Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  “I might have to go away for a while,” I said, once I was sure we were alone.

  “Where to?” Sterling asked.

  “My uncle is sending me to steal something for one of his connections,” I said, “But I don’t know if I’m going to go through with it.”

  A thick silence settled between us. “What’s the alternative?” Sterling asked.

  “Running away.”

  “Wynter—”

  “I know it’s a bad idea,” I said, “But this plan of Gabriel’s could get me killed. I’m not just gonna wait around for that to happen.”

  Sterling swore under his breath. “He wouldn’t let you die,” Sterling insisted. “He may be a terrible person, but he’s not gonna let you get killed. You’re his niece!”

  Sterling didn’t get it. He knew that Gabriel was a terrible person, but he didn’t understand just how terrible.

  “He would if the payout was high enough,” I replied, fishing through my pockets.

  “Okay, so you steal from some—” Sterling waved a vague hand “some crook or some wannabe aristocrat. We steal from the Dregs and the Scraps all the time. It shouldn’t be any different.”

  I pulled the device from my pocket and rubbed my thumb over it. Sterling’s eyes widened as the flames burst forth, hissing. I held Sterling’s eyes as I reached a hand into the flames. “He wants me to pretend to be a lady,” I said quietly, “So I can steal from mages.”

  “He’s out of his mind,” Sterling said with dawning comprehension. The blue flames flickered in his eyes. I let the flames fade away and tucked the device safely into my coat. “Possibly,” I said. “The good news is that this will make scavenging much easier. At least for tonight.”

  “No, back up,” Sterling said. “He wants you to steal from mages? You can’t!”

  “I know,” I replied, “But Gabriel thinks I can. I have two options. I can either stay and do what he wants, or I can run away.”

  “Wynter, I—I’ll volunteer to go in your place,” Sterling said.

  I shook my head. “It’s too late for that. Gabriel’s connection already went and bought all the dresses for me.”

  “Well, he can return them,” Sterling replied. “You can’t go!”

  “Sterling,” I said quietly. “I don’t plan on going.”

  Sterling shoved his hands into his pockets and stormed ahead. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Sterling just didn’t handle things like this well. I hastened to keep pace with him.

  “We have to talk him out of it,” Sterling said.

  “It won’t do any good.”

  “It has to! It’s too hard to survive in the Scraps on your own, and you know Gabriel would just hunt you down anyway,” Sterling argued. “Running is too dangerous.”

  “You think I don’t know the dangers?” I asked. “But I’d rather risk starvation than—than being found out by the mages! If you think justice is harsh in the Scraps, can you even imagine what they do to thieves up there?” I let my eyes flicker up towards the dark shape of the Floats above, a massive piece of rocky land blocking out the stars, rimmed with glowing lights.

  Sterling shook his head, stomping forward again.

  “I’m gonna give your uncle a piece of my mind,” he muttered, clenching his fists.

  “No, you aren’t!” I hissed, grabbing his arm.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” Sterling asked.

  “Because he’s dangerous,” I said. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m just telling you so you’ll be prepared. Besides, you’re probably right. He said it was temporary. He wouldn’t put me in real danger. I’ll be back before you know it.” I was lying through my teeth now, trying to calm Sterling down, but he knew me too well.

  “That’s before I realized he was going to have you steal from mages!” Sterling protested, flapping his arms like a clumsy duckling.

  “I know. That’s why—”

  “And you can’t run away either! So he’s just going to have to change his mind! We—there has to be some way to convince Gabriel that this is a bad idea. You just haven’t tried all the options.”

  A sharp flash of anger shot through me. “You don’t think I’ve thought this through?” I asked. “Really, Sterling? I’ve been thinking about this nonstop since I found out.”

  Sterling turned back towards the subway, hiding his face. I’d seen him angry before, but never this worked up. He was taking deep breaths, and kept glancing up at the Floats with a combination of fear and malice, like he thought it might fall from the sky and crush us. The mages had always seemed so distant up there. It was like an alternate reality. A world full of magic and wonder, maybe, but it had nothing to do with us. Until now. Even from so far away, they’d managed to tear our world apart.

  Sterling kicked a bottle and we watched it shatter against a wall. I moved closer and put my hands against his chest.

  “Stop,” I said.

  Sterling scowled and curled his hand over mine.

  “And what?” he asked. “I’m just supposed to let you do this, without even trying to stop it? No matter how much it hurts?”

  Beneath my fingertips, Sterling’s chest rose and fell, each movement quick and sharp. I swallowed the lump in my throat and rocked onto the balls of my feet. I planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “What choice do we have? Please, just…”

  “Just what?”

  “Wish me well,” I said. “Tell me it’s gonna be all right.”

  “It ain’t,” Sterling replied coldly. Then he stormed away, into the shadows.

  ***

  I froze, unsure whether or not to pursue him. I’d expected anger and disappointment, but he’d never just walked away from me like that.

  “Sterling,” I rasped, my voice too quiet for him to hear.

  I waited for a few minutes to see if he’d return, then tightened the straps of my backpack and headed to the Dregs alone. With a sigh, I crawled beneath the fence and emerged on the other side. I rubbed my thumb over the device, casting the blue flames over the darkness. If Sterling had come with me, we would’ve had a great score. The device lit everything so much better than a candle did. The argument settled like an apricot pit in my stomach. What was I supposed to do? I could talk to my uncle until I was blue in the face, and it wouldn’t change anything.

  I sat in the garbage, looking upwards to the pink glow of the Floats. It seemed like a dream. It was probably beautiful and terrible, like Dorian. I imagined that everything was colorful and bright, like the expensive dresses he had bought for me. There would be no dark shadows to hide in. I’d be utterly exposed. How was I supposed to survive that?

  After an hour had ticked by, I started digging. The chill was sinking into my bones, and I knew the movement would help the blood reach my veins. Plus, Gabriel wouldn’t be happy if I returned with an empty bag. After a few minutes of digging one-handed, I carefully placed the device on the ground. The flames faded when my skin broke contact with the smooth metal. With a frown, I groped around in the pitch darkness until my fingertips landed on the device again. “I don’t guess,” I said slowly, “That there’s a way to make you stay on without me touching you, is there?”

  The flames burst forth. I started, nearly falling back into the trash. I hadn’t even touched the device that time. I gulped and leaned forward. “Um, thanks,” I said awkwardly. Clearly, this device had been enchanted to answer commands. I had no way of knowing if it could register something like being thanked as well, but better safe than sorry.

  While I sifted through the metal, the flames continued burning, accompanied as always by the faint sound of hisses. But the more I dug, the less I noticed the faint buzzing at the edge of my awareness. I crammed my pack full of anything remotely valuable, though the enthusiasm of discovery was gone, leaving my heart empty and heavy. Searching with Sterling was almost fun sometimes, and returning home I’d be filled with trepidation. If I had an especially good haul, Gabriel would smile and pour m
e a thimble full of spiced brandy. I always felt that someday, if I brought him enough treasure, if I earned him enough money, he’d accept me and my brother and we’d be a real family. I scowled at myself in the dark. What a stupid, childish dream.

  Once my pack was full, I slipped a few things into the pockets of my coat and pants. I planned on running away with my dresses and the device, but more to barter and sell was always good. I filled my pockets as much as I could without them bulging. Then, I picked up the device. I swiped my thumb over it, and the flames faded away. I tucked it into my pocket and headed back towards the fence.

  I was so busy feeling sorry for myself, I didn’t see the monster until it was just in front of me. Movement against the perimeter fence caught my eye, and I froze, slowly reaching for the knife tucked into my boot. The scraggly black silhouette seemed to emit coils of steam, that diffused the light of the buildings behind it. Its face was feline, but its limbs were long and spindly, like a spider’s. No one really knew what monsters were. Some said the spirits of people who’d fallen from the Floats. Others said the result of a mage’s curse. Sterling thought they were just animals and bugs that had absorbed too much magic from the broken tech, and mutated into something terrible.

  Slowly, I crept around the edge of the fence. Monsters could be unpredictable. While some were distant and skittish, others were vicious and bold. They were all poisonous, though not always fatal. This one arched its back and hissed, lashing the air with its tail. It was about waist-high on me, I tightened my grip on the knife and waited. The monster considered me for a long moment, and I turned the blade slowly so the edge glinted in the moonlight. Finally, it fled into the darkness. I let out the breath I’d been holding and ducked quickly through the hole in the fence. As I walked home, I clutched the polished handle of dagger in my sweaty palm until I reached the station.

  When I entered the subway entrance, it was quiet. I hurried down the steps and pushed into the vaulted center room, where my uncle waited as always.

  “Where’s Briar?” I asked, setting my pack on the table.

  My uncle didn’t move from his chair. “His room,” he replied. “He was good this evening, don’t worry.”

  I clenched my teeth together. He talked about my brother like he was six rather than sixteen. “I’m glad,” I said.

  “Where’s Sterling’s pack?” Gabriel asked.

  “He didn’t scavenge with me tonight. He wasn’t thrilled to hear about this scheme of yours. Probably blowing off steam.”

  “His loss,” Gabriel said, shrugging. “And I’d prefer you not tell anyone else about this venture of mine. The last thing I need is some blabbermouth cutting into my profits.”

  I didn’t even know who I could tell about this situation. None of my uncle’s men would help me, and I didn’t have any friends besides Sterling. There was no one else to tell. And even if we told half the Scraps, I doubted anyone would be willing to mess with Gabriel over it.

  “How did you meet the mage?” I asked. Maybe I could learn more about Dorian, and find out what I was really up against.

  “Awful curious tonight, aren’t you?”

  My uncle waved me away, turning back to the open book on his desk. I took the hint and headed to my room to find Briar.

  “Hey,” I said, leaning against the doorframe.

  “How’d it go?” Briar asked.

  “Sterling is mad at me,” I said.

  Not that it mattered. I wouldn’t be around to see him get over it. I just hoped he didn’t beat himself up over this. Sterling was quick to anger, prone to saying things he didn’t mean and then agonizing over them afterward.

  “It ain’t your fault, though,” Briar said.

  I glanced outside the room to see if Gabriel had thought to keep people listening nearby. But there wasn’t a soul to be found. “I know,” I replied, walking into our room and plopping onto my bed, “But I can’t really blame him. I’d be mad if he was doing this to me.”

  I sank onto my bed and sighed. My gaze drifted to the fabrics, still wrapped in thick, brown paper and tied up with thin, blue ribbon. At least, Gabriel had left those and the device with me. That meant I wouldn’t have to sneak around and find them before this all went down. And he’d been too distracted to check my pockets. I pulled them out carefully and lined them up on the windowsill, trying to estimate their value.

  I scribbled some numbers on a pad of paper and frowned.

  “Is it enough?” Briar asked timidly.

  “It has to be,” I said. Then I tore the piece of paper into tiny pieces and swallowed them down whole, so my uncle could never find them.

  Five

  A WEEK LATER, IT WAS time to leave. I’d scavenged away what little supplies I could, living in terror that Gabriel would discover my cache of stolen goods. Sterling hadn’t reappeared, and I was worried about him, but he was probably off sulking in the woods or taking care of his mother. I toyed with the device, unleashing sparks of blue flame. It was a pity that it wasn’t real. I had the irrational impulse to burn this place down and cover my escape.

  It was late and quiet, save for my brother’s snores. I pocketed the device and climbed out of my bed. The mattress and blanket were both thin, but I knew it was still more than most people in the Scraps had. I wondered when I’d be able to sleep in a real bed again. I padded across the room, grabbed my pack, and tossed it over my shoulder. Then, I returned to Briar’s bed and shook his shoulder.

  My brother stirred and mumbled sleepily.

  “We’re leaving,” I said quietly.

  He sat upright and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. I gathered the rest of my gear, giving him time to wake. We had time, and this plan would require both of us to be alert. While our uncle had never really cared if we went out at our leisure, I wouldn’t have put it past him to have something planned in the event I decided to run. My uncle was smart; I would have to be smarter.

  Briar put on his coat and threw his pack over his shoulder. We split the wrapped fabrics and dresses between us. I checked to make sure that the device was within reach in my jacket pocket; while I knew the flames weren’t real, they might be enough to fool somebody else.

  “You ready?” I asked.

  Briar nodded. “Let’s do this.”

  I pushed open the door and peeked down the subway. It was empty and dark. I took a deep breath and crept out, keeping close to the walls and shadows. Briar followed my lead, and together, we inched along in silence. This was too easy. My heartbeat quickened.

  Gabriel knew me well. He’d surely set a trap somewhere. Something skittered across the floor. I froze and waited, my eyes straining against the darkness. A shadow moved. It was just a rat. I swallowed back a sigh of relief.

  We reached the top of the stairs without difficulty and stepped out into the Scraps. I shivered as a cool wind tore through my jacket. The moon overhead, bright and full, provided enough light to see by, but that same light would make it easier for the guards to see us. The city guards rarely patrolled this far south however, and my years of scavenging had taught me how to hide. The challenge would come once we reached the outskirts of the Scraps; I had no idea what existed beyond its borders.

  Metal clinked, halting me in my tracks. Briar and I crouched low. I fumbled with the device in my pocket. Hopefully, if it was a threat, I could scare it away with a bit of fire.

  “I know I heard something.”

  I flinched. That voice was familiar; it was one of Gabriel’s underlings. I glanced at Briar, his eyes wide and terrified in the dim light. I gulped. What should I do? Run? Hide? I strained, listening hard for another sound, anything that might tell me where exactly my uncle’s thugs were. Or even how many there were. When Gabriel needed to threaten or hurt someone, he sent his men in packs.

  Metal shrieked. I jumped as a pile of rusty metal pipes clattered right behind us. Briar must have knocked them over. A shout, and a figure grasping in the darkness. Without thi
nking, I burst into motion, trusting Briar to follow. I ran, my feet pounding against the broken and cracked concrete.

  “Stop!”

  There were men in front of me, and I heard more closing the distance behind us. I darted down an alleyway between the ruins of two crumbled buildings. How long could I run? Longer than them? I had no way of knowing. Adrenaline was making everything too sharp and too distant all at once. Light blared before my eyes, and I halted, stumbling back and tripping over my own feet. Black spots obscured my vision, making it impossible to keep running. I backed into Briar, who swore quietly under his breath.

  My heart pounded so loudly I heard it in my ears. We were trapped. I had to think fast. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the device, rubbing my thumb over the metal. The blue flames burst forth obediently. Some of uncle’s men gasped and fell back.

  “I would back up if I were you!” I snarled. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. I can cover this whole area in fire if I want to!”

  The device responded. Flames leaped from my hands and spread onto the ground, growing higher and higher. The whispers sounded frantic, hissing and snapping. My uncle’s men scrambled back, wide-eyed before my power.

  “A mage,” one of them whispered.

  My pulse raced. I had no idea how I’d done that.

  “That’s right!” I shouted. “I am a mage! I can summon fire from the sky itself!”

  Could the device really do that? The hisses grew louder, and blue fire rained down from the clouds, whistling like shooting stars. There were shouts, then, and cries of surprise as the men dove for cover.

  I backed away and grabbed Briar’s arm. “Run!”

  We ran, the flames still crackling and snapping behind us. Everything was covered in brilliant, blue light. Gabriel’s men would figure out it was an illusion the second one of them noticed that my flames carried no heat with them. More men rounded before us. I shoved my brother behind me and held the device before me once more.

  Flames burst forth from my hand.