paint.


    "I''m waiting," said Hazel, from where she sat on a broken crate. "Come on, ''Felony''. Show me something."


    Mel shot her friend a grin, then she was moving, bursting forward from a standing start, her left foot on a crate and her right foot on another and then against the wall, the sharkskin soles of her shoes giving her traction as she pushed herself up, and for a single beautiful second she was weightless, she was floating, she was flying, and then she pushed hard and twisted, propelling herself away from the wall and spinning and the ground was coming up now, fast, almost too fast, but then her foot was moving forward and angling itself just right and she slammed into the ground and pushed herself onwards almost in the same motion, a transferral of energy that sent her barrelling forward¡ªshe just barely slowed down in time to stop from running into the opposite wall of the alley, putting her hands up to absorb what was left of her momentum, then she pushed herself off to spin around, throwing her arms out to bow in an exaggerated fashion to Hazel, who was clapping in a way that was only half-joking.


    "I gotta admit it, you got some moves," she said. "How do you do that?"


    "You know I don''t like to give away my secrets."


    "Come on, you''ve gotta have some advice for me."


    "Work on your sprint."


    "That''s it?"


    Mel shrugged. "Without speed you can''t do anything."


    "Yeah, but ... you know I hate admitting this¡ª"


    "You know I love making you admit it."


    "So, okay, you''re faster than me¡ªquit grinning like that!"


    "Get to your point then."


    "What I don''t get is how you can go so fast so quick, it''s like you''re being launched out of a catapult or something, how do you DO that?"


    Mel shrugged.


    "Guess I just practise harder and longer and better than anyone else."


    Hazel growled a little. "Do you have any idea how annoying you are?"


    "Probably because I practise harder and longer and better at that, too. I gotta be the best at everything I do."


    Hazel huffed.


    "I think you''re just lucky. You were just born fast."


    "Hey." Mel''s eyes lost a little of their warmth, her voice became just a little harder. "I work hard to be as good as I am. You wanna say different?"Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "I''m not saying you don''t work hard. Maybe you do practise harder than me. But I think you''ve got some kind of natural advantage. Maybe it''s because you''re so teeny-tiny small."


    "Yeah, I guess I wouldn''t be nearly as fast if I had the saddlebags you''re loaded down with."


    "You didn''t just say that."


    "Maybe I wouldn''t have, if I thought you had the slightest chance of ever catching me."


    The two girls stared at each other, then they were moving¡ªMel leaping away into a run with a wild, elated whoop, Hazel sprinting after her, growling in a happy kind of way.


    "Small is best!" Mel yelled, as she ran up along the side of the alley just for the fun of it, "I should take you along with me on my jobs, just in case I run into any greenshirts¡ªbecause I know I don''t even have to run faster than them, just faster than yooooou!"


    <hr>


    "MEL!"


    "Wesh, what the HELL is going on?"


    "I dunno, I dunno, have you seen anyone? I thought I heard Hazel back near Three Steps, but the place was swarming with greenshirts when I headed back, I couldn''t¡ª"


    "Hazel''s gone." Mel''s face, normally animated and cheeky, was now flat and ashen. "What about any of the others?"


    "I dunno, I just ... what do we do? What the hell do we do?"


    Mel shook her head as she checked her knives, one had worked itself loose in its sheath as she''d run and she pushed it firmly down as she struggled to think¡ªshe was exhausted, she''d been running and hiding and running again for hours now, ever since a piercing series of dozens of whistles had signalled the start of some kind of attack¡ªgreenshirts had flooded the streets, come from every direction, hundreds of them, too many to run from because everywhere you ran there were more of them, and they all had swords and this time there wasn''t a choice; if they catch me, Mel thought, they''ll kill me¡ª


    "But first they have to catch me," she muttered. She looked up at Wesh. "Come on. You''re heading home, right?"


    Wesh nodded.


    "Let''s go, then. Stick close and try to keep up. I''m not slowing down for you."


    Wesh didn''t say anything in response to this, which didn''t make Mel feel any better. Together they sped across the rooftops of Clock Face, Mel''s pace fast and constant as she sprinted, leapt, crawled, climbed, Wesh struggling to even keep her in sight.


    He finally caught her as she stood on the edge of a tall building, staring out at one of the city''s large open squares. It took him a few seconds to realise what had caught her attention.


    Gallows.


    Dozens of them.


    And hanging from the ropes¡ª


    "West gate," Mel said, her voice flat. "Through Heaven''s Way, along Stepping Pretty then up over the wall near Dies Alone."


    "Mel¡ª"


    "That''s my plan, follow it if you want. If we don''t see each other again ... goodbye."


    As the clouds above broke and the first drop of rain fell on to Mel''s cheek, she turned and started running, and she didn''t look back.


    <hr>


    Heroes die.


    Open rebellion marks you as trouble; an irritation to be dealt with.


    Underground rebellion could only work when there was an underground to live and work in.


    This was no longer the situation in Clock Face.


    Fresh Wednesday, the authorities called it, the day the city got its fresh start, free of the criminal underclass that had plagued its streets for so long.


    Death Wednesday, those members of the ''criminal underclass'' that had managed to escape called it, the day a thriving culture built on principles of freedom and family was destroyed.


    Felony (before it had been a fanciful nickname, the latest of many, but now it was what she was; her very existence a crime punishable by death) headed west from Clock Face, towards the city of Unity; the largest city in Targe. A big city''s gotta have a lot of cracks, she thought. I''m sure I can find one that''ll fit me.


    <hr>


    Felony walked slowly up the street, a tightness around her mouth and a hardness to her eyes.


    "Just pain and more pain," she muttered.


    "Need some help?"


    Felony looked around to see an imposing young man looking at her, his pale blue eyes amused. Beside him was a short blonde girl, sharply dressed and expressionless.


    "If you two are looking for trouble¡ª"


    "Not trouble," said the blonde girl, looking straight at Felony. She had a clear Rosanthian accent. "We''re looking for talent."


    "I''m not that kind of girl," said Felony.


    "You''re some kind of girl, though," said the young man, the ''k'' in ''kind'' particularly hard. Harmonian, Felony thought. What the hell are a Harmonian and a Rosanthian doing here, together?


    "You should come with us," said the girl. She smiled at Felony, a cold smile that didn''t come near to reaching her eyes. "It would be in your own best interests."


    "Thanks, but I think I''ll pass," said Felony, turning to leave, very aware that the narrow street she was on was empty aside from her and these two. She got a few steps before spinning around again, right hand on the hilt of her knife.


    "No need for that," said the young man, his hands raised as if in surrender. He grinned. "No need at all."


    There was a bright flash, and a loud crack, and then darkness.

 Naz ~ 1 ~ Progress From Hatred

    ~ Naz ~


    Progress From Hatred


    "You! Boy! Stop staring at that cart and get into the circle!"


    Naz snapped to attention.


    "Sorry, master!" he said, as he raised his sword and shield and ran forward into the training circle, suppressing a flinch of despair as he saw his opponent. Templeton, he thought, of course it had to be Templeton.


    "Begin!"


    Before he could even think about attacking Naz was forced to raise his shield, the hard impact of Templeton''s assault jarring and painful. He struggled to bring his own sword up to get into a position to counter, but Templeton''s boot was already driving into his side, sending him off-balance. He staggered, then cried out as he felt a hard impact against his head and fell to the ground.


    "Up!"


    Naz spat sand as he pushed himself up, retrieved his sword from where it lay, then straightened as he faced Templeton once more. The other boy''s face was serious, his sword and shield raised in a perfect stance.


    "Begin!"


    This time Naz launched himself forward, but Templeton wasn''t there when he struck. Naz whirled around to try to meet the attack, but too slow¡ªhe gasped out as he felt the impact of Templeton''s sword against his arm.


    "Enough!"


    Naz breathed a sigh of relief, then stumbled out of the circle as the next two boys stepped in. He sheathed his wooden training sword and was just unbuckling his shield when, once more, he felt a heavy impact against his shoulder. He turned to see Templeton grinning at him.


    "Hope I didn''t hurt you, Naz," said Templeton. Naz shook his head.


    "No, it just pinched a little. It''s okay."


    "Put up more of a fight next time." The way Templeton said it, it was like a demand¡ªas if Naz had lost so badly on purpose. "They don''t let weaklings be knights."


    Naz smiled weakly and nodded.


    "I should practise more," he said, but Templeton had already lost interest and was watching the next fight. Naz slunk off to a quiet corner of the courtyard and was soon lost in thought, the sounds of battle fading away as he guiltily let his imagination soar.


    <hr>


    "Naz, keep up!"


    Naz blinked and shook his head and trotted after Gail. The market wasn''t busy, just a couple of dozen people, but to Naz it seemed crowded.


    "You''re so vacant," she said, the hint of a frown on her face. "Concentrate, would you? I want to get back before that storm gets here."


    "Sorry."


    "If I could carry the flour by myself I would''ve just¡ªoh."


    Gail and Naz both stopped as they heard the shouts ahead, saw the temple guards dragging a protesting man across the market.


    "It was just a song!" he was crying out, his voice high and desperate. "Please! I won''t again, I won''t!"


    The guards paid no attention to his cries, and soon they had dragged him away, out of sight and out of earshot.


    "Come on," Gail said, as Naz continued to stare after them.


    "Sorry," he said.


    "Just stare and apologise, that''s all you do," Gail muttered. "That''ll keep you out of trouble but it makes you really boring."


    "Sorry," Naz repeated absently, staring at a water pump as they walked across the market, at the way all the different parts worked together, at the flow of the water¡ªbut what if the water wasn''t water, he thought, what if it was fire, liquid fire, and it flowed out and spread across the ground and curled up in spiral pillars, to light the clouds and bring them to life, as great fire-birds flying across the sky, and behind them¡ª


    "¡ªuseless, I said, you''ve got one thing to do and you can''t even do that, just HOLD this!"


    Naz stared at Gail, then down at the large sack she was holding, then up at her scowling face, and he put out his arms to take the sack.


    "Useless, dull, stupid little boy," Gail muttered, as she hefted the second sack. She pushed past Naz and he followed after her, already lost once more in his thoughts, completely unaware of her angry muttering as they made their way back to the temple.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    <hr>


    "¡ªand to flout those who seek to rise above the devoted ones of which we hope to be counted as part of all and not the few there is no place for those who hold the demon''s will as it must curse and warp and bend the nature of man so we will not repeat the mistakes of the past there will come a time of ruin but Pyre will stand strong and protect the ones who hold his name up high and listen well to past echoes¡ª"


    Naz chanted along with the rest of the congregation¡ªthis was the seventh prayer, one of the longest, but he''d repeated it so many times in his life that he could go through it automatically now, leaving his mind free to wander through fantastic, forbidden pathways for the six-hundred and seventy-three seconds it took to recite the entire thing. Currently Naz was thinking about kittens, kittens that were the size of houses, who reached up into the sky and batted down clouds to form into huge balls, which they''d roll over the dull grey earth, and everywhere the cloud-balls touched would be painted in bright, wonderful colours¡ª


    "Boy."


    ¡ªand maybe the kittens weren''t just playing, they were building something, some kind of majestic structure, they were pushing the cloud-balls together¡ªand, yes, of course, the cloud balls weren''t just painting what they touched in amazing colours, they were bursting with colours themselves, in giving they also took, and so the kittens were¡ª


    "BOY!"


    Naz suddenly became aware of the silence around himself, became aware that he was still chanting the prayer though everyone else had stopped¡ªfor how long, he thought, as he looked around at the others, who were all staring at him, and then up at the priest''s angry face, and then behind him to see¡ªhorror of horrors¡ªone of the cardinals.


    "Don''t be too hard on him, Father," the cardinal said. He smiled at Naz. "It''s good to see one so devoted. I get rather caught up in these prayers myself, at times."


    In response Naz dropped his gaze, his cheeks burning.


    "Now then," said the cardinal, as he made his way to the front of the church, long stave tap-tap-tapping as he walked. "I''d like to talk to you¡ªto all of you¡ªabout ... hmm ... shall we call it ''laxness''? Neglect of attention, is what I''m talking about." He stopped at the altar, made the sign of the crossed sticks, then turned to smile at the dozens of sons and daughters of Pyre gathered there. "I am Cardinal Traugott. May Pyre light your paths."


    "And remove that which would obstruct you," Naz and the others chorused in reply.


    "These are dark times, my children," said Cardinal Traugott. "Darker than many of you may think." He paused, then a playful glint came into his blue eyes. "Why do we follow the teachings of Pyre?"


    "To stop the rise of demons," Naz chorused, along with the rest of the church.


    "To stop the rise of demons," the cardinal repeated, each word precise. He nodded to himself, as if considering this phrase, then he looked up, his expression bright. "What is a demon? What does a demon look like? Can anyone here tell me?"


    There was silence from those assembled. The cardinal looked around, eyes wide as if searching, then he nodded, a pleased smile on his face.


    "Good!" he said. "I can see all of you have paid splendid attention to your lessons. For that is the most insidious thing about demons, that their forms be many and varied, that it is not enough to say ''this is what a demon looks like''. Pyre¡ªno, let''s be precise, what came BEFORE Pyre¡ªwas once destroyed by assumption. And so we can never assume to know what a demon is, what a demon looks like, what a demon sounds like. That is why we have the inquisition, to make sure that what we believe to be true IS true. I myself have been questioned by the inquisition, many times, and I''m glad of it. Yes, they can seem scary with their big black cloaks and their big black hats¡ªbut then truth can often be frightening. And perhaps it is right that the inquisition should inspire fear, for if you, the innocent, should fear them so, just think how a demon might feel about them! Yes, just as the Holy Knights defend our physical borders, so too do the Holy Inquisitors defend a far more important border, that which stands between our innocent souls and those unholy demons that seek to corrupt us."


    The cardinal fell silent, pacing in front of the altar, shaking his head slowly before once more looking up at those assembled.


    "But I digress," he said, his tone mild. "Being up here brings back memories, it''s been far too long since I''ve had the opportunity to preach a sermon. I have a reason for being here, and that reason is not a pleasant one. I do not mean to scare you by telling you this, my children, but the simple fact of it is this: there are demons among us. In this very room, right now."


    In Pyre it was considered impolite to make any noise at all when anyone of importance was speaking, and impoliteness almost invariably meant a visit by the inquisition. This was why the cardinal''s words were met not with tense, fearful whispering, but rather tense, fearful silence.


    "As I said," the cardinal continued, "my intention is not to scare you, although I would not blame you if fear is the principle emotion you feel at this time. Certainly for all of us, demons must cause a great deal of fear. But you must always remember, my children, that we are stronger than they are. They may be legion and they may hide amongst us, but we ... yes, we, you and I, you! And you! And you!" Cardinal Traugott pointed his stave at three random, startled, immediately terrified members of the congregation. "All of us here! We are all immensely powerful because we have faith, because we believe in the teachings of Pyre, because we follow his words and his example. And the demons may outnumber us ten to one but I say this to you now, my children, ANY ONE OF US IS MORE POWERFUL THAN TWENTY DEMONS!"


    Naz felt a surge inside himself at the cardinal''s words, a great powerful complex mix of pride and fear.


    "But," the cardinal continued, his manner now calm, "that is only true while we have faith. If we lose faith, we lose strength. If we lose strength, that is when the demons can overcome us. Still, I feel immensely reassured when I look at you young people. I can see by your faces that your faith is strong."


    Naz felt a sense of relief that he knew was shared by the others gathered there.


    "And thus you will have nothing to fear when questioned."


    Naz felt his chest tighten as the cardinal nodded to the priest¡ªhe became suddenly aware that a half-dozen members of the inquisition had silently entered the church and were now moving amongst the congregation. Naz held his breath as one of them passed close by¡ªa woman, he guessed, though their faces were hidden beneath blank black masks, and their bodies beneath bulky black robes. He couldn''t help but shiver as she reached for a girl sitting in the row in front of him.


    "Have faith, my children!" the cardinal said, as the six orphans that had been selected for questioning were silently escorted out. "As long as you have faith you need not be scared of anything!"


    As the cardinal left, he glanced at Naz and smiled at him in a friendly way. In response Naz looked away, disgusted at himself. I don''t have faith, he was thinking. There can''t be any room for it inside me, with all this fear.

 Naz ~ 2

    In the afternoons, before preparations for the evening meal were due to begin, the orphans had a precious hour of free time. Most of them spent this time outdoors, or in the library, or in the nearby town. Naz spent many of his free hours in bed. Like all the other orphans he slept in a dormitory, a huge long draughty room built of solid stone, rows upon rows of bunk beds crowding the space inside. His was the lower bunk, which suited his purposes just fine¡ªhe''d hung a sheet up so that what he was doing wouldn''t be seen. It was a somewhat clumsy way of hiding, he knew, one that wouldn''t bear any kind of close inspection, but anyone just casually glancing into the dorm most likely wouldn''t notice this single abnormality amongst the dozens of bunks.


    As he began, as always, Naz felt intensely guilty, almost sick with it. But at the same time he knew he couldn''t just keep this inside himself¡ªthese feelings were too strong, too irresistible, without release he felt he''d burst. And so, shamefully, guiltily, and always very careful to get rid of any evidence, whenever Naz felt he couldn''t keep himself from doing it any more he would spend his hour here, by himself, hidden away in a private world of fantasy.


    "What are you doing?"


    Naz gasped and tried to pull the sheets up over the evidence of his shame as his private sanctuary was torn apart, but it was too late. Templeton had seen everything.


    "I..." Naz tried to speak, to say something, but found his tongue thick, his face hot and flushed, his entire body burning with embarrassment and fear and guilt. "Please don''t say anything! Don''t tell anyone!"


    "What IS this?"


    "Don''t! Give that back!"


    Naz struggled to get up as Templeton snatched the scrap of paper away, holding it up in the light to get a better look at it.


    "Please!" Naz''s voice was strangled, desperate, but Templeton ignored him, the frown on his face turning to a look of horrified realisation.


    "You''ve been drawing!"


    "Don''t tell anyone, don''t show anyone, PLEASE give it back!"


    Templeton jerked the paper away as Naz grabbed at it, then pushed his free hand against Naz''s chest, sending him stumbling and falling.


    "Holy fire," Templeton murmured, looking at the paper once more. Upon it was an intricate drawing of a dog¡ªnot an ordinary dog, but one made of flames.


    "I''ll do anything, I''ll be your servant, I''ll do anything you say," Naz sobbed, hot tears coming unbidden as he clambered to his feet. "I can''t¡ª"


    "Sorry, Naz." Templeton backed away as Naz got up. "I have to show this to them. It''s my duty."


    "Please, no! They''ll take me to the inquisition!"


    "Good. You need to be questioned. You can come with me if you like¡ª"


    "NO!" Naz cried, trying to grab the paper once more, but Templeton pushed him again, harder this time, sending him cleanly off his feet.


    "Stay here, then. You should''ve done something about this sooner, Naz. I hope it''s not too late for you."


    Templeton turned and walked away. He only got a few steps before a weak but desperate tackle from behind almost brought him down.


    "Are you touched?" Templeton growled, as he twisted free of Naz''s grasp and pushed hard, sending him falling back.


    "Ah!" Naz cried out, as the back of his head connected with the side of one of the bunks. He slumped to the ground, dizzy with pain, as Templeton made for the door leading outside.


    No, thought Naz, pulling himself up even as his vision blurred, no! No one can see that drawing, the inquisition will take me, they''ll stop me! Naz staggered forward, the paper in Templeton''s hand his only focus, everything else in the world was blurred and indistinct, the only thing holding any importance at all that grubby scrap of paper that was even now being taken away, taken away to be shown to everyone, to the inquisition, who would look at it and demand to see its creator. They''ll come for me, Naz thought, as he stumbled forward, holding on to the bunk beds for support, they''ll come for me and they''ll take me and they''ll ask questions I won''t be able to answer and they''ll stop me from drawing these things that I draw and thinking these thoughts that I think, if only I''d burnt it, if only I could have burnt it like the others, if only¡ªStolen novel; please report.


    There was a sudden cry of surprise and pain from Templeton as the paper in his hands burst explosively into flames¡ªbut the fire didn''t stop there. Naz watched in horror as the flames leapt to Templeton''s sleeve, and from there to the bunk beside him, its progress shockingly fast. Another cry made Naz turn¡ªhe saw one of the priests standing in the doorway to the dorm, staring in shock at the scene before himself. Feeling suddenly oddly calm, Naz turned back to look at Templeton, who was beating at his arm with his other hand, while the fire on the bunk beside him burned hotter and higher.


    No, Naz thought. Beating at the fire won''t put it out. You just have to¡ª


    As suddenly as the fires had begun, they ended. Naz was pushed aside by the priest as he rushed to Templeton''s side. He grabbed him by the wrist and stared at his burns, then turned to look at the scorched bunk. Then the priest turned to fix a cold gaze on Naz.


    "We must learn what happened here," he said.


    <hr>


    It was a week later.


    Seven days since Naz and Templeton had been taken before the inquisition.


    Five days since Naz had been released from questioning.


    Four days since Naz had first lit and then extinguished a candle by looking at it.


    Three days since Templeton had been executed.


    Two days since Naz had slept.


    It''s me, he thought for the thousandth time, as he mouthed the words to the twelfth prayer along with the others. I''m the one. Templeton died because they thought he did it. But it was me. I''m the cursed one. It should have been me up on the platform, hanging from the gallows.


    "It was me."


    It took Naz a moment to realise that it was he who had spoken. It took him another to realise that he was standing, and that everyone else in the church was staring at him. He looked up at the priest.


    "I need to confess," said Naz.


    <hr>


    This is right, Naz thought, as he walked slowly along the corridor, two inquisition guards walking in front of him, two behind. It should have been me that died. Now this makes things right.


    Naz blinked as they emerged into the light; it was an unusually sunny morning, hardly any clouds in the sky at all. He solemnly walked forward, his gaze fixed straight ahead, trying to ignore the masses of people gathered around, and he stepped up on to the stone platform in the middle of the square.


    "The one that was known as Naz Abram; now know him as Demon."


    Naz was silent. This is right, he was thinking. Templeton died because of me. Now I will die. That is right.


    The priests on the platform with him talked passionately of his crimes and his sins and how the demon lived within him; or rather that he WAS a demon. Even now, in Naz''s moment of clarity, he wasn''t sure what the priests were actually saying. In some moments it seemed he was fully responsible for his actions, in others it seemed that some outside force¡ªthe demon¡ªhad forced him to do it. In any case one thing WAS sure; he, Naz, must be punished.


    "And so," said the lead priest, a man Naz didn''t recognise, "his crimes compounded, his death shall be that of slow strangulation." The priest turned to regard Naz with cold blue eyes. "Not the sharp, swift snap for you, boy."


    Boy or demon, Naz thought, which is it?


    "Indeed!" said another priest, a short fat man Naz knew from around the temple, though not by name. "There is no mercy to be found for cowardly monsters who willingly hurl innocent boys into the pressing darkness! Before he dies he is to be marked with the symbol of his actions; Demon, I name you BETRAYER!"


    There was silence from the surrounding crowds, pressing silence that was worse than any screaming or shouting could have been. Just hundreds of eyes, all on Naz, all bearing witness to his punishment.


    Naz knelt even before he was pushed down, as the branding iron was brought forth. It was huge and glowed red-hot, in the rough shape of a feather; the symbol of cowardice and betrayal.


    "LET HIM BE MARKED!" the short, fat priest cried, and the branding iron was pressed firmly against Naz''s bare back. He cried out, then found the strength to be silent¡ªsomehow, the pain was bearable, nothing like as bad as he''d imagined it would be.


    "DEMON!" cried the priest, and Naz looked up to realise something was wrong¡ªthe pain in his back disappeared as soon as the brand was pulled away, and the people in the crowds were staring at him with fear in their eyes. "His very skin rejects the purity of Pyre''s heat!"


    Two of the inquisition guards stepped forward to haul Naz to his feet, jerking him up to be stood on a stool. He was held there while a thick noose was pushed over his head and around his neck, then his head was forced up, to see one of the priests standing in front of him.


    "If his skin will not be marked by Pyre''s heat, then it shall be marked by a blade FORGED from Pyre''s heat!" the priest cried, raising a slim knife. "WE SHALL DRAW HIS WRETCHED ENTRAILS OUT! WE SHALL LET THEM HANG FOR ALL TO SEE!"


    The priest stepped forward and pressed the cold steel of the knife against Naz''s belly, then with two practised slashes cut it open. Once again, the pain was nothing like as bad as Naz had imagined it would be.


    It was many, many times worse.


    As he screamed out in agony, Naz was only dimly aware of the priest reaching forward¡ªreaching inside¡ªand pulling, felt his body spasm as his guts were drawn from his body. He couldn''t see, he couldn''t hear, could feel nothing but intense, burning, unbearable pain. The sudden tight pressure around his neck as the stool was kicked out from under him was a release; a sign, of sorts.


    It''s over, Naz thought, as blessed darkness came to him, darkness that somehow crowded out the pain and let him think, let him know that the end was near.


    It''s over.

 Destinations ~ 1 ~ The Place Nobody Goes

    ~ Destinations ~


    The Place Nobody Goes


    "Hey, there''s a well here ... I think the water in it might be okay¡ªFrancis! Francis, come and get some of this water out! Those are fruit trees, too, oranges and limes¡ªpomegranates even, we really lucked out here."


    "Why aren''t there any people around, do you think?"


    "Same reason there ain''t anyone anywhere."


    "But there''s NO ONE here, nothing except these big fat lizards¡ª"


    "Reckon they could be good to eat, what do you think, Trish? You get a fire going and I''ll catch a couple and we can try roasting ''em."


    "Okay."


    "What do you think that big building there was? It''s about the only thing around here still in one piece¡ª"


    "Who cares? Looks like it could be good for keeping the wind out though, let''s have an explore of it after we eat. Francis, you got that water up yet?"


    "Yes, I think it''s okay to drink. The well is deep and undamaged, and the water comes from an underground river."


    "Get some into our waterskins, then, don''t just stand there lookin'' smug. Machinsky, what''re you staring at? You ain''t said a word since we found this place, what''re ya thinking about?"


    "...home."


    <hr>


    "Kid, you even listening to me?"


    Maya was gazing placidly at Fin. He was sitting on a large, smooth stone at the other side of the clearing, watching Selene as she performed some kind of slow, gentle exercise. His expression was hard to read; calm, certainly, but with a thoughtfulness that Maya found compelling and unsettling.


    "Hey."


    "Ow, Ash! You didn''t have to hit me!"


    "Kind of seems like I DID have to do it, seeing as you were away with the fairies. What were you thinking about, anyway?"


    "...nothing."


    "That don''t matter anyway." Ashley glanced at Fin and Selene, then looked back at her sister. "Look, I know you''re real into this whole story that guy''s spinning, but I got doubts. He''s the one who said about Rosanth being the most dangerous place we could go, and where are we heading?"


    "At least he was honest," Maya said. "He didn''t have to tell us that it was dangerous."


    "You''re way too sweet sometimes, kid. You gotta learn, there''s more than one way to pull a con, and you gotta be careful of honesty most of all. I''ve told you this about a hundred times, why can''t you listen to me about this stuff?"


    "I always listen," said Maya. "But I just think that he''s nice. And Selene is nice too."


    "Are you kidding? She''s a stuck-up, icy little priss, there ain''t nothing nice about her."


    "She showed you how to skin a rabbit."


    "Yeah, and acted oh-so-superior the whole time, too. Nah, she ain''t gonna be your friend, Maya. She''s the type that don''t reckon friends are worth a damn."


    "Like you?"


    Ashley grinned at Maya¡ªshe had the most innocent look on her face.


    "Yeah, just like me. And you know how bad I am, right?"


    "Ash, I didn''t¡ª"


    "You know what''s important to me, Maya. It ain''t other people."


    Maya was silent, her dark eyes on Fin and Selene. They were talking now; Fin was giving Selene some kind of instruction.


    "Look," Ashley said, her voice low, "I ain''t saying we''re gonna ditch these two right this second. Yeah, for now it''s working out. It''s nice not having to walk everywhere, and I ain''t complaining about the regular meals neither."


    "That''s just comfort," Maya said, looking at her sister. Ashley grinned again.


    "Yeah, and it''s nice, ain''t it? But it ain''t important if¡ª"


    "Yes. That''s right. There''s something more important," Maya said. Ashley raised her eyebrows¡ªMaya hardly ever interrupted her.


    "Yeah?" she said. "What''s that?"


    "This ... this thing that Fin''s doing, this home¡ª"


    "Aw, not this again. Forget that, it''s just some junk he said, nothing but a dream."


    "It''s a NICE dream! What were we doing before, Ash? Just running away! I ... I want to be running TOWARDS something!"


    Ashley stared at her sister¡ªshe noticed that Maya''s raised voice had caught the attention of Fin and Selene, also.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Would you two like to join our training session?" Fin called. Ashley shook her head.


    "We''re good," she said, although she read a different message in Maya''s dark eyes.


    "Ash, maybe..."


    Maya trailed off. Fin had invited the two of them to train with him several times over the days they''d already travelled together, and Ashley''s response had always been the same. Maya, also, had always remained silent, but there was something different this time. In her eyes was a look that Ashley never wanted to see.


    "I''m gonna go gather firewood," Ashley said, standing. She glanced down at her sister. "You can do whatever you like."


    Maya smiled as Ashley stalked away through the trees, then smiled brighter as Fin walked over to join her.


    "Can you really show me how to get better at doing the stuff I can do?" she asked him.


    "If you''d like me to," said Fin. "Although your skills are considerable already. The subtlety of control that you possess is remarkable."


    Maya looked away. "Um, thank you," she said.


    "However, subtlety isn''t particularly useful in a fight. At least, not when the threat is immediate. Come over here with me, would you kindly?"


    There was a tiny stream running through the clearing, barely an inch deep and narrow enough to step over without effort.


    "You were playing with this water earlier," Fin said, as he gestured for Maya to sit beside the stream. "Making pretty tubes and bubbles of it."


    "Bubbles are really hard," Maya said. "It''s okay if they''re touching the rest of the water, but once they get even a little way away..."


    "Mm. That is an issue of separation, something we''ll have to deal with sooner rather than later. For now, however, we should focus on release."


    "Release," Maya repeated. Fin smiled at her.


    "People underestimate water," he said. "It''s been the downfall of many an unwary soul. Water has weight, water has patience, water has the strength of the ages behind it. Eventually, everything falls to water. In a fight, however," he said, flashing a grin at Maya that made her smile too, "we don''t have the luxury of ''eventually'', do we? Could you create one of your tubes for me?"


    "I ... um, I call them snakes, usually," Maya said, shyly, as she coaxed a thin line of water from the stream.


    "Snakes, yes ... water snakes. Someday you''ll see how appropriate that name is, for now I''d like you to hold that snake in your hands."


    "But when I take it away from the stream¡ª"


    "You''ve done this before with water cupped in your hands, yes? That water, too, was taken from a larger source. All water is one. The drop IS the ocean."


    Maya stared at the water snake she was controlling.


    "Um," she said.


    Fin smiled.


    "Perhaps we''ll go into that some other time. For now, release that snake and take a cupped handful of water from the stream. Use both hands."


    Maya did as instructed.


    "Now concentrate. Focus. Watch the water."


    Fin''s voice was very soft, but Maya had no trouble hearing him. Her eyes were half-closed as she gazed down at the water in her hand, which rippled subtly in time with her breath.


    "Do you understand what I mean when I tell you to know the water?"


    Maya nodded, almost imperceptibly. The water was now a distinct mass; no longer a cupped handful, but rather an ever-shifting sphere floating in her hands.


    "Good. Hold it there, just like that. It''s no longer touching your hands, but your energies are entwined. In a sense, the water is a part of you ... and yet, always separate. You are the water''s master, it your servant. You hold the water in thrall; it yearns to obey you. Can you feel that?"


    Again, Maya''s nod was almost unnoticeable. The water in her hands felt as though it was shivering, at once relaxed and tense; a sensation of utter comfort and unbearable stress.


    "Now," said Fin, in almost a whisper. "Reject it."


    The water fell to the ground and was gone in an instant, soaked into the rich earth, glistening on the long green grass. Maya stared at Fin.


    "Reject it?" she said. "But¡ª"


    "The water is not your friend, Maya. Neither is it a pet. It is a tool, a toy, and, at times, a weapon. When you hold water in your power, you are exerting your dominance over it, however playfully this may be expressed. The water does not tell you what to do. You tell the water what to do."


    "But ... rejecting it¡ª"


    "Try once more. Take another cupped handful. This time, do not bond so closely with it. Hold it in your hands just a moment, then force it away from yourself. Violently. Emotively. Passionately."


    Maya was staring at Fin, her eyes questioning.


    "You have a good imagination," Fin said. "Use it now. Imagine that someone is attacking you, that they are trying to hurt you, to kill you..."


    "I don''t want to imagine that!"


    "No, you don''t. In a perfect world you would have no need to. But this world, as I am sure you know, is far from perfect. There have been many times in your life that you have been threatened, that harm has been promised to you. Use these experiences."


    Maya shook her head, her mouth tight.


    "You don''t want to remember," Fin said. "But we are taking from these experiences something valuable. You have defended yourself before. Ah ... you have defended your sister, also."


    "No, she protects me, I¡ª"


    "But when she has needed aid, you have been there to offer it. Imagine, then, that your sister is in trouble. That she has fallen, that a man stands over her, holding a sword, preparing to strike. Imagine this now, so that should it come to pass you will be ready to save her."


    Maya hesitated, then nodded.


    "I''ll try," she said. "For Ash''s sake."


    "Good. Take a fresh handful of water. Picture that man. And then¡ª"


    Maya gasped as the water leapt from her hand, splashing over the grass.


    "Very well done!" said Fin. "Excellent, in fact!"


    "But that wouldn''t stop anyone from hurting Ash!" Maya cried. "Just splashing someone with water won''t ... that won''t do ANYTHING!"


    "This was your first attempt," Fin said. "You must practise this technique. At first, it will be little more than a splash, a distraction at best. But slowly you will grow stronger, and the water will become like stinging rain, and then like sharp needles¡ªonce you have mastered splashing, then we will work on adding an element of control, shaping the water, guiding it into a form that will pain and, yes, distract your enemy."


    Maya nodded, her face serious.


    "I''ll practise really hard," she said. "This is ... it feels different from my usual, um, playing."


    "You are skilled at prolonged, gentle manipulation," Fin said. "This is a sudden, violent release. But I think you''ll get the hang of it soon enough."


    Fin left Maya by the stream, gathering handfuls of water and making it splash away.


    "No matter how I look at it, that just doesn''t seem useful."


    Fin smiled at Selene where she sat, near the carriage, checking her bow.


    "This isn''t entirely about utility," he said. "Although having said that you might be surprised what a water user can do, especially one as open as young Maya. Many regret underestimating water."


    Selene watched Maya a little longer, then turned her attention back to her bow.


    "It also seems strange that so far we''ve only found these two," she said, not looking at Fin. "And them totally by chance."


    "As I''ve said from the beginning, chance is, unfortunately, what we must rely on. Chance to notice the use of a power, chance that the person using it is uncorrupted, chance that they will listen to what I have to say, chance that they will agree with my ideals, chance that they have no great attachments to family or place, chance that they will come with us."


    For a moment both Fin and Selene were silent, reflective.


    "Still," Fin said, brightly, "I''ve always been a lucky sort of fellow. Onwards, Selene. Ever onwards."

 Destinations ~ 2

    The modern border between Targe and Rosanth¡ªoptimistically called the final border¡ªwas clearly marked by the presence of the Great Divide, a wide, fast-flowing river that originated in the Silver Mountains. There were almost a dozen bridges crossing the Great Divide, some of them wide and grand, others narrow and ... well, still quite grand. This was, after all, Rosanth.


    "Huh," said Ashley, as the carriage rumbled across one of the narrower bridges. "Seems like a lot of fuss for just a bridge."


    It was built of well-wrought stone, solid pillars supporting it from below, pointed like arrows so that the swift water flowed smoothly around them. The bridge was covered with a steeply angled wooden roof, the posts supporting this carved with a vines-and-grapes motif.


    "Rosanthians do enjoy their little luxuries," said Fin. Ashley was sitting beside him at the front of the carriage, Maya and Selene sleeping inside¡ªit was late in the day, and both of them had been training hard. "Although actually all they added was the cover now sheltering us from the last of the sun''s light. This bridge has been here since before the Devastation."


    "You''re wasting words telling me, Professor."


    Fin smiled. "I''m not a professor."


    "Yeah, but you talk like one."


    "And you, young Ashley, talk like a common street thug. Am I to judge you by that?"


    Ashley shrugged. "Why not? That''s what I am. Ain''t proud of it, ain''t ashamed of it neither. Judge me or not, it ain''t gonna change nothing."


    Fin smiled.


    "Indeed not," he said.


    They rumbled on for a while. Ashley looked around at the bridge.


    "It''s bloody long though, ain''t it?"


    "It is at that. Remarkable feat of engineering. I doubt there''s a single person alive today who could replicate its construction."


    "Yeah," said Ashley, with a laugh, "not by themself, anyway."


    Fin chuckled. "No, perhaps not."


    "But I get what you''re saying. Like Unity, yeah? Didn''t get built, just got found. Well, all of the real impressive buildings, anyway." Ashley laughed again. "Don''t reckon any of the places I ever lived were ''found'', don''t reckon no one would''ve WANTED to find ''em."


    "It certainly seems as though you''ve had it rough."


    "Huh, who hasn''t, yeah?"


    Fin smiled as the carriage finally reached the end of the bridge, the road continuing in a northward direction, stretching through low green hills and surrounded by tall thin trees, their branches slim and bushy.


    "Why are we going to this place?" Ashley asked, after a minute of silence.


    "Again, you''re asking?"


    "Sure. Keep asking the same question, sometimes the answer changes. Works real well with people you don''t trust so much."


    "And you include me in that group," Fin said, with a smile.


    "Yeah, you''re surprised?"


    "Not surprised, no." Fin adjusted his hat upon his head, then looked at Ashley. "We''re travelling to Cerveau because there is a certain item I require, a small statue. My investigations have led me to believe that it is currently at Trinity College, which is located within that city."


    "Yeah, that''s what you said before," Ashley muttered. "Seems a long way to go for a statue."


    "As I said to you before, it''s rather more than just a statue."


    "Yeah, you did say that. Didn''t say MORE than that, though."


    "You want an explanation," said Fin. "Very well. To put it simply, in order to have the strength necessary to protect you, and your sister, and Selene, and any others that might share in my dream of a safe haven, I need that statue."


    "That still ain''t telling me what it does."


    "It amplifies ability." Fin gestured to the left, to a lake in the distance. "Do you see that lake over there?"


    "Of course I can bloody see it."


    "If you possessed the statue, you could heat that entire lake to the point of boiling. If Maya possessed the statue, she could part the waters of that lake and leave the fish on the bottom, gasping for breath."


    "Maya wouldn''t do that," Ashley said, flatly. "Not unless the fish were attacking me or something."


    "No, of course she wouldn''t. It was just an example, but a poorly chosen one. I apologise."


    Ashley grunted, staring at the lake. The carriage rumbled along. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again:


    "You said we''re stopping at a village tonight, yeah?"


    "More a town than a village, but yes. Abelard."


    "Kinda remember you saying we should avoid towns."


    "I did say that, but I must purchase supplies. Besides which, I thought that staying at an inn would be a pleasant change from roughing it."


    "Don''t make much difference to me. Long as there''s food around, I''m good."


    "Yes indeed. Fuel for the body, fuel for the spirit."


    Ashley considered this.


    "Fuel," she said. "Like a fire?"


    "In your case especially, very much like a fire."


    Ashley grunted again. They travelled on in silence for a further few minutes, and then she spoke once more:


    "Maybe you ain''t all bad," she said. "Don''t go thinking that I trust you, because I don''t, and if you even think about using your little mind-energy-whatever tricks on me I''ll SHOW you how much like a fire I am. That goes for Maya too, hear me? I don''t mind you doing this training or whatever, because it makes her happy, but just watch it, you get what I''m saying?"


    "Very clearly."


    Ashley nodded. "All right. Long as we''re square about it."


    <hr>


    Abelard was a quiet little walled town, not nearly as big as Unity but in no way a village. There were guards at the gate Fin drove the carriage through, the evening watch, but they barely spared him a glance. The streets were wide and uncluttered, the buildings wooden and pretty in a uniform sort of way. Red and yellow roses grew seemingly everywhere, in window boxes and along the sides of the streets, and in tiny parks just big enough for a couple of bench seats perched on a square of grass. The street lamps were tall and elegant and well-spaced, the lanterns they bore burning with a clean light that illuminated the streets nicely.


    "Bit bloody fancy and all," was Ashley''s comment, and Fin smiled in response.


    It wasn''t so late but the streets were clear, though the public houses they passed seemed crowded enough. After some searching Fin found what he was looking for; a smallish inn, off the main streets, near to the northern gate. It was called The Gruntled Swine, and its sign had a rather superbly done picture of a pig wearing a black buckle-hat of old-fashioned Rosanthian style, a frothing mug of ale held charmingly in its hoof.


    After parking the carriage and waking the girls inside and arranging rooms and stabling and food for the evening, Fin left Selene and the others in a quiet corner of the inn, and he went and had a well-earned bath.


    The common room of The Gruntled Swine was more spacious than the inn''s cosy exterior had suggested; it had a dozen tables and a large fireplace burning low and warm, and a long bar against one wall, and even a wrestling pit, although it looked as if this particular feature hadn''t been used in a good while. The table at which Selene and the others sat was old but sturdy, the chairs hard but comfortable, and all in all there wasn''t much to complain about at all. Nor did the food disappoint, three generous bowls of lamb stew with a basket of bread to accompany, and a bowl of green apples besides, and a jug of bittersweet orange tea. The stew could have perhaps used a little more seasoning and the bread was a day old, but the girls barely noticed this.


    Ashley glanced around the rest of the inn as she ate. It was a quiet night, only three other tables occupied¡ªtwo by traders, their profession obvious, the third by a neat little man who ate his stew daintily, dabbing at his lips with a napkin after each precise spoonful. No trouble here, Ashley thought. Good.


    That was before the door was flung open and a group of men walked in, stomping their feet and talking loudly at each other. One of them went to lean on the bar and missed, crashing to the floor in a heap of crumpled indignity, drawing howls of laughter from the others.


    Without looking directly at the men, Ashley studied them. Five. Drunk. All of them big and moving like they know how to fight. Here for further booze and food.


    "Keep your head down," Ashley snapped at Selene, who had also noticed the men and was staring at them. Maya was eating an apple, apparently unconcerned. "Gawking like that''s just gonna¡ª"


    "I know what I''m doing," said Selene, turning her cold gaze on Ashley. "I don''t need your advice."


    "Yeah, well, don''t come crying to me when you get into trouble," Ashley muttered. "Maya, you done with your stew?"


    Maya nodded without looking at her sister.


    "We''ll go up to our room in a minute then, once they''re eating."


    "What? No, you won''t," Selene stated. "We''re waiting here for Fin, as he instructed."


    "I don''t think so, Princess. Fin didn''t know about these louts when he told us to wait for him here."


    Selene narrowed her eyes.


    "Nevertheless," she said, "his instructions were clear¡ª"


    "Okay, yeah, he SAID ''wait for me here'', but he MEANT ''keep yourselves out of trouble''. Don''t go wandering off, don''t talk to no one. We''re supposed to be keeping our heads down, I don''t see how¡ª"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Ashley stopped talking as she noticed one of the men take an interest in their table. She glanced at Maya then focused her attention on her stew, her shoulders hunched as the man walked towards them.


    "Evening, Pretty," he said, addressing Maya. She didn''t respond, was sitting completely still, her hands in her lap, the half-eaten apple sitting neatly on the table in front of her, her dark eyes fixed upon it. Ashley gritted her teeth together, then looked up at the man¡ªhe wasn''t short and he wasn''t tall, not exactly ugly but not nearly handsome, his short dark hair and wide grey eyes giving the impression of youth, though he was clearly much older than Ashley and the others.


    "Your friends are missing you," Ashley said. "Go join ''em."


    "Wasn''t talking to you," the man replied. He glanced at Selene, who was gazing levelly at him. "You''d keep, though. Nah, but it''s clear who the pick of the table is, pick of the pub actually, and I wager I''d be saying that even if this place were packed full."


    "Turn around," Ashley said. "Walk away."


    The man chuckled.


    "Just chatting, is all," he said. "Just¡ª"


    Ashley pushed her chair back with a loud scrape¡ªnot standing, but prepared to.


    "I ain''t telling you again," she said.


    "Ooh, scary," said the man. "Mind you, I''m talking about your face. Nothing like this little petal¡ª"


    The man stopped talking as Ashley kicked her chair away and stood properly, stepping up to him, her jaw as tightly clenched as her fists.


    "What''s your problem, girl?" the man said, both laughter and menace in his voice. His friends were taking notice of matters now, standing at the bar and watching with interest. Ashley ignored them.


    "My problem?" she said. "That there''s some scrap thinks he can talk to my sister¡ª"


    "Sister! That''s a good one, let me guess, one ma, two dads, no idea who either of ''em are?"


    "Ashley," Selene said, her voice low and cool, "don''t cause trouble."


    In truth Ashley had been about to strike the man, but Selene''s voice stayed her hand.


    "I''ll do what I like," she said, addressing Selene as she continued to stare the man down. "I don''t need your advice."


    "Fine."


    With that word Selene stood and walked away, to sit at a different table.


    "Nice friend," the man said.


    "She ain''t my friend," Ashley spat. "Neither are you."


    "My heart''s breaking."


    "That ain''t all that''s gonna be breaking if you don''t step down."


    "Yeah? So make me."


    "You''re talking dangerous now," Ashley said. "Because I got kind of a rule, someone asks for a beating I gotta give it to ''em."


    "Love to see you try. Almost as much as I''d love your sister here¡ª"


    "Miss Ashley!"


    Ashley had tensed to strike, but the voice from across the room stopped her. She glanced over to see Fin, dressed impeccably in a dark dinner suit, his cane held in his hand, standing tall and fine beside the bar.


    "Now, now," he said, his voice clear and jovial, "I''m sure that whatever problem we have here can be solved without the need for fisticuffs."


    "Who the hell are you supposed to be?" the man demanded, looking away from Ashley. With some effort she ignored the beautiful chance to strike him that this gave her.


    "You can call me Fin. Tell me, sir, what is the problem here?"


    "No problem, not for me," said the man. "Just wanted to have a nice chat."


    "Well, who could blame you?" Fin said. "However, we''ve had a hard day''s travelling, and we''re all a little tired. With no disrespect meant to yourself, our plans were to simply go to bed after eating."


    The man considered this.


    "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, fair enough." He glanced at Ashley, who was still glaring at him. "Maybe another time, then."


    Ashley didn''t stop glaring at the man, but her fists unclenched and the tension in her shoulders disappeared.


    "Now then," Fin said to the girls, "if you''ve all finished your meals, I think it''s probably bed time. Come along, I''ve checked our rooms and¡ª"


    "Gotta wonder," came a voice, a new voice, from one of the men standing at the bar¡ªhe was older, with a weathered face and hard blue eyes. "What''s an old fart like you doing travelling with a bunch of kids?"


    Fin laughed. "An excellent question. We''re part of a mercenary company, the Silent Dawn, or rather the parents of these children are. I serve as their tutor and guardian."


    "Silent Dawn, eh?" said the older man. "Used to do some work with them, back in the day. Old Travis still banging around?"


    "Unfortunately," said Fin. "And as hard a sod as ever."


    The older man chuckled. "Yeah, ain''t got too many happy memories of him and that bloody ''proper discipline''!"


    "He always was one to take things too far," Fin said. He glanced at the girls, then smiled at the older man. "I must escort my charges to their rooms, but it''s been a pleasure meeting a fellow ''dullard''."


    The older man chuckled again. "Don''t see many in these parts. Give Travis a kick in the arse from me when you see him. My name''s Gerry, he''ll remember me."


    "A message I would be more than happy to pass on," said Fin. "Good night. And to you sir," he said, addressing the man who had wanted to ''chat''. "I wish you a very good evening, and offer my apologies for any hard feelings you may have."


    "Nah, no hard feelings," the man said¡ªhe was already sat at the bar, the mug of ale before him half-drained, his stew yet untouched. "Good luck with your whatever."


    "And to you. Girls, come along now."


    Selene was already at Fin''s side, and Ashley and Maya followed within seconds. Soon they were out of the common room and ascending the stairs to their rooms.


    "Gotta admit," Ashley said, "that was pretty good. You do all that with your energy stuff? Read his mind or whatever?"


    "No, that was simple bluff coupled with good fortune," Fin replied. "I did indeed have some association with the Silent Dawn in years gone by. I encouraged the gentleman to think of Mr Travis with an imprint, as he is one of the longest-serving, most prominent and most stable members of that particular company. Ah, here is your room." Fin held the door open and the girls walked in¡ªthe room was small and basic, with no windows and three simple beds. Fin walked in behind them, closed the door, and went to light the lamp¡ªthen he turned to Ashley.


    "Miss Ashley. Would you be so kind?"


    Ashley looked at him, then clucked her tongue and touched the lamp''s wick, which lit instantly.


    "Perhaps a mundane application, but still always impressive," Fin said. "Where was I? Mr Travis, yes. I sensed some feelings of distaste towards him from ''Gerry'', and thus a certain smoothness of interaction was born. In truth I never had any problems with Mr Travis''s approach to discipline, but sometimes it''s best to follow the flow of opinion, yes? Now, to bed, and to sleep. Tomorrow will bring another long day of travel."


    "Um," said Maya. "We''re going to that big city, right?"


    "To Grand Cerveau, yes," said Fin.


    "Is it safe there? You said this was, um, this was a dangerous country for, um, people like us ... what if we get into trouble? Even tonight, I thought we were¡ª"


    "Nah, forget that, Maya," said Ashley. "You''ve got me to look after you, remember?"


    "I know," said Maya.


    "And Selene and I, also," said Fin. "Rest assured that your safety is my primary concern."


    Maya stood there, hands clasped together in front of her, then she nodded.


    "Okay," she said. "I just got worried. Before, in the eating room, I really thought there was going to be a fight. And it wasn''t even about us being ... different. I just was thinking ... if someone found out, that we can do stuff like we can ... that it would cause ... more trouble."


    "Maya, it''s okay," Ashley said. "Just go to sleep now and quit fretting. Tomorrow you probably won''t even remember that you''re worried."


    "Okay, Ash," said Maya, smiling at her sister. "Um, goodnight, Mr Fin. Thank you for helping stop the fight. I know Ash could have beaten that guy easily," she added quickly, "but I think ... it''s better when there''s no fighting."


    "I agree completely," said Fin. "Goodnight to you, and to you, Miss Ashley, and to you, Selene. Have a good rest; another long day awaits us tomorrow."


    <hr>


    The following morning brought bright sunshine and sharp winds blowing down from the mountains, carrying with them the promise of a cold winter.


    "This town is so pretty," Maya said, her face and hands pressed up against the glass of the carriage''s window. "So many flowers and there''s grass everywhere, even outside people''s houses."


    She glanced back at Selene¡ªthe girl was sitting with her hands crossed demurely in her lap, her back straight and her eyes closed.


    "Are you focusing?" Maya asked.


    There was no response from Selene. Maya winced.


    "Sorry," she said, hurriedly turning away to look out the window again.


    In the front, Ashley was looking at the city with different eyes.


    "There''s something weird about this place," she said. "Too quiet, for one. Ain''t heard even one merchant since we''ve been here, and there ain''t nearly enough people walking around. And where are all the damn guards?"


    "Rosanth is different to Targe in many ways," Fin said. "In fact there are more than a few guards around, but they only wear uniforms when on official duties, such as when they''re stationed at the gates. Otherwise they dress like regular citizens."


    "What the hell," Ashley said. "So how the crap are you supposed to know who''s a guard and who isn''t?"


    "I believe that''s rather the point." Fin glanced back at a quiet knock from inside the carriage. The little hatch between the front and the back came open, and Maya''s worried face appeared.


    "Um," she said. "Can I ride up front? I''m just ... I ... oh, I want to see the town properly."


    "Sure," Ashley said. "Prof, stop the carriage a moment, yeah?"


    "Prof," Fin repeated, with a small smile. He guided the horses to a stop, and Maya got out of the carriage and joined them at the front, sitting close to Ashley.


    "It''s a much better view from out here," she said, after a minute. "All these flowers are so pretty."


    "Yeah, real nice," Ashley muttered. She leant forward and squinted. "Is that the gate up there?"


    "Yes," said Fin. "But I don''t think we''ll have any trouble."


    As they drew closer to the gate, however, Fin found cause to doubt his own prediction; there were several familiar faces amongst the guards stationed there.


    "Hello again," said the man who had wanted to ''chat'' the previous evening. His voice was not entirely friendly. "Lovely morning, isn''t it?"


    "Indeed, yes," Fin replied, as he brought the carriage to a halt.


    "Thought I might see you around this part of the town," the man said. "Was hoping to, actually."


    "Ah, yes?" said Fin. "Why was that?"


    The man shrugged. "Just got to thinking about things. I''m a man who likes to do my job proper. If there''s something going on, I want to know about it."


    "Spoken like a true watchman," Fin said, with a light chuckle. The man''s response to this was a thin smile.


    "Yeah," he said. "So let''s go over your story one more time, that all right with you?"


    "Of course¡ªI, also, am a man who likes things to be done properly," said Fin. "As I said last night, we are with a mercenary company, the Silent Dawn, and I am the tutor and guardian of these girls."


    "Yeah, that''s what you said all right," said the man. "Gotta wonder, though, what you''re doing all the way up here. Silent Dawn work out of Targe, far as I''ve heard. Way down south near the Crovian border. What you said to old Gerry last night, yeah, that was enough for him, and maybe I believe that you were part of the Silent Dawn once, but right now? Got doubts, fella. Got real doubts."


    "I''m not quite sure what it is you''re implying," Fin said.


    "Implying?" The man looked around at his fellow guards, most of whom were grinning. "Don''t remember implying anything. Reckon you''d know if I was doing any implying. Just asking questions and raising doubts, like a good little watchman should. Why don''t you step down off that carriage, sir, and let''s have a proper chat inside. Just friendly, like. No implications."


    "I hardly see the necessity," said Fin. "Whether or not you believe me, the fact of the matter is that I am a member of the Silent Dawn, and that these girls are in my care¡ª"


    "These girls," the man said. "Yeah. That''s what really got me to wondering. Like Gerry said to you, right off the mark, what''s an old fart like you doing with a bunch of young girls?"


    "Hm," said Fin. "I''m sure you have a theory you''d like to share with us."


    "Got a couple, actually. Most likely being that you''ve trained these girls up as thieves, I seen how quick Pretty there is with her hands, way she ate. And Ugly there, well, she''s got muscle written all over her, even a citizen could see that. Of course, there are other possibilities."


    "Such as?" Fin asked.


    "Wouldn''t do to say, out here in the open, on a nice morning like this. Break the mood, it would."


    "Say it anyway," Fin said, gazing directly at the man.


    "If you insist. Had a couple of travelling brothels through here lately¡ª"


    "That what you think, huh?" Ashley interrupted. "That we''re a bunch of whores?"


    "Not you, maybe," the man replied, his voice level. "But your sister there¡ª"


    "My sister you wanted to ''chat'' to, you mean?" Ashley asked. "Yeah, I know why you''re asking these questions. Know why you''re interested in us. Got nothing to do with Fin here, or me, and everything to do with the way you were looking at my sister in that pub¡ª"


    "All right, that''s enough," the man growled.


    "Nah, it ain''t near enough. You WANT us to be a travelling brothel. Ain''t THAT what this is all about?"


    The man shifted position. "Now hang on a minute¡ª"


    "You do realise," Fin said, firm reproach in his voice, "that young Maya here is only just thirteen?"


    The man glanced around at his fellow guards. None of them were grinning now.


    "That ain''t¡ª"


    "You may be disappointed to hear this," Fin said, "but we are NOT a travelling brothel. The very idea ... neither are we a band of thieves, as exciting as that might sound. The truth of it is that I AM the guardian of these girls, and their tutor, and that we are travelling to meet their parents in Grand Cerveau. No, it''s not a usual state of affairs, but if you''re familiar at all with the operation of mercenary companies then you''ll know that ''usual states of affairs'' don''t occur often in that line of work. Further than that I couldn''t possibly comment, as the nature of their parents'' current contract is rather sensitive. Now. May we proceed through those gates, and leave you to more important matters?"


    The man cleared his throat.


    "Uh, yeah," he said. "Reckon I might''ve been a bit hasty there¡ª"


    "Yes, well, perhaps so," said Fin. "None of us can claim to be perfect, can we? Good day to you, sir."


    "Yeah. Uh. Take care."


    Fin nodded to the man, and to the other guards, and then urged the horses forward, and they left the town of Abelard behind.


    "That," Fin said, as they rumbled away, "was rather hairy. Ashley, I appreciated your help there. Quick thinking."


    Ashley shrugged one shoulder. "Just saying what I thought. Would''ve liked to beat that leer off his face."


    "As your sister so wisely said last night, it''s better when there''s no fighting."


    There was the sound of a latch being undone, and Selene looked out from inside the carriage.


    "Is something happening?" she asked. Fin smiled back at her.


    "Thankfully," he said, "the answer is ''no''."

 Destinations ~ 3

    The roads leading to Grand Cerveau were good, and mostly clear of other traffic¡ªa few traders, a few solitary travellers, one family travelling by carriage, the children singing and laughing as they passed by. The weather was fine, chilly but sunny, and Fin had prepared for the colder weather by purchasing several warm woollen blankets. (Ashley gave hers to Maya.) The weather seemed to get warmer the closer they got to the city, also.


    "It seems fortune favours us," Fin said, as they rode through the winding, hilly streets of Grand Cerveau. "Although on consideration, it might be wiser not to speak so soon."


    "I think things are going fine," said Selene, who was sitting beside him. "It''s not as though you could have planned for any of our misfortune."


    "True, I suppose. Ah, our destination lies before us; Trinity College."


    The college sprawled over a number of low hills, its numerous buildings rising and falling with the line of the land. Stone and wood competed for dominance in the architecture, the rooftops in particular a splendid disorder. Sheltered walkways connected many of the buildings, hanging high above the ground with an uncomfortable lack of visible support.


    The quad that Fin drove the carriage into wasn''t a true quad at all, as it had six sides¡ªor five and the open entrance side. It was paved with large hexagonal stones, flat and colourful, pale red and blue and yellow and green. The quad¡ªor ''hex'', as it were¡ªwas surrounded by buildings, or maybe just one of enormous size, four storeys high, made of dark old wood and fine grey stone blocks. The third and fourth storeys were mostly unwalled; that is, you could see through the elaborate stonework and into the corridors beyond. Dozens of people were hurrying around with great purpose, and further dozens ambled, strolled, dawdled or simply sat, on one of the many triangular bench arrangements that filled the hex.


    "With any luck," Fin said, as he guided the horses towards a covered area "my contact here will have received my letter and be ready to provide us with guest lodgings, and stabling for the horses."


    Apparently they did have some luck, as this is exactly what happened.


    "Selene, I''d like to introduce you to Mr Perlman. Mr Perlman, this is my assistant and ward, Selene."


    "Pleasure," said Mr Perlman. He was a short older man, with thick black eyebrows and a ruddy complexion. Selene curtsied to him.


    "And these," Fin continued, "are the Thompson sisters, Ashley and Maya."


    Ashley gave a stern nod, one professional to another, and Maya said ''hello'' with a shy little wave. Mr Perlman nodded at them, then turned to Fin.


    "You got two rooms this side, one on the other side of the corridor. Keys on the table there. Any problems, don''t bother with the staff, come to me. I''ll take care of your horses and carriage. Need food, find one of the dining halls around meal times, few hours each way won''t matter. Any other time, find a kitchen and there''ll be someone there that''ll sort you out. Mention my name if they give you grief."


    "Thank you once again, Mr Perlman," Fin said. Mr Perlman grunted.


    "Nothing more than what''s owed, Mr Roberts."


    With that, Mr Perlman left.


    "Roberts, huh?" Ashley grinned at Fin. "Never heard you use that one."


    "Ah, well. Many lives, many names, and so forth. Mr Perlman is an old friend. Our history is genuine. In the end, that''s all that really matters."


    "I think he seemed really lovely," said Maya.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Fin," said Selene. "Shouldn''t we be starting our research?"


    "Oh, no need for haste. We''ll be here for a few days, I should think, not least because we could all use the rest. However, just because it''s comfortable here doesn''t mean that we can lower our guard. In this place anything unusual will certainly be noticed. Sharp eyes and keen ears are everywhere, and behind those eyes and ears are swift minds. Do not use your powers at all if you can possibly help it, not even in practise, not even in play. I would appreciate..."


    Fin trailed off, an odd look on his face. He raised his head slightly, as if listening, then straightened, apparently thinking hard about something.


    After a few seconds of this, Ashley spoke:


    "You gotta go find a toilet?"


    Fin smiled at her.


    "Not quite," he said. "Miss Ashley. I wonder if I might ask a favour of you..."


    <hr>


    The duty clerk that day was a prim and proper young lady with rectangular glasses and short dark hair. She mostly dealt with confused students trying to find their study halls, and professors attempting to track down obscure texts and odd artefacts. She wasn''t quite prepared for the well-built girl with calloused fists who strode up to her desk, leant on it with arms crossed, and asked if this was the ''place where you ask about finding stuff''.


    "I ... I do aid students and faculty in locating certain¡ª"


    "Good," said Ashley. "I need to find a statue, heard some guy called Professor Barkwell''s got it. Where''s his office or whatever?"


    "I''m sorry," said the clerk, "but are you a student here?"


    Ashley laughed. "Yeah, good one."


    "If you''re not a student¡ª"


    "We''re good with Mr Perlman," Ashley said. "He''ll vouch for us."


    "He''s really nice," Maya added¡ªthe clerk hadn''t noticed her until she spoke, the small girl half-hidden behind Ashley.


    "Mr Perlman. Ah." The clerk frowned down at her desk, then she looked up at Ashley and Maya again. "Professor Barkwell, did you say?"


    "Yeah. Got a statue we need."


    "Just a moment."


    Ashley watched as the clerk stood up and went through a door into what looked like a large cupboard. She drummed her fingers against the desk as she waited.


    "Is this okay?" Maya asked, after a minute. "It''s taking a long time."


    "Just, y''know, paper stuff," Ashley said. "Takes ages to get stuff done when paper''s around. Writing stuff down, reading stuff, finding the right bit of paper. It''s for people who can''t remember proper, I guess."


    "Not like you," said Maya.


    "Yeah, not like me. Hah, you get caught writing stuff down back in Unity, you''d get your damn fingers cut off. What''s the fact?"


    "You get told something, you make sure you remember it," Maya said, promptly.


    "Good kid."


    "Thank you for waiting," said the clerk as she reappeared, a piece of paper in her hand. "According to our records, Professor Barkwell hasn''t taught here for some time. Not since his death several years ago."


    "Aw, great," Ashley said. "So the guy''s dead, that''s what you''re telling me?"


    "According to our records," the clerk repeated.


    "Yeah, I get it."


    Ashley drummed her fingers against the desk, frowning.


    "Okay," she said, "but he was studying that statue I''m after, right? What happened to that?"


    "Was he studying it as a personal project or as a college project?"


    "Personal project," Ashley replied. Fin had been very clear about that point.


    "Then the statue would be counted amongst his possessions." The clerk looked down at the paper. "Which were put into storage after ... no, I apologise for my error, which WERE put into storage, before they were sold as part of a lot to a trader."


    "Typical, yeah?"


    "I can give you the name of the trading company, if that would help," the clerk said.


    "I dunno, guess it can''t hurt. Go on, then."


    The clerk took a small card from a drawer and began writing on it, before Ashley spoke:


    "What the hell are you doing?"


    The clerk looked up, surprised.


    "I''m ... I''m writing the name of the¡ª"


    "Just tell me, you don''t need to write anything down."


    The clerk stared.


    "I¡ª"


    "Come on, I ain''t got all day."


    "Ashley," said Maya, "maybe Mr Fin would prefer it being written down."


    "Huh. Yeah, he does seem like a paper kind of person. Sure, okay. Write it. Old habits, yeah?"


    The clerk continued to stare at Ashley, then she checked herself and hastily wrote out the trading company''s name.


    "Okay, thanks," said Ashley, as she accepted the card. "Come on, Maya."


    "Do you think this is okay?" Maya asked, as they began to walk away.


    "Who cares, we did the job." Ashley grinned at the card in her hand. "It''s Fin''s problem now."

 Destinations ~ 4

    Ada Hasard sat at her dining room table, a nervous biscuit clutched in her hand. Before her was a slowly cooling cup of tea. Despite her attempts to control herself, she was shivering.


    "I don''t know, I don''t know," her father was saying "This is so sudden, I cannot process it, there are so many unknown factors, so many ... so many things unknowable. Let me collect myself, please. Allow me a moment."


    "Of course," said Fin. He was sitting across from Ada''s father, his cane resting comfortably across his lap. He took a sip of his tea.


    "And yet, no!" said Luc. "I cannot be allowed a moment! Even now there may be the college porters, or worse, approaching this very apartment! Every second that Ada remains here is another second that she is in such danger ... yes. Yes, you must take her, you must keep her safe, there are others like her, that travel with you also? Together, your strength will be great, the risk of discovery also is greater, of course it is, but the chance of resisting, of escaping¡ªMr Fin, I put my trust in you, my absolute trust, understand me when I say that my daughter is everything, my most precious treasure, understand what I am asking of you here."


    "I understand perfectly, Professor Hasard," said Fin. "Rest assured, if the safety of your daughter necessitated the laying down of my own life, I would do so without hesitation."


    Luc stood. He walked around the table and, after waiting for Fin to stand, he took his hand with both of his own, his eyes shining with tears.


    "Thank you," he said, voice heavy and awkward with unaccustomed emotion. "Thank you."


    Luc turned to his daughter.


    "Ada," he said, and then he couldn''t speak for several seconds. "Ada," he repeated, when he was able to talk once more. "Keep yourself safe. Above all else, please, do this. For now I must remain here, as much for your sake as for my own¡ª"


    "Why?" Ada said. She stood and took a hesitant step towards her father. "Why can''t you come with me? Why ... why do I have to go alone?"


    "You will not be alone," Luc said. "You will be with Mr Fin, and with others like yourself, you will be safe with them, safer than you would be here with me. I will remain, I will obfuscate and deceive those who might seek to find you, I will send them on merry chases of phantom gold so that you shall remain safe. Later, we will meet again, once I am sure attention is not upon me, I shall seek you out¡ªah, do you remember, when you were younger, we created a code together, you and I, a secret between only us?"


    Ada nodded. "Treasure wolf," she said.


    "We will use this to contact one another, this I shall use to find you." Luc turned to smile weakly at Fin. "Mr Fin," he said, "once you have found this ''home'', this sanctuary, I wonder if there might be room for a humble scientist?"


    "Professor Hasard, had you not asked I would have invited you. For now we shall protect your daughter, so that later you may join her."


    "You see, my little wolf?" Luc said to his daughter. "We will not be apart for so long. We must come together once more. Forget, for the moment, logic. Forget reason. We will find one another again. This I know because my heart tells me."


    Ada hugged her father tightly, for as long as she could, and then she turned to Fin, her young face serious.


    "Mr Fin," she said. "I''ll do my best not to be a burden on you."


    "I am quite sure you''ll be nothing of the kind."


    "Is there time ... can I pack my things?"


    "Of course, but do so quickly. If even one person knows of your powers¡ª"


    "I know," Ada said. She ran for her room. Fin watched her go, then turned his attention to Luc.


    "Professor Hasard," he said, his voice low and serious. "I wonder if I might ask a rather personal question..."


    <hr>


    Ashley paced around the guest room she was sharing with her sister, while Maya played with a glass of water.


    "I hate waiting," Ashley muttered. "Where the hell is he, anyway? What''s he got to do that''s so damn important¡ª"


    There was a knock on the door, fast and impatient. Ashley stalked over to open it, revealing Selene.


    "Put on your boots and pack your bags," she said. "We''re leaving."


    Ashley turned to Maya.


    "Kid," she began, but Maya was already lacing up her shoes. Ashley grinned as she put on her own boots.


    "What''s the rush, anyway?" she asked Selene. "Someone notice you looking at ''em?"


    "There''s another girl like us at this college. Fin rescued her."


    "''Rescued''?"


    "Apparently she told someone what she could do."


    Ashley snorted. "Sounds like she ain''t that smart."


    She straightened¡ªMaya was already at her side, both their bags in her hands.


    "Okay," Ashley said to Selene. "Let''s go, Princess."


    <hr>


    Selene, Ashley and Maya met Fin in one of the quieter ground floor corridors. With him was a rather pale girl, with short brown hair in a bob cut and odd-coloured eyes behind round glasses. She carried a leather bag in both hands.


    "Selene, Ashley, Maya, this is Ada Hasard. Ada, these are my other charges."


    "I ain''t anyone''s charge," Ashley said. She cast her eyes over Ada. "So you''re the new girl, huh? Good to meet ya, I guess."


    "I ... I hope I won''t be a burden to any of you," Ada said. "I haven''t travelled much ... well, at all, actually, but I''ll do my best to keep up with the rest of you¡ª"


    "Relax, kid, damn. Calm down, we ain''t gonna bite ya."


    "Selene, would you be so kind as to escort Ada to the carriage?" Fin said. "I don''t believe anyone will search for her there, so she should be safe for the moment."


    Ada looked up at Fin, her eyes wide. "We''re not leaving?"


    "I have an urgent matter I must¡ª"


    "Nah, wouldn''t worry about that," Ashley said. "Your professor guy died, all his stuff got sold to a trader."


    "Ah," said Fin. "Well. In that case, yes, we should leave immediately¡ª"


    Fin stopped talking as a broad-shouldered, thick-eyebrowed porter came into view, turning a corner to walk towards them with purpose. However, it soon became clear that this purpose had nothing to do with them, as he simply tipped his hat as he walked past. Then he stopped, looked back, and grinned at Ada.


    "Miss Hasard," he said. "Sorry, didn''t notice you there for a moment. Sir," he added, with a tip of the hat to Fin. "Ladies." Another tip of the hat, this one directed generally at Ashley, Maya and Selene. "Just ran into a couple of your family friends," he said to Ada. "Sent ''em up to your apartment, didn''t know you were going out. If you run you might catch ''em, though."


    Ada was silent, her face even paler than before. She managed a smile at the porter.


    "Thanks, Mr Goodly," she said, her voice only a little shaky.


    "You all right, Miss Hasard?"


    "I''m fine," said Ada. "Really."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Well, take care of yourself. Good luck with your experiment," he added, with a nod towards the bag she was holding. "Mr Fin, I hope you found what you were looking for. Good day, ladies."


    With a final tip of his hat, the porter turned and walked away. Ada let out a breath.


    "Family friends," she said. "They must have been Blades." She swallowed a gasp as she realised what this meant, and stared up at Fin. "There are Blades looking for me!"


    "Calm yourself, Miss Hasard," said Fin. "You have a strong, rational mind, more than strong enough to overcome any fear."


    Ada took a breath. "Sorry," she said. "I ... I ... let''s leave. Please."


    "Of course. You know this college better than any of us, I would say. What is the quickest way to get to the stables from here?"


    "Through the hex," Ada replied, her voice still shaking. "Otherwise we''d have to take a lot of back corridors, there''ll be a lot of porters and other staff around, and it wouldn''t be usual for someone ... someone like me to be there. I know the hex is exposed, but at this time of day there''ll be lots of people around¡ª"


    "The hex it is, then," said Fin. "Lead the way, Miss Hasard, and quickly if you please."


    It turned out that the hex was close to the corridor they were in, and, as Ada had said, busy with students rushing to and fro. Ada led the others through the crowds as calmly as she could, though her hands were sweating and her heart was beating fast and her head felt too tight¡ª


    "Ada! ADA!"


    Ada hesitated then stopped, the others following her lead. A tallish girl with bright blue eyes and black hair tied into pigtails was trotting towards them, a wide smile on her face. She wore a sturdy leather apron over sensible clothes.


    "I haven''t seen you for AGES," the girl said, as she stopped in front of Ada. "Where have you been? Tucked away in your room doing experiments? Who are all these people?" She smiled at Fin. "Hello, I''m Violet, are you a new professor here?"


    "Unfortunately not," said Fin. "Simply a friend to Luc and Ada."


    "Oh. Oh well." Violet turned her attention back to Ada. "Now you, Little Miss Mouse, tell me what you''ve been doing."


    "Fin," Selene whispered, while Ada tried her best to talk politely to her friend, "I see the Blades. They''re on the third storey. They''re heading down."


    "I apologise," said Fin, interrupting Violet, "but I must tear young Ada away. I made a promise to her father that I''d have her home safely before a certain time, and if we don''t depart immediately I may be forced to break that promise."


    "Oh," said Violet, clearly disappointed. "Well, come and see me soon, okay? I miss you, Mouse!"


    "I ... I miss you too," said Ada, only partly succeeding in keeping the unwanted emotion from her voice. "I''ll come and see you ... I''ll see you as soon as I can, okay?"


    "Okay," said Violet, firmly. "Take care, then. Um, all of you, too¡ªis this some kind of field trip?"


    "Something like that," said Fin. "Good day, Miss Violet."


    "Bye!"


    Ada took a single, shuddering breath, pushing down the unwelcome thought that she might never see her friends or her father again.


    "This way," she said. "We''d better hurry."


    "Hey," said Ashley to Selene, as they started walking again. "Think those guys saw us?"


    "The Blades, do you mean?" Selene said. "I''m not sure."


    "Rosanthian Blades are good at concealing their intentions," said Fin. They were nearly at the other side of the hex now. "If they do not wish you to know that you''ve been seen, then it''s more than likely that you will not."


    "You use way too many words, anyone ever tell you that?" Ashley said, in response to which Fin smiled.


    "Through here," Ada said, as they reached an open set of double doors on the other side of the hex. She glanced back as they walked through. "But we''ll have to take the carriage back out through the hex, it''ll attract attention."


    "Well, some things can''t be helped," said Fin. "Many things, truthfully."


    They reached the stables soon after this, and Selene, Fin and Ashley worked together to make the carriage and horses ready. Ada watched and rubbed her hands together nervously, quietly clicking her teeth, wanting to help but not knowing what she might be able to do. She glanced at Maya, who smiled shyly at her.


    "I like your hair," Maya said. Ada stared at her, then smiled back, weakly.


    "Thank you," she said. "You''re ... you''re Maya?"


    Maya nodded. "Ashley''s my sister. She''s really tough, so don''t worry, if we get in trouble she can protect us. And Selene is really good at using her bow, I''ve seen her get a rabbit from really far away, I couldn''t even see it, the rabbit I mean, until she got it. And birds, too, I don''t know what they''re called but they taste really nice and they have pretty feathers, all blue and shiny, but Selene can get them even when you can''t see that they''re blue. I mean ... they''re way up high in the sky so they''re just black. Um. What can you do?"


    For a moment, Ada didn''t understand the question. Then realisation hit her.


    "Oh. I ... I can ... make lightning." Ada grimaced at herself at how stupid and unscientific this sounded, though Maya''s eyes had gone wide and her mouth was a perfect ''o''.


    "That''s amazing," she said. "I can just do stuff with water and Ashley can make things get hot, and Selene can, well, I just told you, she''s good at seeing stuff, and Mr Fin can ... um, actually I''m not really sure, but it''s like knowing what people are thinking and stuff I think, but making lightning! I''ve only seen lightning a few times, could you make some now? Does it make the really loud noise, too?"


    "There''s ... there''s some noise," Ada said. "Although you might be thinking of thunder? And I shouldn''t really just ''make lightning'', it''s dangerous, I don''t want to hurt anyone."


    Maya nodded seriously. "I really understand," she said. "But please show me sometime soon, okay?"


    "I''ll¡ª"


    "Maya!" Ashley called, from where she stood at the carriage door. "Quit bothering the new girl and get in here, we''re almost ready."


    "I wasn''t bothering her!" Maya protested, although she was already walking towards the carriage. She looked back at Ada as she walked. "Ada, I wasn''t bothering you, was I? I''m so sorry if I was!"


    "No ... no, it''s fine," said Ada. She attempted a smile at Ashley. "She wasn''t bothering me, truly."


    "Well, whatever," said Ashley. "You better get in as well, don''t want anyone spotting you, right?"


    "Uh, yes," said Ada. "That''s right."


    Ada followed Maya into the carriage, stowing her bag in one of the little cupboards beneath the seats and sitting down to wait. Then she got up again and drew the curtains tighter over the windows, then she sat down once more. Then she crossed her hands in her lap. Then she uncrossed them. Then she crossed them again.


    "It''s okay," Maya said. "Mr Fin will take care of us. He''s really nice. Selene is too. Ashley says she''s a cold stuck-up princess but I don''t think she is, really."


    Ada closed her eyes and let Maya''s chatter wash over her. Somehow, listening to the young girl''s quiet, enthusiastic voice made her feel less scared, less uncomfortable¡ªand most importantly, less alone. Already she felt the pang of homesickness, and this before she''d even left the college grounds. I can''t do this, she suddenly thought, panic rising inside her, I can''t leave, I don''t care if they''re looking for me, I''ll hide, I''ll just hide and Dad will protect me and we''ll be together, I''ll look after him, he can''t live by himself, who will remind him that he needs to eat and sleep, he needs me! I can''t¡ª


    "Okay, we''re going," Ashley said, as she entered the carriage, Selene close behind. "Maya, what''d I tell you about bothering the new girl, you''ve bored her to sleep."


    "I didn''t! I¡ªoh, Ada, are you okay?"


    Ada opened her eyes. She noticed that her hands were trembling and gripped them tightly together to try to make them stop.


    "I..." she began, but she couldn''t continue. She felt exhausted, suddenly spent. I have to go, she thought. I can''t stay here. It doesn''t matter that Dad needs me, it doesn''t matter that I don''t want to go, because the fact is that if I stay they''ll find me and send me to Lumi¨¨re Island and do horrible things to me.


    "Ada?" The voice was Selene''s. Ada turned to look at her. "Fin knows what he''s doing. You can trust him."


    Ada nodded, though the words Selene spoke meant little to her. This is all happening to someone else, she thought, it''s all just a strange, long dream, and soon I''ll wake up and...


    The carriage started moving. Ada took a shuddery breath.


    "I''ll be fine," she said. "I just¡ª"


    "I get that you''re nervous but it ain''t the time for talking," Ashley said, her voice low. "Shut it for now, yeah?"


    Ada shut her mouth. She''d never been spoken to so roughly before, but somehow she didn''t feel offended. In her state of shocked disorientation, Ashley''s blunt instructions were welcome.


    There was light visible around the curtains. They were moving through the hex. Outside, Ada thought, everyone will be looking at this carriage. They''re wondering why it''s here. The Blades who are looking for me will see it, too. They''ll know why it''s here. They''ll order Mr Fin to stop it, and they''ll look inside, and they''ll¡ª


    Ada gasped as the carriage came to a stop. From outside, over the noise of the busy hex, she could hear voices¡ªno words, just calm conversation. It''s the Blades, she thought. It must be. Who else would stop us? They''re talking to Mr Fin right now, they''re talking to him and they''ll know, because if they''re looking for me then they''re not just fighting Blades like my mother was, they''re agents, they know when people are lying, they can tell everything just from your eyes, just by looking at Mr Fin they''ll know I''m in here ... but what if it''s not even them? I have to check¡ª


    "What are you doing?" Ashley hissed, as Ada moved to one of the windows, twitching the curtain aside to peer out. Before Ashley grabbed her and pulled her bodily away, Ada got a glimpse of the Blades¡ªone a blonde woman with a serious mouth and defiant blue eyes, the other a man, more relaxed, with floppy black hair and a calmly handsome face.


    "I ... I had to look¡ª"


    "No you bloody didn''t!" Ashley said in a hoarse whisper as she held Ada firmly. "Curiousity''ll get you killed, everyone knows that! Now sit quiet and let Fin handle this!"


    "But¡ª"


    "Quiet!"


    Ada tightened her mouth, and Ashley pushed her back into her seat. The conversation outside continued, infuriatingly close to being understandable, but as hard as Ada strained to hear she couldn''t make out more than the occasional word¡ªhere an ''association'', there a ''responsibility''.


    Just as Ada thought the tension might very well kill her, the conversation ended and the carriage began to move again. She glanced at Ashley, who was looking at her sister, then leant over to risk a peek out through the curtains. The two Blades were walking away, though the blonde woman had stopped to look back at the carriage. For an instant her gaze locked with Ada''s, in her eyes a haunting sadness. Then the carriage turned and the woman looked away and Ashley dragged Ada from the window once more, and they were away out of the hex, out of Trinity College, out of Grand Cerveau.


    It wasn''t until the sounds of the city were well behind them that the carriage stopped, and the hatch separating the inside from the driver''s seat opened.


    "What¡ª" Ada began, but the gentle smile on Fin''s face made her stop.


    "Miss Hasard," Fin said, his voice soft. "I truly wish I could have known your mother."


    With that, and another smile, Fin closed the hatch, and they were away once more.

 Departures ~ 1 ~ I Remember Me

    ~ Departures ~


    I Remember Me


    Ada awoke to the sound of crickets chirping and the wind rustling through the trees. It was dark, aside from an orange glow coming from somewhere outside. Outside where? Where am I? Oh no, she thought. I''m not at home. They found me. I''m being taken to Lumi¨¨re Island. Or ¡­ no, that''s not right. I''m not kidnapped. I''m ... travelling. With people. I just met them but they seem fine. How can I be sure, though? This is mad! This is all mad! Is that bacon I can smell? That is definitely bacon. Am I hungry? I think I might be. I think I might be really, really hungry.


    The carriage was in a small forest clearing, the surrounding trees sparse and dark. There was a fire in the centre of the clearing, upon which two bacon-wrapped rabbits were roasting, being tended to by a very serious Selene. Maya was standing beside her sister, who appeared to be arguing with Fin.


    "¡ªain''t listening to me," Ashley was saying. "Maya and I spent the last year running AWAY from that damned place, we ain''t going back now."


    "If the trail leads there, then that is where we must go," Fin said. "I know that you may have some bad memories¡ª"


    "Hah! Memories I can deal with," Ashley said. "It''s all the scraps that''ve got it in for me I''m worried about. And more''n that, it just ain''t a nice place. Me and Maya lived there our whole lives up until we left, there ain''t nothing good about it."


    "It would be a short stop on our journey," Fin said. "You needn''t even leave the carriage. I have a friend there on the outskirts of the city, he owns a warehouse, you can stay there until I have conducted my investigations."


    "You got an answer for everything, don''t ya?" said Ashley. "But the way I see it, I can go one better; Maya and me head off on our own and leave you to your little ''quest'' or whatever it is."


    "I think of it as more of a dream," said Fin, mildly. He sighed. "You are, of course, free to depart from our little company at any time. I''d suggest you wait until the morning at least, and I would urge you to¡ªoh, Ms Hasard. I didn''t notice you, standing there like that. Are you hungry? The rabbits aren''t quite ready yet, but there''s some bread here, and some fruit, apples, oranges, if you''re interested?"


    "Thank you," Ada said. She accepted a small loaf of bread from Fin, then sat down beside the fire to eat it.


    "I ain''t saying we''re gonna just leave right this minute," Ashley said, after Fin returned his attention to her. "But it gets under my skin the way you just decide things. I ain''t into being assumed about."


    "I apologise," said Fin. "It was not my intention to make any assumption about yourself or your sister."


    "Yeah, well, just watch it, okay? For now we''re going along with your thing, but don''t go thinking we''re in for the long haul. That ain''t the deal we got here."


    "Oh, would you PLEASE show just a LITTLE gratitude!"


    Ada stared at Selene¡ªthe girl had suddenly stood up, going from intently concentrating on the rabbits to glaring at Ashley.


    "Fin has shown you nothing but kindness and respect since we met you," Selene said, "and yet you constantly grumble and backtalk and complain¡ª"


    "Hey, I got opinions, you don''t gotta listen to ''em," Ashley shot back. "At least I don''t just stand around looking all moody."


    "It may look like I''m just standing around to an idiot like you," Selene said, "but trust me, I''m doing a lot more than just that."


    "Oh yeah? ''Focusing''? That what you''re doing?"


    "Ash, don''t fight, please," Maya said.


    "Stay outta this, Maya," Ashley said, not taking her eyes off Selene. "You wanna go with me, Princess? Show me just how focused you are?"


    "That wouldn''t serve any useful purpose," Fin said.


    "You can stay outta this too, Prof." Ashley took a step towards Selene. "Well?"


    "Believe me when I say this," Selene said, her gaze locked with Ashley''s. "You do not want to fight me."


    "Ash! Please!" Maya cried, as she saw her sister tense. "I don''t want you to fight Selene either!"


    "Neither do I," said Ada, finally finding her voice. "Mr Fin is right, it wouldn''t¡ª"If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "You can just shut it, new girl," Ashley said, as she and Selene continued to stare one another down. "Didn''t hear no one asking you¡ª"


    "I know I''m new," said Ada, "but I have a name; Ada Hasard. And I don''t understand why you want to fight with Selene."


    "I don''t gotta explain¡ª"


    "You just don''t like me," said Selene. "This has nothing to do with anything else, you took an instant dislike to me and you''ve been itching to fight me ever since."


    "Nah, I don''t like you," Ashley said. "But that ain''t what this is about."


    Selene was silent, fight in her eyes as she stared down Ashley. Ada swallowed.


    "What IS it about?" she asked Ashley, pleading in her voice. "Please tell me, I don''t understand at all."


    Ashley was silent, her shoulders tense, her fists clenched.


    "Ashley," Maya said, "I don''t mind going back to Unity, I kind of want to, even¡ª"


    "What?" Ashley turned on her sister. "What the hell are you saying?"


    "I ... I miss it, a little bit," Maya said. Gathering her courage, she pressed forward: "And ... and maybe if we went back, we could¡ª"


    "No. No way, don''t even think like that, kid. We''re walking forward. Ain''t no going back, not for us."


    There was a tense silence, which Ada broke:


    "I think the rabbits are starting to burn."


    Selene made an annoyed noise and went to rescue them. Ashley glared at her, then shook her head and stomped away, towards the night forest.


    "Ash¡ª"


    "Stay here, Maya. Eat some of the rabbit your princess there got. I''m going for a walk."


    Maya looked helplessly at her sister as she stalked away into the darkness. Ada stared down at her hands, wanting to do something or say something but not knowing what might help.


    "I do appreciate your sister''s passion," said Fin, as he placed a comforting hand on Maya''s shoulder. "This is a stressful time for all of us. I''m just glad it didn''t come to blows."


    "Not this time," Selene muttered. Fin glanced at her.


    "Selene," he said. "After we finish eating I would appreciate your assistance with a small matter. Would you be able to help me?"


    "Of course," said Selene, smiling at Fin.


    "And Maya, I thought of a small trick that might aid your concentration, if you''re not too tired I thought we might practise together?"


    "Oh, yes please!" said Maya. "I''ve been working hard, I wanted to show you how good I''m getting!"


    Fin smiled at Maya as Selene took the rabbits off the fire and began dividing the meat on to plates.


    Ada watched all of this with curious eyes.


    <hr>


    There were many roads leading from Rosanth to central Targe. Ada knew this because she''d read it in a book. She''d also read that the countryside along the western coast of Targe was ''ruggedly beautiful''.


    But to see it with her own eyes...


    The road was old and smooth, its surface broken only by an occasional small rock. Surrounding were flat fields of pale grass that whipped and whispered in the constant winds, and further inland were forests of thin trees, branches intertwined, a wall of twisted wood. Beyond them were rocky hills, dark grey and dull green and pale yellow.


    Past the fields on the other side of the road, of course, was the ocean.


    The waves were high and the water was dark, a contrast to the brightly overcast sky. The beach was black sand and great clumped mounds of seaweed, twisted rocks cluttering both sand and surf. Ada had memories of going rowing with her mother, in a lake near the college, but the thought of rowing in these waters made her shiver.


    Ruggedly beautiful, Ada thought, as she stared out the window, transfixed by the passing countryside. It''s a good description ... but actually being here...


    Maya glanced shyly at Ada as they rode along. Ashley was sleeping, Selene was up front with Fin, and Maya was bored.


    "Um, Ada," she said. Ada turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," said Ada.


    "Oh good." Maya smiled at Ada, then looked out the window for a bit, then glanced back, then looked at her properly. "I was thinking," she said, slowly. "About leaving places."


    Ada looked at Maya, her expression open.


    "Ash and me, we''ve been leaving places our whole life. Like ... places we lived, and then since we left Unity every place we stayed. But we''re always together. So it kind of never felt like we were really leaving. But then I was thinking about things, because we''re going to Unity now, and I was thinking, I don''t think we''ve ever gone BACK to a place before. After we left it, I mean. Um. Do you know what I mean?"


    "I ... I think so," said Ada. "I''ve never really returned to a place either. But that''s because I''ve never left the college. When I was younger ... with my mother ... we sometimes went places. But I was little then, so we never went far. I''ve never even been outside Cerveau before, not really."


    "It seemed nice ... nicer than Unity," Maya said, her voice a little distant now. "I kind of wish we could have stayed longer. As soon as we arrived we had to leave again."


    "Why did you come to Trinity College, anyway?" Ada asked. Maya''s face lit up.


    "Oh! We''re looking for a statue. Well, Mr Fin is, it''s really important to him, he says it''ll make sure we''re all safe and with it he can find a home for all of us. So he thought it was at your college but the man who had it died so all his stuff got sold and Ash got the name of the place it got sold to, then she gave that to Mr Fin and he knew it straight away and said it was in Unity, so that''s where we''re going now."


    ''Mr Fin'' didn''t mention any of that to me or my father, Ada thought, but she said nothing.


    "I really hope we find it soon! I can''t wait to go to the home Mr Fin has for us!"


    "Maya, what''d I tell you about bothering the new girl?"


    Ada glanced over at Ashley, who had apparently just woken up.


    "She wasn''t bothering me," she said. After a moment''s hesitation, she added: "And please, I''m asking you, call me Ada."


    "Please, Ashley," Maya added. "She doesn''t like you calling her ''new girl''."


    Ashley wiped her eyes and looked out the window. Ada watched her, fascinated by the way her face moved as she worked her jaw.


    "Yeah," Ashley said, eventually. "Yeah, sorry. Been a bit tight lately. Ada, yeah?"


    Ada nodded, her cheeks warm.


    "Yeah. Heard you left your dad behind, must be tough."


    "Mm."


    "Just wanted to say," Ashley continued, still looking out the window, "I got your back. If we get in trouble or whatever. Pretty obvious you ain''t never been near a fight before, so just ... y''know, if there''s trouble just get behind me, yeah?"


    "Are you ... are you expecting there to be fighting?" Ada asked. Ashley looked at her and grinned.


    "Always."

 Departures ~ 2

    They left the Targan coastline behind early the next day, to Ada''s slight disappointment, and travelled inland along a narrow road that wound through ragged hills and looming forests. That night they stopped in the lee of a hill, erosion having worn away at its side, layer by layer, to create a kind of overhang that served as a natural shelter.


    Ada stood staring at it. Because of the erosion she could clearly see each layer of the hill, some yellow clay, some dark earth, some white chalk, some layers thin, some thick, some scattered throughout with tiny pebbles¡ªthe sheer variation fascinated Ada, that so many different interesting layers could exist beneath such an ordinary-looking hill.


    "You done staring at dirt?" Ashley called. "We got some chicken here ready."


    "It''s not chicken," Selene corrected. Ashley ignored her. Ada turned and joined the others around the fire, sitting down beside Maya.


    "Thank you," she said, as Selene passed her a plate. Though it wasn''t chicken it tasted quite similar¡ªstronger and stringier, with an almost metallic aftertaste, but it was food, and Ada was grateful for it.


    "I, uh, I have some money," she said, after they''d finished eating. Ashley snorted.


    "Lucky we ain''t in Unity yet," she said, "say something like that around there and it ain''t gonna be true for long."


    "I just meant ... maybe I could help, if we need to ... to buy anything. I want to contribute."


    "Thank you, Ada, but for now that won''t be necessary," said Fin.


    "Besides," Ashley added, "not like there''s any shops around. Ain''t like you can walk up to a badger and buy a bag of chips."


    "There aren''t any badgers in this area," Selene said. Ashley shot her an irritated glance.


    "Uh, but, when we get to Unity," Ada said, "I thought maybe¡ª"


    "For now, as I said, that won''t be necessary," said Fin. "But I do appreciate the offer, and shall keep it in mind for the future."


    Ada nodded and fell silent, staring down at her hands.


    "Um, Ada," said Maya, after a moment. "Can you please show me your power now?"


    Ada looked at her.


    "Oh, it''s a bother, sorry, I didn''t¡ª"


    "Actually, I think it would be a good idea for you to train," said Fin to Ada. "If you''re feeling well and are not too tired¡ª"


    "Yes," Ada said. "You''re right. I need to learn how to protect myself."


    "You can say that again," Ashley said. "You look like someone could blow on you and you''d fall over."


    "Miss Ashley, please," said Fin.


    "Just saying, she looks soft."


    "Ash, don''t be mean¡ª"


    "She''s right," Ada said. "I am soft. All I can do to defend myself is use my power, but I don''t even really know ... I don''t want to hurt anyone, but..."


    "It''s best to be prepared," Fin said. He gestured for Ada to stand, then led her a little way from the others. Maya turned to watch them, her eyes wide.


    "You are what we used to call a ''spark''," said Fin. "One who can create lightning from nothing but their body''s own energy. Remarkable, really, but very dangerous. I assume you''ve experienced some rather frightening releases?"


    Ada nodded in vehement agreement.


    "And I also assume that you know the value of control."


    Ada nodded again.


    "How do you control the release of energy?" Fin asked. "What techniques have you developed?"


    "I ... I kind of ... think of things. Things that are ... controlled. Like ... like when you turn on a tap too quickly, the water comes out fast and goes everywhere. But if you turn it slowly, you can ... c-control the water."


    "Good, very good, a kind of visualisation, I once knew someone like you who used a very similar technique¡ªfor him it was the image of a stuck gate; apply too much pressure and the gate bursts open, apply too little and the gate will not open at all. Incidentally, I couldn''t help but notice, your glasses have metal frames¡ª"


    "I have to take them off when I use my powers." Ada winced a little. "Even though that means I can''t see properly."


    "Hm," said Fin. "Well, I''m sure that won''t be too much of a problem. Would you take them off now?"


    Ada did so, handing them to Fin.


    "I only just now noticed, you have amber eyes," he said. "Rather unusual. Ah, so the reason your father called you his ''little wolf'', of course ... well, let''s get on with training, shall we? Creating lightning takes a lot of energy, as I''m sure you''ve found, so I think it best that, when training, you restrict yourself to very small, very focused releases."


    Ada nodded. "I don''t like letting a lot out, anyway."


    "No, my friend didn''t, either¡ªbut energy control is like a muscle, it must be used so it can rebuild itself stronger than before. The more you use your ability, the more powerful it will become¡ªtension and stress, also, will strengthen energy."


    "Like ... like combat experience?" Ada asked, vague memories of her mother''s war stories stirred by Fin''s words.


    "Yes, something like that. That which does not kill us can only make us stronger¡ªflawed, as far as statements go, but there is some truth to it. I knew one fellow who came close to death dozens of times, threw himself into battle with great enthusiasm and reckless abandon¡ªactively sought risk, you understand, revelled in both victory and injury ... I must admit, his strength was great, his powers some of the strongest I''ve ever seen, but I am of the opinion that finesse is more desirable than raw power. Hold your hands up, if you would, just a fraction apart."


    Ada did so.


    "How small a release can you create?" Fin asked. "For now, I believe this should be the focus of your training. Not the inefficient floridity of huge, draining blasts of wild energy, but rather the precision and elegance of a tiny spark dancing from hand to hand."


    Ada concentrated, then yelped as a bright spark flashed between her hands.


    "I can usually make smaller ones than that!" she said, flustered. "I''ll try again¡ª"


    "Take a moment to calm yourself first. Breathe deeply. You are not used to being watched while you do this. You are not in a familiar environment. But you have a calm mind, Ada, a strong mind. Already you''ve demonstrated this, adapting to a situation that is far from normal, remaining centred and rational despite being wrenched from your home in distressing circumstances. Find the balance inside yourself. Find that control."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    This time, the spark was smaller¡ªbut only slightly. Ada stared at her hands in dismay.


    "Time," Fin said, smiling at her. "Time and patience, and I have faith that you will soon impress even yourself. For now, continue to practise. There is more ''chicken'' for when you become hungry¡ªand, of course, I have your glasses for when you are finished."


    Fin left Ada practising by herself, joining the others at the fire.


    "It''s really amazing, isn''t it?" said Maya, as Fin sat down. "She''s really amazing!"


    Fin smiled at her. "Yes," he said. "I think she just might be."


    <hr>


    It had been a week now, since Ada had left her home, and she was shocked at how comfortable she had become¡ªwhich was not to say that she was happy about things, she still missed her father desperately, and her friends, and her home, and given the choice she would return there in an instant. But I don''t have that choice, she thought, as the carriage drew ever-closer to the walled city of Unity, I can''t go home. So I''d just better make the best of things.


    "There it is," Ashley muttered, before slamming the hatch to the driver''s seat shut. She sat heavily. "Ugly bloody city, sits there on the plains like a heap of garbage. Smells like it, too. Ain''t looking forward to going back. Ain''t looking forward to that one bit."


    Ashley fell silent, arms crossed, then she shook her head and opened the hatch again, staring out at the city.


    "This ain''t right," she muttered. "It ain''t right, going back, there''s too many people know me there, too many old mistakes ... nah, I ain''t going. Fin, stop this damned carriage. Maya, get your stuff."


    Without a word spoken, Fin stopped the carriage. Maya, however, didn''t move.


    "Come on, Maya, get your stuff together," Ashley said, already hefting her bag.


    "I ... I want to go back," Maya said, her voice small but defiant.


    "You crazy? Quit talking rubbish and get your bag."


    "No, I ... I want to stay with Mr Fin and Selene and Ada. I ... I like being with them, I feel ... I feel safe¡ª"


    "What, so you don''t feel safe with me?"


    "You''re here too! You and everyone else, it''s like ... I don''t know, I never felt like this before!"


    Ashley stared at her sister, then shook her head.


    "Nah," she said. "You''re just ... you know the fact, right? We don''t need anyone else¡ª"


    "Maybe there''s a new fact," said Maya. "Like ... like ''it''s better to be together with other people too''. Please, Ashley. I ... I just really want to stay with everyone. And we won''t be in Unity long¡ªright, Mr Fin?"


    "For no more than a few nights, I would imagine," said Fin, through the hatch. "And, as I have previously said, you would be safely hidden in a warehouse near the north gate. There will be no need for you to go into the city at all."


    Ashley gritted her teeth, her shoulders hunched, anger clear on her face.


    "Fine," she growled. "We''ll go along with you." She glanced at her sister. "Hope this makes you happy, kid."


    Maya nodded, smiling brightly. Ashley sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.


    "Well?" she said. "What''re you waiting for? Get this thing moving, sooner we get there the sooner we can get the hell back out."


    <hr>


    Ada couldn''t help but stare as they drove through Unity city¡ªshe''d expected it to be different to Cerveau, but she wasn''t nearly prepared for the actual experience. The streets were much wider than those of Ada''s home city, the paving stones small and rounded, and it seemed like people were everywhere, thronging around the carriage so close that it made Ada nervous¡ªshe was sure that someone must get their foot caught under the carriage''s wheels, or be knocked down by one of the horses. The houses were different, too, much narrower and crammed tight together, many of them sharing walls with their neighbours, and most of them were made of large round stones cemented together, quite different to the small red bricks or fine grey blocks of Cerveau. The roofs were different too, in Cerveau the houses had elegant, interlocking shingles, but here it seemed they mostly used heavy stone slabs or untidy thatching. There weren''t any flowers around that Ada could see, no grass either. Nothing green at all, in fact, unless you counted the occasional sign or store front.


    "Thought he said this warehouse was close," Ashley muttered¡ªshe was sitting on the floor in the very centre of the carriage, arms crossed, chin tucked against her chest.


    "I''m sure it''s not far away, Ash," Maya said. Ada could tell that she wanted to be looking out the window, but was restraining herself for her sister''s sake. Ashley grunted.


    "Yeah, whatever."


    "And we''re not so far from¡ª"


    "Just stop right there, kid."


    Maya stared at her sister, then her mouth went tight and she tried again:


    "Ash, we could try to find her¡ª"


    "Maya, I ain''t telling you again."


    Maya bit her lip, her eyes still on her sister.


    "You should treat your sister with more respect."


    It was Selene who had spoken, apparently coming out of her meditative trance to do so. Ada''s eyes were wide as she looked between Selene and Ashley¡ªAshley looked as if she might rise to strike Selene, while Selene''s face was, as usual, utterly impassive.


    "It''s okay, Selene," Maya said, trying to smile at her. "Ash is just¡ª"


    "You should make your own choices," Selene said to Maya. "It is not up to your sister to make them for you."


    "You don''t know what the hell you''re talking about, Princess," Ashley growled. "Who the hell do you think you are, saying this junk?"


    Selene stared at Ashley, some spark of emotion in her dark eyes.


    "Ain''t like YOU got anyone," Ashley continued. "Some little orphan girl Fin picked up, yeah? That close to the truth?"


    It was several seconds before Selene replied, and when she did so it was with a darkness and strength to her voice unlike anything Ada had ever heard:


    "I have family."


    With that Selene relaxed back against her seat and closed her eyes once more, returning to her previous state of calmly detached focus. Ashley shook her head and scowled at the floor, and Maya just stared down at her hands, unblinking.


    Mostly to escape the tension now filling the carriage, Ada returned her attention to the city outside¡ªthey''d turned off the main street and on to a side road. This grew narrower the further they went, crates and carts and barrels crowding the street so that by the time they turned the next corner there was just barely enough space for the carriage to get through.


    "Very nearly there!" Fin''s voice was muffled, but clear enough. Ada glanced at the others¡ªthe tension had lessened somewhat now, Maya was clearly excited, Ashley''s face was neutral as she stared at the floor, and Selene was sitting very straight in her seat, her eyes lightly closed, her hands clasped gently together. Ada had wanted to ask her about this a dozen times, but had never quite worked up the courage. There was something about the tall, silent girl that unnerved Ada, even more than Ashley did¡ªAshley might be rough and blunt and obviously no stranger to violence, Ada thought, but at least with her everything''s on the surface. If she has a problem with me, she''ll let me know one way or another. But with Selene ... I have no idea what she thinks about me at all. With her, everything is hidden.


    Ada looked out the window again. This street was slightly wider than the last, although the looming buildings on either side made it seem even more cramped. The warehouses were huge and solid, their construction similar to other buildings Ada had seen in Unity but on a much larger scale. Just as she was wondering which one might be their destination¡ªand also how, exactly, you told one from another, seeing as none of them had any obvious numbers or other identifying features¡ªthe carriage slowed to a stop.


    It took several minutes for Fin to arrange the storage of the carriage, and several minutes more for them to get it inside the warehouse¡ªthe horses had to be detached and led away to a nearby stables, and three big men pulled the carriage in themselves, with much grunting and swearing involved.


    The inside of the warehouse was dim and very cool¡ªcold, actually, and Ada found herself shivering. None of the others seemed to be bothered, so she hid her discomfort and tried to stop her teeth from chattering as she looked around. Crates were stacked all around them, up to the ceiling in some places, which was at least a dozen metres high. The floor was stone, as were the thick pillars supporting the roof¡ªit was hard to see because of all the crates, but to Ada it seemed that the warehouse was even bigger inside than it had appeared to be on the outside.


    "This way, this way," said the busy little man who was apparently Fin''s contact. "I got a good little room all set up for you girls."


    Ada was surprised at just how good the room was¡ªshe''d half expected a kind of child''s fort with crates for walls, but in fact it was one of a row of little wooden rooms built against one of the warehouse''s high walls. Inside the floor had been lined with a couple of thick rugs, and there were cushions and blankets for sleeping. There was even a low table against one of the walls, cushions scattered around.


    "Private storage," the little man¡ªwhose name was Vito¡ªexplained. "Not much call for it these days, good to have it used by someone. We got a little stove over in the break room by the office, if you wanna do some cooking or keep warm. I ain''t usually here, but help yourself."


    "Thank you, Vito," said Fin.


    "Nah, feels good to pay you back, yeah? Reckon I wouldn''t have this place at all if it weren''t for you. Got anything else I can do for ya?"


    "Perhaps some food, if you could arrange that¡ª"


    "Yeah, sure¡ªthere''s some biscuits and that in the break room, but I''ll get someone to bring in some proper stuff."


    After Vito had left, Ada gratefully sank down on to a cushion and somewhat guiltily pulled a blanket over her legs¡ªit was warmer in the little room, but not much.


    "If you girls are comfortable here," Fin said, "I''ll leave you for the moment. I have matters to attend to."


    "I''ll come with you," Selene said. "I''m not tired."


    "Thank you, Selene, but I think it would be best if I did this on my own. I need you to stay here to take care of the others, in any case."


    "Hey, I don''t need ANYONE taking care of me," said Ashley. Selene shot her a look, but said nothing.


    "I''ll see all of you soon," Fin said, and then he was gone.

 Departures ~ 3

    Two long, dull days passed before Ada and the others saw Fin again. He didn''t say much, just checked that everyone was fine, then left them with thick woollen cloaks and a basket of almost suspiciously luxurious food. The third day was mostly Ashley and Selene needling each other, Maya chattering at Ada, and Ada feeling tense. There was at least a lot of time for practice, and Ada was growing increasingly confident in her control. Spreading her fingers and making tiny sparks jump from fingertip to fingertip was her new favourite, although doing this for even a short time left her exhausted and starving. Fortunately food was plentiful and, of course, there was nothing else to do but rest.


    On the morning of the fourth day Ada was woken by Maya.


    "I''m sorry," Maya said quietly. "You were sleeping so nicely I didn''t want to wake you, but we have to go now. I already put your clothes in your bag, and here''s your cloak, and your shoes are there. Oh, and here are your glasses."


    Ada mumbled something that was meant to be ''thank you'', and put on her glasses and her cloak and her shoes, and then she stumbled out blearily to join with the others.


    "Why the hell are we going so early?" Ashley was demanding.


    "I''d think even you could figure that out," Selene replied. "It''s quiet on the streets, we''ll have a much easier time leaving."


    "Correct, although that''s not the reason we''re leaving now," Fin said. He smiled at Ada. "Miss Hasard, I apologise, you look as if you could use another few hours rest. You can sleep in the carriage, but we must hurry now."


    "What do you mean, that''s not the reason?" Selene asked, as she hopped up beside Fin on the driver''s seat.


    "All will become clear soon enough," Fin replied. "Could you hold this for me? I''ll have need of it shortly."


    He handed Selene his hat, and put on a helmet instead. Ada blinked, noticing that Fin was wearing a guard''s uniform.


    "Come on, new¡ªAda," said Ashley. "Dunno what''s going on here either, but I reckon the faster we go along with it the faster we get outta this dump."


    Ada blinked again, then nodded sleepily and got up into the carriage, which shortly began moving.


    She must have dozed off, then, because the next she knew the carriage had stopped and they were in a wide alleyway. The sounds of the early morning city were clear around her, and she realised that the carriage door was open and she was alone inside it. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, then stood up and got out, to see the other three girls standing around¡ªSelene had Fin''s hat in her hands, her jaw clenched, while Ashley stood with her arms crossed, facing away from Selene. Another argument, Ada thought. Maya smiled at her.


    "Mr Fin went to do something," she said. "We''re just waiting now. Was it nice to have another sleep?"


    Ada nodded.


    "I''m used to not sleeping so it doesn''t bother me much," Maya said. "When we were little I didn''t know when I could sleep or not sleep, so maybe I got used to it. But, Ashley hates it when she can''t sleep enough, one time¡ª"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Maya, what have I told you about bothering the¡ªbothering Ada," Ashley said, not looking at her sister. "Leave her alone, she''s probably still tired."


    Ada went to tell Ashley that it was fine, that she quite enjoyed Maya''s depthless chatter, but then she closed her mouth. Something told her that this wasn''t the time.


    "Anyway," Maya said to Ada, her voice lower, "I think that Mr Fin knows there''s someone new here, because he was like this when he found you. And, he brought all of us here, it must be because he wants us to meet them. I hope they''re nice!"


    That doesn''t quite make sense, Ada thought, through the haze of sleep that still clouded her head. Ashley''s been going on about how dangerous it is here, and Mr Fin mentioned that they''re looking for people with abilities, arresting them, so why would he put us in danger when he could have just left us at the warehouse? Are we moving on now? But no, because he said he''d need at least another day to conduct his business, looking for that statue I assume, so ... so what reason would he have to bring us with him now?


    Before Ada could pursue this line of thought further Fin reappeared, leading a heavily-built, very dishevelled and confused-looking girl around the corner. Her hair was a complete mess, as was the badly torn dress she was wearing, both covered in mud and twigs and leaves.


    "Ah, Selene, good," said Fin. "Everything looks ready."


    He smiled at the girl he''d brought. "Perhaps now I can properly introduce myself," he said, as he tugged off his helmet. He handed it to Selene, who exchanged it for his hat. He put this on his head with an air of satisfaction before continuing:


    "You can call me Fin."


    "Fin," said the girl, her country accent apparent just from this simple syllable.


    "Girls," said Fin, "this is Lina. She''ll be accompanying us, for at least a little while. She''s had rather a hard time of it of late. Haven''t you?"


    Lina stared at Fin, then nodded mutely. He indicated the other girls in turn:


    "Ashley and Maya Thompson, Selene Thorne, and Ada Hasard. My trusted charges."


    "Thorne," Ashley said. She snorted. "That''d be right."


    Lina stared at her.


    "Now then, everyone into the carriage," said Fin, as he unbuckled his breastplate. "Selene, if you''d be so good as to fetch the overcoat in the second storage cupboard to the rear, I''d be most appreciative. Maya, if you could perhaps help Lina find a cloak?"


    Selene did as Fin asked as the others got into the carriage. By the time she returned with his big heavy grey coat, he''d gotten the breastplate off.


    "Put this somewhere, good girl," he said, handing the breastplate to Selene before shrugging on the coat. "Ah. That feels a little better. I must say I have rather a distaste for uniforms. I''ll change properly later, for now we should leave, and with haste."


    Inside the carriage Lina sat, a cloak draped over her shoulders, staring down at the floor.


    "Um," said Maya. "I''m Maya."


    Lina didn''t respond.


    "Your name''s Lina, right?" Maya continued. "That''s a really pretty name."


    Lina looked up at her.


    "Thanks," she said, her voice heavy and thick, as if finding this simple word had been an exhausting search.


    "This is my sister Ashley, say hello, Ash."


    "Hey."


    Lina looked at Ashley.


    "Hello," she said. There was a jolt, and the carriage began to move.


    "And this is Selene, I just found out her last name is Thorne, I think that''s a really interesting last name, don''t you?"


    Apparently this question was a little too much for Lina, because she dropped her head again, staring at her feet¡ªAda noticed that her boots were almost falling apart.


    "Um, and this is Ada."


    "Are ... are you okay?" Ada asked. It took Lina a few seconds to even register the question, then she looked at Ada, her grey eyes flat.


    "I," she said, and then she swayed and fell forward, to sprawl on the floor of the carriage, unconscious.

 Decisions ~ 1 ~ What Becomes Of Spirit

    ~ Decisions ~


    What Becomes Of Spirit


    She stares so much, Maya thought. It''s a little bit scary.


    "Of course, it would be better if I were able to stay here, but, er, I have rather urgent business to attend to elsewhere."


    And I don''t like the way she talks, in that flat voice, it''s weird.


    "Selene, this time I could certainly use your help, if you don''t mind coming with me."


    Oh phew Selene is going, I''m so glad, Ash has been getting really annoyed at her lately.


    "Maya, could I possibly ask a favour of you?"


    Of me? Mr Fin wants to ask a favour of me? Not Ash or Ada or Selene but ME?


    "Of course!" Maya said, smiling at Fin. "I''ll do anything I can to help!"


    "It''s Lina," Fin said, his voice low. "She''s a strong girl, but she''s been through a lot. Could you perhaps be her friend?"


    Maya hesitated just for a moment before saying, "Yes! Of course, I was going to be her friend anyway. I''ll try very hard to make her feel welcome."


    "I''m happy to hear that. I know I can count on you, Maya. Selene, we should go, those urgent matters aren''t going to resolve themselves."


    Maya went out to see Selene and Fin off, quietly worrying as she waved goodbye to them. Then she went back inside the little wooden room that was their current home. Ada was sleeping and Ashley was lying down with her arm over her eyes, so Maya knew not to bother her. Lina was sitting in one of the corners, staring at one of the other corners. She''d had a good wash and Fin had provided her with some new clothes¡ªa pair of trousers that were too big around the waist, and a tunic that was too tight across the chest, and a heavy black overcoat to wear over these (this, at least, fit her well), but she hadn''t touched any of the food that''d been left out for her, and she still had that odd blank look in her eyes.


    But Mr Fin asked me specially to be her friend, Maya thought, and it seems like she''s had a tough time lately, and I definitely know about those. What can I talk about with her, though? Oh! Of course!


    "Hello," Maya said, as she sat down near Lina. Lina didn''t respond. "Um, what can you do?"


    Lina turned to stare at Maya, who flinched a little but pushed on regardless.


    "I mean, because Mr Fin invited you to join with us¡ª"


    "He didn''t invite me," Lina said, her voice flat. "He rescued me."


    "Oh," said Maya. She brightened a little. "Well, that''s good, right? I''m glad he could save you. It must be hard, Ada had trouble at first too, but it''s amazing how quickly she got used to travelling and being with us, away from her father. Um. So. Um. So what can you do?"


    For a moment, Lina didn''t respond. Then she closed her eyes.


    "I can''t do anything," she said. "I''m just ordinary."


    "Oh." There was a moment of awkward silence between the two of them, before Maya tried again: "Um, where do you come from?"


    Lina just shook her head.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Do you have any sisters?"


    Lina didn''t respond at all to this. Maya went to scratch her arm but stopped herself.


    "Ashley is my sister," she said, after a few seconds. "I think I told you already. If I didn''t have her with me, I don''t know what I''d do¡ª"


    "I don''t want to talk."


    Maya gaped at Lina.


    "Oh," she said. "Oh. I''m sorry. I didn''t want to bother you. You looked sad and lonely and I thought¡ª"


    "I don''t want to talk."


    Maya bit her lip, then nodded.


    "Sorry," she said. "I''m sorry I bothered you. I''ll ... maybe I''ll rest too. I woke up early. We all did, so we''re all tired. Can you hear Ada snoring? I think it''s cute, the little noises she makes when she''s asleep, not like my sister''s snoring¡ªsorry, I''m bothering you again. Do you want a blanket?"


    Lina shook her head slowly.


    "They''re just here if you change your mind, and take any cushions if you want to be more comfortable, I like making like a ''nest'', if¡ªsorry. Um. Have a nice rest."


    Maya left Lina alone and went to lie down. She was asleep within seconds.


    Lina stayed awake all day, staring at the wall, or her hands, or the simple patterns on the rugs below. She was sleepy, but not overwhelmingly so. She was tired, but not exhausted. Mostly she just felt empty, with the odd desire to stay that way.


    "Lina, are you hungry?"


    Maya was awake again now. Ashley wasn''t in the room, and Ada sat by herself, her glasses on the table beside her, quietly concentrating on her hands.


    Lina took the food that Maya gave her and ate it.


    She took the flask that Maya handed her and drank from it.


    Neither of these things made her feel better, but the gratified look on Maya''s face stirred something inside her.


    "Thanks," she said.


    Maya beamed.


    "Um," she said, "how do you feel now?"


    Lina looked at Ada, who seemed to be lost in a private world of concentration, then she looked at Maya, whose face was open and whose eyes were ... scared.


    "I hurt someone," Lina said. "I thought I was healing him but I was just hurting him."


    Maya was staring at her now, wide-eyed.


    "I did something horrible to my sister," Lina continued, "I don''t know what it was but I know I hurt her badly."


    Maya swallowed, still staring at Lina, unable to look away.


    "Then I ran. To here. And that man rescued me. I don''t know why he did. I don''t know why I''m worth rescuing. I just hurt everyone."


    For a moment Maya couldn''t speak, then she found her voice:


    "You ... you can heal people?"


    Lina clenched her jaw, a spark of anger igniting deep inside her.


    "No¡ª"


    "You said you healed someone. Is that what you can do?"


    "No. I hurt¡ª"


    "I ... my arm..."


    Maya glanced over at Ada, who hadn''t reacted at all to the conversation so far¡ªshe looked utterly focused on her practice. Maya looked back at Lina, then shifted towards her, just a little.


    "My arm got burnt," she whispered. "Don''t tell Ashley but it did, I''ve been hiding it but it hurts and it isn''t getting better and if you can heal..."


    Lina stared at Maya. Maya carefully pulled up her right sleeve, revealing her arm. There was a raggedy bandage around it, which she unwrapped, revealing a small but ugly burn. It was crusted and weeping, clearly infected.


    "I don''t know about this stuff," Maya whispered, "but I think this looks bad. Can you do something?"


    Lina couldn''t tear her gaze away from the wound, it was just so clearly wrong, not a part of how things should be at all, and it was so clearly obvious how Maya''s arm should look, not like this, not with this ugly infection, and Lina watched her own hand reach out to hold Maya''s arm, and there was a sensation of smallness, of the world shrinking, and then there was nothing but her and Maya, and then there was nothing but Maya''s arm, and then there was nothing but this burn, this tiny, insignificant little burn, and then ... and then there was nothing.


    Maya stared down at her arm as Lina drew her hand back. The burn was gone, unbroken skin in its place¡ªperhaps a little pink, but in no way damaged. It no longer hurt, not at all.


    "That''s the most amazing thing I''ve ever seen," Maya breathed.


    Lina shook her head, suddenly irritated.


    "Lina, you HAVE to tell the others about this, it''s incredible, nothing we can do is even CLOSE to this amazing¡ª"


    "No. It''s not amazing. It''s ... I shouldn''t have done that, I''m sorry, you might get hurt worse now that I¡ª"


    "What are you talking about, you healed me, Lina! My arm feels fine, I can hardly even tell where I got hurt¡ª"


    "Please don''t tell them, I''m sorry, I shouldn''t..."


    Lina trailed off, then turned away from Maya.


    "I don''t want to talk."


    Maya stared at her.


    "Please," Lina said. "I don''t¡ª"


    "Thank you," Maya said, her voice small but grateful. "I ... I won''t tell anyone. Not even Ash. Even though it''s so amazing."


    Lina stared down at her hands. She nodded.


    "Good," she said.

 Decisions ~ 2

    This time it wasn''t morning that Fin came to collect the girls. It was the dead of night, the time caught between late and early, the air needle cold and the sky dull black.


    "Come along now, no time for dallying," Fin said, as Maya guided Lina towards the carriage¡ªeveryone else was already inside. "There''ll be time to sleep again once we''re away."


    "Are we leaving?" Maya asked, as she ushered Lina up and in.


    "Yes, as quickly as possible. Our next destination is clear; we must travel to Pyre."


    Ashley laughed, from inside the carriage. "Yeah, good one."


    "For now, however..."


    Fin trailed off, and frowned.


    "Into the carriage and shut the door, quickly now, there''s a good girl," he said to Maya, already moving to jump up into the driver''s seat. "Perhaps one final stop," he muttered. Only Selene heard.


    The streets of Unity were almost empty at this hour, those still upon them mostly groups of noisy drunks or lone figures moving swiftly through the night.


    "Sooner we''re outta this damn place the better," Ashley muttered. "Right, kid?"


    "Um. Right," Maya said. She was watching Lina, who looked pale and sick.


    "It''s so different from the daytime," Ada said. She was staring out the window, excitement overcoming her sleepiness. "It''s hard to believe it''s the same place."


    "It ain''t," muttered Ashley. Ada glanced at her, eyes wide, before turning to look out the window again.


    "I think Mr Fin''s found another person like us," Maya said. "He got that look on his face like when he found Ada and Lina."


    "What? Aw, great, another stray," Ashley muttered. She glanced up at Lina. "No offence."


    Ada half-turned to look at Ashley.


    "I think we''re all strays, of a kind," she said. "It seems ungracious to¡ª"


    "Yeah, I know what you''re gonna say," Ashley interrupted. "I don''t need to hear it. Just getting sick of this, yeah? Chasing this bloody statue all over the damn place, it''s a damn waste of time if you ask me."


    "At least we''re doing something," Maya said. "Not just running away. I like Mr Fin''s dream."


    Ashley grunted and looked away.


    "What dream?"


    The voice was Lina''s, small and sad. Maya tried to smile at her.


    "Mr Fin is going to take us all to a safe place where we can live and no one will want to hurt us."


    Lina lowered her head again, once more staring at her hands.


    "Yeah, that''s pretty much what I think of it too," Ashley said. She looked at Maya. "Nothing BUT a dream."


    Ada could see that Maya wanted to say something more, but the girl remained silent, her hands crossed in her lap.


    For several minutes nobody said anything, then Ashley glanced out the window.


    "Shouldn''t be rolling through here." She turned and thumped her fist against the hatch, which opened. "Oi, Finny. Ain''t a place we should be taking this fancy carriage."


    "Necessity demands it," Fin replied, through the hatch.


    "Yeah, you can just about shut it with that kind of useless talk," Ashley said. "Better have a damn good reason for being in this ugly part of town."


    The carriage slowed, and then stopped.


    "Yes," said Fin. "I do. Could all of you gather outside of the carriage, please? I have something important I must ask you."


    The hatch closed. Ashley looked at her sister and sighed.


    "Come on, kid. You guys, too."


    The street was narrow and dirty, the buildings old and wooden, the creak of a broken sign sounding through the chill of the night. Though there were no lamps the moon shone bright and clear, illuminating the street with a bluish hue. Selene had her bow slung over her shoulder, and Fin''s rapier hung at his side.


    "I thought that there would be more time," Fin began. "More time to help you all understand your abilities, more time to prepare you for what may become necessary. At this late hour I can but give you one piece of advice; be cautious but decisive. I believe Miss Ashley knows what I''m saying."


    "Fin, I ain''t got the slightest clue what you''re talking about."


    Fin sighed. "We may all of us need to fight¡ª"If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Fight?" Ada said. "Now? But¡ª"


    Ada was interrupted by a piercing scream¡ªnot close, but not distant, either.


    "Maya, Lina, you two stay with the carriage," Fin said. "The rest of you come with me, quickly now!"


    They ran along the street, towards the source of the scream.


    "Remember," Fin called, as they approached an alleyway. "Cautious, but decisive!"


    Ada gasped as they rounded the corner¡ªthe alley was filled with huge hulking figures, two of them holding a struggling young blonde girl by her arms and legs.


    Without hesitation Fin drew his sword and leapt forward¡ªthe flash of a knife in the moonlight threatened his stomach, but Fin elegantly avoided the attack and responded with a slash that cut through his opponent''s wrist. Blood splattered against the ground, glistening dark in the moonlight.


    Just men, Ada thought. Not monsters.


    The flare of dull orange light caught her eye, and she turned to see Ashley slamming her fists against a man''s chest. He grunted and charged, stumbled as Ashley stepped aside, then growled as she swept her hands over his cloak, setting it alight. He yelled and dropped to the ground, rolling, trying to put it out. There was a soft but solid noise, and Ada saw an arrow appear through a man''s arm¡ªshe looked back to see Selene already calmly notching another.


    Ada gasped as one of the thugs came towards her, a knife in his hand¡ªshe hurriedly took off her glasses, clutched them tight, then threw them to the side. Her heart was beating faster than she''d ever felt before and her hands were sweating and her vision was blurred, not just because she wasn''t wearing her glasses, she couldn''t see, she couldn''t¡ª


    No, she thought. The knife, she thought. Metal. All I have to do¡ª


    The thug yowled and clutched at his hand, the knife skittering across the ground. Ada stood facing him, hand raised, panting with fear and excitement, and she released once more, and there was another bright spark of lightning and now the thug was sprawled on the ground, unmoving.


    Ada stared at his still form, and she made a little involuntary relieved noise when she saw that he was still breathing, unconscious but not nearly dead.


    "No," she whispered, and she forced her eyes up, this is a fight, I can''t just stand around shocked and staring, I have to¡ª


    Oh.


    Ada had looked up just in time to see the last of the thugs fleeing. Those that were still standing, at least. The blonde girl lay in the middle of the alley, shocked but conscious and very much alive. Around her lay half a dozen of the thugs, clutching at various wounds, groaning in pain. The sound was horrible, Ada couldn''t remember hearing anything worse, the grunts and gasps and low moans, they must be dying, she thought, to make that kind of noise¡ª


    "Soft bloody sods around here, yeah?" Ashley was saying. She had a small cut on her cheek but otherwise looked quite happy. This faded when she noticed one of the thugs who wasn''t making so much noise¡ªthere was an arrow through his side, and he lay quietly, his eyes staring upwards.


    "One of yours, yeah?" Ashley said to Selene, who glanced at her before walking to the thug''s side. She knelt beside him, gave the wound a cursory glance, then took out a small knife¡ª


    "What are you doing?" Ada asked. Selene looked up at her.


    "Finishing," she said.


    "No, we can maybe¡ªlet me look, I''ve ... I''ve studied ... injuries..."


    Even as Ada talked she felt hope fade. She knew about anatomy, she knew about basic first aid, she knew which parts of the body were supposed to go where, and she knew that the boy¡ªand he couldn''t have been older than she was¡ªhad an arrow through his stomach. She knew that he was quiet now because he was unconscious, passed out from the pain, his eyes still open.


    "I..." Ada said. She swallowed. "I don''t know¡ª"


    "He can''t be helped," said Selene. "We don''t have time, even if there was something we could do. Those who ran might come back with others."


    "Yeah," said Ashley. She patted Ada''s shoulder. "Come on, let''s make sure that girl''s okay."


    "But¡ª"


    "Come on," Ashley repeated, guiding Ada away from Selene and the fallen boy.


    "No." Ada pulled away from Ashley. "This ... this isn''t right, you can''t just¡ª"


    "What do you suggest?" Selene asked. "Leave him here to bleed out in this alley?"


    "No, I mean ... someone might come and help him¡ª"


    "Not in this kind of place," Ashley said. Selene nodded.


    "Nobody''s coming to help him," she said.


    "Then we can ... we can find a healer, take him to¡ª"


    "Who would pay for that?" Selene asked Ada. "You? Even if we did that he wouldn''t survive, and we don''t have time in any case."


    "But this," Ada said. "Doing this ... it''s murder."


    Suddenly Selene was on her feet, close to Ada, staring her down.


    "These men were going to rape that girl or worse," she said. "I''m sure it wouldn''t be the first time. I''m sure it wouldn''t be the last." Selene''s eyes were calm and bright, Ada''s wide and frightened. "The world would not be better for his survival."


    Selene turned, and knelt beside the fallen thug, and she took her knife¡ª


    And Ashley led Ada away.


    Ada was shocked. Horrified.


    Not least because she couldn''t help but appreciate the logic behind Selene''s words. She stood and stared as Fin talked calmly to the blonde girl but couldn''t concentrate on his words, her mind and body both still recovering from the terror and rush of the fight. Her hands were shaking. She forced them to stop. She wasn''t sure how, but she did it. She noticed that the carriage was outside the alley, that Lina and Maya were staring out from inside, at the alleyway, at the fallen blonde girl, at the men still crawling away, at those who could no longer even do that. Ada watched her hand as she bent down to retrieve her glasses; they were undamaged, for which she felt immensely grateful.


    "Do you think she''s like us?"


    It took a moment for Ada to recognise the voice as her own.


    "Whether she is or not," Selene said, "you helped save her."


    "She gave one of ''em that was holding her a damned good kick in the ribs, did you see?"


    "That''s not ''special'', though," Ada said, thinking, who is this girl, who just said that? This girl who''s acting so calmly after all that''s happened? "That''s just ... ''feistiness''."


    "Do you think she can hear you?" Selene asked Fin, who had been talking softly to the blonde girl¡ªthe girl had her eyes open now, but they were oddly unfocused.


    "Yeah, she''s listening," said Ashley. "Ain''t ya?"


    The blonde girl nodded slightly. Fin smiled at her.


    "There will be a lot of questions later," he said, "and a few answers, too. For now, perhaps, we should begin with this: you can call me Fin."


    This appeared to affect the girl somehow, and she blinked and coughed, seemed to come back into herself¡ª


    And then she began to sob.


    "Calm, calm," Fin said, holding the girl close as she wailed into his chest. He looked up at Selene, who nodded and went to the carriage. "You''re safe now. You''re not hurt. Come along now. You''re a strong, brave girl. You can walk."


    Apparently the blonde girl could, with Fin''s help at least, still letting out a little panicky sob every now and then but far from the blubbering mess she''d been a few seconds earlier, and the little group made their way back to the carriage, and the blonde girl got inside and sat down and sniffed.


    Selene sat inside too, next to the blonde girl, with Maya and Ashley beside her and Lina and Ada opposite.


    As the carriage began to move Ada couldn''t help but stare at Selene''s hands, crossed demurely in her lap. They were dark with blood.

 Desires ~ 1 ~ The Awakening Sky

    ~ Desires ~


    The Awakening Sky


    There were flashes of memory, as the sky outside lightened and night became dawn, unwelcome and unbearable.


    No, Sophia thought, as she drifted in and out of sleep, as dreams became thoughts became memories. Not unbearable. And I''m not unconscious. I''m awake, and I''m breathing, and I''m...


    I''m rescued.


    Sophia felt different than she''d ever felt in her life. There was shock, of course, and a deep heavy feeling of horror and fear, and pain from the cuts on her arms, and exhilaration. Along with the impossibly dark, awful feelings there were also unbelievably light, amazing feelings, and she hung bound between them, floating, falling, flying, suspended between the unendurable depths of darkest despair and the dizzying heights of intoxicating elation.


    She found she couldn''t see properly, or rather she could see too well; eyes, were what she saw, everything else was a jumbled mess but she found her focus in the eyes of those around her. Simple grey eyes that stared without interest; wolfish amber eyes that only glanced, never lingered; cold bright eyes that saw everything; dark sad eyes that had perhaps seen too much; angry brown eyes that defied the world. And the man, Fin¡ªSophia clung to his name as something solid¡ªwith sparkling blue eyes that seemed to hold all the answers in the world, even to those questions you''d never think to ask. But his eyes weren''t here. Why not?


    Sophia held tight to this question as something to keep her grounded. Why wasn''t Fin, her rescuer, here? It took Sophia quite a while to realise the answer; because this is a carriage, because I''m inside the carriage, because he is, in fact, driving the carriage.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    This mystery solved, this question answered, Sophia''s thoughts turned to her parents. They have no idea that any of this has happened to me. But then they never really had any idea about anything that happened to me. And they think I''m off on my ''see the world and find my purpose'' trip. Which ... which this could be. Alicia didn''t work out as well as I''d expected, but these eyes¡ªno, these people saved me without even knowing who I am, from dozens of shadowy monster men. They must be brave and strong and good. I''m sure I''ll be safe with them. And we''re travelling. This is a carriage, and it''s moving, it''s¡ª


    Wait, no it''s not. And when did it get dark? And where did all those eyes go?


    Aware suddenly that she was awake¡ªproperly awake this time¡ªSophia sat up, her mind racing and her mouth dry, an awful hunger deep in her gut. She blinked, then blinked again, then pushed herself away from the window of the carriage, and she blinked once more, and she was about to attempt standing up when the door to the carriage opened, and her saviour appeared.


    "Ah, good," said Fin. He smiled at Sophia. "I was hoping you''d be awake. This must all be rather disorientating."


    "You saved me," Sophia said, or at least tried to, she got the first two syllables out before her voice cracked and she started coughing, and then she couldn''t stop, and then Fin was patting her on the back and offering her water, which she gratefully accepted, and after a few minutes of this she''d managed to recover enough to try again:


    "You saved me," she said.


    "It wasn''t just me, in truth I barely did anything. But let''s set that aside for the moment and talk of more pressing matters. I''m afraid we''re rather a distance from Unity just now, unavoidable really, circumstances beyond my control, but nevertheless a problem. If you like, we can drop you off at the next village or town we come to, and you can buy passage home¡ª"


    "I haven''t any money," Sophia said. "But never mind that, why did you save me? Who are you?"


    "Well, certainly not the sort of man who could ignore the scream of a young lady. How are your arms?"


    "Hm? Oh, these? They hurt. But forget that. You''re travelling. With these other ... girls." Sophia thought for a moment. All girls. Yes. "Where are you travelling to?"


    "Presently? Pyre. It''s rather a long story."


    "Pyre," Sophia repeated, as if tasting the word. "Why are you going there?"


    "As I said, it''s a long story¡ª"


    Sophia stopped Fin with a look.


    "I have time," she said.

 Desires ~ 2

    It was around an hour later, and Lady Sophia Worth was beginning to get very excited indeed.


    "So," she said, the thrill in her voice impossible to hide. "I want to get this absolutely clear. You''re saying that there are certain people in the world, mostly girls, who are suddenly able to do amazing things? Create heat or lightning from nowhere, control water, even read minds?"


    "Well, it''s not exactly ''reading minds'', more¡ª"


    "Never mind that." Sophia frowned at her hands. "And because normal people obviously have trouble dealing with this sort of thing, you''re trying to create a kind of safe haven for this sort of person?"


    "Yes," said Fin. "In a word, a home. Although it''s also my intention to help those with these abilities learn to control them and use them in various ways¡ª"


    "So not just a home," said Sophia, her eyes gleaming, "but a school. And in order to create this school, and to protect those who live there, you have to find this statue?"


    "That''s right," Fin said. "Rather a succinct summation."


    Sophia had her hand on her chin, frowning in thought. "Tell me again about the girls you''ve gathered," she said. "I want to know about all of them. Their abilities, I mean."


    Fin chuckled. "I must say, you have a remarkably adaptive mind."


    "I know, I''m clever, could you please just tell me?"


    "Very well. All of these abilities stem from energy, the conscious or unconscious manipulation¡ª"


    "You already told me that."


    Fin smiled. "So I did. Selene, then. She has the ability to manipulate her own energy, semi-consciously altering her own perception. She sees and hears far better than any normal person. As well as this, she is able to alter her perception so that all else appears to slow down. Taken together, these abilities help to make her a remarkable archer."


    Sophia was nodding. "Okay. The next one, then, Ashley. She controls heat?"


    "Her ability is almost unconscious. She sends heat throughout her entire body, focusing on her hands. This heat makes her limber, more supple, stronger and faster ... and, of course, when she hits someone, they are burnt rather severely. Her sister Maya has control over water, though she sees this as more of a toy or trick than anything."


    "Water," Sophia repeated. "How strongly can she direct it? With how much, what''s the word ... force, I suppose."


    Fin smiled again. "Presently, she is more skilled at subtle, precise manipulation, rather than violent force. However, she has been training hard towards a more practical use¡ª"


    "Okay, I get it. Lina, then. You said ''physical energy'' before, what did you mean by that?"


    "The ability to manipulate the body''s energy, in turn shaping flesh and bone. I believe she''s been using this ability her entire life, though she doesn''t realise it, to make herself stronger than most normal humans could ever hope to be. She''s never been pushed to use this strength before. I think she''d surprise herself."


    "And healing," Sophia said. "Right?"


    "Yes, though due to some form of trauma she''s loathe to use it. If only I could have found her sooner..." Fin trailed off, then shook his head. "It doesn''t do to dwell on what may have been. Given time, I believe Lina will come to accept herself, and her abilities. Until then we will keep her safe. Penultimately, we have Ada. Her energy is attuned to lightning. We used to call her kind of energy user a ''spark''. Already she is exploring some of the uses for this, she has a sharp mind and a scientific approach to matters that I find admirable, and her control is remarkable. Given time, I believe she may be the most powerful of all of us. With one exception."


    "You, do you mean?"


    "Me? My abilities are barely worth mentioning. I can see the energy of those like us, read emotions and intentions and send images to those susceptible to that kind of thing, no, my abilities are weak, inconsequential."


    "Then who? Selene, Ashley, Maya, Lina, Ada ... did I miss someone?"


    Fin was smiling at Sophia.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "What?"


    "Although it was your powerful scream that brought us rushing to your aid," Fin said, "I had, in fact, already noticed you¡ªor rather, your power."


    Sophia stared at Fin.


    "I ... I don''t have a power," she said, although already suspicion was beginning to rise within her.


    "Your ability," Fin said, "is that of raw energy manipulation. That''s where all of these powers come from, the manipulation of energy, energy that everyone and everything possesses. You can sense energy, you can alter energy, you can drain a person of their fear and you can give that fear to another, you can¡ª"


    "Wait a moment, just wait," Sophia said. Her head felt tight. "I can''t ... I can''t do anything like that¡ªsensing energy, you said, I can''t do that, I''ve never ... I think I need a moment to collect myself."


    "But only a moment," Fin said. Sophia looked at him, confusion on her face. "Your innate energy is stable, utterly balanced, to the point where upsetting it for any great length of time would be nigh-impossible."


    "What does that mean?"


    "Not more than a day ago you were the victim of a horrific assault. Even before that, I can only guess how you got those wounds on your arms, but I imagine it wasn''t a particularly pleasant experience. And yet here you sit, calmly talking with me, accepting these preposterous notions of energy and girls-with-powers with barely a batted eyelid."


    "I ... just ... try to keep an open mind?" Sophia said. "And being attacked wasn''t so bad, not really, it..."


    No, Sophia thought, it was so bad, REALLY, but ... but that was then.


    "In a normal person there would be trauma, shock, and a scarring of energy," Fin said. "And yet your energy is smooth and clear, unblemished, one might even say pure."


    Sophia frowned as she considered this. She was about to say something more, but was interrupted by the door to the carriage coming open.


    "Fin," said Selene, after glancing at Sophia, "I know you must have a lot to talk about with this girl¡ª"


    "My name''s Sophia. And you''re Selene, right? It''s so nice to meet you."


    Selene stared at Sophia, then looked at Fin again.


    "But you said we''d work on my focus, I felt a little off in that fight and I have some questions¡ª"


    "Of course, forgive me. Sophia, we''ll continue this later, in the morning perhaps."


    "Oh. Okay. Yes, that would be ... good."


    "Outta the way, Princess. Hey there," said Ashley, looking in the carriage at Sophia. "You hungry?"


    Sophia half-realised half-remembered that she was unbelievably hungry.


    "Yeah, thought so. Come on, we got a stew happening."


    "I''ll leave you to meet the others," said Fin, and Sophia smiled at him as she left the carriage. She let Ashley lead her to a large camp fire, its heat comforting. The smell of stew greeted her, and as she sat down she was handed a bowl by a small, smiling girl with thick black hair that cutely framed her face.


    "Maya?" Sophia tried. Maya gasped.


    "You can read minds!" she said.


    "No ... no, not quite," Sophia said, thinking, but maybe I can! "I just ... talked with Fin about you." She blew on a spoonful of stew. "And you''re Ashley?"


    "Yeah," said Ashley, through a mouthful. "And that sad-sack''s Lina."


    "Ash!"


    "Well maybe if she smiled once in a while. Or said anything. Oh, and Spectacles there is Ada."


    "It''s nice to meet you," Ada said, after a glance at Ashley at ''Spectacles''. "Uh, what''s your name?"


    "Oh, Sophia," said Sophia. She ate the spoonful of stew¡ªit was very plain, and the flavour of the meat was odd, but she was hungry enough not to care in the least about either of these things. "Sophia Worth. Um. Thank you all for saving me."


    "Wow, gratitude," said Ashley, with a look directed at Lina, who didn''t respond in the least. "That''s something new."


    "I didn''t do anything to help," Maya said. "It was Mr Fin and Selene and Ada and Ashley, Lina and me just stayed in the carriage."


    "You''re a group, though," Sophia said. "You all saved me."


    "Yeah, well, just don''t make a habit of getting into that kind of situation, yeah?" said Ashley. "Ain''t always gonna be someone around to rescue ya."


    "I know," said Sophia. "It''s clear that I have a lot to learn about life in the real world."


    The others all stared at her. Then Ashley leaned over to Ada.


    "This kid for real?" she murmured.


    "I was thinking something similar," Ada murmured back, her cheeks just slightly flushed.


    Maya, meanwhile, was smiling at Sophia, who was busily eating her stew.


    "I love your hair," she said. "It''s so pretty, and your clothes are so nice, too."


    "Yeah, little too nice if you ask me," said Ashley, before Sophia could reply. "You a petal?"


    "A ''petal''?" Sophia said.


    "Y''know, from good parts."


    "You mean ... oh. I suppose I am. Are you from Unity, too?"


    "Yeah, me and Maya both are. Not nearly petals, though. Ada''s from Rosanth, dunno where Gloomy''s from, down south I guess. Dunno about Princess over there, neither."


    "Selene?" said Ada. "She''s Rosanthian, from the north. Can''t you tell from her accent?"


    "Never been good with that sort of thing," Ashley muttered. "Where''s ''Mr Fin'' from, then?"


    "At first I thought he was Rosanthian too," said Ada. "But now I don''t really know."


    Sophia was observing Lina¡ªshe was sitting apart from the others, not far, but there was a clear gap.


    "Are you okay?" Sophia asked her. Lina didn''t respond, just chewed at a piece of bread.


    "Don''t bother," said Ashley. "She ain''t the talkin'' kind. Just sits and stares¡ªlike I said, real dull."


    "But why?" Sophia persisted.


    "I think she''s been through a lot," Ada said softly.


    "Well, so have I, and I''m not just sulking," said Sophia. Ashley laughed.


    "Yeah, good one."


    "Um, thank you." Sophia looked around at the others. Yes, she thought. Travelling together, searching for a lost artefact, working to build a home¡ªa school¡ªfor others like us.


    Well, there''s absolutely no question.


    This is my path.


    I''ve found it.

 Reveille ~ 1 ~ Past Mistakes

    ~ Reveille ~


    Past Mistakes


    Felony gasped into consciousness, pushing herself up on to her feet in an instant. No shoes, she thought. They took my shoes. And my knives. That''s okay, I can work with that.


    She glanced around the room; wooden floor, stone walls¡ªbig rocks cemented together, I''m still in Unity¡ªstout wooden door, crummy little bed, no windows. Light coming in under the door. It''s daytime. Morning. I was unconscious overnight. How did I get knocked out? Must have been someone behind me. Who? How? My own fault. I got sloppy.


    Wooden tray by the door; bread, cold mutton, water.


    Felony picked up the tray and took it to the bed, where she ate a single small bite of the bread and the meat, and took a tiny sip of the water.


    Then she spent an hour checking every inch of the room. The door, predictably enough, was securely locked, and there weren''t any other exits.


    After that, having suffered no ill-effects from the food and water, she ate and drank a little more.


    Then she spent another hour checking the room again, even more thoroughly this time, and then she had a little lie down on the bed, and a think about things, then she finished off the food and water, and then she spent quite a while with her cheek pressed against one of the walls, looking along it at the door.


    After that she lay down and went to sleep.


    Some time later there came the sound of footsteps outside the room, at which Felony went from dozing quietly to up and alert within the space of a second. In another second she was running across the room, towards the wall, and then she was running along the wall, towards the door as it opened, and she leapt off and twisted and slammed both feet against the door, sending it rebounding back against whoever was opening it.


    Felony landed lightly and was instantly moving again, the door was coming open once more and she was grabbing its edge to swing herself around, her bare foot planting itself nicely in someone''s chest, and then her knee was coming up to catch their chin, and then she was thrusting her hand forward, open-palmed, to slam into their chest and send them backwards, and Felony launched herself over them, through the doorway and into the room beyond, and there was a window but it was closed and Felony knew that contrary to what the adventure stories said trying to jump through a glass window was a bad idea for two reasons, the first being that shattered glass had a tendency of tearing tender human flesh to shreds, and the second being that glass was generally a lot tougher than people gave it credit for, and that attempting to jump through it usually ended with said jumper mildly embarassed and majorly concussed.


    With these two points in mind it wasn''t the window that Felony went for, it was the door to her right; she leapt at it as she ran, slamming into it with both feet even as she realised it opened inwards, so she sprang off it and landed running, there was another door on the other side of the room so she headed for that, crashing against it, her hand around the handle, wrenching at it, but it was locked, it was so locked, and Felony turned once more to see that the other door was open, but that there were now three people between her and it.


    Short Rosanthian girl. Big Harmonian boy. Old guy.


    Felony tensed to attack.


    "Before you lay a beating upon the three of us, may I ask one question?"


    It was the old man who had spoken¡ªhe had a warm voice and a hooked nose, and kind eyes. Felony hesitated. He smiled at her.


    "Are you capable of forgiving my rudeness?"


    Felony studied him in some more detail¡ªhe wore a black suit with a dark red frock coat over it, and had several simple rings on each hand, mostly silver. His hair was brown, greying and a little wavy, giving him a studious look, and he had a tidy mustache, its ends just slightly turned up. He was tall and thin, and his hands were beautifully delicate.


    "Depends," Felony said. "What are you gonna give me?"


    The old man laughed. "What would you like? No, don''t answer that for a moment. I''ll introduce myself first; my name is Armand, Armand Garnett. These are my employees, Ren Moreland¡ª" indicating the broad, rather imposing young man to his left, the one Felony had kicked past to get out of her cell, "¡ªand Talise Calder¡ª" indicating the serious-looking blonde girl to his right. "I apologise on their behalf. Ren can sometimes get a little carried away, part of his charm perhaps? Yes? No? Who can say. But he is in my employ and thus his actions are my actions and so I apologise. I am sorry for the manner in which we have come to meet."


    "Yeah, I bet." Felony glanced at the window¡ªit was dirty and looked like it hadn''t been opened in a while, but beyond it was a low, shallowly sloped roof that called out to her.


    "But now that we HAVE met, Melantha¡ª"


    "Felony," Felony interrupted sharply. "Just Felony."


    Armand bowed his head in apologetic acknowledgement. "Felony, then. I am always looking for fresh talent¡ª"


    "Like I told your associates there, I ain''t that kind of girl."


    "And it ''ain''t'' that kind of talent that I''m looking for," said Armand. "You were a courier in Clock Face, before Death Wednesday. One of the best."


    "Gotta tell you, buddy," Felony said, "I don''t like people knowing so much about me, especially malks I never met before." She untensed, just a little. "But, yeah, you''re almost right."


    "Almost?"


    "I ain''t one of the best," Felony said. "I''m THE best."


    "Ah! Exactly!" Armand turned to Ren. "You see, THIS is what I was trying to tell you, THIS is what I was trying to say!"


    Ren shrugged one shoulder, his eyes on Felony. "Whatever."


    "Coarse, yes, rude, undoubtedly, arrogant, without question. Also very talented and generally loyal," Armand said, of Ren. He smiled at Felony. "Did you wonder how you were rendered unconscious?"


    Felony nodded, her brow creased.


    "Perhaps a display, Ren?"


    Ren raised his hand. There was a sharp crack and a bright flash, and Felony yelped and leapt back as a bolt of energy surged past her, to all-but explode a metal plate hanging on the wall. There was the sound of the twisted, smoking plate landing on the floor, and an odd, sharp smell in the air.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "What," said Felony, "the HELL, was THAT?"


    "Talent," said Armand. "Very different talent to that which you possess, but then variety is desirable, yes?"


    Felony looked at Ren. He was grinning smugly at her.


    "Did he¡ªdid you do that to me?"


    "It wasn''t as big as that one," Ren said. "But yeah."


    "Okay. Yeah, okay, you ever try anything like that again¡ª"


    "Calm yourself, Felony," Armand said. "I have an offer for you. I am the head of an organisation of talented individuals¡ªlike Ren here. Like Talise. Like yourself¡ª"


    "I''m telling you right now, I can''t shoot lightning out of my hands," Felony said. Armand chuckled.


    "No, of course you can''t. But the very best courier in all of Clock Face is certainly the sort of person I want on my roster."


    Felony narrowed her eyes. "Are you offering me a job?"


    "In a word, ''yes''."


    "Huh." Felony considered this. "What''s it pay?"


    "What would you like?"


    "Okay, now what''s THAT supposed to mean?"


    "Just as it sounds. What do you desire, Felony? A well-crafted sword? Fine clothes? No, those are not what you want. Money? Perhaps. Money can become many things. Comfort? Again, perhaps. All of these things I mention I could provide for you. Is it a home that you want? I can give you that. For now, the simplicity of hard cash. Five gold? Let''s say ten. And if ten, why not twenty? Talise?"


    Talise was already counting the money into a pouch. After she''d finished she threw it to Felony, who caught it one-handed. It clinked pleasantly.


    "As a sign of my good faith that money is yours, without expectation or obligation," Armand said. "Consider it a gift, if you like, and as recompense for the indignity you suffered at Ren''s hands."


    "You seem to know a bit about me," said Felony, still holding the pouch. "So you gotta realise, I ain''t gonna take this."


    "I ask for nothing in return."


    "Yeah. And nothing''s the highest price of all."


    "Well said!" Armand hummed to himself for a moment, then grinned at Felony. "Very well. I understand how you think, Felony, and I like it. Currently I''m planning a small but important operation, the retrieval of a certain something from the Holy Kingdom of Pyre. You being a courier and all¡ªthe BEST courier, I am reliably informed, that Clock Face has yet produced¡ªit seems that this kind of job would be right up your alley. So to speak."


    "Pyre, huh."


    "It''s not quite as bad as the stories would have it. Granted, it''s still quite bad. But I''m sure that you, Felony, would see that as more of a challenge than a deterrent."


    "So this money¡ª"


    "Call it a recruitment bonus, a gesture of good will, whatever you like, really. There is, as the saying goes, plenty more where that came from. Typically I pay my people a daily retainer but we can sort out those trifling little details later, for now all I need to know is this: could you possibly bring yourself to work for me?"


    After some consideration, Felony decided that she probably could.


    <hr>


    "Pyre, Pyre, you''re bloody mad, Pyre? I thought you were joking!"


    "Unfortunately, there''s no way around it. The evidence I''ve collected indicates that Pyre is the most likely¡ª"


    "Nah, I ain''t buying that, you can''t¡ª"


    "Perhaps you should explain one more time."


    Ashley turned to look at Sophia, who was sitting on a tree stump, holding a tin mug of steaming hot tea in both hands.


    "Because I''m so stupid that I didn''t understand the first time, right?"


    "No, of course not," said Sophia. "You clearly have a kind of native wit about you."


    "What the hell is ''native wit''?"


    "Street smarts? Like a kind of urban perspicacity." Sophia blew on her tea. "Or shrewdness of spirit, maybe."


    "Petal, I got NO idea what you''re trying to say."


    "You may not have read a lot of books," Sophia said, "but you grew up on the streets of Unity. You''ve had to fight almost since you were born, you lived in an environment where being unable to read a situation got you hurt or killed."


    "...okay, yeah, that''s pretty true." Ashley squinted at Sophia. "How''d you know that?"


    "I ... I HAVE read a lot of books," Sophia said. "And I tend to remember what I read. Also one of my tutors was very, um, vocal about the downtrodden masses of Unity."


    "Downtrodden masses, huh?" said Ashley, with a glance at Maya. Her sister was watching the exchange with widely interested eyes. "That what I am?"


    "Actually no," Sophia said, her tone turning thoughtful, "because you''ve clearly been proactive about improving your personal station and so on. I''m sure that you have a wealth of experience. In fact, you could say that your experience IS your wealth!"


    "Huh," Ashley said. "I ain''t never been no kind of wealthy."


    "That''s what I mean, though! Now we''re in the same situation, you and I, with no money, only ''what'' and ''who'' we are. I came from a privileged background, which has admittedly given me a lot of theoretical, high knowledge, but little to help me actually survive in the real world. On the other hand, you don''t have much in the way of high, theoretical knowledge, but your practical skills, instincts and low knowledge are much more useful. So, our positions being equal, you are CLEARLY better off than I am." Sophia only just managed to resist adding ''QED'' to the end of this little spiel.


    Ashley kept her eyes on Sophia for a while, working her jaw, then she nodded.


    "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I get that, I do. You''re saying ... if you take away everything someone''s got, highborn or lowborn or whatever, someone like me is gonna be ... yeah. You know something, Petal? You''re all right."


    Sophia beamed.


    "But I still ain''t happy about us heading to Pyre," Ashley said, turning on Fin. "Sure as hell ain''t gonna find this dreamy little home of yours up there, Finny."


    "No, but I''m almost certain that we''ll find the statue," said Fin. "Pyrians are packrats, or at least those in charge are. They''d never throw away anything that might be even remotely valuable."


    "I still don''t get how you figure it''s there¡ª"


    "Perhaps my previous explanation was a little rushed," Fin admitted. "Let me go over things once more, for my own sake as much as anyone''s. The trader in question, the one who had the statue, was supposed to go to Harmony, but he never reached his destination. In fact, no trace of him was ever found. This information led me to the conclusion that in all likelihood he attempted to avoid paying the rather hefty border tax by cutting through Pyre, a lapse in judgement that presumably saw him burned as some kind of heretic, as is the fashion in that dreadful place. Ah, ''was'' the fashion, I correct myself. I understand that they''ve calmed down a little in the past decade. They don''t usually burn people as a punishment any more. Not completely, anyway. Branding''s rather popular."


    "Um," said Sophia. "Actually, I have one small question. If they burnt the trader as a heretic, wouldn''t they also have burnt all his goods as heretical items?"


    "Oh, undoubtedly."


    "Then¡ª"


    "One of the qualities of the statue we''re pursuing is that it''s almost indestructible. Mere mortal flame wouldn''t even scorch it."


    Sophia frowned. "But in Pyre, wouldn''t they¡ª"


    "Two possible reactions immediately spring to mind," said Fin. "The first being that they assume this to be some kind of miracle. The second being that they assume this to be some kind of curse or demon-sign or other such nonsense. In either case the outcome is the same; the higher-ups are summoned to deal to the statue, and they promptly take it to the One Church. It''s where they put anything they''re not sure about. After all, the unknown might turn out to be valuable in some way. Surprisingly pragmatic, are the Pyrian Holy Leaders."


    "It sounds like you''ve had quite a lot of contact with Pyre," Sophia said. "To know so much about them, I mean."


    "In my younger days, certainly, I had dealings with Pyre. Not quite by choice, but still. Know one''s enemy and all that."


    Ashley was sitting now, deep in thought. She looked up.


    "So you''re saying you know where the statue is," she said.


    "Let''s just say that I have a strong suspicion as to its approximate location."


    "For hope''s sake," Ashley said, "would it kill you to give a straight, simple answer ONCE? Yes or no!"


    "Then, yes."


    "Okay. The One Church, yeah?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay. How far is this One Church from the border?"


    "Perhaps two days travel, by carriage."


    "Okay."


    At Sophia''s asking look, Ashley shrugged.


    "Just getting things clear," she said. "Gotta know the rules before you play the game."


    "See?" said Sophia. "That''s native wit!"


    "Yeah, well ... whatever," Ashley said, but she couldn''t hide her grin.

 Reveille ~ 2

    "Your arse must be RED."


    Felony stretched, long and luxuriantly. Then she grinned at Ren.


    "Nuh."


    "Come on, two days hard riding¡ªand you KNOW I ride hard¡ªand you''re not hurtin''?"


    In fact, Felony was. She''d never had much to do with horses in her old life, and this was the first time she''d ever ridden on one. Still, apart from being stiff and sore, she didn''t feel so bad. After one last stretch she had a little walk-and-look around this new place, the outskirts of a village on the road between Unity and Pyre. It was a drab sort of place, nothing more than a couple of dozen wooden houses clustered around a small church and a smaller tavern, miles and miles of corn and wheat fields surrounding. Even the warm light of the setting sun didn''t do much to improve things.


    "That was your first time on a horse?" Talise asked. She had her blonde hair tied back in a tight ponytail.


    "Pretty much, yeah."


    "You didn''t bounce at all, I noticed."


    "So?"


    "It''s unusual in someone who''s never ridden before. You took to it well."


    "Always been a quick learner," said Felony. She indicated the village with a jerk of her head. "This really where we''re meeting the guy?"


    "Yes," Talise said. "He was on assignment in this area."


    "Why do we gotta take so many people on this thing? We''re just picking something up, right?"


    "It''s Pyre. Mr Garnett felt it best to put as many available people as possible on this."


    "Hey, we meeting Blue or what? I''m getting bored just standin'' around," said Ren. "Need some action, huh?"


    "Don''t act up," Talise warned Ren, as they led their horses into the village. "You don''t need to impress anyone."


    "Hasn''t ever been about impressing no one," Ren muttered. He glanced at Felony. "You like a little fun, don''t ya? That''s what it''s about. If it''s not fun, why do it?"


    Felony wasn''t listening to Ren. She was looking at the corn fields.


    "What is it?" Talise asked.


    "Hey."


    Out from between the high stalks of corn a young man appeared. He was shabbily dressed in a brown tunic and trousers, and had scruffy brown hair and dark brown eyes. About the only interesting thing about him was the large gourd he had tied around his waist.


    "Oh yeah, new girl," he said. "Felony, right? Some kind of perception adept or something?"


    "Dunno what that is," Felony said, "but you were making more noise in there than a sackful of cats."


    "Yeah," said the boy. "Maybe. I''m Kyle, call me Blue if you want. Kyle''s good too."


    "Why were you hiding in the corn?" Talise asked. Kyle shrugged with a lazy smile. "Come on, anyway. We have a long day tomorrow and I''d like to get some rest."


    "Sure."


    Kyle fell into step behind the others, and they continued into the village. There were a few people around, sitting and talking, although they stopped and stared as Felony and the others passed. Talise shot Ren a look as they approached the tavern.


    "Edward''s not here," she said, flatly. "So there''s no need to show off, is there."


    Ren shrugged one shoulder.


    "Guess there isn''t," he said. Felony didn''t trust his tone.


    "Who''s Edward?" she asked Kyle, as Talise and Ren tied the horses to the hitching post outside the tavern. Kyle just shook his head, the lazy smile of before now gone.


    Inside, the tavern was rough and rustic and surprisingly full. Over a dozen people stood or sat, drinking and chatting and laughing. Talise headed straight for the bar, but Ren shouldered past her and slammed both hands down.


    "Need a room," he said. "Need food. Need plenty of drinks. And we ain''t gonna pay for any of ''em." Ren leaned forward over the bar, staring the barkeep down. "You got a problem with that, old man?"


    There was silence in the tavern, broken by the barkeep''s snort of amusement (and Talise''s quietly irritated ''here we go'').


    "Need you to turn around," said the barkeep. "Need you to step through that door. Need you to head plenty of miles east, till you get back to Harmony. Got a problem with that, boy?"


    Ren stepped back. He raised his hand. There was a bright flash, and a sharp crack, and a mug near the barkeep exploded, showering him with ale and splinters and shards of hot pewter. He spluttered in pain as he fell back against the barrels behind him, bleeding from a dozen cuts on his face and arms, staring up at Ren as the boy vaulted the bar and stood over him.


    "Need you to show a little respect," Ren growled.


    "Ren. That''s enough."


    Ren looked back at Talise, grinning. "Yeah? You think so?"


    Talise sighed pointedly, then turned to cast an eye over the silent and staring patrons. "It would probably be best if you left," she said. There was a short pause, then everyone made for the door, pushing and shoving in their haste to get out. Felony stepped aside for the crowd, a heaviness in her gut.


    "Looks like we''ve got the place to ourselves," said Ren. He laughed. "Okay, ''Barkeep'', you know what we want. Make it happen, huh?"


    "Who the hell do you think you are?"


    Felony looked over at the girl who had just spoken¡ªshe''d thought that the entirety of the tavern had been cleared out, but there was one girl remaining. She was short with broad shoulders, and her young eyes were hard as she walked slowly towards Ren.


    "Oh good," said Ren. He grinned as he jumped over the bar once more. "A hero."


    The girl pulled a weapon from her belt¡ªa stout truncheon. Ren laughed.


    "Not even a sword?" he said. "Probably better it ain''t. For you, that is."


    The girl raised the truncheon, her knuckles white as she gripped it.


    "Let me guess," Ren continued. "Volunteer watch? Bet you''ve never even used¡ª"


    He grunted as the truncheon connected heavily with his ribs, staggering to the side before bringing his hand up¡ª


    "Don''t!" Felony called, even as a blinding flash and a horrible crack filled the tavern. The girl cried out and staggered back, clutching her shoulder, her truncheon now lying on the floor beside her.


    "Stupid little bitch," Ren growled, advancing on her. He pushed her hard and grabbed her hair to stop her from falling, then brought his free hand around in a ringing slap against her face. The girl cried out again, then gasped as Ren pushed her down¡ªshe fell heavily against the floor, catching a chair on the way down. Ren raised his hand, lightning crackling in his palm¡ª


    "Telling you now, Moreland. You do that and we''re gonna have problems."


    Ren looked back at Felony, irritation clear on his face. She had one of her knives out, and her feet were precisely placed.


    "Felony''s right, Ren," said Talise. "You''ve had your fun. Time to let it go."


    Ren glared at Felony, then he turned to spit on the fallen girl.


    "Not worth my time," he muttered, before righting a fallen chair and sitting in it. "Food! NOW!"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Felony went to help the girl but she jerked away, struggling up on her own and retrieving her truncheon. With a last look of venomous hatred towards Ren, she limped out of the tavern, her teeth gritted hard, shame and rage in her every movement.


    "Ah," said Ren, as the barkeep brought out a huge platter of food, bread and meat and corn. "Just what I was after."


    Felony glared at him as he picked up a loaf of bread and tore it in half.


    "Put that little knife away," Ren said, before looking up at Felony. He grinned at her. "Gonna have a decent bruise on my ribs, huh? Maybe rival the ones on your arse, ''Felony''. Come on, sit down, eat something, have a drink."


    Felony glanced at Talise, who responded with a half-shrug and a ''now you see what I have to deal with'' look. Kyle was already moving to sit beside Ren.


    With a soft exhalation, Felony put her knife away. Talise nodded at her, a mark of approval, then approached the barkeep.


    "Here," she said, putting a full pouch of coins on the bar. "For our food and lodging and any damage caused. Share it with the others in the village. Make sure they know that nothing happened here this evening. Do you understand?"


    The barkeep nodded without looking up, then went to fill some mugs with ale, leaving the pouch on the bar, untouched.


    "Made your job easier tonight, huh?" said Ren, as the barkeep delivered the drinks with shaking hands. "Just one table to deal with." He belched, then stood suddenly, making the barkeep jump. "I''m not gonna bite you," he said, with a laugh. "Just need to go drain the lizard, where''s your back room?"


    Felony watched Ren swagger off to the toilet, then looked at Talise.


    "What the HELL was all that about?" she demanded. "I mean, I''ve worked with some amateurs before but that was¡ª"


    "That was part of the price of having a powerful lightning adept on our side," said Talise, smoothly. "Part of my role within this group is dealing with the consequences of Ren''s ''fun''. It''s easier to do it this way than try to stop him, and it keeps him happy." She smiled coldly at Felony. "Even so, I''m glad you stepped in when you did. Good timing."


    Felony sat down and shook her head.


    "I hope this isn''t going to be a problem for you¡ª"


    "Nuh. Long as Moreland realises, he takes things too far he''s gonna end up with a couple inches of steel between his ribs."


    Talise smiled again, not quite so coldly as before.


    "I''ll make sure he knows," she said, just before Ren came back into the common room.


    "Worst commode I ever saw," he said, before laughing and grabbing a hunk of beef. "Wasn''t expecting more from a crappy little nowhere place like this, but whatever, huh?"


    "Yeah," said Kyle, with a laugh.


    "Got to thinking while I was doing my business, should''ve kept that little watchgirl around, bet she''d be a ton of laughs in the sack, you know what I''m saying?"


    Kyle nodded slowly as Ren tore into the meat. "She had a kind of rustic charm," he said. Ren laughed again.


    "Yeah, good one. Not really my type, but. I go more for the fit, dark and interesting kind of girl." His eyes fell on Felony. "What do you say, ''Felony''? Wanna go a round tonight?"


    Felony looked straight at Ren. "No," she said.


    "You sure? Like I told you earlier, I ride hard."


    Felony leant forward, her eyes dark. "No."


    "Yeah? That your last word?"


    "My last word," Felony said, "is ''never''."


    "Wow, heavy," said Ren, grinning at her. He shrugged. "Your loss."


    Kyle laughed. "Maybe you''ll have better luck with the next new girl."


    "Pyrian? No thanks!"


    Kyle shrugged with a smile. Ren turned in his seat.


    "Barkeep!" he yelled. "Our rooms ready?"


    "A-aye¡ª"


    "Gonna go check ''em out." Ren got up, grabbed a loaf of bread from the table, and went off to the back of the tavern. Felony watched him go, then turned to Talise.


    "How do you put up with him?"


    "By remembering that he''s not my friend. You don''t have to like him, Felony, you just have to tolerate him. If we get into a real fight, you''ll be glad you did."


    Felony picked up a piece of meat and chewed on it. "We''ll see," she said.


    "I sincerely hope this isn''t going to be a problem for you¡ª"


    "We''ll see," Felony repeated. She grinned at Talise. "We''ve all got our lines, yeah? Long as Moreland don''t cross mine, I''ll tolerate him just fine."


    <hr>


    Fin stood before Selene, Sophia and the others, his cane held in his hands. They had stopped for the night at a small cottage on the outskirts of a tiny village; a cottage belonging to Fin, or so he claimed. It was certainly empty, and clearly had been for a long time. Outside of the house was a fire pit surrounded by logs, upon which the girls were seated. It was night, the sun just set, and Fin was lit by the flickering light of the fire, giving him a somewhat otherworldly appearance.


    "We are now less than a day''s travel from the Pyrian border," he began. "Tomorrow we will cross it. But before we do, I want to give all of you a clear choice. Pyre can be a dangerous place. If it is discovered that we possess the extraordinary abilities that we do, we will undoubtedly face severe punishment, perhaps even execution."


    "Huh. Guess they could try executing me. Dunno how far they''d get."


    "Exactly," Fin said, smiling at Ashley. "We would not go quietly, I''m sure that is a sentiment we all share. Additionally, I believe that if we work together and keep our heads the risk we face will be minimal. However, I fully understand if there are some of you who would rather not take any risk at all. Should any of you choose not to venture into Pyre by my side you can instead stay here, in this cottage, until the rest of us return."


    Ashley pushed herself to her feet. She rubbed the back of her neck and glanced around at the others.


    "Pretty sure you all know how I feel about this junk," she said. "That it''s a damn idiotic idea to go into Pyre at all. We''ve all heard the stories, yeah? Yeah. That''s why Maya¡ª" she turned to look at her sister "¡ªyou ain''t coming with us."


    "What? No!" Maya stood up. "Ash, I don''t mind, I''ll be okay, don''t leave me on my own!"


    "It''s too dangerous, like Fin said," said Ashley. "What are you gonna do if we get in trouble? Yeah, I''d be there to protect you, but it''s better if you ain''t even around for me to worry about."


    "No!" Maya said. "I''m coming with you! I ... I''ve been practising really hard, I''m good at doing that attack thing that Mr Fin taught me now, I really am!"


    "Don''t wanna hear it, kid. It''s¡ª"


    "I think Maya is capable of making her own decisions."


    Ashley turned to glare at Selene.


    "You stay outta this, Princess."


    "No," said Selene. "I stand by what I said. You''re Maya''s sister, yes, but you don''t control her. She wants to come with us. I think she should."


    "Thank you, Selene," said Maya, quietly. Ashley gritted her teeth.


    "We''ll talk about this tomorrow," she said, to Maya. "Hear me? This ain''t over."


    With another vicious glare at Selene, Ashley sat down.


    "Anyone else too chicken to come with us?" she muttered.


    There was silence around the campfire.


    Then Ada stood up.


    "I..."


    She trailed off. For a moment she looked very lost and small, then she raised her head and began again: "I''m really scared. Even thinking about the sort of things that happen in Pyre, I feel scared. I heard a lot of stories from people at my ... at the college. There were some books about it, too. But ... but I want to do what I can, to help build this home for all of us. Uh, and not ... not just us. Everyone with powers¡ªabilities like ours. If this statue will help, then I''ll do whatever I can to get it. Even ... even if that means danger and fighting." Ada smiled at Fin; weakly, but bravely. "I''m coming with you, Mr Fin. You can count on me."


    "Thank you, Miss Hasard," said Fin. "I appreciate your commitment. Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety¡ªthe safety of all of you."


    Ada sat down again, her cheeks flushed.


    "Sophia," Fin said. "I''m not sure if you''re ready to¡ª"


    "I know that I haven''t been able to do anything yet," said Sophia. "But I''m sure I just need to practise some more. Besides which, you''re not leaving me behind on my own. I''m coming with you, Mr Fin."


    Fin nodded.


    "Lina, you¡ª"


    "I''ll come," Lina said, in her usual flat, emotionless voice.


    "Very well. I believe I already know Selene''s choice."


    "You do," Selene said, gazing at the fire.


    "Then I suppose we shall all stay together. In honesty I also think this to be best. And after we have found the statue..."


    Fin trailed off, a thoughtful look on his face.


    "Perhaps now would be a good time to tell you all where our home is to be." He took a breath. "Technically, it''s in Crove¡ª"


    "What?" Ashley turned on Fin. "Are you touched? First Pyre, now CROVE? That''s where we''re supposed to be living? You''re kidding, yeah?"


    "Miss Ashley, have you heard of the Desert of Ruins?"


    "I have," said Sophia, perhaps noting the blank look on Ashley''s face. "It''s to the south, between Targe and Crove. Clock Face is located near its edge. But there''s nothing in it, just ... ruins."


    "Yes, most people believe this to be true," said Fin. "That there is nothing of interest there. But I know of a place, a city, not entirely whole but then not entirely ruined, either. A city where water flows beneath and fruit trees grow wild above, where strong stone buildings stand firm against the desert winds. An oasis. A sanctuary. The place nobody goes; our future home."


    "But Crove¡ª"


    "The desert isn''t really part of Crove," Sophia said, interrupting Ashley. "And from what I''ve read, Crovians avoid it just as much as Targans. It''s right up against the Peakless Mountains, and there are no roads going through it. The place nobody goes," she said, repeating Fin''s words, her voice soft. "It sounds ... amazing."


    "I agree," said Ada, her eyes shining in the firelight.


    Ashley looked around at the others, then shook her head.


    "Yeah, whatever, fine," she said. "Desert in Crove, of COURSE that''s where we''re all gonna live. Still don''t believe there''s gonna be anything there so I guess it don''t much matter where it ain''t."


    "I believe it''ll be there," said Maya. "Ash, why can''t you just ... why..."


    Ashley forced a grin at her sister. "It''s okay, kid," she said. "You know me, always mouthing off. Lost city in the desert, great. Can''t wait to see it."


    Maya looked at Ashley with worried eyes, then smiled at Fin.


    "So after we find the statue, we''ll go there?"


    "We will indeed. It''s been a long journey, rather longer than I intended, and even once we get there our work will have just begun ... but," Fin said, with a smile, "in the end, I believe all of our efforts will be worth it."


    "So where is this city?" Sophia asked. "I mean ... more precisely."


    "Nearer the northern edge of the desert than the southern," said Fin. "And nearer to the eastern edge than to the western, insofar as the desert can be said to have an ''eastern edge''¡ªit''s rather close to the Peakless Mountains, is perhaps what I should have said, just past the point of them if you look on a map. Have you ever heard of a town named Seven Rise?"


    Sophia shook her head.


    "Odd little place north of Clock Face. The city is probably closest to that than anything. Further than that it''s difficult to say; a place more felt than found."


    "Not even gonna ask what that''s supposed to mean," said Ashley. She glanced at Fin. "You ain''t got nothing more to say, yeah? Nothing important? I''m gonna sleep, then. Another long day tomorrow, yeah?"


    Fin smiled at her. "Miss Ashley," he said, "you took the words right out of my mouth."

 Reveille ~ 3

    Felony sank into the bath gratefully; she was quite astonishingly sore.


    "Just one more day riding, right?" she called out.


    "Yes," Talise''s voice came back from the bedroom. "After that we''ll have a carriage."


    "About time," Felony muttered. She heard Talise preparing to clean her boots, as she did every night.


    "Which bed do you want?" Talise called, after a minute.


    "Don''t make ANY difference to me," Felony called back.


    "I''ll take the right-hand one, then."


    That damn girl, Felony thought, as she lay back and let the hot water soothe her aching body. She needs to learn to just relax. Not everything''s gotta be organised.


    "Are you almost done in there?" Talise called, after another minute.


    "So what if I''m not?"


    "I want to wash up before going to bed, are you decent?"


    "I''m in the bloody bath, what do you think?"


    There was a pause. Felony sighed.


    "The bath''s in the corner," she called, "so you can just, I don''t know, avert your eyes or whatever."


    There was another pause, then Talise entered the bathroom, her eyes very much averted, heading straight for the sink¡ªalthough she made time for a little cluck of disapproval at the way Felony''s clothes had been scattered about the floor. Her hair was out of its ponytail and her feet were bare, and she wore a long soft blue nightshirt.


    "What''s your problem, anyway?" Felony said, as Talise began stiffly washing her face.


    "I simply think it best to keep some separation between myself and my colleagues," said Talise. "Which includes not seeing them naked."


    "Hey, it ain''t like I got anything you don''t."


    "That''s not quite the point."


    "Sure you''re not just a good old-fashioned prude?" Felony asked, grinning. Talise turned to look at her, then walked over to the bathtub.


    "Hey¡ª"The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You''ve seen how Ren can be," said Talise, standing over Felony, her arms crossed tight across her chest, "so you can probably appreciate how difficult my work is. I really don''t need your baiting on top of that, Felony."


    "Okay, so you''re not a prude," Felony admitted. She sat up in the bath, grinning. "But now I''m thinking you might just be something else."


    "Oh?" said Talise, her deep blue eyes locked on Felony''s. "And what would that be?"


    Felony shrugged one bare shoulder, a smile at the corner of her mouth. Talise smiled back, not quite as coldly as usual, and she leant towards Felony, and her hand slipped under the water...


    "What the hell!" Felony cried, pulling herself up, freezing cold water splashing everywhere as she leapt from the bath. "What the hell did you do?"


    "I am one thing," said Talise, already back at the sink. "Professional." She glanced back at the shivering, naked, outraged Felony. "Well," she added, with a small smile. "Most of the time."


    <hr>


    The afternoon sun shone clear and bright from a pale sky, the winds blowing crisp from the eastern peaks of Harmony. The road behind wound through rolling plains of wild grass that rippled pleasantly in the breeze. The road ahead was not quite so welcoming.


    "Huh," said Ashley, after staring out at what lay before them. "You can see why they put the border here, yeah?"


    Maya nodded in total agreement.


    The road itself was the same; old, smooth, and, for no apparent reason, winding. The countryside surrounding it was not. The grass was limp and dull, almost colourless, and the earth beneath was grey and dead. The shift was so dramatic that it was almost absurd.


    "This is amazing," said Ada, as she examined the ground¡ªwhere she was crouching, she could almost see a line in the earth. She looked up at Fin. "I read that this has something to do with the Devastation, is that true?"


    "I''m not entirely sure myself," said Fin, "although it seems likely. Certainly there are many stories about how Pyre came to be like this."


    "Wasn''t there a big war or something?" Sophia said, her tone unsure¡ªhistory had never been her favourite subject. "And lots of fighting?"


    "Weren''t many wars that didn''t have a lot of fighting, yeah?" said Ashley, grinning at Sophia.


    "No, I mean ... after the Devastation, there are all these stories about, um, ''demons'' coming to Pyre¡ªor coming FROM Pyre? Something like that, anyway. And, um, all the fighting made the land go like this. Somehow."


    "From what I''ve read it was some kind of weapon, like the Pyrian firethrowers but on a larger scale," said Ada. "The fuel they used did something to the earth and that''s why it''s ''dead'' like this. That was just one theory put forward, though. I suppose they drew the modern borders of Pyre afterwards, to match the line of the dead earth. That would be logical."


    "Well, whatever," said Ashley. "It ain''t like it makes any difference to us now, yeah?"


    "I suppose not," Ada admitted, though she gazed down at the border with curious eyes.


    "In any case, this is as good a spot as any to ask all of you one final time¡ª"


    "Give it up, Fin," said Ashley. "Yeah, we get it, Pyre''s dangerous. Yeah, I ain''t happy about any of us going there. Especially not my sister. But we''ve gotta find this statue of yours, right? And we all made our choice last night. So let''s just go and get this over with."


    Fin regarded Ashley for a thoughtful moment. "I hope you won''t misinterpret this, but you seem rather more positive than usual, regarding both myself and my vision for the future."


    "Yeah, well, maybe Ada''s little speech got me thinking about things. It ain''t that I believe in your dream now or nothing, just ... you know something? I don''t like talking about this stuff. Forget it and let''s go, yeah?"


    Fin smiled. "Agreed," he said.

 Reverie ~ 1 ~ That Greater Depth

    ~ Reverie ~


    That Greater Depth


    "What a steaming dump."


    Felony agreed with Ren, but she didn''t say anything. Better not to encourage him, she thought. Yeah, he''s been behaving since that one night, but still ... just a matter of time with boys like him.


    "We won''t be spending much time here, so be grateful for that, at least," said Talise. She looked around at the lifeless Pyrian fields. "Very grateful."


    "We''re just grabbing the package and going, right?" said Felony. Talise nodded.


    "Something like that," she said. "It''s not a complicated assignment."


    Ren had dismounted and tied his horse to one of the scraggly little trees that grew beside the road. He shot a grin at Felony.


    "Speaking of steaming dumps..."


    Felony rolled her eyes as Ren sauntered off behind a rock, then looked over at Talise.


    "Uh, Talise," she said, before glancing at Kyle¡ªhe was resting with his back against one of the many dark volcanic rocks that littered the Pyrian landscape, the battered straw hat he''d ''found'' earlier that day over his eyes.


    "Yes? What is it?"


    "About last night," Felony said, her voice low. "Just wanted to¡ª"


    "I don''t think this is necessary," Talise interrupted. "You tried to bait me and it failed spectacularly. Further discussion seems pointless."


    "Uh, yeah, exactly. Glad you understand things. I got you, you got me, right?"


    "Yes, something like that."


    "Okay, good."


    Talise cocked her head just a little as she looked at Felony.


    "Was there anything else?"


    "Just a question. When are we gonna get this damn carriage? I''m sick of riding behind Ren, and not just because of my sore arse."


    "Endure his little idiosyncrasies for a little while longer," said Talise. "We''re close to Sufferance now."


    "Yeah, okay." Felony sighed, then grinned at Talise. "Just been a long week, is all."


    <hr>


    It was late in the day, and Sophia was getting annoyed at Lina.


    "How long has it been since she joined with you?" she asked Ada.


    "Since who joined with us?" Ada replied, irritated to be jostled from her thoughts.


    "Lina, of course. It wasn''t long before you rescued me, was it?"


    "No, not long."


    "I thought so. And yet since then she''s barely said two words to me¡ªto any of us!"


    "She''s been through a lot, Sophia. I think she needs time¡ª"


    "Well I think she needs someone to break her out of that gloomy mood she''s in. I''m surprised Ashley hasn''t said something to her already, to be perfectly honest."


    Ada almost went to stop Sophia, then sighed and returned to her thoughts.


    "Lina!" Sophia said brightly, walking up to her¡ªLina was sitting, as usual, on her own, listlessly sewing patches to a green dress. "How are you feeling tonight?"


    Lina barely shrugged.


    "I know, this landscape is fairly dreary, isn''t it? Aren''t these rocks awful, the way they kind of punch up through the ground, I can''t stand them¡ªanyway, let''s not talk about gloomy things. Oh, where do you come from? I don''t even know that! I''m from Unity, of course, but¡ª"


    "I don''t want to talk."


    "Come on, you''ve got to talk SOMEtime¡ª"


    "I don''t want to talk."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Well," said Sophia, "maybe that''s EXACTLY your problem. I think the reason you''re always so gloomy is because you''re NOT talking. It''s unhealthy for people to be on their own all the time, did you know that? They did a study in Rosanth, where they put different numbers of people in different rooms for certain lengths of time, and do you know what they found out?"


    "That you''re very annoying?"


    Sophia gaped at Lina, then she forced a laugh.


    "Well that''s better than nothing," she said, pushing down the sting she felt. "The point I''m making is that¡ª"


    "Please," Lina said wearily, looking up from her sewing. "I don''t want¡ª"


    "Look," said Sophia, "I know you went through something horrible, but you can''t let that change who you are. I mean, I was almost ravaged and killed, but have I let that change who I am? No! Of course I haven''t!"


    "Maybe you should have."


    Sophia gaped again.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" she demanded. Lina didn''t reply, already returned to her sewing. Sophia took a small breath in through her nose, and forced her expression to brighten. "Maybe you''re right, actually, and in fact I believe I have changed because of what happened to me. I''ve become stronger, and wiser, and tougher¡ªand a lot less naive, I think." Lina seemed to sag. Sophia looked at her helplessly. "I mean ... it can''t have been THAT bad! I was almost murdered, for goodness sake, whatever happened to you can''t be much worse than that!"


    "I killed someone I cared about," said Lina. "And I hurt my sister. Badly. Probably other people too. My family. I don''t remember well."


    Sophia stared at Lina for a long moment.


    "Oh," she said.


    There was another long moment.


    "Maybe that''s enough talking for one night," Sophia said. "I''ll leave you alone now. Do you want anything?"


    Lina was silent, staring down at the dress she held.


    Sophia left her alone.


    "Well done."


    Sophia turned to glare at Fin.


    "I''m not in the mood for sarcasm," she said.


    "Neither am I in the mood to dispense it," Fin replied. "That''s the first time Lina has said anything about what happened to her."


    "But ... but she''s still¡ª"


    "The road to recovery is long and difficult. Especially for someone like Lina."


    Sophia was silent. Fin patted her shoulder.


    "Keep trying," he said. "Lina needs someone to pull her up from the depths of despair."


    "But she ... I mean, it''s obvious she doesn''t like me¡ª"


    "I wouldn''t say that." Fin paused, then smiled at Sophia. "Sophia," he said. "I wonder if you''ve ever suspected ... no, that''s not quite the way to ... let me start again. I explained to you once before, about Lina''s unconscious use of her abilities?"


    "You said she''s been using them her entire life, to make herself stronger." Sophia frowned. "Wait, are you saying that I ... have I been doing something like that, too? Is that why I can''t do anything consciously?"


    "Certainly there exist individuals whose abilities are purely unconscious. Many of them may not even know that they have powers. However, I don''t think that''s why you have not yet been able to unlock your abilities. Pure energy users have the hardest road to travel. Use of their powers is immensely draining and difficult, especially at first."


    Sophia sighed. "I just want to be useful."


    "Don''t be so hasty in assuming that you are not. I think that, unconsciously, you subtly and positively alter the energies of those around you."


    "Like ... what, like mind control?"


    "Nothing so dramatic, more a kind of magnetism, I suppose. I believe that you make yourself ... how to put it ... difficult to ignore."


    "If that''s true then I''m happy I can do SOMETHING, even if I don''t completely understand what it is, but on the other hand I''m kind of disappointed that it was just a trick that made Lina talk to me."


    "It was you, Sophia. Your abilities are part of who you are ... but only a part."


    Fin patted Sophia on the shoulder again, then left her alone to reflect on things. After just a few steps he was approached by a hesitant Ada, who''d been waiting for him to finish talking with Sophia:


    "Mr Fin?"


    "Yes, Miss Hasard?"


    "I''ve ... I''ve been thinking."


    "Admirable."


    Ada didn''t smile. "Are they really killing people in Pyre? People like us?"


    Fin nodded, his face suddenly serious. "Yes," he said. "I''m afraid that they are."


    "And in Rosanth, too ... they''re not killing them, they''re taking them away to experiment on them..." Ada''s voice shook and her face suddenly became pinched, and she pulled her glasses off, her hand against her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I thought ... I thought I could talk about ... without..."


    "Take your time, Ada. I''m in no hurry."


    Ada nodded as she recovered. Fin stood silently, waiting for her to compose herself. After a minute she wiped her eyes with a determined finality, and she took a deep breath, and she put her glasses back on.


    "Thank you for waiting," she said, her voice small but calm. She took another breath, then looked straight at Fin. "Terrible things are happening. In Pyre, in Rosanth ... I guess everywhere, really."


    "People attack what they fear, and they fear what they don''t understand," said Fin. "This wouldn''t be so bad, except that, sadly, people don''t want to understand."


    "No," Ada said, sharply. "On Lumi¨¨re Island they''re doing horrible things to people like us. Do you know why? Exactly because they ''want to understand''." Her voice was shaking again, this time with anger. "My father told me about some of the things they''re doing. He probably shouldn''t have, but he did. It''s disgusting, and horrible, and wrong. I can''t even believe..." Ada trailed off, then drew herself up, her small face serious. "Mr Fin. I want you to know ... I''m going to do whatever I can to stop this. To stop anyone who thinks they can hurt or torture or experiment on people like us. I want to help you create your home, your school, and of course I''m coming with you to help find this statue. But as soon as I''m strong enough¡ª"


    "I understand," said Fin. He smiled at Ada. "You know," he said, his voice a little lighter, "it''s quite clear to anyone who spends any amount of time with you that you''ve inherited your father''s analytical, curious mind. But beyond that there exists something deeper, something even more central to who you are. I greatly admire your spirit, Ada Hasard. Even more so than your intellect."


    "Thank you," Ada said, her cheeks flushed. "Uh, I''ll just ... I think I''ll go practise some more."


    Fin watched her go with thoughtful eyes.

 Reverie ~ 2

    To Felony''s great disappointment, travelling by carriage wasn''t much more comfortable than travelling by horseback¡ªat least, not when your bottom was already bruised and sore.


    "You all right, Fel?" Ren asked, laughing. "Need some help there?"


    "I''m fine," Felony lied. She shifted position again. "How much longer till we get there?"


    "Another day, at least," said Talise. She looked at Felony, noting her obvious discomfort. "Perhaps you could try lying on your front across the seats?"


    "Wouldn''t mind seeing that," said Ren.


    "I said I''m fine."


    "Whatever," Ren muttered, apparently losing interest. He looked out the window. "This place just keeps getting worse. How the hell can anyone live here?"


    "Apparently, despite its appearance, the soil is very good for growing potatoes and other root vegetables, as well as cucumbers, which they usually pickle. And Pyrian beef is supposed to be delicious."


    Felony and Ren both stared at Talise.


    "What?"


    "Just didn''t sound like you," said Ren. "I don''t think I''ve ever heard you say ''delicious'' before."


    "I ... happen to like ... food," said Talise. She cleared her throat. "Not that that''s relevant. To anything."


    "What''s the plan once we get to the city?" Felony asked. "Heard it can be a chore getting in."


    "That won''t be a problem," said Talise. "We''ll enter by the eastern gate and leave the carriage in a nearby stable. After that, it''s a simple matter of meeting up with our contacts, who will have the item. Then we''ll return to the carriage, leave the city, and go back to Aylward."


    "Hang on a second, ''Aylward''?" Felony said. "Where the hell is that?"


    "It''s in Crove."


    "CROVE?"


    "You don''t have to worry. Mr Garnett has considerable influence in that part of the world. The journey home is the least of our worries."


    Felony sat back in her seat, wincing. "Nobody ever said anything to me about hells-damned Crove," she muttered.


    "It''s actually in a little valley in the Peakless Mountains," Talise said. "It could be said that it''s only technically in Crove."


    "Yeah, but still ... ah, forget it. Gotta focus on the job, right? Still don''t get why ''Mr Garnett'' needs so many of us on this thing, though. Seems pretty straightforward to me."


    "In part, it''s a test," Talise said.


    "Yeah? Test of what?"


    "Of you, stupid," said Ren, looking away from the window at Felony. "You think he''s gonna trust you just based on your rep?"


    "He can trust me," Felony said, irritated. "I never shorted on a job, not once in my whole life."


    "Yeah, whatever," said Ren, already looking out the window again. Felony clicked her tongue, then looked at Talise.


    "Just to be clear, I don''t trust you either," Talise said.


    "Yeah, thanks, I kind of got that."


    "However, so far you''ve performed adequately."


    "Doing what? Riding around getting blisters on my bum?"


    "Yes, actually. You don''t like Ren but you''ve done well in tolerating him. This despite being forced to ride behind him every day for nearly a week." Talise smiled thinly. "That''s almost like a punishment."


    "Hey," said Ren, half-heartedly.


    "And I''m sure that, were we to encounter problems, you''d be useful."


    "So you expecting problems, then?"


    "I always expect problems," said Talise. Felony eyed her a moment.


    "How old are you, anyway?" she asked.


    "I''m eighteen years and five months old."


    "You seem WAY older."


    "Thank you. How old are you?"


    "Fifteen," said Felony. She grinned. "And ten months."


    "You seem younger."


    "Thanks."


    "I''m seventeen," Ren said.


    "No one cares, Ren," said Talise.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Felony shifted in her seat and looked out the window.


    After a while, she smiled.


    <hr>


    "Ugh, I hate these hills."


    "You''ve said that at least fifty times already, WE KNOW."


    Sophia shot Ada an irritated glance.


    "Well, don''t you?" she said.


    "Yes, but apparently I''m capable of having a thought without saying it out loud OVER and OVER again."


    "Humph," Sophia said, and she went back to staring out the window. The hills in question were big and rocky, thrusting up through the grey earth like giant misshapen fists, covered in ugly yellow moss and coarse black grass of a kind that didn''t seem to grow anywhere else.


    "Why is everything here so utterly horrid?" Sophia said, after a minute.


    "Just to annoy you, I''m sure," Ada muttered.


    "I think the sunsets are quite nice," Maya said. "Um, how they kind of ... make everything ... look ... pink..."


    She trailed off and fell silent. A moment later the hatch opened.


    "There''s a village up ahead," said Fin, through the hatch. "We''re going to stop there."


    "Is that safe?" Sophia asked.


    "Oh, yes. Despite the landscape and Pyre''s reputation, people are as people here as they are anywhere. Especially in these areas nearer to the border."


    The village was spread out wide, its farms and their fields extending away from the road. The houses were mostly dark stone with thatched roofs, although the tavern was made of wood. The whole place had rather a quaint, old-fashioned air about it.


    "Just passing through, are you?" asked the old tavern owner, as he brought out a plate of pickles and cheese and dense-looking bread.


    "Um, yes," said Sophia. "We''re going to Sufferance."


    "Good luck, then!" said the tavern owner. He chuckled as he walked back inside.


    "He was nice," said Maya, already halfway through a pickle. Sophia picked up a piece of bread and chewed on it, frowning slightly. She''d felt off ever since they''d come into the village¡ªever since they''d come into Pyre, actually, but the feeling was much stronger here. She almost felt as though she was going to be sick, but, no, it was different to that...


    What IS this feeling? she thought. It''s like ... it''s like ... fear? No, more like ... shame? Guilt? Anger? Frustration?


    "Huh, guess Fin was right. Look over there, remind you of anything, Maya?"


    "Oh, that poor boy ... Ash, go and do something."


    "No fear! Ain''t my problem! Besides, it''s like Fin said, this ain''t the kind of place where we should be making ourselves known, yeah? Just keep your head down, act straight, and eat your pickle."


    Sophia had closed her eyes. The feeling, whatever it was, was getting stronger, threatening to overwhelm her now. She felt...


    ...she felt...


    Fear. It WAS fear. Definitely. And pain. She''d been hurt; someone had thrown a rock and it had glanced off her calf. Shame; this is my fault, somehow, this is my fault. Frustration; I can''t do anything to change this. Loneliness; no one is going to help me.


    And ... and now, something else, something ... separate. Something ugly and twisted and cruel, like a horrible little clump of weeds clogging up a drain, slimy and rotten and disgusting. Anger; he''s so WEIRD, he''s so WEEDY, he stinks of vinegar, he wets his pants. Exhilaration; the joy of the rock as it leaves your hand, the thrill of seeing it find its mark. Pride; the congratulating yells and laughter of my friends, the warmth of¡ª


    Sophia gasped as she pulled herself out, normality coming back to meet her in a rush. She looked around at the others, but they were all concentrating on eating. Apparently no one had even noticed her falling into ... whatever it was she''d just fallen into.


    No, Sophia thought, I know what that was, I know exactly what that was. This is what Fin was talking about, sensing energy, sensing emotion, sharing emotion¡ª


    She looked around and quickly spotted the source of the emotions she''d just felt. There was a group of children on the far side of the village, around a dozen of them clustered around something¡ªno, not ''something'', Sophia corrected herself, as she stood and began walking towards them, another child, a boy, the victim of their taunts and cries and thrown rocks.


    "What do you children think you''re doing?" she demanded, when she''d come near enough for them to hear her. "Leave that boy alone!"


    One of the kids, a scruffy boy with dark brown hair, turned and blew a raspberry at her. Other than that, they just continued pushing and pulling at the boy in the middle. Sophia took a breath. She was about to say something else when she felt it once more¡ªemotion and energy all wrapped together, fear and pain and desperation...


    Here it all is, Sophia thought. It wasn''t visual, though that''s how Fin had explained it to her, it was ... it was like when she read. She never saw pictures in her head as she read the words, and she didn''t exactly hear them either. She''d never been able to adequately explain how she experienced the written word, but the closest she''d come was ''flickering ideas hanging in endless white''. That was what she felt now, except they weren''t ideas, they were emotions, the energy of emotions, and she could see them without seeing, she could touch them, she could...


    I can take them, Sophia realised. I just have to ... pull. Yes, pull, that''s as good a word for it as anything, a little tug here and ... now I have a handful of fear and pain and desperation and shame, and frustration, and loneliness.


    What on earth do I do with this?


    Something prickled at Sophia, and she looked over¡ªfor want of a better way to think about it¡ªat the ugly clump of emotional weeds that was the energy of the other children, the bullying children.


    I wonder...


    Sophia stood there, suddenly aware that she was reaching out with her left hand, and aware now also of the sound of confused crying, and she looked around to see that some of the children were running away, others sniffling to themselves, still others openly wailing. One of them was kicking at the ground, a confused look on his face, and one of the girls was just standing there, staring at the boy they''d been picking on.


    The boy himself was also standing still, the look on his face one of befuddled relief. He looked up at Sophia, then he turned and ran away, around the corner of one of the houses and out of sight.


    "What the hell are you doing?"


    Sophia turned to see Ashley standing behind her.


    "I ... I did it!" she said. "I can do it! I could feel everything, all of them, I could feel and I could see ... no, that''s not quite right ... wait ... yes, it IS right! Ashley! I can see you!"


    "Uh-huh. Let''s just get you into the shade."


    "You''re orange!"


    "Yeah, that''s right, I''m orange."


    "And Maya''s blue, Maya! I can see you!"


    "Um¡ª"


    "Ignore her, she''s gone a bit weird."


    "No, I''ve gone a bit right! Don''t you understand, I can¡ªAda! Ada, you''re yellow! Like a really pale yellow!"


    "Uh¡ª"


    "And Lina, you''re ... you''re kind of ... greenish. And Selene! Selene, you''re DEFINITELY puce!"


    "What is wrong with her?"


    "Dunno, let''s just sit her down here, out of the sun."


    "And me! I''m ... I''m ... white! Or blue? Blue-white? Does that make sense?"


    "Yeah, it makes perfect sense, just sit down."


    "Okay. Did you see I got all those kids to stop picking on that other kid? Do you want to know how I did it?"


    "Sure I do."


    "I just made them all feel what he was feeling! It was easy, I just..."


    Sophia trailed off. For a moment she stared straight ahead, then she frowned.


    "I''m ... hungry," she said. "Really hungry. And ... kind of..."


    It turned out to be a good thing that Ashley had forced Sophia to sit, because otherwise she might have hurt herself when she fainted.

 Reverie ~ 3

    "Hey."


    "Yeah, hi."


    Felony sat down beside Kyle, her back against the same rock he was leaning on. It was a nice evening, for Pyre at least, the slowly setting sun shining through the clouds and making everything pinkish.


    "Nice sunset," Felony commented.


    "Yep." Kyle nodded. "Pink."


    "Y''know, usually I''m pretty good at controlling my curiosity," Felony said, with a glance at Kyle. "But I''ve been holding out for over a week now and it''s starting to really bug me."


    "You want to know what''s up with the gourd?"


    "I really want to know what''s up with the gourd."


    Kyle smiled his lazy smile. "You know how Ren can do stuff with lightning? And Talise can do stuff with cold?"


    Felony shivered at the memory this brought up. "Yeah?"


    "I can do stuff with water."


    Felony considered this, then she shook her head.


    "So, what¡ª"


    Kyle pulled the cork out of the gourd, then reached inside and pulled out a stream of water.


    "It''s not as impressive as Ren''s flashy lightning bolts," Kyle said, as he stood and wound the water around himself, "but it works for me."


    Felony stared. Kyle''s movements were lazy and slow, but the sight of the shimmering water winding its way around his body was one of the most beautiful and oddly thrilling sights Felony had seen in her life. It covered him almost completely, like a second set of clothing, a thin layer of water over his chest and arms and legs, leaving his head, hands and feet dry.


    "So ... so..." Felony trailed off, then collected herself and grinned at Kyle. "So, sorry, I mean it looks real nice and all, but I don''t get how this is supposed to help with ... anything. What''s the practical use?"


    Kyle shrugged, the water shifting with the movement of his shoulders. "Why don''t you hit me and see?"


    "You sure you wanna ask for that?"


    Kyle just smiled. Felony grinned as she stood.


    "Okay, your funeral, buddy."


    Felony feinted to the left then darted right, her fist coming up whip-quick to drive into Kyle''s arm.


    There was the sensation of impact, and wetness, and a sharp stinging pain in Felony''s hand where she''d hit Kyle, and then he was flowing as she staggered back, she had just time enough to see him reach out before his hands were around her wrist, holding her firmly, stopping her from falling.


    "You''re good," said Kyle, as he pulled Felony up. "Real quick."


    "Didn''t do me much good this time," said Felony, grinning. "Water armour. That''s the craziest thing I ever heard of. So what else can you do?"


    "Nothing."


    "Can''t throw water at people like arrows or something?"


    Kyle laughed as he carefully wound the water back into the gourd, leaving his skin and clothes completely dry. "Maybe I could, but that sounds like it''d take, y''know, what''s the word ... effort."


    "And putting on that water like some kind of weird suit don''t?"


    "Yeah. Pretty much. I''ve done it so many times that it comes easy to me now. The way I figure it, you got one trick that works, why bother learning more?"


    "Huh. Maybe." Felony watched as Kyle sat down again. "So you''re Harmonian, right? Like Ren."


    "Harmonian? Yes. Like Ren? Big no."


    Felony sat down beside Kyle. "Figured that."


    Kyle glanced over at Felony. "Look, it''s like Talise says, it''s easier just to go along with him, laugh at his stupid jokes, force a smile when he''s acting up¡ª"


    "I get that."


    "Hey, it could be worse. At least we''re not stuck with Edward."


    "Keep hearing that name, what''s so bad about him?"


    "Let me put it this way: Ren thinks Edward is great."


    Felony considered this.


    "Yuck," she said.


    "Yeah." There was no trace of Kyle''s smile now. "Yuck."


    <hr>


    When Sophia opened her eyes, it was to darkness. She almost panicked before rationality kicked in and she realised that this was because she was inside. Inside something moving. Not the carriage; there was a sense of confinement, and the smell of something strong and sweet, and she could sense four horses, strong and sturdy and reliable. Sturdy, Sophia thought. I could use that right now.


    She sat up and bumped her head quite badly against a wooden board.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Ouch!"


    In an instant a rough hand was over her mouth and she was being dragged back down.


    "Hush up," came a whisper from behind her, close to her ear¡ªAshley. "You wanna get us found out?"


    "Sorry," Sophia tried to whisper back, but Ashley''s hand was still over her mouth. She reached up to try and pull it away, and Ashley relented.


    "Sorry," Sophia repeated, in a whisper.


    "We''ll explain later," Ashley whispered. "Just stay quiet for now, yeah?"


    "That could be an impossible request," Ada whispered from nearby. There was the sound of Maya suppressing a giggle, and after that forced silence.


    Wait, Sophia thought, after she''d come to the conclusion that they were, for some reason, in a false partition at the bottom of a cart or large carriage. Four horses. I could sense ... I''m still doing it! I can feel the horses! And the driver, and ... and that''s Fin! Fin is up there, sitting next to the driver, he''s kind of ... he''s the same colour as me! Oh, that''s so wonderful, Fin is the same blue-white colour I am ... and the driver ... is ... is...


    Sophia frowned in the darkness. What colour WAS the driver? It was ... white, but also black. That makes NO sense, Sophia thought. How can something be ''white-black''? Blue-white, yes. White-black? I don''t think so.


    The horses, at least, were clear. They were ... they were ... spiky. No, not spiky, Sophia thought, fascinated by this new experience, they''re ... raw. Wait, that''s not a colour, you can''t have ''raw-coloured horses'', that''s just silly. And yet, that''s CLEARLY what they are. Raw. And kind of ... easy? Smooth? Simple? Just keep putting one hoof after the other, one hoof after the other, eat some oats, one hoof after the oh my goodness I''M READING A HORSE''S MIND!


    Or not, Sophia corrected herself. Fin said that it wasn''t mind reading, not really. It''s more like emotion reading. Actually I might as well be precise about this, it''s energy reading. The energy of the horses, which is currently focused on pulling and eating¡ªoh, and¡ª


    Sophia blushed a little. Let''s just keep away from the horses for now, she thought. Gosh, I''m hungry.


    "Is there any food?" she whispered. After a moment, something hard and rough was pushed into her hand¡ªa loaf of the dense potato bread that they''d eaten at that little village. Sophia bit into it gratefully, chewing hard as she thought about things. That little village, which we''ve now left behind, travelling in a false partition in some kind of horse-drawn vehicle. Fin must have left the carriage and the horses at the village, because ... because they''d be too conspicuous? Maybe because it''d be too hard to get them into Sufferance. Yes, that must be it. He arranged for us to travel secretly by cart. And that''s where we are now, travelling to Sufferance in a cart. That was easy, Sophia thought, as she finished off the loaf. I didn''t need anyone to explain that to me at all.


    It suddenly became dark¡ªdarker than it had been before. Wait ... we''re in a city! All this noise, it''s quieter than Unity but ... but ... but...


    "Sophia." Fin''s voice. "Can you hear me?"


    "Of course I can," Sophia said, sitting up and opening her eyes. Fortunately she was no longer in the secret partition beneath the cart, otherwise she would have bumped her head even more badly than before. She was on a bed, in a large, airy stone building, hay scattered upon the hard dirt floor, high windows letting in a little evening light.


    "Where is this?" Sophia asked, before holding up her hand. "Wait, no, don''t tell me. I''m sure I can figure this out for myself. Is this ... some kind of stable? In Sufferance? Are we here?"


    Fin smiled at her. "Almost correct. It''s a storage silo, currently unused. You''re right about being in Sufferance, though."


    Sophia nodded, satisfied. "Where are the others?"


    "Currently resting in a slightly warmer room next door. For those of us who weren''t unconscious for most of it, the journey was rather tiring."


    "Oh. Um. Is there any¡ª"


    Fin held up a flask of water and a thick cheese sandwich, both of which Sophia received gratefully.


    "I don''t know why," she said, after she''d finished both, "but I''ve just been so hungry lately¡ª"


    Sophia gasped as a wave of energy crushed her, flattened her against the bed, there was too much, all around there was the sound of hundreds of voices, all distinct, filling her with their indecipherable screeching, filling her until she couldn''t take it any more, she didn''t have room inside her for all these disparate voices, and so she began to expand, she could feel her body swelling, her skin stretching and her insides bloating up and tearing and she couldn''t¡ª


    "Sophia."


    She clutched at Fin''s voice, at his energy, it was glowing so beautifully and there was a part of it that glowed towards her, and that doesn''t make sense, Sophia thought, how can something glow towards me, but even as she thought that she glowed back, she glowed towards Fin, and their energies touched¡ª


    "Oh gosh. Oh ... gosh. What..."


    Sophia trailed off, panting for breath. Fin was sitting beside her, on the bed, holding her steady.


    "I take it you''ve discovered how to use some of your abilities," he said, rather dryly, as he removed his arm from her shoulders.


    "It''s ... it''s terrifying," said Sophia. She swallowed. "But so, so amazing at the same time. I''ve never felt ... it''s like I can suddenly ... and when you ... when you pulled me back, just then, I''ve never..."


    "Do you understand what happened?"


    "I think so," said Sophia. "I ... I could feel everyone, hundreds of people, all at once¡ª"


    "You were trying to read an entire city," said Fin. "Not a particularly wise action for one who just today unlocked her ability."


    Sophia nodded, her face serious. "It felt like I was going to explode."


    "Yes. Rather unpleasant, isn''t it? I had a similar awakening. Still, with a little practice you should be able to control these urges. Can you feel the city now?"


    Sophia nodded. "It''s there, but not ... close. Does that make sense?"


    "Mm. That seems like a good way to think about it. Yes, I think that rather suits you. The energy of others is far. Even my energy, though I sit beside you, is far."


    Sophia nodded as understanding came to her. "It''s an issue of separation," she said, her voice calm and precise. "I just have to try to keep the energy ... no, it''s more like ... remembering. I have to remember that I am myself. That others are separate." She looked at Fin. "When we were in the village, I took the fear from a boy and I ... I threw it at the children who were bullying him."


    "Yes, I felt that. Rather impressive, actually."


    "Um, but I ... is that okay? To just ... steal the feelings of someone and force them on someone else?"


    "Well, I think it''s rather up to you to decide that," said Fin. "But certainly, I can''t blame you for wanting to rescue the boy." He smiled at her. "I can''t stand bullies either."


    "No, what I mean is ... it seems so ... unnatural. I really felt like I was taking a part of the boy, even though it was a negative part¡ª"


    "Ah, I see what you mean. As far as I understand things, emotions are surface energy. You can take away a person''s fear, but you cannot take the source of that fear. Do you understand?"


    "You''re saying ... like with Ashley. She''s angry all the time. You don''t need to be able to sense energy to see that. What you''re saying is, I could temporarily take Ashley''s anger, but it wouldn''t change who she was. She''d still get angry again."


    "Perfectly understood, well done."


    Sophia took a breath.


    "I feel ... so ... so special," she said, with an embarrassed little smile. "That I can do this, it''s amazing¡ªthank you, thank you so much for showing me that I have this power, it''s the most..." Sophia trailed off and focused, collecting her thoughts, then she looked straight at Fin, radiating earnestness. "You showed me my path," she said. "You showed me my place in the world. I can''t ever ... I won''t ever forget that. Once again, thank you."


    "You''re very welcome. Now, long periods of unconsciousness can be rather wearying, as I''m sure you now know. It''s late in the evening, and we''ll have an early start tomorrow morning. I think we both could use some rest."


    Sophia nodded.


    "Definitely," she said. "That''s when I''m going to help you get that statue."

 Rescue ~ 1 ~ Absence Of Choice

    ~ Rescue ~


    Absence Of Choice


    "This stupid thing ... what are you trying to tell me? What?"


    Ren laughed at Talise''s frustration.


    "Maybe you ain''t hitting it right," he said. "Give it to me, I''ll jolt some sense into it."


    Talise held the device away from Ren. "Take a step back, please."


    Felony noticed a faint look of irritation cross Ren''s face, but he obeyed Talise''s command and took a step back.


    "Good," Talise said, as Felony paced the alley again. "Thank you."


    It was night, or early morning, really, the sun a few hours from rising. Felony took in a breath, held it, then let it out slowly, watching it dissolve in the light of Kyle''s lamp¡ªthis was a new experience for her, it never got cold enough to see your own breath in Clock Face.


    "It doesn''t seem to be working properly," Talise was saying, frowning down at the device she was holding.


    "Since when has it ever?" said Kyle. "Armand himself said it, half the tubes have never even worked, and with the ones that do it''s mostly guesswork."


    Talise looked up at him, her expression weary but patient.


    "I know exactly which tubes work and which tubes do not work," she said. "Normally I have no trouble whatsoever using this device."


    "Maybe it''s the cold?" Felony suggested, although really she had no idea. She''d never seen the device Talise was holding before, and found herself fascinated by it¡ªit was formed of three interlocking brass rings with a solid gold core. From this core, held in place and protected by the rings, extended six glass tubes. Currently three of the tubes were glowing; the first with a pale white light, which extended a quarter of the way up the length of the tube; the second with an odd, murky kind of orangey purple colour that shifted and changed by the moment; the third pulsing between a dull blueish light and an even duller greenish light.


    Talise shook the device gently.


    "When we first came into the city," she said, "it indicated a strong energy presence. I assumed this meant that the item was particularly powerful. However, now that we''re further inside the city the energy reading has dropped considerably. There''s been a small increase since we got to this meeting spot, but even so it doesn''t make sense. Unless Edward''s message¡ª"


    "Wait, Edward?" spluttered Kyle. "EDWARD is our contact? Hell of a thing not to tell us, Talise!"


    "You didn''t need to know," said Talise. "Really, what difference would it have made? Probably I saved you a lot of stress by not telling you. But, yes, Edward is our contact here, along with Jek. And the girl''s name is Zivah, apparently."


    Felony smiled to herself. She''d had her suspicions about the nature of the ''item'' they were after, and this all-but confirmed them. But then, like Talise had said, what difference did it make?


    "What was that about a message?" she asked.


    "Edward sent me one last night, telling me where he and the item would be," said Talise. "And yet he isn''t here, which makes me nervous. This is a quiet part of the city, but there are still night patrols around, and from all I''ve heard the curfews are very strictly enforced." Talise made a little irritated noise. "Maybe he made a mistake in sending the message, the device isn''t exactly simple¡ª"


    "Now, Talise. Really. When have I EVER made a mistake?"


    Felony turned to see a tall, broad young man stroll into the lamplight. He moved with confidence and grace, and his face was almost absurdly handsome; high cheekbones, strong jawline, bright hazel eyes that held a spark of amusement. His bronze-brown hair was perfectly messy, and his voice was high but masculine.


    He was perfect.


    Yeah, Felony thought. Here we go.


    "Edward!" Ren was already moving forward, the two young men clasping hands and grinning at each other as they slapped each other''s shoulders and did all that alpha-male greeting nonsense. "Bet you''re ready to get the hell outta Pyre, yeah?"


    "Oh, I don''t know," Edward replied. "It''s been rather amusing, actually. Surprisingly so. Variety is the spice of life, so I''ve heard it said."


    "Where''s the girl?" Talise asked, her voice crisp. Edward turned to smile at her.


    "With Jek," he said. "Safe. She''s an odd, mousy little thing, I suppose some people might like that type, personally I prefer a feistier girl. Speaking of which..." he turned his smile on Felony. "You must be Felony. I''m Edward Swift. It''s my honour to meet you."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    He extended his hand. Felony didn''t uncross her arms to take it.


    "Yeah," she said. "Sure."


    Edward laughed, light and musical.


    "You see?" he said, to no one in particular. "Feisty. I could tell as soon as I saw you. That''s an interesting scar you have, under your eye. The crescent moon has called to me/As I lie drifting on the sea, and so forth."


    It''s the voice, Felony thought, as she regarded Edward with wary eyes. That edge of expectation; I have said it so it MUST be true, and important, and wise, and clever. Highborns have it, and so do his type. Handsome and charming enough that he''s never had to work for anything, and so now he expects everything.


    Be very careful of this boy.


    "Could we move this inside?" Felony said. "Kind of chilly out here."


    "Not to me," said Edward, with a sly smile. "Nor to you, dear Talise, I''m quite sure. But for Kyle and Ren and feisty young Felony''s sake, yes, let''s move this little soir¨¦e to my current residence."


    Ugh, Felony thought, but she was careful to show no expression.


    "I''ll be taking Ren with me," said Edward lightly, as he led them through the streets. "To Rosanth. I''m sure he''ll have no objection to that."


    "No way." Ren grinned. "Sounds fun."


    "I thought you''d like the idea. Frankly, although I''ve enjoyed Pyre more than I expected to, all this messing about with magic amulets and the like has grown completely boring. I''m looking forward to something more immediately satisfying. Still, it''s just as well Armand sent me along on this one, I doubt Jek could have handled it alone."


    "Have you cleared that with Mr Garnett?" Talise asked. "That you''re taking Ren with you?"


    Edward laughed pleasantly. "I thought I''d leave that to you, Talise," he said. "I know you do so enjoy that manner of organisational trifle, and you''re far better than I at operating the novel-yet-tedious communication device we''re forced to use."


    Felony noted the way Talise responded to this; a very measured, very controlled breath. Edward didn''t notice, and neither did any of the others.


    "Ah, here we are," Edward said, indicating one small house amongst many. "Ladies first."


    "Yeah, go ahead Blue," said Ren, pushing Kyle forward. Kyle managed a weak laugh before going inside the little house. Talise and Felony followed.


    Inside it was dim, lit with a lamp turned low. Felony saw loose, thick rugs on the floor, a bundle of cloth, a couple of low beds, and the biggest person she''d ever seen in her life.


    His hands, to start with, were massive; he could have held both of Felony''s small hands in his palm. His arms and legs were thick and muscular, as was his chest¡ªwhich was bare. He wore tough linen trousers and stout boots, and a cloak over his absurdly broad shoulders. His hair was long and black, shining dully in the weak light, and his face was square and flat¡ªattractive enough, Felony considered, to those who like the ridiculously masculine look, even though he''s obviously Crovian. How is he not freezing, though?


    "Edward," the big man rumbled. He stood¡ªthe low ceiling was just an inch above his head. "And Talise. It''s good to see you again."


    "Hello, Jek," said Talise. "This is Ren, and Kyle, and Felony."


    Jek nodded at them, then looked at Edward. "Are we leaving now?"


    "Yes, I thought we might. No time like the present! Talise, I leave the ''item'' in your more than capable hands. Kyle, always a pleasure. Felony ... I hope we have the opportunity to work together again. Farewell, my comrades. Ren, Jek, let''s go."


    Felony watched them leave, noting Kyle''s quietly relieved sigh. She exchanged glances with him, then frowned.


    "Wait, where''s¡ª"


    Talise was crouching by the bundle of cloth¡ªa person, Felony realised, a girl, wrapped up in a grey and purple robe.


    "Come on, wake up," said Talise. "It''s all right. We''re here to rescue you."


    Rescue, Felony thought. Well, if we''re taking her away from Pyre, I guess that''s rescuing by default. The girl stirred, then looked up, her light eyes bright but fearful. She had a soft, pretty face, though very thin.


    "Who are you?" she asked, as she pushed herself to her knees. Her Pyrian accent was both thick and soft. "Where''s Jek?"


    "He left already," Talise said. "My name is Talise. You''re Zivah, that''s right?"


    Zivah stared at Talise¡ªno, Felony thought, not ''at'' her. She''s not looking at Talise, she''s looking at the space beside her head.


    "I..." Zivah trailed off and looked down, still kneeling, her hands pressed tight against her legs, the hood of her robe hanging over her face. She''s really skinny, Felony thought. Her arms are barely even there.


    "Are you okay?" Kyle asked. "Do you need help?"


    "You are taking me away from here," Zivah said, her voice coming from within the hood of her robe.


    "That''s right," said Talise, crisply. "We''ll be leaving in the morning, at first light."


    The hood moved. It took Felony a moment to realise that Zivah had nodded.


    "Then I put my trust in you," she said. "Until then?"


    "We wait," said Talise, firmly. She glanced at Kyle and Felony. "You might as well make yourselves comfortable. We''re not going anywhere until the curfew is over."


    "Suits me," said Kyle, sitting down on the floor, his back to the wall. Zivah glanced at him, then she seemed to relax a little¡ªthough with her hood over her face, it was difficult to tell what kind of state she was in. Felony approached Talise, who was standing by the door.


    "Why so cautious?" she asked. "We didn''t see anyone on the way here, and even if we did I''d bet anything I could outrun ''em."


    "Yes," Talise said, turning her cold eyes on Felony. "You could outrun them. And Kyle and I could defend ourselves. However, this girl, Zivah, the entire PURPOSE of our coming here, could not outrun the guards. She could not defend herself. Which means that WE would have to defend her, which in turn raises the risk of her being injured¡ª"


    "All right, all right, I get it. Why''s she so special, anyway?"


    "I have no idea," Talise muttered. "All I know, and all that I need to know, is that Mr Garnett has an interest in her safe delivery to Aylward."


    "Just asking," said Felony, her hands raised. "Don''t need to get all ''professional'' on me."


    "I thought that perhaps you''d appreciate it."


    "Huh?"


    "You also seem to be quite professional," Talise said. "Or have I misjudged you?"


    Felony stared at Talise.


    "Nuh," she said. "I mean, no. You haven''t."


    "Then rest, for now." Talise smiled. "Perhaps later you''ll have cause to run."

 Rescue ~ 2

    Sufferance was a layered city built against the side of a wide hill, white stone buildings jutting out like broken teeth. From the centre of the hill a jagged tongue glistened in the morning light; the One Church. The streets of the city were a jumbled mess of incongruence, massive open areas and grand structures and wide avenues surrounded by cramped mazes of shoddily-built buildings.


    "Dunno if this place is impressive or just messed up," Ashley muttered, as she and the others made their way through the early morning streets. "And where the hell is everyone?"


    "That is an excellent question, young Miss Ashley," said Fin. "I was wondering the same thing myself. Curfew lifted more than half an hour ago. I expected the streets to be quiet, but not deserted. I wonder..."


    "What?" Sophia asked, sensing something in Fin''s tone. "Is something happening?"


    "One explanation does spring to mind," said Fin. "Public executions are traditionally held in the morning. This could be an example of fortuitous timing. If everyone is distracted¡ª"


    "What? How can you say that?" It was Ada that spoke. Everyone turned to look back at her; she''d stopped walking. "If someone''s being executed, how can you call that ''fortuitous''?"


    "I simply meant that it will serve as an excellent distraction¡ª"


    "Distraction? That''s ... I can''t believe¡ªI thought you wanted to help people!"


    "Indeed, I do. But there are people executed every day in this country, and I have long resigned myself to the fact that I cannot save everyone. I apologise for my apparent callousness, but at this time I have a single priority; the safety of all of you. In order to ensure that safety I must retrieve the statue. And if the appalling and lamentable execution of what is most likely an innocent person can serve to help me achieve my goal then, yes, I will use that tragic event to my own ends. I admire your spirit, Miss Hasard, you know this. But put aside your feelings for a moment, and instead apply that logical mind of yours."


    Ada stared at Fin. Then she pursed her lips tightly and started walking again.


    "Very well," she said. "I understand your logic." She glanced at him as she passed, anger in her amber eyes. "But I do NOT endorse it."


    "Nor would I want you to," Fin murmured. He raised his voice. "Come now, let''s all of us increase our pace. I believe¡ª"


    Fin stopped dead, Selene and Sophia both nearly running into his back.


    "What is it?" Selene asked, her words quick and sharp.


    "The statue. I feel it! But, no, I must not excite myself¡ªbut YES, without doubt, without question, that signature is unmistakeable, there is not a trace of¡ª"


    "Yeah, okay, we get it, you''re excited," said Ashley. "Calm down and just tell us where the stupid thing is."


    Fin tipped his hat to Ashley as he walked forward, stopping at the end of the street to point his cane straight at the massive dark building that dominated the city.


    "The One Church," he proclaimed, and he began along a new street, the others trailing behind him. "If I''m correct then we can simply follow this street around that large square up ahead, and ... ah."


    Fin had turned a corner, and the square had come into view.


    It was filled with people. Hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, the focus of their attention a raised stone platform near the middle of the square. Upon this platform stood a man dressed in red and white robes, who paced and gesticulated wildly, his shouted words indistinct at this distance. Behind him there was a heavy wooden gallows.


    "Selene, is he saying anything of import?" Fin asked.


    "Just the usual Pyrian nonsense." Selene opened her eyes. "You were right. There''s going to be an execution. Of a demon, apparently."


    "Hm." Fin looked out over the square and the streets surrounding it. "Selene, once more I ask for your aid, is there a clear route to the church from here?"


    "To the right, behind those buildings, there are several alleys and streets. It looks like they lead straight up to the church. Although..."


    As Fin and Selene continued discussing the route they should take, Sophia and Ada were staring down at the square. The crowd was eerily silent, the only sound being the shouting of the priest¡ªtwo priests, now, the second shorter and even louder than the first.


    "Selene," said Sophia. "What''s that second priest saying?"


    "Same as the first. Demons, holy fire, blessed punishment."


    There was a sudden stirring in the crowds¡ªthe people were parting, to let a small group through. Four large figures in heavy armour surrounded a single boy, perhaps in his early teens, escorting him through the crowd. The boy was wearing nothing but a loincloth, but he walked without shame.


    "This is awful," Sophia muttered, as the boy was led on to the platform, to stand before the priests as they shouted even louder¡ªshe could almost hear what they were saying.


    "¡ªdecided. Come along now, all of you."


    "No," said Sophia and Ada, almost together. They glanced at each other, then Ada stepped forward.


    "Mr Fin," she said, her voice slightly shaky. "I know, intellectually, that this kind of punishment is carried out every day here in Pyre, just as I know, intellectually, that all over the world there are horrible things happening every minute. But there''s a difference between knowing that terrible things are happening and being here, RIGHT HERE, and SEEING it, and KNOWING that I might be able to do something to stop it¡ª"


    Ada was interrupted by Sophia gasping.


    "I felt that!" she said. "Mr Fin, did you feel that? He''s like us! That boy is like us!"


    They turned to look at the square¡ªone of the priests was standing behind the boy, holding something long and dark, shouting hysterically.


    "They attempted to brand him," Fin muttered. He looked at Sophia. "It''s remarkable that you could sense¡ª"


    "We don''t have time for compliments!" Sophia said. "They''re about to kill him, we have to¡ª"


    Sophia''s face went pale as the screaming began, horrible, agonised screams that were clear even at this distance.


    "They''re drawing him," Fin murmured, his face almost as pale as Sophia''s.


    "How do you¡ª"


    "You don''t forget how that sounds," Fin said, interrupting Ada. He took a breath. "There is nothing¡ª"


    "Lina." Sophia turned to look at the girl, who recoiled. "Lina, this is your ability, your power, you can heal him! Even if he''s¡ª"


    "No. No, I can''t, I couldn''t, please don''t ask me¡ª"


    "You can! You have to!"


    "No, I can''t." Lina was almost crying now, scrunching her hands into the thick fabric of her dress. "I can''t, I''ll just make things worse¡ª"


    "Lina," Sophia said, her voice firm, holding the girl''s gaze with her own. "Listen to me. That boy has had his stomach cut open. He''s in agony now, you can HEAR that, there is NOTHING you could do to him to make that worse. At the very least you could take his pain away, even that would be worth fighting for."


    "Lina." The voice was Maya''s, small but serious. "My arm is still okay."


    Lina stared at Maya, then looked back at Sophia.


    "But ... but I''m scared," she said.


    "Well I''m completely terrified," Sophia said, "but I''m not going to let that stop me."


    She turned to look down again. The boy, still screaming, was being carried towards the gallows. "We have to get to him," she muttered. "How can we ... I need someone to come with me."


    "Me," said Ada firmly. "I can stun anyone who tries to stop us."


    "Too late," Ashley said. "They got the noose around his neck. Ain''t much you can do with that."


    "No." Fin''s gaze was on the gallows. "They intend to choke him, not snap his neck. He may well live for several more minutes."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Then we can do it!" Sophia thought hard for a second. "Selene! You can¡ªyou''re amazing with your bow, do you think you could send an arrow through that rope?"


    Selene nodded and, with a glance at Fin, went to move away.


    "Where are you going?"


    "From this angle," Selene said, a note of irritation in her voice, "any arrows I sent through the rope would also go through the crowd."


    "Okay, good, fine, let''s just go, QUICKLY!"


    Sophia grabbed Lina by the arm and managed to drag her into walking. Ada too was at her side, her glasses already off, entrusted to Fin.


    "Sophia."


    Sophia turned to look back at Fin. He smiled at her.


    "I will see you later."


    Sophia nodded, then she was away, the last she heard of the others being Ashley saying, "What''s this about your arm?", and then she and Ada and Lina were flying down through the streets, at the side of the square in what seemed like an instant, and there was the platform...


    ...and there were the people crowding the square...


    ...and there were the guards, with their heavy armour and their shining swords...


    There are too many people here, Sophia thought, hopelessness rising up inside her to mix with the fear and desperation she already felt, hundreds of people, thousands, and those guards have weapons and armour, and we can''t do this, we''re just three unarmed girls, does it matter if we''ve got powers? Not against these numbers!


    "Sophia!" Ada hissed. "What do we do?"


    I don''t know. I don''t know. There are too many people, what can we do?


    Well, Sophia thought firmly to herself, we can be rational for a start. We can¡ª


    Except no, that''s entirely the wrong way to look at it. Be irrational. Be scared and confused. And then take all of those things and just ... just...


    Suddenly Sophia was aware like she''d never been aware before, of herself, and of Ada and Lina beside her, Ada glowing a faint yellow, Lina a dull green, and her own hands were that beautiful bluish-white, and filling the square was a white-blackness with flickers of colour, and the boy hanging from the rope was a fading orange that flowed like steam away from his body.


    Most of all Sophia was aware of her own fear, her own doubt, her own indecision, her own despair, and she scooped all of these up like a cupped handful of water and she hurled them into the crowd.


    Chaos.


    But a kind of uniquely Pyrian internal chaos.


    The crowd was made up of people who had been ruled by fear their entire lives, who had always been told ''DO NOT BE DIFFERENT'', who had absorbed this into the very core of their beings, who, when faced when something they did not understand, simply...


    Froze.


    Hundreds of people, all totally and utterly frozen, paralysed with fear and confusion and most of all the horrible, overriding knowledge that if they did anything, ANYTHING that could be considered different or wrong then it would be THEM on that platform.


    "GO!" screamed Sophia, and she was dragging Lina once more, pushing through the crowds, Ada just ahead of her, and there was a man that stood before them who would not move so Ada raised her hand and there was a small crack and he was on the ground, unconscious, and people in the crowd were beginning to recover now, so Sophia once more tried to gather her own fears but that was no good, she wasn''t afraid now, not one bit¡ªbut Lina was, and so was Ada, so she took their fears from them and sent them out into the crowd, so that once more they were frozen¡ª


    But the guards were not ruled by fear, they USED fear, and their reaction to Sophia''s emotional attack was not to freeze, their reaction was to growl and advance on her, pushing the people in the crowd roughly aside to get to her, their swords held at the ready¡ª


    Their shining, metal swords.


    Ada raised her hands and the nearby guards yelled, and their swords fell to the ground, and she concentrated and again there was a tiny crack and a bright flash and the guards followed their swords down, all of their heavy armour no defence at all against Ada''s lightning, and then they were at the platform, Sophia was pulling Lina up the steps, and Ada was behind, her face pale, her breathing heavy, sweat clear on her forehead, and one of the priests was standing before Sophia, a long knife held in his hand, but she tugged the fear this caused out of herself and threw it in his face, and while he was momentarily confused and stunned she grabbed at his wrist and got the dagger away from him, sending it clattering over the platform, and then she shoved him, as hard as she could, and he went staggering, teetered at the edge then fell to the ground below, and the crowds of people surrounding were recovering now, surging towards the platform, and there was another crack and another flash and Sophia turned to see the other priest lying sprawled beneath the gallows, Ada standing over him¡ª


    The gallows. The boy! He wasn''t screaming now, hadn''t been for some time, but that was because he was unconscious¡ªnot dead, Sophia could still see his energy, that dark orange, though now it was streaming away from his body frighteningly fast.


    "Lina! Get him down!"


    Even as Sophia said this there was an odd tearing sound and the rope split, and she had just enough time to think ''Selene, Selene''s arrow'' before it snapped completely, but Lina was there, her strong arms catching the boy, and then Sophia was there to help her, guiding the boy down, and Ada too, beside them both, and there was blood, there was so much blood everywhere, and Sophia felt nausea rising inside her¡ªbut before it could overwhelm her she ripped it out and threw it against the crowd, and she saw Lina''s face was pale and her eyes were wide and she reached inside her, too, and took the terror and horror and guilt she found and that went into the crowd as well, but it was harder now, it was so much harder, even finding the emotions was difficult¡ªforget that, Sophia told herself, just concentrate, what are we doing here? We''re saving this boy. Lina is saving this boy. All I have to do is give her time...


    Sophia stepped forward, standing solidly in the centre of the platform, her arms thrust out in front of her.


    "Lina," she said, her voice tightly controlled. "Heal him. I''m holding the crowd. Please hurry."


    Lina was staring at the boy''s wound, a neat X cut across his stomach, so similar to the wound that had killed Adam, almost exactly the same, really there was no difference, no difference at all¡ª


    "Lina!" Ada said from beside her. "You have to do something!"


    "I can''t," Lina whispered, still staring at the wound.


    "Please hurry!" Sophia called, shaking now, her face shiny, the desperation in her voice overcoming her control. "I can''t do this for long!"


    "You have to do this NOW, Lina! We can''t wait, Sophia can''t wait!"


    "No," Lina said. "It''s the same. It''s the same."


    Ada felt like throttling the girl. "The same as what?"


    But then she knew. Despite her exhaustion and thirst, Ada''s mind was still working. Healed, but died. Cut in the stomach.


    "Lina," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, horribly aware of the hundreds of people frozen behind her, "I don''t think this is the same. You healed someone, they were cut like this, through the stomach, the intestines, but you healed them?"


    Lina managed to nod. "But¡ª"


    "But then they died¡ªLina, that was different, that was blood poisoning, are you listening to me? This boy''s abdomen has been sliced open but it''s just the skin, his intestines have been drawn out but they haven''t been cut, do you understand? You just have to push them back inside him and heal him and then I PROMISE you that HE WILL LIVE."


    "No, I don''t¡ª"


    Ada took a deep breath, then took hold of the boy''s guts and pushed them inside his body. It''s just like frogs, she told herself, it''s just like mice, it''s just the scale that''s different, it''s just like dissection except in reverse, this is unpleasant but tolerable, unpleasant but tolerable¡ª


    "HURRY!" came Sophia''s desperate voice. "PLEASE!"


    Lina was still staring at the boy''s stomach, at the line of his cuts.


    "Lina!" Ada shouted at her. "Heal him! JUST HEAL HIM!"


    And the world shrank.


    He was dying. Lina could see that clearly. His life was leaving him, his heart was slowing, he was so close to death, so close...


    But he wasn''t there yet.


    Lina reached towards the boy, reached inside the boy, and she pulled. He was unconscious, but the pain was still there, dark and pulsing and spiked, and she took it out of him and into herself, felt it writhe and twist as she tamed it, bullied it into a tiny black ball that sat neatly in her gut.


    And his stomach, Lina thought. His stomach shouldn''t look like that...


    Ada stared as Lina held her hands against the boy''s stomach, as the blood remained but the wound disappeared, the edges of the cuts joining themselves together, leaving nothing but a pale white X. Lina lowered her hands, and then she sighed.


    "Lina, I can''t carry him, you have to¡ª"


    Lina was already reaching out, her hands gathering up the boy, her thick arms supporting his weight apparently without effort. Ada let out a relieved breath, then she turned just in time to see Sophia sway and fall.


    "Sophia!" Ada cried, running forward, just managing to catch her before her head hit against the platform, but she wasn''t strong and she wasn''t big and catching Sophia sent her off balance¡ªshe managed to recover, but even the thought of carrying her¡ª


    Ada almost cried in relief as Sophia''s eyes opened and she managed to push herself up.


    "I''m not holding them," Sophia said, her voice weak but clear. "Ada, we have to run!"


    As if this was some kind of signal the square exploded into noise, unbelievable noise, the noise of hundreds of voices suddenly raised in long-sought release, all confusion and fear forgotten, chased away by a single, overriding emotion:


    Anger.


    The nearest were a dozen metres from the platform but that distance was closed quickly, some individuals stumbling, others falling, but the crowd as a whole kept surging forward.


    Lina was already running, desperate focus in her grey eyes as she headed towards the edge of the square, her arms tight around the boy as she held him draped over her shoulder. Ada hurriedly helped Sophia to her feet, grabbing her by the hand as she started to run, but the crowds were close, grasping for her, clutching at her, and she couldn''t¡ª


    The people surrounding them suddenly fell back, the surge of panic Sophia had sent out almost palpable. Ada staggered then found her feet as she ran harder, tugging at Sophia''s wrist, pulling the girl forward even as her legs failed her and she stumbled.


    "Ada!"


    Ada gasped as a guard loomed over her, but her hand was up and she felt something squirm inside her chest as a precise spark jumped to his helmet. She ran around him as he crashed to the ground, then shrieked as she saw a sword coming at her from above¡ªwithout thinking she thrust both hands out, screaming as a surge of power flowed through her and then out. The sword scraped against Ada''s shoulder but with no strength behind the blow, the guard''s chest armour was scorched and bent and he was falling, and Ada reached back as Sophia desperately reached forward and their hands clasped together once more, and the way ahead was clear¡ª


    No. It wasn''t. Two more guards were running into the square ahead of them, and one of them pointed and shouted, and despite her growing exhaustion Ada raised her hand again¡ª


    The guard who had pointed clutched at his arm, from which an arrow had suddenly sprouted, and the other guard grunted and fell, an arrow through his chest, and now the path ahead WAS clear and Ada and Sophia both ran as hard as they could, the crowds were closing in but too slow, too slow...


    Lina was lost, her path cluttered and crowded, and she had no way to defend herself as those around her closed in, their hands grasping at her, and she staggered and fell to one knee, her arms still tight around the boy, and she was being caught, she was being held¡ª


    Pain rose within her, rose out of her, and those who had been clutching at her screamed and fell back, writhing in agony, and Lina pushed herself up, and once more the hands were coming for her but once more the pain inside her rose, and her scream joined that of those around her as she pushed forward, her feet hammering against the ground as she ran, and she had momentum now, she had focus, she had a clear path ahead; there was an alleyway, she could see it clearly, and that''s where she headed, the boy''s weight across her shoulder nothing, the hands clutching at her nothing, and she ran, there was nothing that could stop her and she ran...

 Rescue ~ 3

    Maya looked up at the distant noise, the roar of many voices joined in anger.


    "That sounds so awful," she murmured. "I hope they''re okay."


    "They''re fine," Fin murmured. "The boy lives, also."


    "Oh," said Maya. She looked around; they were all clustered at the bottom of a stone staircase, standing before a very heavy and very securely locked wooden door. "Ash, are YOU okay?"


    "Fine," Ashley grunted. She was holding her hand an inch from the door, concentrating as much heat as she could summon into the lock. "This tough bloody wood''s harder to burn than the damn metal."


    Maya gasped at the sound of footsteps above, then breathed a sigh of relief as Selene appeared.


    "They all got away, but they ran in different directions," she said. "Lina had the boy, Sophia and Ada were together."


    "I suppose that can''t be helped," said Fin. "I''m just relieved that they''re all unhurt."


    "Sophia didn''t look good," Selene said. "Not injured, but she pushed herself too hard."


    Fin considered this, frowning. Then he shook his head.


    "There''s little we can do for them now. We''ll reunite later, for now we must concentrate on the task before us¡ª"


    "Got it," said Ashley. The lock was a molten mess, the wood around it charred and blackened.


    "Well then," Fin said, with a smile at Ashley, "let''s venture inside, shall we?"


    <hr>


    "Sophia, stop!"


    Sophia slowed, then stopped completely. Her entire body was aching, her head felt too tight, and she kept seeing flashes of colour.


    "We''re nearly at the edge of the city," Ada said, breathless and hoarse, her face shiny with sweat. "We have to, to think about how we''re going to get back to the others¡ªand Lina and the boy, I don''t know where they went¡ª"


    "I do," Sophia said. "They''re somewhere..." she waved an arm vaguely. "And the others, and you..." She frowned. "No, you''re standing right here. And ... I don''t..."


    Sophia trailed off, frowning.


    "What is it?" Ada asked. "Is something wrong?"


    "I feel ... something ... really familiar, but I don''t know what it is," Sophia said. "It''s so weird, it''s like I should know what this feeling is, but I don''t, and that''s like ... like an itch I can''t scratch. Maybe I''m just spent from holding that crowd for so long."


    "That was amazing," said Ada. "How did you do that?"


    "I don''t know. When I was standing there it just seemed so ... obvious. But I still can''t¡ª"


    Sophia looked up at the sound of rapid footsteps.


    "Guards," Ada said.


    Without a destination in mind, with no plan other than to get away, both girls ran.


    <hr>


    Lina stopped running as soon as she realised that she had no idea where she was.


    Which should be obvious, she thought, as she looked around the tall alleyway she found herself in. I''ve never been here before. I''ve barely been to a city at all before. I''m just an ordinary girl from a nothing little village. What am I doing here?


    "Now what?" she mumbled, miserably. "Now what do I do?"


    I''ve lost the others, she thought. I don''t know where I am, I don''t know where to go, I don''t even know¡ª


    Lina heard a sharp crack, and the question of what to do suddenly became completely irrelevant.


    <hr>


    Fin led the others through narrow little twisty corridor after narrow little twisty corridor, the only light coming from a tiny lantern he happened to have.


    "How the hell do you know which way to go?" Ashley asked, after they''d turned a corner into yet another twisty little corridor. Fin just glanced back at her with a knowing look.


    "It''s creepy in here," Maya whispered to Ashley, as they made their way down a particularly long twisty little corridor. Ashley couldn''t argue, the stone walls were high but the corridors were narrow, and the carvings along the sides, while abstract and not depicting anything specifically horrific, had a definite air of menace about them. Every so often they passed old dark wooden doors, covered in dust and cobwebs.


    "Here," said Fin, firmly, after stopping in front of one particular door, perhaps with slightly less dust and cobwebs covering it. "Ashley, if you please."


    It didn''t take as long to burn through this lock, but by the time she had Ashley was breathing heavily and beginning to sweat.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Hope there ain''t too many more doors between us and this statue," she said.


    "There aren''t," Fin replied, as he used his cane to lever the door open, Selene now holding the lantern. "The statue is in this room."


    It turned out to be a narrow storage area, the walls lined with shelves, and the shelves filled with junk. There was no other word for it, broken shards of old pottery and scraps of metal and mouldy wooden bowls and other such rubbish, dull and dirty and seemingly valueless. Many of the shelves were covered over with long red and white cloths, and everything was covered in dust.


    "Packrats, Pyrians are," Fin said happily, as he peered and prodded and poked. "You wouldn''t think it, but those in charge hate to throw anything away, especially reminders of how things were. Still, it''s useful for us, it means¡ªhello, what do we have here?"


    Fin yanked a sheet off a shelf, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. He gestured for Selene to come closer with the lantern, then plucked something small off the shelf.


    "Aha!" he said.


    "If that puny thing''s the statue then I''m real disappointed," said Ashley.


    "Not the statue, but an unexpected bonus. Here, take a look."


    He held the object up in the lantern''s light¡ªit was a wooden ring, thick and smooth, with a simple spiral design carved into it. After the others had gotten a good look at it, Fin turned to Selene and held the ring out to her.


    "A gift," he said, and she took it. "For my very first student. A reminder that, no matter what happens, you will always be special to me."


    Selene stared at Fin.


    "Uh," she said. "Uh ... thank you. I ... I don''t know ... thank you."


    Ashley sniggered.


    "Put it on," said Fin. "Does it fit?"


    "It''s a little tight," said Selene, as she pushed it on to her finger. "But not uncomfortable."


    "I''m pleased," said Fin. "Maya, could you possibly hand me that shard of pottery on the shelf next to you? Mind you don''t cut yourself. Thank you."


    Fin examined the shard for a moment, then he turned and hurled it at Selene''s face.


    Maya cried out.


    Ashley stared, shocked.


    There was a short, sharp gust of wind, and then the sound of the shard falling to the stone floor.


    Selene stood, her hand raised reflexively before her face, ready to catch the shard¡ªbut it had never reached her.


    "Forgive me," said Fin. "I have such a juvenile love of theatrics at times. That ring is an artefact, similar to the statue we will soon hold in our collective hands, though not nearly as powerful. It has the energy of an air user bound to it, something of a defensive item; it can create a short, strong gust of air, a shield of sorts."


    Selene was gazing at the ring, her eyes bright.


    "I''m sure you''ll have fun experimenting with it," Fin said, with a chuckle. "Ada might be interested in helping you with that, once we are reunited. Now¡ª"


    "Sorry, just gotta ask about this," said Ashley. "You said air user, you mean that ring''s got someone''s, what ... their soul in it?"


    "Not ... quite," said Fin. "Although in a certain sense I suppose that''s accurate. You must first understand that it is possible to separate the energy from a person''s body. The process is agonisingly painful and invariably ends with said person''s death. In the old times, before the Devastation, many artefacts were created in this manner; draw the energy from a person, and infuse it into an item such as that ring. Air and pure energy users especially were commonly sacrificed in this way, perhaps the reason they''re now so very rare."


    Maya''s eyes were wide.


    "That''s horrible!" she said.


    "Of course, not all artefacts were created involuntarily," Fin continued smoothly. "If an energy user was dying¡ªof causes natural or otherwise¡ªthey could, with the help of a pure energy user, choose to infuse an item with their essence. I suppose it''s a form of immortality. They live eternally within the object, in order to give strength to others."


    "But ... but ... so..." Maya seemed almost in a state of panic. "So they''re trapped in the thing forever?"


    "No, it''s not quite like that," said Fin, reassuringly. "Some ... emotion remains, echoes of personality perhaps, but no consciousness."


    "Huh," said Ashley. "Almost wish I didn''t ask, now. Dunno if I got this right, but you''re saying that ring Princess is wearing''s got feelings?"


    "Something like that," said Fin.


    "It must be so lonely," Maya said, her sad gaze on Selene''s new ring.


    "Not at all," Fin said. "Presently there is a sense of ... not happiness, exactly, but satisfaction, anticipation, perhaps a little nervousness¡ªas I said, faint traces, but detectable."


    Maya blinked at Fin, then looked at Selene''s ring again, then back at Fin, her brow just slightly creased. "So ... so the person''s okay? The person they made that ring out of?"


    "In a manner of speaking," said Fin, slowly. "It''s easier to bind the energy of a person to an item they''re familiar with so it''s likely this ring was a treasured possession of the air user, there are feelings of comfort there ... really, I can''t say anything, I don''t know if this item was created through sacrifice or self-sacrifice, so to speak, but ... well, I don''t personally have any belief in an afterlife, and to continue to help others even after my life had ended, the idea does hold some small attraction. But I digress. To answer your question as plainly as I am able, young Miss Maya, the energy in that ring is not unhappy, not at all."


    Ashley had been thinking while Fin talked. "So this statue¡ª"


    "The statue has the energy of many, many people within it," said Fin, poking at a line of small pottery vases with his cane. "Part of the reason it has such a powerful and distinct signature. The very signature that is coming from ... here!"


    The tip of Fin''s cane shot out, to catch a crumpled sheet and whip it off the shelf it covered, revealing...


    Nothing.


    Fin gaped, and then frowned, and then gaped a little more.


    "What?" he said. He stepped forward and ran his hands over the shelf, then he turned and crouched down to pick up the sheet he''d just whipped off. He shook it out, then turned it over, then turned it over again, and then he stood once more, and he looked back at the shelf. "What?"


    "Problem, Finny?"


    "It should be here," he said, genuine puzzlement in his voice. "I can feel it, the shape of the statue IS here, and yet..."


    For a long moment Fin just stared, at the spot where the statue should have been. Then his expression changed.


    "No," he said, his voice low. "No, of course, but no! Someone has beaten us to the punch! The statue WAS here, of that I am absolutely certain, it was stored here for, oh ... at least a decade. But recently..."


    Fin trailed off, staring back at the shelf, his eyes wild.


    "How recently?" he muttered, running his hand over the dusty surface. "Perhaps a month, perhaps half a year ... no more than that, certainly..."


    Fin whirled on Selene.


    "Less than six months ago," he said. "Less than six months ago somebody else came here and took the statue ... or it was moved ... but no, why leave it here for more than a decade and then ... and no again, because I cannot feel it, nowhere in this city could it be, it was taken, it was taken away from here, but to where? We have no way of knowing. We have no way of finding out."


    Fin stared at Selene.


    "Here," he said. "At this place. It is here the trail runs cold..."

 Revenant ~ 1 ~ The Long Goodbye

    ~ Revenant ~


    The Long Goodbye


    It was dark, but there was a flickering light nearby. Dull oranges and reds.  Fire. No, not just a fire. An absurdly huge fire. The heat of it was overpowering, and Lina turned to move away¡ª


    I''m standing, she thought. But I can''t move. Why is that?


    She became aware of a dryness in her mouth and throat, and a mild discomfort against her back, and¡ª


    I''m tied to a tree. My arms¡ªand my legs, too, I''m tied to a tree by my arms and legs and there''s a fire in front of me and ... people.


    Two people. Sitting beside the fire and talking. What are they saying? I can''t hear, they''re talking too low. But they''re close! Just a few metres away, I should be able to understand them, why can''t I?


    Wait. There, beside me, someone else is tied to another tree. The boy I rescued. He''s tied to a tree beside me. What''s going on here?


    An odd sound caught Lina''s attention¡ªstone against metal, she thought, and there, beyond the fire, sitting some distance away, was a hulking figure, all black and flickering red, holding something in his huge hands, movements rhythmic and repetitive as he¡ª


    Axe, Lina thought, as she saw the flicker of flames on steel. Really big axe. He''s sharpening it.


    "Oh good," came a smooth voice, from somewhere in front of Lina. "She''s awake."


    Lina focused on the two figures now standing in front of the fire. They were both tall and broad, differentiated mostly by the way they moved. The one behind swaggered. The one in front glided.


    "I''m surprised it took you so long to regain consciousness," said the gliding one. "You''ve missed the whole day! Perhaps our Ren gave you a little too much of a zap? Never mind. You''re awake now, and that''s all that really matters. I couldn''t help but notice you, back in the city, I knew I simply had to meet you. You see, my little friend here told me that you were rather special."


    Lina tried to focus on the item the young man held up for her¡ªshe saw metal and glass and not much else. He lowered it again.


    "Don''t tell anyone I have that, by the by, it''s supposed to be a secret. There''s a certain someone in my life who would be more than a little unhappy to find out that I possessed such a toy. But, oh, where are my manners? I haven''t even introduced myself yet. I shall do so now, then."


    He smiled at Lina, a perfect smile on a perfect face.


    "My name is Edward Swift."


    <hr>


    Felony stood flattened against the wall of the alley, listening hard.


    "They''re gone," she said. "Just like WE should be. Why the HELL are we still in this city, Tal? What was all that last night, ''reduce the risk'', what the HELL is going on here?"


    "Calm yourself." Talise was gazing down at her energy detection device. "There is a definite presence within this city, quite close to us and getting closer."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Probably Ren and the others," said Kyle.


    "No," Talise said. "They left the city this morning. I received a message from Edward, it was slightly garbled but understandable enough. He indicated that there are other energy adepts here. I want to meet them."


    "What?" Kyle said. "WHY?"


    "Because Mr Garnett would be very happy if we returned with more than one new asset. Also because I''m curious." Talise smiled thinly. "You know I enjoy meeting new people." She looked down at the device again. "It seems to be a small group ... or one exceptionally powerful individual."


    "Don''t know which sounds worse," Kyle muttered. "Zivah, are you okay?"


    The Pyrian girl was standing near the alley wall, holding her robes tight around her body, shivering slightly.


    "I''m frightened," she said.


    "It''s okay, girl," said Felony. "We''re getting outta this dump soon. Just gotta indulge the curiosity of a certain ''professional'' first."


    "Just what are you implying?" Talise asked. "I don''t believe that¡ª"


    She stopped at the sound of approaching footsteps.


    "All of you, with me, now," she commanded, as she walked briskly towards the alley entrance. Felony shook her head as she followed, Kyle staying close to Zivah. Talise was first out of the alley, though she froze in place as soon as she emerged on to the street. There was a tall girl with straight black hair and stern dark eyes standing in the middle of the road, a bow held in her hands, the string taut, an arrow notched and aimed at Talise''s heart. Behind her was a rather dapper gentleman wearing a dark suit and top hat, a black cane in his hand and a rapier at his side. Beside him were two girls. One was of average height and build, though she stood like she was twice the size she actually was, with short brownish hair and light brown eyes. The other was small, with a pretty face framed by thick black hair. She was hiding behind the bigger girl.


    "Is this them?" the girl with the bow asked.


    "Yes," said the gentleman with the hat. "Undoubtedly." He raised his voice, addressing Talise: "I''d advise you not to move¡ªthat goes for you behind as well, the Harmonian lad and the Pyrian girl, and you too ... hm." He smiled at Felony. "You''re rather interesting, aren''t you?"


    "You really think this is the time to be talking about how interesting these guys are?" said stands-like-she''s-ten-feet-tall.


    "Perhaps not," the gentleman admitted. "In any case, I wonder what it is you''re doing here. Are you with the Pyrian authorities? Some manner of specialists?"


    Felony laughed. "Do we LOOK like any kind of authority?"


    "Felony," Talise growled, warningly. She fixed her eyes on the gentleman. "You''re a pure energy adept. Correct?"


    "Goodness, I''m impressed," said the gentleman. "Especially considering that you, rather obviously, are not. Yes, I happen to be a pure energy user¡ªah, you asked the Pyrian girl? Before you emerged from the alley? But, no ... perhaps not. How interesting. Why are you in Pyre?"


    "I''m not telling you," said Talise, her voice shaking only slightly.


    "This arrow is aimed at your heart," said the girl with the bow. "It wouldn''t take much to put it there."


    "I know that," said Talise. "Even so, I won''t tell you why we''re here."


    "Loyalty?" the gentleman asked. "Or something else?"


    "Let''s call it professionalism," said Talise. The gentleman smiled.


    "As good a word as any."


    "Why are you here?" Talise asked.


    "I could tell you," the gentleman said, "but I''m not going to. Partly because there is a group of rather angry guards getting nearer by the second, but mostly because I suspect that you and I, Miss Ice, are working at cross-purposes, something that rather saddens me. For now I bid you farewell. I would wish you luck, but again, I suspect that I would disagree with your goals. Selene? We depart."


    Felony watched as the group disappeared down the street, the girl with the bow keeping it trained on Talise until she was out of sight.


    There was a moment of silence, then Talise breathed out in relief.


    "Curiosity satisfied?" asked Felony. "Guess you''re not so icy after all, huh?"


    "Shut up," Talise said, glaring at Felony. "I just had an arrow aimed at my heart by, I''m almost certain, a perception adept. It wasn''t pleasant."


    Talise took another deep breath, then let it out slowly.


    "Um, are we getting out of here now?" Kyle asked. Talise ignored him.


    "Felony," she said, without looking at her. "I hear you''re the best courier ever to come out of Clock Face."


    "Yeah, so?"


    Talise smiled coldly.


    "I have a task for you."

 Revenant ~ 2

    Warmth. Gentle, flickering light, dancing over the leaves and the earth and the rocks, painting them all in countless shades of red and yellow and orange.


    "¡ªsimply had to meet you. You see, my little friend here told me that you were rather special."


    Voices. Voices interrupting the complex perfection of the fire''s light.


    "Don''t tell anyone I have that, by the by, it''s supposed to be a secret."


    Words. Useless, pointless words.


    Shock. Realisation. This is the Judging Place. It exists! Despite my doubt I have come here! Finally, finally I can¡ª


    "There''s a certain someone in my life who would be more than a little unhappy to find out that I possessed such a toy."


    Further realisation. Deeper shock. This is not the Judging Place. This is the forest outside of Sufferance. These are not Judges. These are normal people.


    Somehow, I am not dead.


    Somehow, I am alive.


    "But, oh, where are my manners? I haven''t even introduced myself yet. I shall do so now, then."


    Memories, then. Of faces. Of voices. These voices said words that were not useless. Sometimes the words were not important, but rather what lay behind the words. Beyond them.


    Naz''s head rolled to the left. He could see everything. The two men. The girl, tied to a tree. I know her, he thought. That is the girl who met me when I was dead, the girl who showed me the way back.


    Why is she tied to a tree?


    Why am I tied to a tree?


    Something is very wrong here.


    "My name is Edward Swift."


    The girl was silent. From somewhere her name came to Naz: Lina.


    "Come now," said the man with useless words; Edward. "I was expecting more of a reaction than that. What''s your name?"


    Lina didn''t reply.


    "Fine then," said Edward, a little pout to his voice. "You don''t want to tell me your name. I can understand that. You''re playing hard to get, which I appreciate. Perhaps you could tell me something else, then."


    Edward stepped closer to Lina, still smiling, always smiling.


    "What''s your power? What can you do?"


    Lina just looked at him.


    "Because I know you can do something¡ªyes, I do. I''d say Pyre there''s a wimpy little pure adept, but that''s just a guess. How about you, farm girl? Control over plants, maybe? Can you make your tomatoes oh so plump and juicy? Come on, you can tell me¡ªor don''t."


    Edward''s smile became just a little brighter, just a little wider. When he spoke again there was a catch of pleasure in his voice:


    "That would be much more fun."


    Lina remained silent.


    "Oh, good."


    Edward took another step towards Lina. He held up his hand, displaying it to her, turning it this way and that. There was a faint blurry glow in the air above his palm, and a low hissing.


    "I''ll go first, then," he said, his tone friendly. "I control fire. I''ve gotten this flame hot enough to melt lead before, can you imagine what it does to human flesh?"


    Edward took another step towards Lina, close enough to touch. Her eyes were on him, big and bright and terrified.


    "You look wonderfully scared. I''ll ask again, with the hope that you don''t answer: what do you control?"


    Lina just stared, her whole body shaking. Naz longed to do something, to reach out to her, to somehow break his bonds and leap to her rescue, but he could do nothing. I am weak, he thought, useless, I cannot save the girl who saved me, I am worthless, I was not worth saving.


    Edward was grinning at Lina now. He glanced back at Ren, who was obviously enjoying this just as much as he was.


    "One final time, Ren?" he asked. Ren shrugged in response, grinning. "I think it would be best." Edward turned back to look at Lina. "One final time, so that I cannot later be accused of being unfair. What power do you have, farm girl? What do you control?"


    Lina made a sound; not a squeak, not a whimper, but more a tiny, contained sob. To Naz, it sounded like nothing less than pure fear.


    Edward''s bright hazel eyes ran over Lina''s body, searching, appraising. After a few seconds they settled on her right upper arm. He raised his hand again, the glow above his palm brighter than before, more focused, showing it to her, the light of it reflected in her terrified eyes.


    "We begin," he said, and then slowly, luxuriantly, he reached towards her arm¡ª


    And screamed.


    Ren stepped forward as Edward staggered back. The big man in the shadows looked up from sharpening his axe.


    Lina stood, still tied to the tree, panting, almost crying, her upper arm scorched. But when Edward looked up at her, fury in his eyes, Lina''s heavy breathing stopped and she looked straight back at him, and when she spoke her voice was flatly absent of fear:


    "I control pain."


    Edward growled, a low, very human noise.


    "What the hell?" Ren yelled. "What the hell was that, you think she''s like¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Edward snarled at him. He looked at Lina balefully, then he straightened and smiled, his friendly mask smoothly in place once more.


    "You''ve just given me a challenge, pig girl," he said, his voice perfectly controlled. "I''m going to have to think about how to deal with you, so while I do that ... I''ll just play with your Pyrian friend here."


    Naz stiffened as Edward turned his happy eyes upon him.


    "Already awake," Edward said. "That''s good. Are YOU going to talk, Pyre? Please say you won''t. You look far too terrified to do much more than soil yourself in any case. Feel free to do so, by the way. It wouldn''t bother me a bit."


    Edward walked calmly towards Naz. He didn''t say anything further, simply reached out to take hold of Naz''s left wrist. Naz flinched.


    But there was no heat.


    There was no heat!


    And then it began. Gradually at first but then building, slowly, inevitably, at first a tickle and then an itch and then pain and then PAIN AND THEN PAIN¡ª


    Naz screamed. He couldn''t help it, he didn''t want to scream, he wanted to be strong like the girl, like Lina, but the noise came from him, like a pig, she isn''t the pig girl, I am the pig boy, listen to my squealing, it is pitiful, it is pathetic, it is¡ªStolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "STOP! PLEASE STOP!"


    It was Lina who screamed now, all calm gone, all control gone, simple desperation in her voice. Edward turned to grin at her, his hand still around Naz''s wrist but the heat, for now, gone.


    "So the pig girl finds her squeal," he said. "I have caused you pain by giving another pain. Wonderful! Perhaps now I can ask you something relevant. Why are you here? Why Pyre? What''s important here? This rat?"


    Edward send a pulse of intense heat into Naz''s wrist, and once more he screamed.


    "NO!" Lina cried. She desperately tried to reach Naz, to find his pain, to take it into herself, but he was too far away, she couldn''t do anything, and as Edward grinned at her and moved his hand to the side of Naz''s face all she could do was watch¡ª


    "The statue!" she called. "We''re looking for a magic statue, PLEASE DON''T!"


    Edward stopped, his hand falling away from Naz''s cheek, his face registering nothing but shock as he stared at Lina.


    "Statue," he repeated, quietly, just before there was a flash of light and a sudden crack, and he yelled in surprise and pain and anger.


    "THERE!" came Ren''s voice, and he was raising his hand, there was another bright flash and an arc of lightning directed at the tree above Edward, who yelled again as it twisted back to ground through him.


    "IDIOT!" he snarled even as he staggered, clutching at his side. Beside him, a small figure had fallen from the tree¡ªAda, Lina realised, shocked. She was stunned but already scrambling to get up, but the sound of a deep roar made her stop and look around, wide-eyed¡ªthe huge man with the axe was charging towards her. Ada shrieked as she saw him closing on her¡ªshe raised her hand and sent a spark, the lightning grounding into his shoulder with a crackling snap, but it barely slowed him, the energy almost sliding off. Desperately Ada tried again, with both hands now, falling back as she thrust them at the huge man, twin arcs of energy slamming into his chest and throwing him back¡ªbut once again he simply shook himself with a grunt and hefted his axe, the edge glinting red in the fire''s light.


    "JEK!"


    The big man stopped and looked to the side, at Ren.


    "I''ve never fought another lightning adept before!" Ren said, excitement clear in his voice. "You keep an eye on those two while I deal with her!"


    Jek glanced at Edward¡ªhe''d recovered now and stood watching, amusement in his eyes. At Jek''s asking look, he shrugged.


    "Sounds entertaining," he said, before bowing to Ren. "I give you the stage ... maestro."


    Ada was staring, her face pale in the firelight, her breathing rapid and somewhat pained. As Ren turned his attention to her she scrabbled away, glancing back as she found herself up against a tree.


    "Come on," Ren said, laughing. "Get up, at least. Give me a little challenge."


    Ada went to stand, but before she could Ren raised his hand and sent a bright blast of lightning towards her¡ªAda shrieked and brought her hands up, the lightning exploding around her, the power of it slamming her back against the tree. She gasped for breath even as Ren thrust his hand towards her again, another powerful blast that Ada just barely managed to deflect away from her face. She scrabbled at the tree behind her, trying to find some purchase, but before she could Ren was raising his hand once more, sending another bolt towards her with a whoop of elation. Ada brought her hand around to try to fend off the energy, but too slow, too late, and she screamed as it found its mark in her leg, both her skirt and the skin beneath burnt by the blast.


    "Huh," said Ren, as he slowly walked towards Ada. "I''m really disappointed in you, little bitch. Not even a challenge."


    He raised his hands. With a bright flash and twin cracks, he sent a double-bolt towards her.


    Which bent in mid-air, arcing up into the sky before dissipating harmlessly.


    Ada hadn''t moved, was still clutching at her injured leg, crying in pain and fear.


    From the forest behind her Sophia appeared, her hand outstretched, walking forward to stand in front of her wounded friend. She was panting with the effort of redirecting Ren''s blast, and her eyes were wide.


    "I can do that as many times as you can!" she called, her voice shaking.


    Edward laughed as Ren stared at Sophia.


    "Oh, PLEASE," he said. "You''re already exhausted¡ªand even IF you could match our Ren bolt-for-bolt, you''d still have Jek and I to deal with." He smiled at Sophia. "So you''re a wimpy little pure adept, are you? You remind me of a boy I met earlier this year. I burnt him to the bone while he tried to redirect my heat. I know that was naughty of me, I know how rare and valuable your sort are, but I find that just makes me want to hunt you all the more fiercely. It''s the rarest prey that gives the most satisfaction when it''s finally brought down, after all¡ªalthough honestly, I wish your kind would put up a little more of a fight. And yes, yes, I know, we''re supposed to be collecting adepts, not killing them, but really ... who needs the hassle? Securing you, dragging you back to our lord and master¡ªI can think of far more productive and entertaining uses for my time. I admit, this little policy of mine often lands me in trouble with my so-called employer, but then I rather like getting into trouble. How about you?"


    There was a crack and a flash, and Edward winced as a thin bolt of lightning impacted against his cheek. Ada stared past her raised hand at him, dismay on her face.


    "Obviously you''ve never dealt with those of us who happen to be resistant," said Edward. "But you''re right. Enough talking. Jek, Ren. Let''s show these pitiful wastes what power really is."


    Sophia gasped and covered her face with her arms as Ren sent a bolt of energy towards her¡ªbut it was weaker than those he''d previously summoned, smaller ... and more easily controlled.


    Hands shaking, Sophia lowered her arms, her breathing heavy as the ball of lightning energy hovered before her, crackling and spitting. Sophia took a ragged breath, then thrust her hands forward with a shrill cry. The lightning ball shot back towards Ren¡ªhe tried to deflect it with an angry swipe of his arm, but all he managed to achieve was to scatter the energy, sparks flying as it ground wherever it could, into him, into Edward, but mostly into Jek''s axe.


    The big man grunted as the sparking axe fell from his hands. He glowered down at his lost weapon, then spread his arms wide and charged Sophia.


    Sophia stood her ground, still and silent. Jek''s expression of simple determination changed into one of utter confusion, and then he was stumbling, and then he was tripping, and then he was falling flat on his face, skidding against the hard earth, just barely missing the huge fire in the centre of the clearing.


    What now? Sophia thought, her mind suddenly clear, what can I do, what can any of us do? Ada''s exhausted, wounded, I don''t think she''s got anything left in her, that last bolt she sent at that horrible fire user almost killed her, Lina can''t fight and she''s tied up anyway¡ª


    Sophia''s breathing became ragged as she saw Jek getting to his feet, saw Ren wincing as he gathered energy for another strike, saw Edward walking slowly towards her, his hands glowing and his smile wide. What can I do? What can I do?


    Desperately Sophia reached inside herself, gathered her fear and flung it outwards, but it wasn''t enough, it wasn''t strong enough, she needed more¡ªAda was hurt, but her pain was slippery and impossible to get a grip on, Lina was scared but behind that fear was an odd calm and THAT was no use, and the boy, the Pyrian boy, he was...


    Sophia gasped. The Pyrian boy was engulfed with terror, crushed by it, a writhing mass of fear and guilt and shame that Sophia took hold of and tugged, hard, and again, it wouldn''t come easily but she saw now how it COULD come away, and Jek was once more charging her and that was as good a motivation as any, and with a cry of panic and determination Sophia ripped Naz''s fear from him and took it into herself.


    For a moment she was frozen, couldn''t do anything, then a tiny, rational part of her self took charge and forced everything out, Naz''s fear mixing with her own and now tangling with the energy of the big man and the lightning user, confusing them, stopping them¡ªbut against the scarred, twisted energy of the fire user, it could not find purchase.


    Sophia stumbled back as Edward advanced on her, Ada crawling back beside her. Edward''s hands were raised and glowing horribly, the wide grin on his face almost demonic in the firelight. As he advanced on Sophia she reached once more within herself, trying to find anything, anything that might help, but there was nothing, nothing but useless fear and impotent frustration and¡ª


    Energy.


    Pure energy.


    But what good could that do?


    Naz blinked.


    His mind was clear, for the first time since he could remember. There were people here, people who had helped him, people who had saved him. The girl who had brought him back from death, now tied to a tree, struggling futilely against her bonds. The girl who had raised her hand to stop a priest from cutting him, now desperately crawling backwards, sobbing in pain and fear. The girl who had talked to him kindly, whose voice had cut through the shouts of the crowd and the terror he felt, now stumbling backwards as the horrible man of flame came for her.


    Sophia had torn Naz''s fear from him. Something else now rushed to fill the void it had left.


    Before, Naz had stared at the fire in the centre of the clearing. It had been a focus for him when he was shocked beyond focus. He had stared at it without seeing, but now he saw.


    Unaware that he had already burnt through his bonds, Naz raised both hands, and the power rose within him, and what had been his focus before became his focus again, and he took everything that he had, everything that he was and would ever be, and he offered it to his sole desire.


    With an unholy noise the fire in the centre of the clearing exploded, covering Jek and Ren with hot sparks and chunks of burning wood. The blast did not reach Sophia and Ada, nor did it reach Lina, because Naz did not want it to.


    He wanted it to reach Edward.


    Flaming logs slammed into Edward''s back, showers of white-hot sparks covered him, thick smoke engulfed him.


    Naz walked calmly to the girl who had pulled him from death; Lina. He reached out, and he burnt through her bonds.


    And then he turned, and he...


    And...


    Everything that Naz was came rushing back to fill him, all his fear, all his guilt, all his shame, and with these came an exhaustion like he''d never felt before, and utter confusion, and¡ª


    "RUN!" Lina screamed at him.


    This, this he understood.


    And as they ran, Lina half-helping, half-carrying Ada, Sophia forcing the exhaustion from her body as she stumbled along, Naz demanding action from his stiff, uncooperative legs, Edward staggered out of the rolling smoke, a horrific nightmare figure lit by the dull glow of the scattered fire.


    "YES!" he roared, as they disappeared into the night, pain and rage and vengeance clouding his voice. "RUN! BECAUSE I WILL BE BEHIND YOU!"

 Unwilling ~ 1 ~ Begin Again

    ~ Unwilling ~


    Begin Again


    In a tiny village in southern Pyre, lit by the soft blue light of the moon and the warm orange glow of flame, two girls stood close together, one looking worriedly at the other.


    "This doesn''t seem right."


    "What the hell ain''t right about it, it''s Fin''s damn carriage, we''re just taking it back¡ªand, hey, are you here gabbing at me about what''s right or are you keeping lookout?"


    "Sorry, Ash."


    Maya ran off to look out at the quiet night street, and Ashley returned to the task at hand¡ªthe padlock on the door was small, but she just couldn''t seem to get her flame hot enough to melt or warp it.


    "Come on," she muttered, gritting her teeth as she pushed heat into the lock. "Come ON!"


    No luck. Ashley grunted and slammed her hand against the door, then stood, her shoulders tense, reaching back to squeeze at her sore muscles.


    "Having trouble?"


    "Really not in the mood for you, Princess."


    Selene shrugged. "I thought you might need some help. Fin has the horses ready. We just need the carriage."


    "Yeah, well, I dunno what they made this lock out of, but it ain''t giving."


    Selene glanced at it. "The locks at the church were much higher quality than this one."


    Ashley grunted. "Maybe they looked it, but this thing¡ª"


    "I think you have changed. You''re weaker."


    "What? Wanna say that again?"


    "You used a lot of your energy yesterday. You''ve yet to recover. Although Fin hasn''t said anything, I think you''re the weakest of any of us."


    "Do you WANT a broken nose?"


    "I wasn''t trying to provoke you," Selene said. "I''m not picking a fight, Ashley."


    "Sure as hell could''ve fooled me!"


    Selene sighed. "I know we''re not ... friends¡ª"


    "So what, huh? Here to help, what, you gonna pip the lock off with your little bow?"


    Selene stepped towards Ashley and slapped her, leaving her hand pushed against her cheek. Ashley growled and tried to pull away, but Selene moved with her, her palm pressed cool and firm against Ashley''s skin.


    "What¡ª"


    "Focus," Selene murmured.


    Ashley''s instinct was to fight against Selene''s touch, to try to pull away again, but something in the girl''s voice and her eyes made her hesitate, and she found herself listening to the words that she spoke:


    "Your mistake," Selene said, her eyes locked with Ashley''s, "is in treating your energy as if it''s something separate from you. You don''t trust it. You don''t accept it. You don''t believe in it. That''s why you''re weak."


    Ashley was silent. Her cheek stung from where Selene had slapped her, but she barely noticed that. Despite the dullness of the light she could see, so sharply and in such detail, every part of Selene''s face; her thin, dark eyebrows; her large, calm eyes, brown with rings of dark grey; her nose, short and straight, with a tiny scar on its left side, near the bridge; her small mouth, lips thin and serious; the curve of her cheeks, angular yet soft¡ªDid you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Ashley pulled away from Selene, staggered, then doubled over, retching.


    "What," she gasped, before spitting on to the ground. "What the HELL was THAT?"


    "Focus," said Selene. "Obviously you weren''t ready for it. Next time¡ª"


    "What in all this hells-damned world makes you think there''s gonna be a next time?" Ashley glared up at Selene. "You EVER do ANYTHING like that to me again and I''ll have your damned throat, you creepy little witch."


    "Ash?"


    Maya had appeared around the side of the building. She took a hesitant step forward.


    "Get back to looking out for trouble!" Ashley snarled at her. Maya stared at her sister, then she turned and ran back towards the street.


    "I was trying to help," said Selene. "It''s not my fault that¡ª"


    "You still standing here?" Ashley growled. "Make yourself gone, Princess, or you''re really gonna regret it."


    Selene made a little ''hm'' noise, then she turned and walked away.


    For a moment Ashley just stood, breathing hard, all her concentration on keeping herself from exploding. She felt hot, horribly hot, but she knew how to deal with this; she stumbled over to the door and she gripped the lock tight, and with a vicious snarl she sent everything she had into it.


    There was a small sound, and a sharp pain against her palm, and Ashley opened her hand to let the twisted and blackened chunk of scrap that had once been a padlock fall to the ground.


    "Weak, huh," she muttered, before kicking the door open. "I''ll show that prissy little wench ''weak''."


    <hr>


    Felony leapt joyfully through the air, her feet against a wall for the slightest fraction of a second before she launched herself off it once more, grabbing at a window still to steady and redirect herself before falling, a controlled fall that ended with her crouched on the cracked stone tiles below. It was dark, but the glow of a lantern in the street beyond cast a dull light on the alleyway.


    She straightened, grinning.


    "Tal," she said, "any time you wanna give me a job like that, don''t even hesitate."


    "Were there any problems?"


    "Ran into guards a couple of times, they didn''t come close to even touching me but hell and damn, they''re tenacious! Fast, too!"


    "While I''m happy you had fun, I''ll be more happy if the next words out of your mouth are ''I know exactly where they''re going''."


    "Sorry, couldn''t tell you. I caught up to them, though, saw ''em leave the city. They''re on foot, heading down south, back the same way we came."


    Talise considered this. "Hm," she said. "That''s ... acceptable."


    "I have a question," Zivah said. She raised her head, so that her face could be seen beneath her hood. "When are we leaving this city? You promised me¡ª"


    "I know," said Talise, not looking at Zivah, "and I apologise. Things have become more complicated than I expected. We''ll be leaving soon."


    "Don''t worry, Zivah," Kyle said. "We''ll keep you safe."


    Zivah looked at Kyle, then nodded.


    "I put my trust in you," she said. Felony rolled her eyes.


    "So, we moving now?" she asked. Talise didn''t reply; she was fiddling with a small metal pocket watch. "What''s that?"


    "It," said Talise, not looking up, "is a device."


    "Come on, Tal, I''m just curious. Let me in, girl."


    Talise sighed. "It allows me communication with Armand and Edward." She looked up at Felony, then held the device up for her to see. It had a face like a watch, but instead of numbers it was covered in tiny symbols. One of the symbols, a curly circle inside an even curlier circle, clicked down, then up, then down again, then once more up. Talise responded to this by pressing down the circle, then pushing a button at the side of the device that made the circle pop up again, then pressing it down once more. She followed this with a rapid sequence of symbols, Felony forgotten as she concentrated on the message.


    After a minute she snapped the device shut and looked up at the others.


    "Apparently I was right to send you after those adepts," she said to Felony. "Although just as apparently we were wrong to let them go¡ª"


    "We didn''t have much choice," Kyle said. "That girl would''ve killed you if we''d tried anything."


    "Probably," said Talise, her voice tight. "Even so, it was a mistake not to follow and attempt to ambush them¡ª"


    "Yeah, but, again," Kyle argued, "if they''ve got a perception adept AND a pure adept they''d have us coming and going, and who knows what those other two were¡ª"


    "Yes, THANK you Kyle, but you''re not saying anything that I haven''t already considered."


    "What''s so important about them?" Felony asked.


    "They have something Mr Garnett wants."


    "Yeah? What?"


    Talise turned her cold eyes on Felony.


    "Something," she said, her voice crisp, "that your employer desires. Do you really need to know more than that?"


    "Just asking, is all."


    "In any case we have a new assignment. Find them, and take the item." Talise rubbed her forehead then let her arm drop. "If no one has any more questions then I think it''s far past the time we left this place."

 Unwilling ~ 2

    "Well now," said Fin, as he finished hitching the horses to the carriage. "That was more of a chore than I expected. Still. We''re ready to depart now."


    "Yeah," Ashley muttered. "Let''s get outta here."


    "What about the others?" Maya asked. "I think we have to wait for them! Or go looking for them, even!"


    "Don''t be stupid," Selene snapped.


    "You do NOT call my sister stupid," Ashley growled, turning on Selene.


    "Girls," said Fin. "Calm yourselves, please. Sophia knows the plan. That we failed to retrieve the statue does not change that. She will know to lead the others to the Desert of Ruins."


    "Uh-huh," said Ashley, her tone dubious. "Sure. Don''t get me wrong, she''s all right for a petal, I mean it ain''t like she''s a bad kid or nothing, just¡ª"


    "I have faith in her. Faith in all of you." Fin took a shaky breath, then shook his head. "I just wish that I had more time with each of you, more time to prepare you, to make you ready. I have been ... unwise. My plans were imperfect, rushed, I was too much focused on the chase¡ª"


    "Yeah, whatever, spare me the self-pity," said Ashley. "Bad stuff happened and things didn''t turn out how you wanted. Welcome to life, Finny."


    Fin chuckled. "Yes, quite. Still, I wish ... but then all the wishes in all the world have no more weight than a mote of dust." He smiled at Maya, and at Ashley, and at Selene. "Come along, all of you. We cannot dally here, safety is our primary concern, after all. Perhaps I lost sight of that. Too much I was thinking of the bigger picture. Sometimes it''s the small picture that matters most. Your safety, the safety of the others. If I only knew where they were¡ªbut there I go wishing again. They know the plan. So do we. We will travel south, to the Desert of Ruins, and avoid wishing, but instead hope that this is the right decision."


    Fin took a small, somewhat weary breath.


    "And hope also that they are safe, and well."


    <hr>


    Lina ran to catch Sophia as she collapsed, the girl''s legs, pushed too hard for too long, finally giving out beneath her.


    "Sophia!" she cried, looking down at the girl''s waxy, pale face. Sophia didn''t respond; she wasn''t unconscious, just ... unmoving. Lina looked up at Ada, who was slumped against a tree, too exhausted to do anything more than breathe. The Pyrian boy, too¡ªNaz, he had given his name as they''d taken a brief, fearful rest, though little more than that¡ªlooked awful, swaying gently as he stood and stared, his dark skin sallow and shiny. Still wearing nothing but a loincloth, he shivered at the cold.


    For a moment, Lina simply despaired. She was tired and scared and horribly alone, hungry and thirsty and desperate...


    "Please," she begged the frighteningly still Sophia. "Please wake up, please ... please take charge, I can''t ... I can''t do this..."


    There was a soft noise as Naz sank to the ground, first sitting, then lying stretched along the ground.


    "They''re still after us, I know they must be," Lina said, to Ada, to Naz, to Sophia, to anyone. "We have to keep going. I know you''re all tired but ... but we have to!"


    Sophia stirred. Hope rose within Lina.


    "Mmfn nn ffrs," Sophia mumbled, her lips barely moving, her eyes still shut. "Nnd smth. Llw. Adn llw. Smth."


    "Sophia, please¡ª"


    But the girl''s head had lolled to the side. Now she was truly unconscious, utterly spent, not a single scrap of energy left. Ada too, Lina saw, was draped against the tree, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow and rapid. The burn on her leg looked terrible. Naz was conscious but little more than that, simply staring straight up, through the thick foliage at the pale moon, high above.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Lina took a breath, and then she gave up.


    I can''t do anything, she thought. Why did we even bother running? They''re just going to catch us. It doesn''t matter that they''re hurt, they''re so much stronger than we are, they''ll find us and catch us and torture us and kill us and there''s nothing I can do, I''m useless, why does it have to be ME who''s the only one left standing? Why do I have to deal with this? How did I even GET here? These stupid cursed powers, they''re just ... just...


    Lina blinked, realising suddenly that she was staring at a tiny white scar on her right hand, just below her thumb. Where did that come from? she wondered, the thought clear and simple.


    Then she looked up. Again, the thought came clear and simple: first things first.


    She walked over to Ada, crouched beside her, and placed her hands on her leg, where it had been burnt. This won''t do at all, Lina thought, it certainly shouldn''t look like this. Although really it''s not that bad, not when you look at it in the right way, it fact it''s nothing at all¡ªand when Lina stood once more that''s what was left, nothing, or close to nothing anyway, a paleness on Ada''s unbroken skin all that remained of the wound.


    Now then, she thought. What''s next? Naz has some burns on his face and his arms, let''s just take care of those.


    Lina knelt beside the boy, and she placed her hands gently against his damaged skin. Just things to sort out, she thought, as she felt the burns beneath her hands disappear. Just one thing after the other, that''s all we have to think about, isn''t it, just one thing after the other.


    After healing Naz''s burns and giving him her coat to wear, Lina looked around. Now what? she thought. We have to get out of here. But the others are exhausted. Well, we''ll see about that.


    Once more, she placed her hands on the boy, but this time she didn''t take pain, she gave herself. I''m not that tired, really, Lina thought, but he is, so I''ll just even things out a little, just a bit of a boost to get him started. And Ada, too, she needs my help, so a little for her, and then, yes, of course, Sophia needs it more than any of us.


    Lina crouched beside Sophia, her hands on the girl''s cheeks. Please, she thought, as she gave her the energy she needed. Take my strength. Take it all, and this awful responsibility with it.


    Sophia lay still.


    Please, Lina thought. PLEASE.


    Sophia''s eyelids fluttered, then she opened her eyes.


    "Sophia, you''re okay," Lina said, trying to make it true. "You ... Sophia?"


    Sophia''s eyes had closed once more, and again she was limp, unconscious.


    "I think she used everything she had," came Ada''s voice. Lina looked back at her. She still looked terrible and exhaustion was clear in her voice, but at least she was standing. "At the ... back there. I think this is energy exhaustion."


    "What''s THAT?" Lina cried, aware of how hysterical she sounded but unable to do anything about it.


    "Mr Fin explained it to me," Ada said. She sat down, glanced behind her as Naz joined them, then looked back at Lina. "If you use everything, everything you have, your body will ... will stop working. Or stop you from doing anything. Because you need to keep some energy, or you''ll die. I think that''s what happened to Sophia. She used everything, so now her body is stopping her from doing anything else. To stop her from dying."


    Lina stared down at Sophia.


    "But I ... I need her..."


    For a moment longer Lina stared at Sophia, then her expression hardened and she pulled her upright, her hand on the girl''s cheek, forcing her awake.


    "Lina?" Sophia opened her eyes once more¡ªthey looked clouded and dull, the usual bright sparkle gone. "What ... what?"


    "Sophia, do you know where the others are?" Lina asked, talking quickly. "Can you ... can you ''see'' them?"


    "I can barely see YOU, Lina. Everything''s blurry and I can''t ... focus. I can''t ... I can''t even think about..."


    "It''s okay," said Lina, although in fact she felt like crying. "Just ... what should we do?"


    Sophia didn''t respond; she''d already slipped back into unconsciousness.


    "I ... I think we should go south," said Ada.


    "How?" Lina almost wailed. "I don''t even know what direction south is in!"


    "Um. I do," Ada said. She pointed. "It''s that way."


    Lina stared at her. "How do you know that?"


    "Um. The stars."


    Lina let her eyes close. The memory of her family had suddenly come to her, of her little brothers and sisters, bringing with it a sharp pang of loss and loneliness. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then she opened her eyes.


    "Right," she said. "We''d better start walking, then. I''ll carry Sophia, you two just do your best." Lina picked up Sophia and, after trying a few different ways of carrying her, settled on holding her on her back, the girl''s arms draped around her neck. She was amazingly light, barely any weight to her at all.


    "All right," Lina said, forcing jolliness into her voice. "Let''s go. No dallying. We''ll go south for now, and then ... and then we''ll just have to see what we can see, won''t we."


    As dawn began to lighten the sky, the weary little group began walking, taking the first steps on their long journey south.

 Unforgiven ~ 1 ~ Reaping Pain

    ~ Unforgiven ~


    Reaping Pain


    This is a weird town, Felony thought, as she ran through the backstreets and alleys of Seven Rise. The streets were all straight, for a start, criss-crossing each other in a grid so perfect it made Felony''s palms itch. The houses, too, were perfectly square and flat-roofed, arranged in precise rows and columns, like dozens of dice arranged by someone who enjoyed lists a little too much. Strangest of all were the seven towering buildings in the middle of the town, none of them less than a dozen storeys high, all of them made from the same odd, smooth blue stone. It''s like someone grabbed a bunch of buildings from a big city, Felony thought, glancing back at them as she made her way outwards, and just plonked ''em down here in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of a desert.


    Still, she considered, as she neared the burnt-out husk of the building that was currently serving as their hideout, be a bit of a challenge using those rooftops. Nice and flat, and that stone looks good and grippy, but that gap between each of ''em, you''d have to be real careful with your timing, be real easy to lose momentum.


    "You''re late."


    "Good to see you too, Tal," said Felony, as she closed the trapdoor behind herself. The basement of the ruined house was large and well-appointed, with several good beds, a table and chairs, and a pair of bright lamps. "I''m guessing the others ain''t here yet?"


    "Your lack of enthusiasm is noted," said Talise, curtly. "I know you don''t like Ren, but he''s better with Jek around."


    "Yeah, I bet," said Felony, as she slumped into a chair. "Only met him for a second, but I couldn''t see him putting up with Ren''s nonsense."


    "No," Talise said. "He once put Ren through a wall."


    "Yeah?"


    "It was very thin, just wood and paper. Still."


    "Would''ve loved to see that."


    Talise continued tapping away at her little message-watch, not looking up. Then she smiled.


    "It WAS funny," she said, with a little laugh. Felony gaped at her in mock-shock.


    "Did you just LAUGH?" she said. "Man, I wish I could rewind time and see that again, I feel like I was at some great historical moment!"


    Talise''s face was already back in its usual serious configuration.


    "Mr Garnett is NOT happy with Edward," she said. "He hasn''t been in contact since the night he let those adepts get away."


    "Good," Felony muttered.


    "Apparently it''s Ren who''s been sending messages, goodness only knows how he''s able to work the device," Talise continued, either not hearing or ignoring Felony. "Edward''s probably gone off on some kind of personal vengeance thing. He loves revenge, can''t stand to leave a slight unsettled." She grimaced at the device, then snapped it shut. "He''s so petty."


    "Yeah, well, you know him better than I do," said Felony.


    "Do I?" Talise muttered, low¡ªbut not so low that Felony didn''t hear. She sighed, then looked up at Felony. "I don''t think I''ve told you this; I''m glad you came on this assignment."


    Felony shrugged. "Yeah, well, I''m pretty great to have around, I know. Doing all your running for you and that."


    "Yes," Talise said. "Well. You haven''t actually reported in yet, I assume you found them?"


    "Didn''t get too close, but it was definitely them. That carriage of his is real old-fashioned, could spot it from half a dozen streets away."


    Talise frowned. "I asked you to confirm that it was them," she said. "Not to go carriage-spotting."


    "Hey, excuse me for not sticking my head in the window to make sure, not with that scary bow girl of theirs around. Maybe you don''t realise it, sitting here fiddling with your ''devices'', but I''m risking my neck out there. And, hey, you said it yourself, that hat guy knows we''re coming even before he can see us¡ª"


    "He knows when Ren or Kyle or I are coming," said Talise. "You''re not an adept, he wouldn''t notice you."


    "He said I was interesting, though. Maybe I got some real nice-looking energy."


    "I doubt that," Talise muttered. "Really, though, I''m a little disappointed at your performance. I thought you were supposed to be the best¡ª"


    "I am the best," Felony said, her voice suddenly hard. "And that''s without any little tricks. Not that I''ve seen you do anything, you''re supposed to be ice girl or whatever, right? Apart from ruining my bath that time¡ª"


    "I don''t waste my energy," said Talise. "I use my abilities only when necessary."


    "So making the water in my bath cold as a witch''s tit was necessary?"


    Talise smiled. "Well," she said, "your behaviour certainly improved after that."


    "Heh, guess it did." Felony sat back, her narrow eyes on Talise. "You know something, Tal? This assignment is real different to anything I''ve done before, and it definitely ain''t going how I thought it would, but I''m real glad I signed up for it. And it ain''t even about the coin I''m building up every day, I was looking for something like this ... dunno, I just like feeling useful, I guess."


    "Don''t try to change the subject. Next time I give you a job to do, I want you to do it properly. Understand?"


    "Yes sir, boss lady," said Felony, saluting sloppily.


    "I hope you at least saw where the carriage stopped?"


    "Yeah, this big tavern in the middle of town, the Lucky Coins. The carriage went inside this real big stable area. I watched for at least quarter of an hour but it didn''t come out again, and, yeah, I checked for other exits. So I reckon they''ve gotta be there."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "If it''s actually them."


    "It''s them, I told you, that carriage¡ª"


    "I''m not getting into that again." Talise looked at Felony, then sighed. "I suppose I can understand the reasoning behind your lack of thoroughness. Very well, I''ll trust your judgement."


    Felony grinned. "Can''t blame a girl for being cautious, yeah?"


    "No," said Talise. "I suppose you can''t."


    <hr>


    Lina almost wept when she saw the potato fields.


    "Look," she said, turning to smile at the others. "We must be near a village."


    Ada and Naz didn''t respond. They just kept walking, their eyes blank, their movements stiff and mechanical.


    "Come on," Lina said. "It won''t be far now, and we''ll be able to get some real food, and sleep in a proper bed. That''s if you don''t mind paying, Ada, you''re the only one of us with money¡ª"


    "I don''t mind." Ada''s voice was small, almost inaudible. "Let''s just keep going."


    "Good idea!" said Lina, brightly. She hoisted Sophia up a little, getting a better grip on her. "Um, I hope you both like potatoes!"


    No response to that. Lina suppressed a sigh and trudged on through the dismal landscape. Even the potato leaves were grey.


    It had been four days now, since that horrific night. Lina had done her best to mother the others along, forcing herself to sound jolly and confident when really she was frightened and utterly unsure of herself. She had at least been able to do something practical, in the scavenging of food¡ªmany of the edible plants growing in the forest had been the same as those found near her home, mostly wild greens and roots. Water was a bigger problem. They''d stumbled upon a small stream midway through the second day, but since then none of them had drunk so much as a single drop of water.


    The only real positive that Lina could find was that they''d seen absolutely no sign of pursuit. She allowed herself to believe that Edward and the others had given up the chase, that all she had to worry about was getting Ada and Naz and Sophia to safety. No one is chasing us, she told herself. We''re not running ''from''. We''re running ''to''.


    Well, walking to, actually, she corrected herself. Staggering to. Shambling to.


    Lina glanced at Naz as they walked along. He hadn''t said much of anything since that night, little more than an occasional ''thank you'' or ''yes''. There were times when Lina felt that she should resent the boy; after all, it was rescuing him that had put them all in this position to begin with, but whenever she tried she felt the resentment slip away. It''s me, she always thought, it''s not his fault, it''s mine, because I was the one who let myself be captured, and I was the one who decided we should head south, instead of going back to the city to maybe get some food and clothes, and Fin and the others might even have been waiting there. Or if we''re putting blame on people then Sophia is the one who decided to save him, or Sophia and Ada both, I wasn''t paying much attention at the time but both of them seemed very set on the idea. They just needed me to heal him.


    Perhaps this was the reason Lina could feel no resentment towards Naz; his injuries had healed completely, with no sign of anything bad. What was it Ada had said? Poison blood? The sight of the X-shaped scar on Naz''s stomach, more than anything else, gave Lina an odd kind of strength. He would be dead without me, she would think, whenever she glimpsed it through the coat he wore. At least I did something.


    "Life."


    For a moment Lina thought she''d imagined the word. Then Naz spoke again, his voice soft:


    "That village. It''s called Life."


    Lina stared at him, then she looked straight ahead. It was early in the evening and the light was already going, but now that she looked she could see it; a low little village, flat against the distant ground.


    "Life," Lina murmured. Then she smiled, long-needed hope rising within her. "We found it, we found a village!"


    "We still have to get to the desert," said Ada, her tone weary and irritated. "This isn''t some great goal."


    "But it is!" Lina said. "We made it, by ourselves, from here it''ll be easier..."


    She trailed off. It was clear that Ada wasn''t listening. Not through any kind of conscious rudeness, she just didn''t have the energy to spare.


    "We just have to keep going for a little further," Lina said. "Just a little further and we''ll be okay."


    The last hour was the hardest.


    Naz kept stumbling; at first Ada helped him, but soon she became frustrated and angry, convinced that he was doing it on purpose, or if not on purpose then through some kind of laziness, that he just wasn''t trying hard enough. Lina tried to calm her but Ada was working herself almost into hysteria now, exhaustion and hunger and thirst all piling up within her, and Lina''s words were useless, they didn''t even register with the girl as she collapsed to her knees, her face buried in her hands, sobbing with all the strength left in her small body.


    Lina knelt beside Ada as she cried, Naz sitting awkwardly nearby, Sophia lying against the dirt of the road (Lina hadn''t wanted to lay her down like this, but she couldn''t see any other option). In truth Lina would have liked nothing more than to join Ada, to open her mouth and let out some of the suffering she''d endured, but she knew that this was the one thing that she simply could not do, that if she broke then it would be over, it didn''t matter that the village was just there, Naz and Ada needed strength, and Lina was the only person who could provide it.


    And so Lina held Ada close, and spoke to her soothingly, and stroked her hair and babbled about how much she liked it, how nicely that bob style suited her, and she told her how pretty her unusual amber eyes were, and how brave she was, and how strong, and how it was just a little longer now so don''t cry, sweet child, don''t cry.


    Eventually something worked, and Ada''s choking sobs became quieter and calmer and more controlled, settling into a shuddery breath every few seconds, and then not even that.


    "I''m really thirsty now," Ada eventually managed to say, her voice still tearful and more than a little hoarse, but Lina smiled and then so did Ada, and then Lina helped her to her feet, and Naz stood too, and Ada smiled at him and said how sorry she was, and Naz said ''sorry'', just that, and then ''thank you'', and Ada smiled again, and then Lina picked up Sophia and for a moment it felt like everything might be all right after all.


    Then Sophia stiffened, Lina felt it immediately and she stopped and lowered her hurriedly to the ground, the girl''s face was so pale that for a moment Lina feared the worst, but then she realised that, no, she''s breathing, it''s shallow and too fast but she''s breathing, what do I do?


    She tried putting her hands on Sophia, willing her healing powers to come and magically do whatever was needed to make her better, but nothing happened, there was no shrinking of the world, no sudden clear knowledge of what to do, just a horrible emptiness inside; emptiness, and an awareness of pain that could not be touched.


    Unable to think of anything else, Lina picked up Sophia again, carrying her in her arms now, like a baby, and she looked at the others and the others looked at her, and she started walking towards the village again, and as she walked she thought that this must be the longest sunset in all of history, we''ve been walking for hours now and the sun still hasn''t set, and this road must be the longest road in the world, we''ve been walking along it for so long and the village hasn''t gotten a bit closer.


    By the time they finally reached the village Lina was carrying all three of her companions; Sophia in her arms, Ada clinging to her right arm as she dragged herself along the dusty road, Naz supporting himself against Lina''s left arm as he stumbled along.


    "Here," Lina whispered, thinking, stupid girl, what''s that, ''here'', like we''re playing some children''s game, ''safe'', ''base'', ''here'', where did that come from?


    "Lina ... that''s ... inn..."


    Ada could barely speak, and when she raised her arm to point her hand was shaking, but Lina understood; there was an inn. It was small and the walls were dirty but she didn''t care, she didn''t care in the least, and somehow she got herself and the others inside, and by a great effort of will she organised lodging for the night, and through some miracle she got them up the stairs, because all of the guest rooms were on the second floor, and she placed Sophia carefully on one of the beds, noticing how cold her skin was, and how limp she was, and she hoped against hope that this was somehow normal, that this was part of the mysterious ''energy exhaustion'' that Ada was convinced Sophia had, and Ada and Naz were both lying on their beds, not yet asleep, too exhausted for that, but alive and safe.


    "Safe," Lina murmured, and she sank into a chair by the window and she closed her eyes, and for a while, that was enough.

 Unforgiven ~ 2

    "Here we are. Ah, rather pleasant, don''t you think? Certainly better than I expected¡ªAshley, Maya, would you two mind sharing a bed? No? I thought not. Then Selene can take the single room, and I shall camp out on this comfortable-looking couch."


    Selene sat gratefully on said couch, gently rolling her head to work out the stiffness in her neck. Fin glanced at her with a smile as he walked to the table, where he spread out an old map he''d brought from the carriage. Ashley walked to the window and looked out, while Maya stood awkwardly by the door.


    "Um," she said, after a moment. "I''d like to say something. Um. Ask something, I guess."


    "Yes, Maya?" said Fin, as he looked around for something to weigh down the edges of the map. "What is it?"


    "I''m ... I''m really worried about the others, I really ... I really want to do something¡ª"


    "This again?" Ashley interrupted, turning away from the window to look at her sister. "We keep telling you, there ain''t nothing we can do, yeah? We don''t know where they are, we ain''t got any leads on where to start searching¡ª"


    "But we do! Mr Fin said, he said about that little village in Pyre, he said they''d probably go there¡ª"


    "No," said Selene. "He presented that village as one of several possibilities, and concluded that it was impossible to know where they might have gone."


    "But we should have gone there! We should have ... we should have tried, at least!"


    "Get your head outta the clouds, kid," Ashley said. "I''m just happy we got out of Pyre as quick as we did. Hated that damn place."


    "Mm," said Fin. "Maya, I understand your concern. In fact I share it. Over the past days I''ve been racking my brain, trying to think of some way to find Sophia and the others¡ª"


    "Yeah? What about your ''faith''?" said Ashley.


    "My faith is unwavering. However, just because I believe in the competence and strength of¡ª"


    "Relax, I''m just playing with you. Nah, but seriously, Maya¡ªand Fin too, if you''re so worried¡ªI bet those guys are fine. Probably just had a tough time of it finding each other in that damn maze of a city. Once they realised we weren''t there, they would''ve figured we''d be going to this magic home of Fin''s and headed this way. Hey, worst comes to the worst, Sophia''s got her rich parents to go home to, right?"


    Fin frowned. "I must say, Miss Ashley, that I like your optimism, even if it seems a little uncharacteristic."


    "Just figure we can''t do nothing anyway, so we might as well go on thinking things are going okay for ''em."


    Selene laughed humourlessly. "I wish I could think so naively."


    "Here we go," said Ashley. "Princess got an opinion, what a surprise. And it''s one that puts me down, didn''t see that coming."


    "Ash, please don''t start another fight¡ª"


    "Hey, I ain''t the one tossing around insults¡ª"


    "I don''t think ''naive'' is much of an insult," said Selene.


    "Yeah, so you ain''t good at doing it, that don''t make me feel any better," said Ashley. "Why don''t you go to your room, Princess? Sure you need your beauty sleep or whatever."


    Selene stood. "Good idea," she said. "Fin, I''d like to talk to you a little later. Privately."


    "Hah."


    Selene stopped halfway to her room. "What was that?" she said, not turning around.


    "Nothing. Just clearing my throat. In a ''wouldn''t be surprised if Princess was happy she ain''t got so many rivals for a certain older guy''s attention'' kind of way."


    Selene did turn around then, her eyes cold and bright.


    "You should be very careful about what you say," she growled. "Because if you aren''t¡ª"


    "Selene."


    Fin had been watching this exchange with an air of patient restraint, but now his expression was stern.


    "And Ashley," he continued. "Your sister is right; this is no time to be picking fights, especially not with each other. That goes for you too, Selene."


    Selene nodded primly, then turned once more, heading to her room. Ashley rolled her eyes.


    "Reckon I''ll go get some rest too," she said. "We''re heading out tomorrow, right? Gotta save our strength for getting lost in that desert, searching for a city that don''t even probably exist."


    "Much as I admire your recent optimism," Fin said, "I also find your continued pessimism regarding the existence of Home to be oddly noble."


    "Careful, Finny, where I come from ''noble'' ain''t exactly a compliment," said Ashley, but she was grinning. "Maya, don''t practise too hard, you listening?"


    "Yes, Ash."


    "Fin, for her sake, you better deliver on some of these big promises you''ve been making. Because if you don''t, sorry to say it, but I''m gonna have to break a couple of your arms."


    Fin smiled. "Good night, Miss Ashley."


    "Yeah, yeah, g''night."


    Maya watched her sister leave the room, then she shyly approached Fin¡ªhe''d turned back to the map and was studying it intently.


    "Mr Fin," she said. "If you''re not too busy later, could you maybe please show me some more shaping things?"


    "Of course, Miss Maya. I''d be happy to. I notice you''ve been practising a lot lately, I hope you''re not pushing yourself too hard."


    Maya shook her head. "No, I definitely haven''t, when I start to get tired or hungry I stop at that very moment. But, I''ve noticed, lately it takes longer for me to get tired or hungry, I think that means I must be getting better. Doesn''t it?"


    Fin smiled at her. "Yes, I would say..."


    "What is it?" Maya asked, after Fin had remained silent for a few seconds. His response was to suddenly turn and walk to the window, flinging it open and looking out.


    "Aha, nothing," he said, closing the window once more. "Perhaps I, also, am a little tired. Er ... shaping, was it? Very well, let''s go over it now, before we are too exhausted to concentrate. Now, the crux, the key, the single most important thing to remember about ''shaping'' is that it isn''t actually about shapes at all..."


    As Fin continued his lecture, and as Maya listened in wide-eyed attention, Felony unflattened herself from the wall beneath their window and let out a relieved breath.


    Then she ran all the way home.


    <hr>


    Lina sat and she stared out the window on the second floor of the inn in the village called Life. It was night now, true night, and the stars blazed in the blackness above. Not even the calls of insects interrupted the silence; the only thing Lina could hear was the sound of her breathing and of her own heart beating, strong and regular.


    And the others, of course. Lina turned to look at them, then got up and walked over to each bed in turn. Ada slept like a child, one arm stretched above her head, the other tucked under her body. Her breathing was shallow but regular. Naz slept curled into a tense ball, the sheets wrapped tightly around his body, frowning even in rest.


    Sophia slept like she was dead. Lina had to put her ear against the girl''s chest to hear anything from her; a faint but regular heartbeat. At least she''s not so cold now, Lina thought. She''d covered Sophia in half a dozen blankets and tucked her in securely. This seemed to have helped.


    Or maybe not, Lina thought, as brushed a ragged strand of Sophia''s ash-blonde hair away from her eyes. Maybe nothing I''ve done has helped at all.


    Lina sighed. Well, she thought, trying to cheer herself up, at least I got food for them, even if they can''t eat it right now. Lina had felt guilty about using Ada''s money¡ªshe hadn''t wanted to feel guilty, had told herself that Ada had given her permission, that Ada would WANT her money to be used to help the group, but still...


    The most important thing Lina had bought, from the innkeeper, was a thick, warm woollen robe, old but well-made and in good condition, a worn red in colour, and a pair of old leather boots and thick woollen socks. These were for Naz. Though he hadn''t uttered a word of complaint on the journey here, Lina felt sure that he must be freezing. She''d given him her coat, but that wasn''t nearly enough. Now she wore only her green dress, the same dress she''d been wearing when Fin and the others had first found her. She''d washed it thoroughly, and sewn up the small tears and sewn patches over the large, she was good at needlework and the repairs were strong¡ªif noticeable¡ªand all in all the dress was as good as it had been before, at least as far as functionality was concerned, and yet...


    Lina sighed again, then went to sit down once more, in the chair by the window. Why can''t I sleep? she thought. Why aren''t I tired? Why aren''t I exhausted?


    Because I''m a freak, came the obvious answer. Because I''m some kind of cursed monster, or demon, or witch ... but, no, I''m not, I know I''m not, because Fin explained it all, he said that these abilities are...


    Lina frowned. Now that she thought about it, Fin had never actually said about where these abilities came from. About why she and the others had them, about what caused them ... about anything, really.


    But then, Lina thought, that''s probably just my fault for not listening, probably he DID explain things clearly to everyone and I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to pay attention. Probably Sophia understands it all perfectly. Probably she would''ve already gotten us to this desert, probably she would''ve ... would''ve had some amazing idea, going back to Sufferance and¡ª


    Lina fell asleep without realising it, mid-thought, still sitting in the chair.


    There were hills. And a river, impossibly wide, but still a river, not a lake, not the ocean, a river. Why a river? Lina searched for the answer but found none, was distracted by a wall, the highest wall she''d ever seen, towering above her smooth and shiny, and she laughed at it, and she put one foot on it and then the other and then she was running, up the wall, and there was a man in front of her. He said something. He was smoking a cigarette, the smoke surrounding her, and she turned her head away, and he reached out to touch her, and he withered away into nothing; no, he shrank; no, she grew, she was growing and he was shrinking and then the man was nothing but the smoke from his cigarette remained, surrounding Lina, choking her, and she struggled upwards, the smoke was an ocean; no, it was a river, a river so wide and deep that it was everything, everywhere, no matter how long and hard you struggled to reach its surface you would never get there, it was an impossible goal, just a dream.


    Nothing more, and nothing less.


    No, Lina thought, still halfway lost in sleep. I didn''t just hear a scream.


    That was an odd thought. Why would I¡ª


    Not just a scream. Lots of screams. And shouts. And flame¡ª


    Lina jerked awake, then she was standing, then she was at the window, staring out, at the flicker of flames in the distance, buildings were burning, and people were running, and there were shouts and screams, and standing in the middle of the street¡ª


    With a gasp that was almost a scream, Lina pulled away from the window. She stared at the scuffed floorboards, heart pounding in her chest, breathing heavy and panicked, then she turned to look at the others¡ªall of them were still sleeping soundly, undisturbed by what was happening outside.


    "Ada! ADA!"


    Lina shook the girl roughly. Ada grunted something and twisted away, but Lina held her firm and shook her again, then pulled her bodily from the bed and held her upright until she came awake, her eyes opening blearily.


    "What?" she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep.


    "He''s here!" Lina said, struggling to keep her voice under control. "He''s HERE, he''s out in the street, Ada, he''s HERE!"


    Ada slipped out of Lina''s grasp and stumbled over to the window, joined by Naz¡ªhe must have been woken by my shouting, Lina thought, staring at them as they peeked out, then jerked back together.


    "He''s really out there!" Ada cried, as she and Naz turned to look at Lina, their expressions the same; terrified and asking.


    Why are they looking at me? Lina thought, why do they keep looking at me, I''m not a leader! I''m barely a follower! Why isn''t Ada in charge, she''s so much smarter and wiser and prettier than I am, why does it have to be ME?


    But maybe ''why'' doesn''t matter, Lina thought. It is me. So I have to do something. What are you going to do, me?


    Sophia, was the answer, and Lina went to the girl''s side. Her breathing was better now, the rise and fall of her chest was clear, but she was hot, burning up, her face shiny with sweat. Lina yanked the covers off Sophia and shook her shoulders, but there was no response. She picked her up off the bed, but she was totally limp, her head lolling disturbingly to the side.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Carefully, slowly, with great focus, Lina lay Sophia back down on the bed. If this was a cut or a bruise or a burn then maybe I could do something, but this fever, this sickness, I don''t ... I can''t ... no, there''s nothing I can do, I can''t¡ª


    "What do we do?" Ada was asking. "We ... we have to run again¡ª"


    Ada stopped, her face pale and her eyes wide as a harsh roar sounded from outside:


    "PIG GIRL. COME HERE."


    "How does he even know we''re here?" Lina mumbled, close to sick with fear.


    "He can''t know," Ada said, as if clutching at this rational conclusion.


    "There aren''t many villages in this area," Naz said. "If he came south..."


    Lina stared at him, then turned to look at Sophia.


    "I can carry her again," she said. "And I have food, in that cloth, bread and cheese, and there''s water, if you could carry those between you, maybe there''s a back way out of this inn¡ª"


    "PIG GIRL. I KNOW YOU''RE HERE."


    Lina turned to stare at the window. Edward''s voice was closer than before. As she stared his voice sounded out again, clearer and smoother now:


    "I''ve burnt three houses already, do you want me to burn another? Are you enjoying this as much as I am?"


    He''s burning down this village to get to me, Lina thought, why ME? Because I hurt him? Because he couldn''t torture me like he wanted to? WHY ME?


    She turned to the others.


    "Ada, c-can you¡ª"


    Ada was shaking her head sadly¡ªLina noticed that she was holding a small loaf of bread, already half-eaten. "I can barely manage a spark, I tried just before, I think ... I think I did too much, Mr Fin told me, it takes time, and food, and rest for energy to rebuild ... right now, I don''t have anything left. And it didn''t work on him anyway, when I did it before ... and ... and when I got hurt..." Ada trailed off, fear and shame clear on her face. "I''m sorry, Lina."


    Naz was also shaking his head, his eyes downcast.


    "Naz?"


    He glanced up at Lina, then looked away again.


    "I can''t," he said softly. "I want to. I want to help. But I ... I can''t."


    There were fresh screams from outside, screams of panic, screams of terror, these joined by incongruous laughter, and Lina risked looking out the window¡ªEdward was close, just a couple of houses away; he''d just set another on fire, and the inhabitants were running into the street, carrying possessions and a screaming baby, as Edward stood by and laughed.


    Lina watched, oddly detached, as a pair of villagers attacked Edward, saw him fend them off with little effort; a fluid dodge, a swift counter, and one of the villagers was screaming, clutching at his burnt and blistered face as he staggered back. Another movement and the second villager was shrieking in pain, Edward''s hand around his leg, burning him to the bone as he laughed and laughed and laughed.


    Monster.


    The word came clear and strong to Lina. She gazed out the window as the villagers that had tried to attack Edward fled. He''s destroying their homes. He''s destroying their lives, because what he''s burning is everything that they have...


    "Lina, what do we do?"


    Lina didn''t hear Ada. She was still staring, staring as Edward looked around, searching¡ªhe hasn''t seen me, she thought. He''s still looking. We could run, we could just run away, and this village ... this village...


    Another thought came to Lina, clear and simple, a powerful thought, a brave thought, a thought that was, above all else, unwelcome:


    It''s me.


    I can''t just run. Four houses are burning, because he''s looking for me. I''m the one who has to stop him.


    And deeper inside Lina was screaming, NO! I don''t want to! Someone else can do it, not me! I''m not a hero, I''m not brave, I can''t do anything, I''m just ordinary, I''m just the girl who can carry her friend for miles without tiring, the girl who can reflect pain back on her attackers, the girl who can heal wounds in seconds when they should take weeks, the girl who does not know her limits.


    I don''t know if I can do this, Lina thought. And that''s just it:


    I don''t know.


    She turned to look at the others.


    "I ... I''m going down," she said, not even trying to keep the fear from her voice now. "I might ... I might be able to do something, to ... to stop him. You two ... please take care of Sophia. Um. She''s not very heavy. You could ... you could probably carry her, between you."


    "Lina¡ª"


    "It''s okay," Lina said. She tried to smile reassuringly at Ada, but found she didn''t quite have it in her. Instead she patted her awkwardly on the arm, and she reached out to touch her hand against Naz''s, and then she walked out of the room, and down the stairs, and out of the inn, and on to the road.


    Edward was delighted to see her.


    "Pig girl!" he cried, grinning widely. "So nice to see you again. I knew you must be here¡ªwhere are your friends, though? I''m surprised you came out alone, where''s that little mouse? She had rather a nasty burn on her leg, did you leave her behind? How cruel!"


    Lina stared at Edward. She was trying to speak but her voice had abandoned her.


    "Cat got your tongue? I hope not!"


    "I-I''m alone," Lina managed to force out, in little more than a whisper.


    "I can see that! Do you want to know something? So am I! What a coincidence!"


    What can I do? Lina was thinking. What on earth can I do? I can ... I can reflect pain. I can give pain. Could that be enough?


    Scared, shivering and utterly alone, Lina forced her legs to take her towards Edward.


    Edward raised his hands, waiting for her, a grinning demon lit by the flames of a dying house.


    Lina stopped. She hadn''t meant to, but her legs had suddenly refused to take another step closer to him. Are you mad? they seemed to be saying. What are you thinking, wanting to get CLOSER to this monster?


    And then there was no choice; Edward leapt at her, his fist swinging through the air, and Lina shrieked and raised her arms instinctively, and their twin cries sounded through the street; Edward in pain, Lina in fear.


    Lina staggered back, saw that the sleeve of her dress had been burnt badly, but the skin beneath was only barely scorched. It didn''t hurt at all, not now.


    Edward was standing, grinning again, watching her.


    "Interesting," he purred, and then he was lunging at her, his fist slamming hard against Lina''s face before she could react, and once more both of them cried out in unison, but then he was grinning again and bringing his hand around in a ringing slap, and Lina stumbled to the side before finding her feet and turning to face him.


    "Let''s get started properly then, shall we?" Edward said, and he was on her, striking again and again, his burning fists pummelling against her body as she staggered back, crying out in fear, Edward grunting in pain and effort as he attacked, obviously hurting but just as obviously fighting through the pain, his eyes bright and focused as he drew his arm back and delivered one final crunching blow to the side of Lina''s head, sending her sprawling to the ground, burnt in a dozen places, her dress scorched, her burnt skin exposed.


    "I feel as though I''m doing myself a disservice every time I hit you," Edward said, as he casually walked towards Lina once more. "Not because of the reflected pain, which I''m actually beginning to rather like, but because every time I hit you I expose more of your piggish skin."


    Lina coughed and spat blood on to the ground, pushing herself up as Edward watched. He grinned at her as she stood.


    "Something else interesting. You''re getting weaker. It hurts less to hurt you. Shall we again?"


    I have to hit him, Lina thought, as Edward put up his fists in a mock-foppish manner. I have to do something to hurt him, really HURT him, I have to attack him somehow. I''m ... I''m tougher than he is. He''s hit me a dozen times but it doesn''t hurt, not really, just a kind of an ache, I''m okay, my clothes are in worse shape than I am, I''m okay...


    Lina yelled as she swung her fist at Edward, his laughter ringing out as she missed completely. As she staggered with the wasted energy of the punch Edward pushed her from behind, his burning palms scorching her dress and her back, sending her sprawling face-first against the dirt of the road.


    Lina struggled to her feet, turned to see Edward grinning smugly at her. He waited until he was sure he had her full attention before he spoke:


    "That hardly hurt at all."


    Lina cried out as Edward launched another attack, more in desperate frustration than anything, but then as the burning blows rained down on her Lina''s cries became more pained, she could feel the sharp shock of each burn as his fists slammed into her, and her feeble attempts at fighting back were so useless she wanted to cry, but she didn''t, she didn''t cry, even when he punched her hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her back, coughing and spluttering.


    Edward watched her as she recovered, clearly loving every moment of it, savouring every second.


    "I really hope that''s not all you''ve got," he said, as Lina retched and spat on to the road. "I''m just beginning to enjoy myself, the thought of stopping now ... why, it''s almost painful."


    Lina took a deep breath, tried to focus, to think¡ªI have to hit him! But I can''t do anything¡ªno, don''t think like that. I''m not weak. I''m strong. But how strong? I''ve never hit anyone, ever. But when the little ones fought I never had trouble pulling them apart, and getting stubborn pigs moving wasn''t ever difficult, and I could work in the fields all day without tiring ... maybe I AM strong enough.


    Maybe all I have to do is hit him, just once.


    Lina straightened and fixed her grey eyes on Edward. He laughed at her.


    "Oh, that look on your face, the determination, it''s wonderful, you¡ª"


    Edward stopped as Lina ran at him screaming, swinging her arm around in a wide blow. He twisted to avoid it, but not quickly enough, and Lina''s forearm slammed against his shoulder, sending him staggering badly. Lina screamed again as she brought her other arm around, this time the side of her fist glancing against his chest, and this was enough to push him back, almost sending him off his feet, and he let out an involuntary grunt of pain.


    Hope rose within Lina, and with it came renewed energy, and once more she pressed forward, this time aiming straight for Edward''s face, that smug little smile¡ª


    "AAAAAAAH!"


    Lina screamed as Edward caught her fist, holding it tight as he focused heat upon it.


    "You really thought you were starting to win, didn''t you?" Edward laughed happily as Lina managed to wrench her hand free and stagger away. "You''re not even punching properly, here''s a little tip; the thumb goes on the outside of the fist."


    Before Lina could recover Edward was on her once more, his strikes precise and playful, batting her this way and that, allowing her to recover just enough between blows to see the next one coming. Lina''s attempts to fight back just served to frustrate her further; whenever she even had a chance to attack he simply wasn''t there, had somehow slipped to the side, over and over until she found herself sobbing in pain and frustration.


    "Oh, come now, you don''t have to cry. I''ll tell you what, why don''t I give you a free shot at me? Hit me once, as hard as you can, I promise I won''t dodge."


    Lina let out another sob as Edward stood back, his arms held wide, grinning at her. Without thought she launched herself at him, the desire to wipe that awful smug look off his face so strong¡ª


    And Edward moved and Lina couldn''t; both wrists caught in his strong hands, his face close to hers.


    "Gotcha," he said, and he laughed. "It''s been lovely dancing with you, but the hour grows late. As they say, all good things must come to an end."


    "AHHHHH!"


    Lina screamed out as Edward began to burn her, as she felt the heat from his hands melting her flesh, she could hear it, feel it, smell it, and the pain was too much, pain like she''d never felt in her life, pain like she''d never imagined could exist, and¡ª


    And I''m going to die. He''s going to kill me. He''s going to kill me, and I can''t¡ª


    And then the heat was gone, and Lina sobbed in relief, and in frustration, because she knew that this was just another of his games, and she glared at that smug smile¡ª


    No. She didn''t. Because the smug smile was gone, replaced with a look of utter shock ... and then of terrifying rage, as he looked past Lina, behind her. She twisted in his grip, staring back to see a sunken-eyed, deathly-pale girl standing in the street, her hair ragged and wild around her shoulders, standing only with the support of Ada and Naz.


    When Sophia spoke, it was with a rage and power that was truly frightening:


    "Let go of my friend."


    Edward gripped Lina''s arms tighter, his face twisted with fury.


    "How are you doing that?" he snarled.


    Lina glanced at Edward, then at Sophia; the girl''s face was waxen, set in pained concentration. Seeing a chance, Lina wrenched her arms away from Edward, staggering back¡ªthe damage he''d done wasn''t as bad as she''d imagined it, her skin was raw and blistered but far from the charred bones she''d expected to see, and already the pain was little more than a dull ache.


    "Lina."


    As Edward turned on her once more, Lina looked over at Sophia, into the girl''s dull green eyes, and as Ada and Naz both gasped in unison Lina felt a sudden surge of energy fill her, like light, like snow, like warm sunshine and cool water; pure and powerful.


    And then Edward''s fist slammed into her face, against her eye, and she¡ª


    There was pain, but it was somehow separate from her self, and she caught it, and held it, and then she let it join with the pain in the rest of her body, in her arms and her chest and her cheek, and she forced it outwards, deep inside her attacker.


    Edward jerked back, screaming, clutching at his head¡ªbut only for an instant. Then he was standing, glaring balefully at Lina, still hurting but in control.


    Just pain, Lina thought, as he warily eyed her. You can''t stop a monster just by hurting it. Pain is just pain, it''s JUST pain, I can''t¡ª


    But I don''t just take and inflict pain, Lina thought, as she took a step towards Edward, as he took a step back. I can heal people, too. I can take their pain and I can fix their wounds. I can see ''what is'' and change it to ''what should be''.


    I can take pain. I can heal flesh.


    I can give pain. I can¡ª


    Edward snarled and ran at Lina, thrusting his hand against her chest in an open-handed strike, she could feel the heat burning through her dress and her skin even as she brought her own hand up, wild and unskilled but it connected, she felt her fingertips brush against Edward''s smooth, perfect cheek¡ª


    And the world shrank.


    There was something different here. Something new. Something Lina could only think of as ''scars''. They didn''t matter, though. All that mattered¡ª


    Edward screeched in pain and stumbled back, clutching at his face, at the two jagged lines through it, raw and bleeding, and Lina stepped forward and she pushed her hand against his bare arm, leaving four deep gashes as he jerked it away with a shocked gasp, and now it was clear, now everything was simple and clear, and Lina reached up and her hand closed around his face.


    Edward scrabbled at Lina''s arm as she held his face in her hand, and she could feel it, could feel everything, everything that he was, twitching under her palm, and she saw how easy, how so horribly easy it would be for all of that to end.


    Lina became aware that Edward was no longer clutching at her hand. His arms were stiff, held away from his body, fingers twitching. She could see his eyes above her hand, staring at her, wild and terrified.


    It took a moment for Lina to realise that someone was touching her arm, a soft, gentle touch, and she turned to look at Sophia, at her pale, drawn face, at the shadows under her tired green eyes, at her tight, serious mouth, which was forming words:


    "Lina. You''re not a murderer."


    Lina stared at Sophia, and then at Ada, who stood beside her, and then at Naz, who was behind Ada. She turned, slowly, to look once more at Edward. She could feel her arm trembling, could feel whatever energy Sophia had given her leaving, draining from her like steam after summer rains.


    Edward grunted as Lina pushed him back, sending him crashing to the dusty road. In an instant he''d twisted and regained his footing¡ª


    "You don''t have much energy left," said Sophia, before he could act further, her voice tired but with an undeniable strength. "Trust me. I can tell."


    Edward stared at her, his face almost blank, only his eyes speaking to what he felt.


    "Those wounds look bad," Ada added. "If you run now, and take care of them, I think you''ll probably live."


    "But if you stay," said Sophia, and now there was only strength in her voice, "if you try to keep fighting, if you attack us again, then we''ll be forced to respond ... and that would not be murder."


    Edward glared at Sophia, then shot a look of utter hatred at Lina, and then he turned, and then he ran.


    Sophia watched him go¡ªthen sagged, would have fallen if not for Ada and Naz catching her. All three of them looked utterly exhausted.


    And what about me? Lina thought. I''m hurt, but ... but no, I''m not, not hurt. My arms are burnt. My face, my chest ... none of it hurts. And I''m not tired.


    How strong am I?


    She blinked and saw Ada standing in front of her, holding up a long brown cloak. Lina stared, not sure why she was doing that. Then she noticed Naz''s deeply blushing cheeks and the way he was averting his gaze, and she looked down at her dress, which was more black than green now, and more holes than fabric.


    "Thank you," Lina mumbled, as she took the cloak from Ada and wrapped it around herself.


    "I''m sorry," Ada said. "I''m so sorry, Lina, I should have¡ªwe should have¡ª"


    "Yes," Naz added, tears running down his cheeks. "I should also ... I should have done¡ª"


    "No, no, it wasn''t, I was¡ª"


    And then Lina was crying, sobbing out all the fear and tension and loss of everything that suddenly came rushing to fill her, and Sophia''s hand was on her arm, and Ada was tentatively holding her hand, stroking it, and Naz was smiling at her through his tears, a smile of gratitude and understanding. He spoke:


    "We cannot stay here."


    Lina sniffed. "What?"


    "We cannot stay here," Naz repeated. He looked past Lina, up the street, to where dozens of villagers beat at the burning houses with wet sacks, the flames almost out. "You ... we are outsiders. Something bad has happened." He looked at Lina once more. "They will blame us; it is our fault. We cannot stay here."


    Lina took a shuddering breath. She was about to say something when, to her immense relief and everlasting gratitude, Sophia did so first:


    "Then we''ll leave, before we cause any trouble. Lina, if you help me I think I''ll be okay to walk. Ada, could you get the food and water?"


    Ada nodded, then walked back towards the inn. Sophia turned to look at Lina.


    "Lina," she said. Then she smiled, soft and warm, and her weary face brightened. "Thank you."

 Unbroken ~ 1 ~ Lost Time

    ~ Unbroken ~


    Lost Time


    Maya let out a small gasp in her sleep and rolled over to get closer to her sister¡ªthen her eyes came open and she gasped again.


    "Ash!" she called. "Ashley! Where are you?"


    "I''m right here, you nonce."


    Maya sat up and turned around¡ªAshley was standing by the drawers, tying her tunic closed.


    "I had a dream," Maya said, "a really awful dream, you were really close to me but I couldn''t talk to you! I couldn''t even see you!"


    "Why couldn''t you see me, if I was close?" Ashley asked, as she sat on the edge of the bed and started putting her boots on. Maya stared at her, wide-eyed, then she cocked her head to the side.


    "Huh?" she said. "Why couldn''t I see you? I don''t know, Ash! But it was really really scary!"


    "Yeah, well, it was just a dream, right? Dreams can''t hurt you. Now get up and go have a wash, if Princess is finished."


    "You shouldn''t call her that," Maya said, as she got out of bed. "I don''t think she likes it."


    "Tough for her."


    "Ash, you should be nicer to Selene, I like her!"


    "That''s because you''re, y''know, you. You like everyone¡ªwhich is great," Ashley said, as Maya started to say something, "but one of us has to be looking out for trouble, right? Dunno ... soon as I saw that girl, I knew she was broken."


    Maya frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "Ah, forget it. Go and have a wash¡ªthey''ve got taps in this place, real fancy."


    "Okay, Ash!"


    Maya bounced out of the room, all of her bad dreams and difficult questions forgotten. Ashley watched her go, then she finished lacing up her boots and she followed her out. Fin was standing by the window, gazing out at nothing much at all.


    "What''s up, Finny?" Ashley asked, joining him at the window. He glanced at her, frowning, then returned his gaze to the street below.


    "I wonder," he said. "I wonder if perhaps ... if perhaps I should have paid more attention to your counsel. I have been reflecting back on our journey so far¡ª"


    "Stop you there, Fin. You''re about to go off on some weird little trip about mistakes and regrets and stuff, right? Forget it. That don''t never help nothing. Can''t keep looking back, yeah? Otherwise you don''t see the guy with the knife waiting for you in the shadows."


    "As usual, your advice is well-placed." Fin smiled at her. "Having you around has been good for me, you know. You''re much more than the common thug you present yourself as, Miss Ashley."


    Ashley laughed. "I really ain''t. But whatever, thanks."


    Both Fin and Ashley looked around as Selene came in, her long black hair damp. She gave Ashley a cool glance, then smiled at Fin.


    "Everything''s fine with the carriage," she said. "I''ll be ready in just a few minutes."


    "Selene," Fin said, "could you delay your preparations for a moment? I have something important you should hear. Ashley, you too. To put it bluntly, I don''t think we should leave today."


    "You crazy?" Ashley asked, before Selene could get a word in. "You wanna go look for your magic city, right?"


    "I ... I agree," said Selene, as Fin smiled at ''magic city''. "The sooner we leave the sooner we''ll find our home."


    Fin sighed. "There was a woman I once knew," he said, "a friend and confidant. She liked to tell me that I had the greatest vision of anyone she''d ever met¡ªbut that I never saw anything until it was gone."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Selene stared at Fin, and Ashley crossed her arms.


    "You going somewhere with this, Finny?"


    "With the invisible, the intangible, the subtle and unseen threads of the world, I have no problem. But with what is solid, what is truly important, I sometimes feel..."


    Fin trailed off. He reached up to adjust his hat minutely. He looked from Selene to Ashley, and then back to Selene.


    "I was wrong to abandon the others," he said. "To let them go without even trying to find them. It''s too late to go back. But we must give them a chance to catch us. I mentioned this place to Sophia, she may lead the others here."


    "Could be wasting a lot of time for a maybe," Ashley muttered. Selene nodded.


    "How long will we wait?" she asked. "Days? Weeks? For something that might not even happen? If Sophia manages to lead the others here, then she''ll lead them further. You said that Home has an unusual energy¡ª"


    "The entire Desert of Ruins has an unusual energy," said Fin. "For those like Sophia and myself it can be a confusing place. No, it''s better¡ª"


    "Hey." Ashley was looking at the map. "Gotta ask something, now that I''m looking¡ªwhy the heck didn''t we just go south from Pyre? Looks like we could''ve cut a couple of days off the trip."


    "There are a number of reasons I came here first," said Fin. "Chiefly because there''s a cliff running along the northern edge of the desert which would present severe difficulties to our carriage¡ª"


    "Please don''t get distracted by her," said Selene, attracting a sour look from Ashley. "Fin, of course I want to reach Home as soon as possible. But if you think ... how long will we wait?"


    "Perhaps two more nights. If there is no sign of the others after that, we''ll set out alone."


    Selene nodded, then turned to leave. "I''ll be in my room, then. Please don''t disturb me."


    Ashley watched Selene go, then let out a low whistle as she turned back to Fin.


    "Don''t gotta be a mind-reader to know SHE ain''t happy," she said. "Gonna do something about that, Finny?"


    "If it becomes necessary." Fin was looking at the map again. "Although I doubt it will. What about you, Miss Ashley?"


    "Am I happy, you asking? Hell, you know me. I ain''t never happy. But I reckon this''ll make Maya''s day, so I''m good."


    Fin didn''t reply. His eyes were still fixed on the map, on the neat little ''x'' that marked their destination.


    Presently, he blinked.


    <hr>


    The coach rumbled away down the road, the sun high and dull above, leaving four weary travellers standing alone in the barren landscape.


    "Well then," said Sophia, making her voice bright. "At least we''re a lot closer now than we were before. It''s less than a day''s walk to the edge of the desert, and then from there we''ll soon reach The Place Nobody Goes¡ª"


    "I think we can just call it Home," said Ada. "When Mr Fin called it the place nobody goes I think he was mostly being poetic. And I''m not sure you understand how difficult it will be to navigate through a desert¡ª"


    "Well, do YOU?" Sophia countered. "You''ve never been outside of Rosanth and they CERTAINLY don''t have deserts up there."


    "I''ve read about them¡ª"


    "Well so have I," Sophia interrupted. "And you''re forgetting about my abilities. Remember what Mr Fin said? ''A place more felt than found'', I''m sure he meant that it has a unique energy. I''ll be able to sense it!"


    Ada looked at Sophia, worried. "About your ''abilities'' ... are you sure it was okay¡ª"


    "You''re going to say about the coach driver, aren''t you," said Sophia. "I know it wasn''t ideal, but it''s not like I did any permanent damage to him. I just took his doubts and replaced them with positive thoughts towards us¡ªhe was already leaning towards helping us, it was just a tiny push. Really, I barely did anything at all."


    "You sound very defensive," said Ada. "It just seems ... wrong, somehow, to mess around with someone''s head like that."


    "I think it''s good that Sophia got us here at all," said Lina. "If we''d had to walk¡ª"


    "Yes, well, we''re here now, so let''s just focus on our goal," said Sophia. "As you''d expect there''s no road leading into the desert, so let''s just head south. Ada?"


    Ada pointed.


    "Good. Naz, are you all right? I don''t think you''ve said a word all day."


    Naz looked at Sophia, weary and lost and alone.


    "Well, I''m sure you''ll cheer up once we get where we''re going¡ªyou''ll like the others, for some reason I think you''d get on well with Selene, and Mr Fin is amazing, he can explain much better than me what his plan is¡ªwell, it''s more of a ''dream'' than a ''plan'', but anyway, once we''re there everything will be better."


    Sophia smiled brightly as she led the others in the direction Ada had pointed, not letting any of the worry she felt show on her face. She''d tried, in a private moment, to force this worry from her, but this had only worked for a few minutes and left her exhausted¡ªit''s all to do with causes, she thought, as they walked over scrubby grass and pale earth. Like the difference between ''the heat of the moment'' and ''deep-seated anger''. Just forcing out the worry I feel is only going to work until I remember why I was worried in the first place.


    Still ... Sophia glanced back at Ada as they walked¡ªthe girl was gazing off at some trees in the distance, the birds flocking around them dark against a pale yellow sky. She has a point, Sophia admitted to herself. This is unknown territory I''m in, with these abilities. It''s not like there''s a Journal of Ethics about manipulating emotions. What little money we had we needed to spend on food and water flasks and other supplies, we couldn''t afford a coach ride as well, but we were all so tired ... and the coach driver DID want to help us, I could feel that, he really did, it was just he had all that doubt as well, but now I''m avoiding the big problem with what I did; I took choice away from him.


    Sophia suppressed a sigh as she walked along. No matter how I look at things, she thought, I can''t think of that as right.