Catching Stars

by Cayla Keenan

  The worst of it was that he still wasn’t allowed outside. Maddix spent his nights staring at the stone above him, imaging the miles of stone bearing down on them. The air in the tunnels was stale and close, reminding him too much of the sewers where Mole’s corpse still lay. The moleman featured heavily in his nightmares, visiting Maddix in his sleep even with Jayin’s magic driving the darkness away.

  “You’re fidgeting again. Restless?” Jayin said, appearing in the doorway of their tiny living space. Maddix shot her a glare, swallowing the acidic comment on his tongue. Of course he was restless. They’d been trapped underground for days. He felt as if his skin was too tight, constricting his lungs every time he drew breath. He was going mad down here.

  “Okay, come on,” she said, understanding.

  “And go where?” Maddix snapped. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not allowed to leave.” He didn’t doubt their ability to break out if they so chose, but Jayin seemed content to stay and Maddix had no illusions about his ability to leave without her. She said it herself; he wouldn’t last the week.

  “You’re in a mood,” Jayin said. Maddix only noticed the sheath on her back when she slipped the strap off of her shoulder and lobbed it at him. He caught it before it could collide with his forehead, recognizing the weight of his sword. Jayin grinned at the incredulous look on his face.

  “How did you get this?” Maddix asked, pulling the blade from the sheath. His mood lifted instantly, his jangling nerves settling again now that he was armed.

  “I stole it,” Jayin replied as if it should be obvious.

  “If any of your friends see me with this, they’re going to be out for blood,” Maddix said.

  “Should make for an interesting afternoon,” she replied, twirling her knives around her thumbs and catching them again. “Come on. I’m bored and you’re going insane down here. Let’s have some fun.”

  “What did you have in mind?” Maddix asked. He was almost afraid of her answer.

  “Fight me.” Of course.

  “Fighting is your idea of fun?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re mad.”

  “We’ve established that.”

  Maddix hesitated for a moment before standing and shouldering his sword. The tunnels should be empty at this time of day. Without access to the sun, he had no way to gauge the time except by way of meals. Jayin always ate with gusto, laughing and relishing her food all the more when Maddix grimaced at the spiciness.

  “This is a bad idea,” Maddix said as they walked. He was nagging and he knew it; he blamed it on being underground for so long. Even with Jayin’s magic, he didn’t sleep most nights, just stared up at the ceiling and wished to be anywhere else.

  “We’ve been acting on bad ideas since this started. Why stop now?”

  She had a point.

  “Want to make this interesting?” Jayin asked as they entered the main chamber.

  I’m about to fight someone half my size, Maddix thought, in a hidden coven of witches in the middle of Kaddah. He didn’t know how much more interesting he could handle.

  “Winner gets to hit Evin in his smug face.”

  Maddix laughed, a sudden, startled sound. Jayin grinned, the shiny scar that split her lips pulling taut. He liked her smile, Maddix realized with a strange pang in his stomach. It looked natural on her face, so unlike her usual scowl.

  Despite his own misgivings about the Kaddahn witches’ hideaway, Maddix couldn’t deny that it was good for her. The tightness in her voice was no longer there, vanished along with the darkness in her green eyes and the tension she always seemed to hold in her fists.

  “Deal,” he said a beat too late. Jayin didn’t comment, peeking around the corner to ensure that the main chamber was empty before walking inside.

  “Ready when you are, dayri,” she said. Clearly, she wasn’t going to attack first. She was small and fast, but he had a much longer reach. Maddix didn’t like the way she was looking at him. She held herself still, perfectly relaxed, as if they were just having a conversation and both not holding instruments meant to maim and kill.

  Finally, Maddix struck, swinging his sword with both hands. Jayin moved without so much as a sound, neatly dodging the attack before reappearing behind him.

  “Stars, that was pathetic,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “No wonder the sahirla are going extinct if this is how they teach you to fight.”

  “Where did you learn then?” Maddix asked, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

  “The Gull,” Jayin answered simply, still sidestepping his every move. She hadn’t raised her weapons once. Every time he tried to get close, she just danced out of the way with that little smile on her face.

  “That’s a story I’ll have to hear,” Maddix said, trying to keep her talking long enough to gain an edge.

  “You have to earn it,” Jayin said. Maddix blinked and she was moving. She darted at him head-on, slipping into his guard.

  Maddix froze at the cool touch of the metal against his skin.

  “And right now, it doesn’t look like you will anytime soon.”

  Maddix didn’t wait for her to finish gloating. He grabbed hold of her wrist, for once not avoiding her skin. Jayin winced and Maddix pressed his advantage, lunging while she tried to shake off the sudden deluge of pain. It was a dirty shot, but Maddix wasn’t near arrogant enough to think he could beat her in a fair fight. He reached out with his sword to tap the side of her neck but she moved at the last second, hooking her knife around the tip of his blade.

  “That wasn’t nice.” Jayin forced his sword away, ducking well out of range. She paced around the chamber, matching him footstep for footstep, her gaze unwavering. Maddix rocked on his heels as she sprang at him, barely able to block her blows in time.

  Stars, she was fast. He only had a moment to brace himself before he saw her knives aiming for him. In a real fight, she would have killed him a dozen times over, and Maddix found himself wondering how she had ended up with a shop in the slums. With her skills, she could’ve been running the Gull. The Gulwitch could’ve been a streetlord instead of a phantom.

  Somehow, amidst the ceaseless attacks, Maddix managed to throw her off balance. She blocked his sword with both knives and Maddix forewent the blade altogether, shoving her hard. Jayin stumbled, trying to right herself before spinning into a crouch. She threw her leg out, sweeping it in a low arc, and then Maddix was on his back.

  “Ow,” Maddix groaned. His vision swam, and he blinked to find Jayin kneeling on his chest.

  “You’re not very good at this,” she said, extraordinarily smug. She almost looked happy, with her knives in her hands and spots of color in her cheeks. It was a good look on her, happiness. There was a beat and the strange feeling in his gut surged anew. Something flickered in Jayin’s eyes, and she stood in a single, fluid movement.

  “You’re terrifying,” he said, still trying to control his heartbeat. Jayin preened at the compliment.

  “Says the boy who looks like a scarecrow on fire,” she said, extending a hand and hauling him to his feet.

  Maddix snorted. In his mind’s eye, he saw an image of her in a different life, a different world, one where she laughed openly and often, and her smile didn’t promise violence. One where she didn’t have any scars and she’d never so much as heard of the sahirla.

  “You’re no shopkeeper,” Maddix said, forcing himself to push away the vision and smile. “You’re a carrion.” He froze, wondering for a moment if she’d take it as an insult, but Jayin she only laughed.

  “Well then come on, Guardling. Arrest me.”

  It was a game after that. No cheap shots, no tricks, just trading blows and forth for the fun of it. The clang of metal on metal echoed in the stone cavern, and Maddix found himself laughing along with her as they competed.

  Abandoning caution, Maddix surged forward, slashing wildly. Jayin pinwheeled backward and would’ve fallen if strange hands hadn’t caught her. She swore and reality filtered
back in. They’d attracted an audience; half of the coven was watching them. Maddix immediately raised his sword again, fear buzzing in his blood. There were too many to defend against at once. A tiny noise snapped him out of his swirling panic, and he turned to see Jayin looking at him.

  Something was wrong. Her skin was gray, as if all the life was being bled out of her. The witch’s hands were still on her skin.

  “Let go,” Maddix said, raising his sword in a silent, obvious threat. The other sahir shifted, and he could hear them closing in behind him. He didn’t care. The witch swayed, her eyes slightly unfocused, but she didn’t release her grip.

  Maddix brought his sword up, pressing it to the witch’s throat. Someone shouted in a language he couldn’t understand and Maddix felt the bite of magic in the air.

  “You’re killing her,” he said. “And I swear to all the stars, if she dies, you will join her in the Dark.”

  Finally, the witch blinked and her eyes cleared. She pulled her hands away slowly and stepped away. Ignoring the angry murmurs around him, Maddix pulled Jayin to his side. She didn’t seem to notice, her eyes hazy and unfocused.

  “Jayin,” Maddix whispered, trying to keep his voice from shaking. She looked dead on her feet, and he had no idea how to help her. “Jayin, can you hear me?” She didn’t answer, but her eyes landed on something behind him. Maddix turned in time to see Evin striding towards them.

  Of course, it had to be him, Maddix thought. The witch’s arms were stretched towards them and Maddix pulled Jayin behind him, anticipating an attack that never came. Silver framed his vision, and Evin stopped before he could reach them. Maddix had no idea how Jayin managed it, but there was no doubt that magic was keeping the sahir at bay.

  “Back off,” Maddix snarled.

  “You’re not permitted to have weapons, dayri,” Evin said.

  “And you lot aren’t supposed to harm your own people,” Maddix said, gesturing to Jayin. “Looks like we’re both breaking rules. Move before I cut you down.”

  The stormwitch held his gaze before stepping out of the way. None of the others tried to stop them as Maddix led Jayin back through the tunnels to their small living space. The glow remained until they were safe—as safe as they could be in a compound full of witches that he’d just threatened.

  Exhaustion settled deep in his bones, but Maddix pushed it aside.

  “Jayin,” Maddix said softly. Some of the color had returned to her cheeks, but she still looked like she was about to keel over. “Please say something. Please.”

  She didn’t answer, staring blankly beyond him. Her dark hair fell into her eyes, and Maddix brushed it away, careful not to let his skin touch hers.

  “I don’t know how to do this without you,” he admitted softly, looking at the ground.

  He wouldn’t have gotten this far without her, that he knew for certain. Jayin had saved his life more times than he could count. She could’ve left him at the wall and taken her chances in the Aestosi countryside instead of following him into Kaddah. Skies, she could’ve left him in the village when the old witch had spelled him, but she vouched for him in order to get them both to safety. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she had left him to die. After everything he’d done it was a wonder she hadn’t slit his throat the moment he broke the bond.

  But she hadn’t. She’d stayed.

  Maddix lost track of how long they sat in silence, his mind turning in anxious circles. None of the witches bothered them, but he kept his sword at the ready, just in case. Finally, when Maddix felt like he was about to pass out from exhaustion, a gloved hand slipped into his.

  “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, convict,” Jayin said, her voice rusty and small. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Maddix exhaled, feeling as though he’d been holding his breath for hours.

  She didn’t stay conscious for very long, laying her head on his shoulder before falling asleep.

  “I heard the two of you made quite the scene earlier,” Rahael said, appearing in their doorway.

  “You could say that,” Maddix replied.

  “My people are alarmed.”

  Maddix stood, abandoning Jayin’s gloved hand to look Rahael in the face. He was tall enough that she had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes, but there was no question of her power.

  “One of your people nearly killed her,” Maddix said hotly. Before the leader could respond, Jayin shifted beside him and all thought of posturing vanished. He knelt back down beside her again, placing his hand over hers.

  “Takes more than a feeder to kill me,” Jayin breathed. Her eyes opened slowly, focusing on Maddix’s face.

  “Hey,” he said, smiling. She blinked, looking him up and down.

  “You look terrible.”

  “There she is,” Maddix said, his voice heavy with relief.

  “I win,” she said, slowly pulling herself upright.

  “Win?”

  “I won the fight.” Jayin turned her head to look at the witch leader as if she’d just noticed her. “Next time I see Evin I’m going to hit him.”

  “I’ll be sure to let him know,” Rahael said, sounding amused.

  “So, how much trouble are we in?” Jayin asked before Maddix could say another word.

  “You and the dayri were armed without permission,” Rahael said before turning back to Maddix. “And you threatened two of my people. They’re scared.”

  “One of you almost killed her,” Maddix said again.

  “It was an accident.”

  He had to bite his lip to keep from saying something foolish. Now was not the time to anger another witch. Jayin was enough for him to handle.

  “One more minute and it would’ve been a murder,” Maddix said when he was sure his temper was in check. The leader opened her mouth to reply, but they were both distracted by Jayin trying to get on her feet. She huffed, staggering onto one knee.

  “Hey, let me,” Maddix said, offering her a hand.

  “I’m fine,” she said, pressing her palm against the wall and managing to stand on her own. Maddix didn’t say anything when she leaned on him, trying to keep as still as possible to encourage her to stay there.

  “You need to get that girl under control before she hurts someone else,” Jayin said, fixing Rahael with a heavy look.

  “That’s never happened before,” the sahir woman admitted finally.

  Of course it hasn’t, Maddix thought.

  “Your magic had an…unforeseen effect.”

  “Mother always said I was special,” Jayin said through her teeth. “You shouldn’t have disarmed us in the first place. We didn’t hurt anyone, and we’ve done nothing but keep our heads down. I’d call that a win.”

  “I’m afraid the others don’t agree.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t care.”

  The sahir leader paused, weighing her options, but Jayin spoke again.

  “We should go. You’ve got a lot of hiding underground to do and we’re clearly getting in the way of you lot turning into mole people.”

  Rahael nodded stiffly, any hint of amusement gone in an instant. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re right. As soon as you’re well, I’ll have you escorted to the surface.”

  “We can go now,” Jayin said. She took a step, and Maddix had to lunge forward to keep her from collapsing.

  “We’ll leave when you’re better,” Maddix whispered, bending over to look her in the eye. “Don’t be stupid.”

  Jayin held his gaze for a moment before looking away. “Fine.”

  “I’ll have someone sent up to see you soon,” Rahael said. Jayin said something in the sahir language and the woman paused for a moment before walking out.

  “What did you say to her?” Maddix asked.

  “I said that hiding like rats isn’t a way to live.” Her voice was small again. She looked like she was about to pass out at any moment. “Ow.” She winced and Maddix helped her back onto the cot.

  “You didn’t have to do t
hat,” he said as soon as he couldn’t hear Rahael’s footsteps anymore.

  “Yes I did,” Jayin replied without looking at him. There was still a bite in her voice that he didn’t understand.

  “You could stay, you know,” Maddix offered. He’d been thinking about it for a few days and it made sense. “It’s safe and you could be with your people.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll keep going,” Maddix said. “Get to Pavaal on my own.”

  “You’ll never survive.”

  Probably not. Maddix knew that it was mad to go back in the first place, let alone by himself. But he couldn’t let the witch that ruined his life go free. He had to settle the score—he had to at least try. He couldn’t live on the run, always looking over his shoulder and sleeping with one hand on the hilt of his sword. That wasn’t a life.

  “But you can,” he insisted. She had said since the beginning that this was a suicide mission. She was right. She’d always been right. “Stay here or go back to Aestos. You don’t have to come with me.”

  Jayin didn’t say anything for so long that Maddix had to fight to keep from fidgeting under her gaze.

  “Stars, you really are stupid,” she said at last. Maddix’s mouth pulled into a frown and she went on without allowing him to speak. “I’m here, Maddix.”

  “I know, but—”

  “I’m in Kaddah, A place where my people are rounded up and taken apart to harvest our magic. I’m here.”

  Guilt roiled in Maddix’s stomach. He looked away from her and Jayin caught his hand.

  “I’m here because I want to be.”

  “What happened to me being a dayri idiot that was going to get himself killed?”

  “That’s still true,” Jayin said with the ghost of a smile.

  “Then why would you stay with me?”

  Why was she so willing to put herself in danger? She should be glad to see the back of him. Burning skies, he really was a selfish bastard. Even after everything, he was still using her. He still wanted her with him, even if it meant getting them both killed.