by Becca Blake
“This is a matter of life and death,” Nero muttered. “Ellery won’t let me walk away from this.”
Captain Reiner sighed. “No. Perhaps not.”
As they approached one of the city’s many bridges, the captain slowed his pace.
“You don’t deserve to die for this,” he murmured. He glanced over his shoulder. “When we reach the bridge, I need you to punch me in the face as hard as you can. Give me a nasty bruise so it looks like there was a struggle.”
“What?” Nero couldn’t keep the surprise from his voice.
“Punch me, then dive into the water and swim. I can give you a five minute head start before I call for the other guards. After that, I’ll have to pursue you like I would any criminal. But I get the impression you’re good at not being found.”
“Why let me go at all?”
The captain paused at the center of the arched bridge and looked out at the slumbering city. Aside from a few guards who could be seen patrolling the main streets, the city was empty. The oil lamps on streets and buildings reflected into the canal below, creating dancing orange patterns on the flowing ripples.
After a few moments of silence, Reiner sighed once more. When he spoke again, he ignored Nero’s question. “Once you’re gone, you should try to flee the city. Go somewhere else— start your own life in a place where your name doesn’t matter.”
Nero looked up at the older man. Now that they were alone and speaking honestly, Reiner’s eyes seemed as kind as they’d always been. He wondered if he still carried candy in his pockets for whatever children now roamed the castle halls.
He supposed it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Reiner was sparing him from Lord Ellery’s cruelty, just as he’d done when Nero was only ten years old. Every moment he wasted talking to him was another moment he risked someone noticing them on the bridge and making his escape more difficult.
He had so many more questions for the captain, but he’d run out of time to ask them. If he was going to take Reiner’s offer of freedom, he had to act now.
Nero slammed his fist into Reiner’s face and hoisted himself over the bridge’s stone railing.
The cold water surrounded him as he plunged into the river below. He swam as far as his lungs would allow, then gasped for air as he surfaced. As he followed the current down the river, he never dared to look back.
When he finally dragged himself out of the water, drenched and exhausted, he could hear the faint sounds of guards shouting in the distance. He wouldn’t have long before they followed the river down far enough to find him.
Nero took a moment to find his bearings and cursed at himself under his breath for going the wrong way. He’d swam all the way to the rich end of town, just outside the castle walls. The bridge he shared with Neryssa was on the opposite end of town, and it would take him most of the night to get back.
At least the guards here weren’t looking for him— not yet, anyway. Once they did begin searching for him in earnest, this side of town was probably where they’d start. If he was able to cross town unnoticed, he’d have some time to come up with a new plan before they began searching the entire city.
He could worry about that later. The first step was to get back to Neryssa.
Nero slipped into a dark alley behind a restaurant. The tempting aroma of freshly cooked seafood drifted out from the kitchen, and the dull ache in his gut reminded him that he still hadn’t eaten that day.
That was another thing he didn’t have time to worry about right now. Escaping had to be his priority. Survival came first.
The warm glow of an oil lamp illuminated two men pressed against the side of the building in a lovers’ embrace. The light-haired one with his back to Nero had his head dipped low, pressed against his companion’s neck. The other tilted his head back, and his eyes drooped with drunken satisfaction as his companion pressed against him to hold him upright.
“Ah, I’m sorry—” Nero mumbled, though it was clear neither of them had noticed him at all until he spoke.
The drunk lover crumpled motionless to the ground as the other one spun around to face Nero. His mouth was covered with fresh blood, and his vicious grin revealed two sharpened fangs.
Nero ran.
Chapter 2
The stranger was upon Nero faster than he thought possible, pressing him into the wall just as he had done with the other man. Light from the oil lamps glinted off the blood that was still slick on his lips and teeth.
Had he been drinking that other man’s blood?
“W-what are you?” Nero stammered.
Up close, the man was tall and pale, with sleek blond hair that brushed against his shoulders. He wore black leather armor accented with gold and crimson, complete with a flowing red cape that fluttered behind him as he moved.
“Surely you’ve heard of what I am? The monsters who prowl in the dark? The stories parents whisper late at night when they want to scare their children into behaving?” His voice was deep and smooth, and he spoke with the haughty confidence of a nobleman.
But though he dressed like one and spoke like one, this was no nobleman. Nero knew of only one such myth, one monster who fed from the blood of mortals.
“Vampire,” Nero whispered breathlessly.
“Very good,” the creature said, releasing him. “You’re fortunate I’ve already had my fill tonight, as I have no more thirst to sate and you’ve given me no reason to kill you yet.”
Nero reached instinctively for the dagger he’d lost at sea but found only air in its place.
The stranger smiled, as though he knew exactly what had been on Nero’s mind.
Nero ducked under his arm and bolted for the street. The vampire overtook him with ease, cutting off his escape by leaning his arm against the building behind Nero and pinning him to the wall once more.
“Tell me… do you like living in this city?”
Despite his fear, Nero couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh at the absurd question.
“I thought as much.” The vampire’s sickening smile widened. “Excellent.”
“Why?” Nero asked.
“Come, sit.” The vampire pulled out two crates from next to the restaurant’s back door, taking one himself and offering the other to Nero. “I have a proposal for you.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” Nero said. He shivered against the chill breeze that clawed at him through his clothing, which was still drenched from his swim in the river.
“Sit,” the vampire repeated through gritted teeth. “Before I change my mind about killing you.”
Nero looked over his shoulder, wondering whether he could get away if he made a run for it. Considering how quickly the vampire had caught him when he tried to run earlier, it didn’t seem like he’d have much hope of escaping. He sat down on the crate opposite the vampire. The body of the creature’s victim lay lifeless on the ground between them, drops of blood speckled across his neck. Nero kept his gaze averted from the dead man.
“What is your name, boy?” the vampire asked.
“Nero Cineris.” He dared to look up at the vampire to see if he had any reaction. When he gave no indication he recognized the disgraced family name, Nero continued. “Who are you? And what do you want from me?”
The vampire retrieved a black cloth from inside a pocket on his cloak and wiped the blood away from his lips and teeth. “My name is Alasdair Adrius, Lord of Terra Nocturne.”
“Lord of what?” Nero frowned as he tried to recall the geography lessons from his childhood. The name wasn’t a familiar one, though he hadn’t exactly been an attentive student.
“You won’t have heard of it, of course. It’s still in the process of being built. Even once the city is complete, it’s not likely you’ll find it on any mortal map. At least, not for a long time, I expect.”
Nero shifted his weight on the uncomfortable crate beneath him and tried not to focus on what Lord Adrius meant by mortal map. “You say you have a proposal. What is it?”
“I could kill you now— strike you down for pleasure or for food. But if I kill everyone who crosses my path, I will never be able to grow my influence or build my clan. So, my proposal is this: prove your worth and your loyalty, and you will be greatly rewarded. Fail, and I will kill you.”
“What makes you think I won’t tell someone about this? About you, and what you are?”
“Who would believe you?” Lord Adrius laughed. “I heard the way you were running when you turned into this alley. I could smell your fear. You don’t want to be found. You’re desperate to get away from this place.”
Nero pursed his lips and looked away. He couldn’t deny it. Every word was true.
“So, do we have a deal?”
Nero ran his fingers through his hair. “It doesn’t sound like I have much choice.”
Lord Adrius knelt down over the body and removed a glimmering object from the man’s wrist. He tossed it to Nero. “Consider this your first payment.”
Nero’s mouth fell open as he looked down at the golden watch in his hand. It must have cost a small fortune, and selling it would bring Nero more coin than he’d ever seen in one place. He’d just have to try to put the dead man it had belonged to out of his mind.
“What do you want me to do?”
Lord Adrius got to his feet and brushed off his clothing. “For the moment, your commitment is all that I require. I will have an assignment for you soon.”
“What kind of assignment?”
“You ask too many questions, Nero Cineris. I will find you when it is time.”
The pink light of dawn blanketed the city by the time Nero made it back to his bridge. Neryssa was huddled in the corner, still wearing his jacket as a blanket. She stirred at the sound of the dirt crunching beneath his boots.
“Nero?” She sat upright with a jolt. “You look like death, little brother.”
He gave her a weak smile.
“I was worried. What happened to you?”
Nero dropped to the ground next to her as his knees buckled from exhaustion. How much could he tell her about the previous day? Could he tell her about stealing food from Lord Ellery’s ship, or being arrested after? Could he tell her about how Captain Reiner helped him escape, or about running into a vampire after?
Would she even believe him about any of it?
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I may have finally found someone who will help us. I just have to do some work for him, and he’ll get us out of Caracta. For good.”
Neryssa narrowed her eyes. “Caracta has always been our home.”
“And this city hates us both. We owe it nothing. We’ll be nothing as long as we live here.” Nero pushed past her and picked up her pack from the ground. “It’s too dangerous for us to stay here now. We need to find somewhere more hidden to stay until we can leave.”
“Nero.” She snatched her bag from his hand and threw it back to the ground. “If you did something stupid, just tell me what it was so I can fix it.”
Heavy footfalls on the stone bridge signaled that a large group was passing by above them.
“Spread out! We’ll search the northwest edge of town as quickly as we can, then move on to the next.”
The footfalls tapered off as the guards split into different directions. How had they made it this far already?
“They’re looking for you, I suppose.” Neryssa crossed her arms. The wind whipped her dark curls around her face, leaving only her furious gaze exposed.
“We have to hide,” Nero whispered, grabbing his sister’s arm.
She planted her feet, standing firm. “Only if you promise to tell me everything once they’re gone.”
“Fine— I promise. Just hide!”
Nero pointed at the nook where the shortest columns met the underside of the bridge. The space was dark, obscured by the architecture of the bridge enough that it might be enough to conceal them. Neryssa was too short to reach the ledge on her own, so he lifted her up by the waist. She pulled herself up onto the narrow ledge and perched in an awkward crouch. Nero, taller than his sister, lifted himself onto the ledge without much difficulty.
He pressed a finger to his lips to tell her to be silent as a guard’s boots came into view.
Neryssa let out a small gasp, then covered her mouth. She pointed to the ground, where her bag had been left in plain view.
Nero shook his head. There was no way they could retrieve it without the guard seeing. They’d just have to hope he didn’t walk over toward them.
The familiar, broad-shouldered frame of Captain Reiner stood at the edge of the river with his arms crossed, deep in thought. He must have been up all night, too.
Nero’s legs burned with exhaustion as he crouched on the ledge. He still hadn’t eaten, and he badly needed rest. His calves shook under his own weight so much that he worried he might not be able to hold himself upright much longer.
He certainly didn’t trust himself to escape the guards a second time in his current state.
The captain muttered to himself as he paced along the river, though Nero couldn’t make out any words.
Nero’s foot slipped, and his boot scraped against the stone. He caught himself just in time and braced his arms on the stone column for support.
Reiner’s head snapped up, and he looked in their direction. They were concealed by the shadows enough that he wouldn’t be able to see them from this distance, but if he came close…
He started down the riverbank, hovering one hand over the sword at his hip. “Who’s there?” he called out.
Nero looked down at the backpack on the ground. From the captain’s angle, it would be obscured by the stone column at the base of the bridge. But if he moved toward them at all, it would be impossible to miss.
Inside her bag, Neryssa kept a small sketch that had been done of their family when they lived at the palace. They’d sold everything else for coin long ago just to survive, and the illustration was the only reminder of their parents they had left. If the guards searching for them found that bag with their parents’ image in it, this part of town would be crawling with guards within the hour, making it impossible for them to escape without being caught.
Nero closed his eyes, wishing he believed in the elven gods enough to pray to them that he and Neryssa wouldn’t be found.
“Captain Reiner!”
The guard spun around to look in the direction of the street. “What is it?”
“This area is clear. No one’s seen anything unusual.”
The captain nodded. “Let’s move on, then.” He glanced again in the direction of the bridge one last time, stopping to stare long enough that Nero was certain he’d found them. If he did, he gave no indication as he turned back up the slope and started toward the streets.
When the guards’ footsteps faded away, Nero let out a sigh and lowered himself down from the ledge.
He offered Neryssa a hand, but she leaped to the ground on her own and shoved him aside to pick up her bag. “Why are the city guards after you?”
“Do we have to discuss this now?”
“You promised.” Neryssa slung her bag over her shoulder. “Did they finally catch you stealing?”
“I don’t—”
“I’m not an idiot, brother. I’m not the innocent child you see me as. I know how you’ve been supporting us, and it hasn’t been through honest work.”
Nero’s mouth fell open as he tried to form a response, but words failed him. He’d tried so hard to keep the shameful truth from her.
“And I’m proud of you for it,” she said. “You do what you must so we can survive.”
Nero ran a hand through his thick hair, mussing it up. "I didn't think you would like it."
"What should I care if you steal from the people of this city? They stole our parents. Our childhood.” She stared out at the river, a distant look in her eyes. “I’d gladly watch them all burn.”
"So leave with me. The man I ran into— he said he’d take us to a dif
ferent city, one where we can build a real life. Somewhere no one has ever heard of the name Cineris."
“And you trust him?”
“I don’t trust him. But we don’t have much choice, do we? We can’t afford to get on one of the caravans out of here, and we sure as hell don’t know how to survive in the woods on our own.”
“You want us to leave town with a man you don’t know and don’t trust?” She tilted her head to the side. “Who is he?”
“He’s…” Nero hesitated, not certain how much he should tell her. “I don’t think he’s human.”
“So, elven? Half-elven?” Neryssa scoffed. “That doesn’t mean he’s not trustworthy, Nero. No less than any other man in this city, at least.”
"That’s not what I mean. He’s… something else. He’s not like us— or like the elves. He’s not mortal.”
“Not mortal?” Neryssa asked, arching a brow.
“He’s a vampire.”
Neryssa's laugh was sharp and high, but her laughter faded as she noticed his serious expression. "Brother, there is no such thing. They're just stories our mother and father used to tell us."
"All the same, I met one."
"Then you're a fool for believing his lies."
"I saw him drinking blood from a dead man's neck."
Neryssa frowned. "It sounds like you were fortunate to escape from such a depraved soul, then. Did he hurt you?"
"No. He wasn't trying to. I'd be dead if that was what he wanted from me. I would've never gotten away from that alleyway."
"Then what did he want from you?" She still wore a skeptical smirk.
She didn't believe him—of course she didn't. He wouldn't believe this tale either if he hadn't seen it himself.
"I don't know. He said he was a lord visiting from another city."
"So, he was crazy?"
"He didn't look crazy. He was dressed in fine clothing, and he spoke more like a nobleman than a madman."
Neryssa's brows shot up at that. "What will he pay you?"