After a brief pause, Aina said, “That’s probably the best decision.” She looked toward June and Sofía again, feeling a surge of pride. Two Inosen women, from immigrant backgrounds—they all made up Sumerand, so they should all be a part of what it would look like in the future. For the first time, she felt hopeful there might be a future for the people of Kosín like her, who’d so often convinced themselves they’d never have one.
After the meeting, she and Tannis walked together back to the Stacks and stopped at Raurie’s uncle’s tavern along the way. Raurie stood outside of it, her purple shawl draped over her shoulders, and waved to them.
“Where are you two going?” Aina asked as Tannis walked up to Raurie and kissed her on the cheek.
“One of the initiatives the Sacoren are proposing is to give more business opportunities to Inosen, now that we don’t have to hide.” Raurie smiled and held up her wrist so her bracelet caught the sunlight. “I’m finally going to open a jewelry store.”
“That’s great, Raurie,” Aina said. “I’ll make sure to sell some diamonds there.”
“Not that kind of jewlery store, Aina—” Tannis interjected, but stopped when Aina began to laugh.
“Joking,” she said with a wink. “Maybe. See you at the Dom later, Tannis? I’m going to train that recruit from Thunder.”
Tannis nodded and left to the Center with Raurie, while Aina descended the hills that led farther into the Stacks. The evening had gone quiet apart from the sounds of people cooking and laughing inside their homes.
They all wanted something to hope for, a way to believe they could pull themselves up from nothing and prove to the world what they could really do when they just had a chance. Kohl had loved the Stacks too, but his whole life had been spent fighting, and in the end all his love amounted to was a need to control. The Stacks would stay the same for a while, since a change as big as she and Tannis envisioned wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight. She took a slightly longer route than usual, wanting to take in the Stacks as they were at the end of one era and the dawn of a new one.
One thing that would never change was that this would always be her home.
A few blocks from the Dom, Aina spotted a girl roughly twelve or thirteen years old. She walked behind two older men on the tips of her toes. Both men could easily pick her up and toss her across the street if they wanted to. But neither of them even seemed to notice her, she walked so quietly.
If Aina hadn’t been watching, she would have missed the moment when the girl swiped a wallet from the back pocket of one of the men.
The men continued on, laughing loudly about something while the girl darted to a doorway and began to count the kors she’d taken.
Holding back a laugh, Aina walked up to the girl, taking in her lack of shoes, the holes in her clothes, the gaunt hollows under her cheekbones. She didn’t blame the girl for shrinking away from her and tightly clutching her prize.
“I have a job for you,” she said, and a hint of recognition lit up the girl’s eyes when she looked at Aina. “Picking pockets might keep you alive for now, but it won’t get you very far here. If you want more, as well as food and a bed, come with me.”
Without waiting to see if the girl would follow, Aina continued down the street. When Aina approached the next corner, where she would turn to reach the Dom, the girl would easily be able to guess what awaited her if she chose to join Aina.
Aina waited until she was across the street from the Dom, then glanced over her shoulder. Halfway down the street behind her, the girl she’d offered a job to approached slowly, keeping to the shadows on the side of the street. When the Dom came into view for her, she tilted her head back slightly. A relieved grin flickered on her face, lit up by the sun.
ALSO BY FRANCESCA FLORES
Diamond City
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Francesca Flores is a writer, traveler, and linguist. Raised in Pittsburgh, she read every fantasy book she could get her hands on and started writing her own stories at a young age. She began writing Diamond City while working as a corporate travel manager. When she’s not writing or reading, Francesca enjoys traveling, dancing ballet and jazz, practicing trapeze and contortion, and visiting parks and trails around San Francisco, where she currently resides. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Also by Francesca Flores
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by Wednesday Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
SHADOW CITY. Copyright © 2020 by Francesca Flores. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.wednesdaybooks.com
Cover design by Kerri Resnick
Cover art: fiery city © Tithi Luadthong/Shutterstock.com; colorful burst © Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock.com; female silhouette © faestock/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Flores, Francesca, author.
Title: Shadow city / Francesca Flores.
Description: First edition. | New York: Wednesday Books, 2021. | Series: City of steel and diamond; 2
Identifiers: LCCN 2020040132 | ISBN 9781250220486 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250220493 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Magic—Fiction. | Conspiracies—Fiction. | Betrayal—Fiction. | Fantasy.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.F5943 Sh 2021 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020040132
eISBN 9781250220493
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: 2021
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