by Adrian Cross
“That doesn’t mean all the old myths are true,” Rose said.
JP lifted his eyebrows. “Cause and effect. For the sake of argument, what if someone like Rhino relocated to an ancient city? Do you think they might consider him a god?”
She frowned. “But—”
The walls shuddered. And a yip sounded beneath them, as of an animal catching a scent. Rose lifted her crossbow.
“Come on. We need to go.”
“Where?” Clay held a blue dagger in his hand. She hadn’t seen where he’d gotten it from. It glowed in the dimness. Strange.
“The Shadow Way.”
“I thought you told me it was on fire.”
“It was. It should be out now. And you’ve got your coat. Did you want to ask Rhino and Snake if they have any better ideas? I’m sure they’ll be in a wonderful mood to help after having the castle wall cracked open.”
“Let’s go.”
“That’s what I thought.”
They climbed.
It was a long climb. The stairs they followed led all the way to the top of the castle’s tallest tower, high above the city, higher than anything else in StoneDragon except the Broken Tower itself. As they emerged from the tower’s top, a smoke-laced wind tugged at their clothes, causing Rose to stagger before she caught herself. She looked out over the crenellations.
From here, the full size of the Earth army was visible, spilling out from the hole in the Wall like a dark infection. A large part of it washed up against the castle wall. She wondered if the army was drawn to resistance since more and more Earth soldiers seemed to be coming their way.
Clay moved to an unremarkable section of wall, gripped an outjut of stone, and pulled the camouflaged door up. The movement revealed a shadowed opening on the inside of the wall, little more than shoulder-width. It was utterly black. No steps, no ladder, just a sheer drop into blackness. A faint whiff of smoke curled up from it.
“Shadow Way,” he said grimly.
“See, no fire,” said Rose.
“That’s not a Way. That’s a hole,” JP announced, looking horrified.
“Are you coming with us?” Clay asked her.
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Okay. Wise or not, I understand.” He stepped to the edge of the Way.
“Wait.”
He looked at her, and her words dried up. What did she want to say to him? She had too many questions. And he’d already said he didn’t know most of the answers. What could she ask that would matter?
“Do you… Do you believe him?”
He nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe him. You?”
Something relaxed in her chest and tears stung her eyes. She had been afraid she was letting herself be gullible, hearing what she wanted to hear. But Clay thought it was true as well.
She cleared her throat. “I remember nothing from that time, but I’d like to think we’re connected. Good luck.”
He stood awkwardly, as if uncertain what was appropriate. She wasn’t sure either. Should they hug? Shake hands? Finally he just nodded, turning to the Way.
“Come on, JP. Time to go.”
JP moved beside Clay, but still a foot away from the edge. “You can’t be serious. You’re thinking of jumping down there?”
“I’ll go first. My coat should help absorb any impact. And if it all goes wrong, you’ll have something nice and squishy to smack into.” Clay’s lips quirked.
He pulled his coat around him, stepped out over the Way, and let himself drop. He whipped out of sight. They heard a whoosh of sound, then silence.
JP leaned over the hole, shock widening his eyes.
“Can I offer some advice?” Rose said, stepping beside him.
“Okay.”
“Don’t think about it.”
She gave him a quick shove. With a startled yelp, he disappeared down the Way. His yell lasted for quite a long time. Rose smiled and headed back to the stairs, pulling a bolt out of her case.
On days like this, she took her entertainment where she could.
27
Down Shadow Way
Clay plummeted down Shadow Way.
The Shadow Way was a last-ditch escape route, basically a vertical drop inside the tower’s outer wall that curled out near the bottom, to avoid its occupants turning into widespread puddles when they hit. His coat flapped and tried to twist up. He kept his arms flat at his sides, holding it down. Behind him, he thought he heard a yell, but whatever the sound was, it got torn away by the wind. He hoped JP had followed.
It was pitch black, with only the faintest hint of walls flashing by around him, very close. Then a pressure caught his feet and hips and suddenly he was sliding instead of falling. The tunnel had curved and beneath his hips was a slippery surface, like a playground slide. But it was still steep, and Clay’s speed didn’t slow much. Dark stone and stale air shot past.
Then the change in curve was dramatic, whipping almost immediately from vertical to horizontal; his breath was crushed from his lungs with the speed of the change. His speed barely slowed.
Clay knew at this point he was moving through a horizontal tunnel disguised as a thick stone wall that radiated out from the castle. It was backed on either side with houses, to disguise its true purpose. He wondered if any of the occupants ever speculated at the occasional mysterious swish on the other side of their walls.
That building plan was causing Clay problems because the Earth army had set most of those houses on fire.
The air grew hot and choking, until he struggled to breathe. Sections of stones glowed cherry red as he whipped past, tendrils of smoke clinging to him. The fire or assaults must have broken gaps between the flaming houses and the tunnel, and those stretches were uncomfortable indeed. Heat lashed at him, again and again, and the smoke grew thicker, burning his eyes and throat. His momentum slowed, and the heat great more oppressive.
An orange-lit obstruction appeared in the distance. Red embers flared as a heavy beam settled at an angle, flames lapping in the small space. Chunks of masonry rolled around it, some as big as Clay’s head. He hurtled straight at one of the largest stones. It looked like he would slide under the beam but hit the stone dead on. Yellow and orange flames formed a rippling wall, rushing at him. Heat beat against his hands and face.
This wasn’t going to be good.
He twisted as best he was able, pulling up his knees, aiming his boots.
He hit the flame and rubble at full speed. Shock hammered up his legs. Heat and light rolled over him, obscuring everything. Stones spun away, and his body launched into the air.
A wall caught him a glancing blow and spun him.
In the blink of an eye, Clay was flying not through overheated air, but cool empty space. Something slammed hard into his shoulder and back, bringing him to a crunching stop. Something crackled.
“Ooof.”
He dropped, slamming face-first into moist dirt.
Clay lay there for long seconds of silence, the awful crackling sound echoing in his head. He was afraid to try to move. Had he broken his back?
With another crackle, JP slammed into Clay’s stomach. He jackknifed around JP, gasping. In the dim light, flecks of yellow drifted slowly around them.
Clay sneezed. Some of the flecks had landed in his mouth, and he spat them out, recognizing the taste. Straw. Whoever had built the tunnel had put a big bale of hay at the end, just to make sure nobody smeared themselves against the wall. He grinned.
He pushed JP off. The teenager groaned. Clay forced himself to his feet, body aching but nothing broken. They needed to keep moving.
He looked around. Wherever they were, it wasn’t on fire, which was good. He guessed it was the basement of a stable, based on the hoof-packed mud and smell of straw and manure. The only trickle of light came from a wooden stairway.
“Let’s go, boy genius. Time to get out of here.”
JP, a red scrape along the side of his chin, gave Clay a dirty look. “Nice friends you
have.”
“Rose help you down? I’m pretty sure you’re better off down here than up there, so I wouldn’t hold too much of a grudge. Let’s go.”
Clay led the way up the stairs, one hand on the dagger’s hilt, but kept it sheathed. He didn’t want to give notice if he could help it. Every bone in his body ached.
The stairs opened to an empty stable at ground level, a row of neglected stalls on either side of the wall and a large hole where the wall opened to the street. Apparently this building hadn’t gone completely unscathed. Clay peered out through the opening, but the street looked empty.
The Earth army must have passed by, the StoneDragon citizens driven before them. It was eerily quiet and still.
“Where to now?” JP asked.
Clay frowned. He hadn’t counted on company at this point, other than Jonathan, who had obviously been long lost. Clay wondered what the bodyguard would do at this point. But if Clay hadn’t counted on losing Jonathan, even more he hadn’t planned on gaining JP. It was one more person to protect when barging into places that were incredibly dangerous. But then again, where in StoneDragon wasn’t at the moment? It would be dangerous to leave him anywhere, even the Hairy Lady, and he could only imagine what Bern would do if Clay showed his face there. No matter how little Clay liked it, he was stuck with JP.
“The Club District,” Clay said reluctantly. He walked, keeping a wary eye on shadows and rooftops.
“That’s Candiman’s territory, right? Why there?”
JP hadn’t been involved with the hunt for Karen, Clay remembered. In a low terse voice, he brought JP up to speed.
“So why Candiman? Why not some of the closer Bosses?”
JP was incredibly intelligent, but he didn’t know StoneDragon. “Most Bosses don’t play around with either Rhino or the Free Zone. Too much risk, and they’ve got other priorities. The exception is often Candiman. He and Rhino have been enemies for as many years as I’ve been here, and Candiman will often send his warriors along the Free Zone, scouting. The vampires are willing to take risks.”
“And you’re going to go see him? Won’t he welcome the chance to kill you, to get back at Rhino?”
Clay shook his head. “Candiman has always been pleasant to me. I think he’s always held out hope I would switch sides. I think he’ll listen.”
JP looked at Clay’s empty pistol holster. “You’re planning on going into a den of vampires with a knife. That doesn’t seem like the best idea.”
Clay shrugged. It was what he had.
They walked in silence until JP slowly asked, “Is there a chance we could stop somewhere first?”
Clay shot a look at JP, swallowing the first caustic response that jumped to his tongue. JP knew the dangers stalking the city and the importance of speed as well as Clay did. Karen’s odds of survival worsened with every second they delayed. But JP wouldn’t ask if he didn’t think it important. “Where?”
“The office.”
“You know it burned down, right?”
“Yes.”
Clay fought down the panic that rose in his chest. “Okay, it’s not too far out of our way, but only for a minute or two.” If only he knew for sure where she was. If his efforts didn’t shake something loose, he might never know what had happened to Karen. No. He would find her. He couldn’t fail, not this time.
They headed southwest, cutting through a massive abandoned factory. Bats flooded out of the cavernous ceiling in a thunderous rush. Black iron bars showed above them, like prehistoric ribs. When they moved past it, the red light of the Wall appeared particularly brilliant, silhouetting the Broken Tower like a stark and jagged mountain.
Clay had taken three additional strides before he realized JP wasn’t with him anymore. He turned to see the teenager staring up at the sky.
Clay’s heart leaped, and he sank into a crouch, spinning around. Was it vampires? Some kind of winged Earth warrior? He saw only smoke.
“What is it?
“Is that … the Tower?”
What? Clay looked up at the Tower, trying to figure out what had caught JP’s attention. “Is something wrong?” It looked the same as always to Clay, rough stone and hideous gargoyles, the eye-catching feature being its shattered peak, as if a great hand had swept the top of the structure away, leaving a gaping hole. The Tower’s sheer size meant it dominated the city’s skyline. But after a while, it blended into the background.
“Has it always been like that?”
“Broken? Yeah. That’s why they call it that.”
JP’s eyes were narrowed with intensity as he looked up at the Tower. “I’ve spent most of my time in StoneDragon in your building. I was disoriented when you brought me there, and I didn’t really take in what was around. I’ve … never really looked at it before.”
“Listen, it’s impressive, but we’ve got more important things to worry about. Let’s keep moving.”
JP nodded slowly, but Clay got the sense he was missing something. JP thought this very important for some reason. But the teenager started walking, and Clay couldn’t spend time worrying about it. Because the spot between his shoulder blades had started itching.
Had Jonathan found him again? But the bodyguard had said his sword wasn’t good for long stretches, and no one had announced themselves. Clay kept a sharp look out but saw nothing. Finally, the feeling faded and he relaxed. Maybe he’d been mistaken.
“How were you captured?” he asked JP.
“Snake and Milton. They took me in the office, then burned it.”
Snake and Milton had set the fire, not the Earth cats. Hmm. Oh well, those warriors hadn’t been innocent, and Clay had needed to find JP. But Snake had taken the teenager. Why? Had Rhino found out about JP and made plans for him? But then, why let him go? The pieces didn’t fit together, and Clay shook his head irritably. When they had Karen back, he would have the leisure to figure it out.
“So they took you to the castle, and you and Rhino recognized each other?”
“No! He says he recognized me, but that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him.”
“He said you were in charge of the mutation program—the one that changed him.”
“I’ve done things I’m not proud of,” JP said roughly. “I didn’t have a choice, but I still did them. But I’ve never seen Rhino.”
“But… Why would he lie?”
“It’s possible he didn’t.”
“I’m confused.”
JP sighed. His gaze drifted to the Tower, then jerked away. “There are other possibilities. Especially given where we are.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the first and most obvious is that I’m a clone. I never saw another version of me in the time I came from, but that doesn’t mean one didn’t exist. In fact, I’m sure there were others before me. Maybe after. One of those could have created Rhino.”
Clay sensed JP was holding back. “But?”
“But Rhino sounds like he came from the very end of the Last Great War. I don’t think I was so far off, so it seems surprising I wouldn’t have caught a hint of another clone around my time.”
“So if not that, what?”
“The options get more complicated.”
“How complicated?”
JP spread his hands. “We’re in a time-traveling city.”
Clay frowned. “So?”
“So one example. Scientists believe everything in the universe started in a single small point, like a speck of dust.” He knotted his hands. “The pressure in that space grew so powerful it finally blew apart, like a cosmic jack-in-the-box.” He spread his hands.
Clay had picked up a few things from his years in StoneDragon. “You’re talking about the Big Bang.”
“Exactly. But after millions and millions of years, the force of the explosion fades, gravity takes hold, and everything is dragged back together.” JP tightened his hands. “The jack-in-the-box closes. The pressure builds…” He shrugged. “Boing, boing, boing.”
/> “Yeah, I get it. But I don’t get what this has to do with you and Rhino.”
“What if StoneDragon doesn’t get pulled into the box?” JP asked intently. “It doesn’t follow any of the other rules of time or space. What if it hops from the coil of one jack-in-the-box to another, just so rarely that no one notices? What if things looked similar, but not exactly the same, in different Shifts?”
“You’re saying there could be more than one Rhino, more than one JP,” Clay said slowly. The concept hurt his head. It seemed so far-fetched, but so did many of the things about StoneDragon.
“You asked me what some of the complicated possibilities were.”
Clay shook his head. Sometimes he forgot his roommate was a world-class genius.
He heard a scrape of metal on brick, and his pulse jumped as he realized he wasn’t paying as much attention to his surroundings as he should. He dragged out the dagger.
A dwarf staggered from the shadows of an alley. A bloody dagger hilt protruded from his chest. “They’re … coming,” he gasped. Blood bubbled from his lips. He stretched out a hand. “Run!”
He dropped, head bouncing off the cobblestones. His eyes stayed open.
Clay grabbed JP’s shoulder. “Run!” Clay shouted and shoved JP into motion.
Clay stood with his legs spread, staring into the alley the dwarf had come from, eyes straining to see what was coming. But then a growl rumbled from the darkness, low and thick, and he knew.
Clay ran, too.
28
The Blood Bowl
Clay had a plan. He wasn’t sure it was a good one. In fact, he was pretty sure it wasn’t, but it was the only one he had.
Mendonia’s pack of infected Spartans pursued them, their footsteps hard, heavy, and dispersed. They had fanned, like wolves harrying a deer. It was going to be hard to shake them with JP at Clay’s side, so he didn’t even try. Instead, he led them toward the Blood Bowl.