by Nick Martell
Before I could protest about his plan, Dark shoved me through the door as he said, “Good. You’re leading, Michael. Be quiet.”
Once we were all in, Dark closed the door and then iced it over with his Fabrications. A thin, translucent layer covered it. If I wanted to get out of here without him, it would be through another door.
We walked down the tunnels in silence except for the sloshing of our boots through the water. As it began to dry up, we came to a fork in the corridor with lit torches going off in three directions, a symbol over each path. No sound came from any of them. Only deafening silence.
“Which way?” Dark asked.
“I’m not sure,” Omari said. “I knew the way from my cell to the waterway, but… I didn’t realize there were three ways to the main dungeon.”
“Of course it couldn’t be easy,” Dark muttered. “If we come out in the wrong place, it would mess our plan all up. Who knows where these paths go.”
“We didn’t plan for this. Maybe we should leave and come back with a better plan. We don’t have to do this tonight,” I said.
Both looked at me and then turned to each other. Dark was the first to speak. “We have two options: explore as a group, or each take a path and meet up again inside.”
“We can cover more ground if we split up—” Omari began.
“But we’ll be alone if something goes wrong,” I said.
“So don’t let anything go wrong,” Dark said. “We’ll each take a path and meet up inside the castle. It might be better, anyway. One person can blend into the crowds easier.”
“I don’t like this plan.”
Omari put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s the best option we have. Don’t worry, we can all take care of ourselves for a bit.”
“Where are we going to meet up?”
“The Star Chamber. It’s right next to the Royal Staircase, so we’ll have plenty of warning if there’s a patrol coming.”
Omari answered without consulting me. “That works for us.”
“Then let’s go.”
Dark went down the middle path and disappeared into the darkness without a goodbye. I paused before taking the left one. “Are you sure you’ll be fine on your own?”
Omari was standing straighter at this point, chest pushed out. He wasn’t shaking anymore and his eyes were newly determined. “Trust me. I’ll meet you at the Star Chamber once I’m finished with my business.”
I held my open palm out. “See you on the other side?”
He clasped my hand and held it longer than normal. “See you under the stars.”
Though I had promised him revenge, I couldn’t stand by and watch him become a murderer as I had his brother.
When Omari let go of my hand, I waited in place until I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore. Once it was silent, I began to follow him down a corridor that seemed to stretch away forever. I didn’t even know how long I’d walked until eventually the air grew hot and humid, forcing me to pull at the collar of my shirt for a moment of relief from my sweat-stained clothes. The door at the end of the hallway was warped from the wet air and heat, the lock so rusted that it broke open with a simple twist. As I forced the door open, it made a loud crack and the wood splintered, and I was greeted with a face full of steam and the realization that I must have missed a turn Omari had taken at some point.
I coughed loudly into my forearm, eyes watering.
“Hello?” a woman called.
I held my breath and moved further into the steam before ducking behind a column. My throat was burning, but I suppressed my cough. Everything smelled like oranges and lemongrass.
The voice called out again, “Is anyone there? Karin… Rowan… Efyra… Chloe? Was that one of you?”
All I could hear was my heart beating in my chest.
The voice sighed. Quieter, she said, “I must’ve been hearing things. Not that you can blame yourself. The rebels have essentially declared open war, the Emperor is a free woman, the city is in lockdown, and you’re under house arrest, instead of out there with the other Evokers, and… now you’re talking to yourself. Great.”
There was a splash as she slapped the water in frustration.
As my eyes got adjusted to the steam, I realized where my path had led me: the baths in the basement of Hollow Castle. With an unknown Evoker. If she caught me, she’d probably drown me first, then ask questions.
Just my luck.
The woman began to hum to herself while easing into the water. A slow, steady tune almost like a lullaby. It was so familiar that, without thinking, my body began to ease and relax. My eyes felt heavy, and I had to use all my strength to stifle a yawn. It was almost like magic. How was she able to do that? Who was she? And why did it sound so familiar? I knew that tune somehow. But how? It didn’t sound like any of the classics.
“Princess! We have an emergency!” a voice shouted as the door to the baths was thrown open. Someone walked in, armor clanking with every step.
No, it had to be someone else. It couldn’t be her.
She cursed and lifted herself out of the baths. “Give me a report. And hand me my towel.”
“We’re under attack. Guards found the torturer, hanging by his mandibles, in a cell. His throat was cut and his tongue was missing.”
“Rebels?”
“No signs of them, Princess. Nor did he seem like their kind of target.”
“He wasn’t. Who else knows?”
“Myself, his apprentice who found him, and you. I wanted to get you before informing your father. He had one of his incidents earlier today.”
Omari. It had to be. I hadn’t been able to stop him.
“Put the castle on lockdown and gather the rest of the Ravens. Put two on the door to my father’s suite, one guarding the main entrance, send another to watch my brother, wherever he is, and the rest will be with me. If my father or Efyra asks why, tell them we’re running a training exercise. I can handle this on my own. Besides, whoever it was, they haven’t escaped the castle yet. We’ll hunt them down in no time. Understand?”
“Yes, Princess. We’ll be ready to search the castle by the time you’re done changing.”
“Thank you, Karin. You’re… Wait, Karin, do these baths connect to the rest of the dungeons?”
“I think so, Princess. Why? Do you worry the intruder might try to escape through them?”
“No… no, I don’t think so. It was just simple curiosity. You’re excused.”
The Raven left the baths in a hurry, slamming the door behind her. Shortly after, the woman walked around the bath, muttering to herself. Dark would’ve called me an imbecile and I knew I shouldn’t… but I peeked around the corner. I had to know for sure if it was her.
Amidst the steam, I saw the Princess of Hollow wrapped up in a short towel, her lightly tanned skin contrasting with the sharp white, braiding her auburn hair to the side. My face flushed and I hid behind the column again, heart pounding. It felt like it was about to burst. I hadn’t seen her in years, and to see the Royal my life was bound to…
“I know you’re in here.”
My heart stopped.
“I’ll be honest,” she said. “I had no love for the torturer we had. He was the worst of men, and only lasted this long because my father thought he was necessary. I was going to get rid of him when I could.”
I couldn’t help but wonder how long I could survive without a beating heart.
“I don’t know why you killed him, and I don’t really care. If you leave the way you came in, no one else will be harmed tonight. We have bigger problems to deal with. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a rebellion outside our walls. But if you take even one step out of these baths, I will show you Hollow’s justice myself. Do you understand?”
I closed my eyes and put my head against the column.
“So be—”
“It was a mistake coming here,” I croaked. “But I think my friend killed the torturer. I need to find and protect him.”
&n
bsp; “Are they worth the risks?”
“Family looks after family.”
“Any fool can say those words, but few follow through.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? Your criminal brands don’t scare me, but losing him does.”
“Wise men fear more than just the ax.” She hesitated, taking a deep breath, then letting it out. “I wish you luck in finding your friend and hope we don’t meet again in these honored halls tonight.” She rubbed her left wrist. “Whoever you may be.”
I waited until I heard the door close again, wondering if our conversation would’ve ended differently if she knew who I was. When the Princess of Hollow was gone from the baths, I emerged from my hiding spot. There were two doors out of there: one for the men and one for the women. I left through the male one, passed through a small changing room—grabbing a dirty Advocator’s uniform as I did—and then ran up the stairs toward the Star Chamber, trying to recall as much as I could about the Princess of Hollow and trying not to think about what would happen if we ran into each other again.
GONE
Dressed as an Advocator, no one gave me a second glance.
The servants avoided the eyes of anyone dressed more formally than they were, staring at the ground as they walked to and fro. The nobles were talking in groups and paid little attention to anyone else, as if declaring that if they didn’t know you, you weren’t worth talking to. Even the guards stared straight ahead in their places, perhaps assuming that anyone in here deserved to be. I walked confidently, and it wasn’t long before I was back in the right hallway, looking for the door to the Star Chamber again.
When I found it, I swung it open without care. Dark, also in uniform, was sitting at the head of the table with a familiar night sky painted on the walls around him. “Took you long enough.”
“Where’s Omari?”
“Close the door. Do you want someone to see us?”
As I did, I repeated my question.
“Clearly not here.”
“Enough,” I growled. “I didn’t like this plan to begin with, and now the castle is on lockdown and they’re searching for intruders. We need to find Omari first.”
“Calm yourself. They’re only watching the exits. So long as he found a uniform and doesn’t try to leave, he’ll be fine,” Dark said. “Let’s go to the Royal Tower. This is our best chance—”
“We’re waiting for him.”
“He’ll be fine, and it’s the perfect distraction. No one will be watching the Royal Tower since they evacuate somewhere else during a lockdown. It’s now or never.”
“Then it’s never. There’s no choice between a chance at getting information about my dead father and saving the life of my friend.”
Dark clicked his tongue, leaned on the table, and said, “This was your plan, Michael. You had to convince us to come with you. Now, after we’ve done the impossible and broken into the castle, you want to turn around and go home? What is wrong with you?”
“My priorities changed.”
“Oh, really? What are they now?”
“Find Sir—I mean Omari—and get out of here without being arrested.”
“I don’t have time for this,” he declared, rising from his seat. “All I’ve ever seen you do is make a stupid choice, complain about it, feel bad about it until whatever you want gets dangled in your face, and then go after it again to repeat the cycle.”
“That won’t happen anymore.”
“It’ll happen again and again because you keep acting like a child. For once in your life, make a decision and stick to it. Wavering back and forth like this is useless. All you’re doing is ruining the lives of everyone around you.”
“Says the murdering, torturing, maiming Mercenary.”
Dark laughed, grabbed my hand, and then sliced my forearm with his dagger. Blood covered a side of the blade. Before I had a chance to yelp in pain, he was already filling a vial with my blood. After he was done, Dark ripped my sleeve and then used it to cover my wound as he said, “And you haven’t done a thing to stop me. You’re as bad as I am. If not worse. I’m not hurting the people I call my friends and family—you are. Now, are you coming?”
“I’m waiting for Omari.”
“Then I’m leaving. I wasn’t hired to babysit, and I have no desire to run into—”
“Your father?” I ventured, one last time.
Dark stared ahead. “Yes, and if you were smart, you would fear his eyes, too. They’re everywhere. Goodbye, Michael. Let’s not do this again.”
He left the Star Chamber without a backwards glance. This wasn’t my fault; it was Domet’s… No, it was mine. I had to admit that. Just as I had to admit I was obsessed with my legacy. Domet may have given me the information that started it all, but I had gone to him seeking a job. I had done enough to hurt him anyway. I had taken away the only thing that man had left to cherish.
All of this was because of me. The sooner I admitted that, everything would begin to improve. I would get Omari to safety, tell Domet what I had done, and then live with the consequences.
With nothing else to do but wait, I took a seat at the table in front of the rising sun painted on one of the walls. I had never been in this room before, and yet it felt so familiar. Stars and constellations had been painted all over the walls with delicate care. I felt at ease with a night sky around me, relaxing as I sat there in silence.
Until someone came in, boots stomping against the floor.
“Omari?” I asked, turning toward the door.
Trey Wiccard met my eyes, mouth agape and eyes wide. In unison we said, “What’re you doing here?”
We had spoken at the same time, but only Trey laughed. He sat next to me. “I suppose neither of us truly belongs here, and it doesn’t make sense why we are… but we prevailed when others did not. That’s a feat in and of itself.”
“Trey, about Jamal… I’m so sorry. I wish I could have protected him.”
Trey’s fingers traced the grain of the wooden table. “I wanted you dead. No, I’m lying: I wanted to kill your family in front of you so you could feel a fraction of my pain. But Jamal wouldn’t have wanted me to go down that path. So, once I got my head clear, I investigated on my own. You told me a rebel killed him, and I discovered you were telling the truth.”
“You believed me.”
“No. But I found evidence that proved your story, that you were just a witness, although I lacked a description of the man. So I resigned myself to hunting every one of them down until I found the Emperor and killed him—I mean her—myself. I almost made a deal I would’ve regretted. But your actions at the king’s party made me reconsider.”
“That made you believe me?”
“You were my friend… but, no, not completely,” he said. “Jamal made me believe. He had faith in your family and the heroics and honor they were once known for. I trusted his judgment and took the shot… though it helped when you threw aside your gun.”
“It wasn’t planned. Just felt right.”
Trey nodded then scooched his chair closer to mine.
“So where does this leave us? Can we go back to being friends?”
“I don’t know,” he stated. “On one hand, you’re all I have left and you did everything you could have to protect my brother. Even though he died, I’m thankful for that… only… every time I look at you, I think of Jamal and get angry that he died so young when others should have instead. So, where do we stand? I don’t know. And I doubt I’ll know today, or tomorrow, or the week after.”
All things considered, his reaction was understandable. Trey hadn’t had much time to grieve for his brother, and his death would haunt him for a long time. It would be months before he would even begin to feel like he had before, albeit with a cut on his heart that would never heal. Maybe one day we could be friends again, but, for now, I would give him his space and be there for him if he needed me.
“Michael, why are you here, anyway? In an Advocator’s uniform no less.”
/> “I’m waiting for a friend. Are you here to kill someone for Dark?”
“What? How did you… No, I turned the Mercenary down. In the end, my freedom was more important than revenge. I’m here because a man named Shadom gave me access to the castle and was supposed to meet me here… He claimed he knew the identity of my noble father.”
“Shadom?” I said. “Did you meet them? Do you know what they look like?”
Trey eyed me curiously. “No to both. I was sent a letter with instructions to follow if I wanted the information. Why do you care so much?”
“Shadom knew my father.” I groaned and leaned back in my seat. “I’m a little surprised you trusted a mysteriously sent letter.”
He smiled slightly and opened his jacket so I could see that there was a flintlock pistol hidden there. “I didn’t. But what do I have left to lose? I brought this in case it was a trap set by my pathetic father. I doubt Shadom will show, now that the castle is on lockdown. Maybe it’s for the best.”
“Are you insane?” I said loudly. “You brought a gun into the castle? All for what? Revenge? I thought you were over finding your father.”
“I was, but now he’s the only person I share blood with. I want to know who he is and why he left us.”
“Trey…”
“Don’t pity me, Michael. I should go… but before I do, have you ever noticed that there’s something odd about your shadow? It’s twisted and distorted for some reason. I’ve seen others whose shadows are similar, but yours… yours is different. It’s adapted and hidden in plain sight more than the others. For years I thought my eyes were tricking me, but I’ve been learning more about Fabrications, and I understand what it is.”
That was an odd turn in the conversation. “What’re you talking about?”
Trey put his hands flat on the table. “This is going to hurt.”
Trey put his hand over my face, a blinding light accompanying it. Everything went white and then gradually returned in a splotchy haze. I felt as if my shadow had been ripped out of my body and splattered against the wall behind me. My entire body shook, wobbled, and then I collapsed to the floor on one knee, struggling to breathe.