by Mari Dietz
She tried to walk in the canal, but when she put pressure on her ankle, pain burned in her leg. She went back to floating. The bridge ahead had small steps built into the wall, and Vic used her arms and one leg to guide herself toward it. She took off her eyepiece and tucked it into her harness.
As she reached for the steps, a low voice sounded from the other side. “Quite the show you put on.”
Vic’s hand froze on the first algae-covered step, and she turned around to see four figures dressed in black—reapers. In an Order, reapers always hunted in groups of four or more.
“Thanks.” She took her time pulling herself up the steps, pretending to be calm. They didn’t know she didn’t have a brand. She sat on the edge of the canal, feet dangling over the side. The scythe, still warm in her hands, folded up with a click, and she tucked it back in her harness. Once she had her breathing under control, she pushed herself up and rested her weight on her right foot.
If she needed to run, it wouldn’t be fun. Four reapers against a Limpy Lou. Vic didn’t like her odds. Her mind raced on how to get out of this situation. She willed her face to stay neutral. Her ankle wasn’t broken, but it also couldn’t bear her weight.
Vic made sure her hood covered her bare neck. She shivered in her wet clothes.
The tallest figure walked to the bridge. He glided, with no movement wasted. A fighter and a good one.
Vic controlled her urge to gulp at his approach. He took his time. A patient hunter. She couldn’t help but feel like trapped prey. The canal’s water lapped against the walls, and Vic’s heart pounded.
He stood in the middle of the bridge, and to the untrained eye, he’d seem relaxed, but Vic could see his body was ready to spring forward and attack.
“I don’t know you. Do you hunt alone?” His tone sounded casual, and he practically purred with confidence. He pushed back his hood, and in the lamplight, his skin glowed a golden sepia. His russet hair was tied back in a smooth bun. Reapers didn’t like having hair in their face while they hunted. He flashed his teeth in a simple smile. This man could have been talking about the color of the blight that day he was so relaxed. If she hadn’t been in horrible trouble, she would have found his voice soothing.
Vic rubbed her tongue against her teeth and tried to discern where she’d ended up in the city. The buildings all looked the same at night, and there were no signs around. The bridge was uncovered, but most of them were in Verrin.
“I got separated when I fell in the canal.” Vic waved downstream. “I need to head back and let them know I’m okay.” She smiled and hoped it looked convincingly innocent. “Taking a mog on by myself is something I wouldn’t attempt. I got lucky.” She tested her ankle again, and pain shot through her leg. She groaned. So much for running away.
He nodded, but she couldn’t see his expression very well in the darkness. His eyes remained two dark pools in the night. “What territory did you come from? You aren’t one of mine.”
His stance shifted, and he rested his hands on the bridge. Each movement was careful and precise.
All the luck in the world must have gone to someone else tonight. Of course she would run into a commander. He deliberately hadn’t mentioned where he was from. If she said the wrong Order, he would know she was lying right away. If she’d started in Boreus, then the current must have taken her into another territory. Vic braced herself and choked out a name: “Boreus.”
He ambled forward, not in any rush. “I see. And this canal carried you here?”
She couldn’t read anything from his tone, but she would have to be blind not to notice how his hand inched behind his back. To get restraints, perhaps?
“If it’s okay, I should get back to my group. I got turned around in the chase.” Vic edged backward before he got any closer. From that distance, he could jump over the bridge railing and land next to her. Time to leave. Couldn’t he just believe her?
“You’re injured. Let us at least help you back to your team. Don’t worry, we’re well aware of what happens in a chase. In that case, there’s no worry about crossing territory lines. Let us offer hospitality.”
The words offered kindness, but her skin crawled with foreboding at his tone. A sinking feeling filled her as she thought of which territory she’d ended up in.
She raised her hands. “It isn’t bad. I don’t want you to lose time.”
She willed the pushy man to back off. She couldn’t lose her relic. It was her only ticket to freedom.
“The night’s young.” His white teeth caught the lamplight again as he grinned.
Vic smiled tightly. “No need, really. I’ll be off.”
She limped to the sidewalk next to the canal and headed back in the direction she’d come from.
He raised his voice over the echo of the water, saying, “You see, there’s one small problem.”
Vic froze but didn’t turn around. Her skin prickled along her spine. “Yes?”
“Boreus territory isn’t in that direction. That’s Nyx territory, so I will need you to let me see your brand or lack thereof.”
Vic bit her lip and turned her head. “Oh, that’s not a problem,” she said and promptly jumped back into the water.
2
Vic
The icy water didn’t feel as brutal the second time around. Actually, it felt warm. Maybe she was hypothermic. Remaining under the water, Vic let the current push her away from the man. Blight take her, she’d ended up in the number one Order. She might as well gift-wrap her scythe and hand it over to the officers. The pressure in her lungs warned that she needed to breathe soon. Vic used her arms to propel herself downstream. Her mind spun.
How am I going to get out of this? Think.
The main canals all led to the center of Verrin. The side paths and alleys were wider and not as winding as the poorer sections of town. Some buildings stood over two stories tall, so she couldn’t scale them, even with two good ankles. Brighter lamps left little to no shadows. There was nowhere to hide.
No longer able to hold her breath, she broke through the surface and gasped. She tipped her head to the side and kept swimming, but she also tried to see if anyone was pursuing her. The sound of running footsteps made her heart sink. She rotated onto her back, and in the glow of the streetlights, she saw one figure keeping pace with her. Apparently, there was no need for the others; he could apprehend the injured trespasser by himself. Cocky jerk. He jogged with the ease of a practiced runner in no rush.
The lamplight shone down on them as they arrived at the center of town.
She met his eyes.
He smiled.
Vic gritted her teeth.
“Nice night for a swim?” he asked. He didn’t even sound a little out of breath.
“Why don’t you come in and join me?” Canal water entered her mouth, making her sputter.
He barked out a laugh and skirted a lamppost with ease. “I have a feeling you’ll make me fish you out, but I’d appreciate it if you came out. I don’t want to freeze off certain body parts I’m rather attached to.”
“Blight take your balls,” Vic spat. She paddled downstream and searched for any hopeful escape routes. Why did the center of town have to be so structured?
“What’s the plan? Get caught in a grate downtown?”
“No, I have a better plan than that.” Not.
Yelling at each other wasn’t working very well, so no plan there.
“Can’t wait to see it, Sparks.” His voice remained steady as he ran. Now that he could run on smoother cobbles, he wouldn’t have the decency to trip.
The cold seeped into her skin. Her fingers stiffened, and gripping anything at the moment would be problematic.
“How about you let me get out, then we can fight?”
“So, that’s the big plan?”
“Or you could go away?”
“Not a chance.”
Was that a hint of laughter in his voice? Vic planted her feet and faced her mysterious stalker. The water lapped
against her waist, and as the cold night air wove through her wet clothing, she tried to stop shaking.
The man stopped and crossed his arms. “Give up?”
“Just waiting for you to come in here.” Her gaze wandered in search of anything that could help her.
He snorted. “All right, Sparks.” In measured movements, he removed his long-sleeved black shirt. The shirt had hidden the defined muscles now very much on display as he undressed under a tall streetlight. Vic couldn’t help herself. She swallowed.
He neatly folded his shirt, placed it at the edge of the canal, and winked at her. “Like the view?”
“Yes, very nice for a man about to ruin my life.” Vic hopped on her foot, trying to stay upright as the current pushed against her.
He pulled off his boots and placed them next to his shirt. “Did I miss something where I made you break the law?”
Heat flooded through Vic as she clutched her waist. “Yeah, like starving people don’t concern you.”
His face smoothed, then he jumped into the canal. With a steady gait, he waded to where she stood. Even in the water, he moved gracefully.
He reached for her arm, but Vic hopped aside and lifted her feet to let the current carry her out of his reach.
With a sigh, he lunged forward and knocked her off balance from her right leg. Her left foot came down, and she yelped in pain.
“Can you just get out of the water?” He splashed water at her.
“I made that offer earlier.”
“I have zero desire to fight an injured person.”
She returned the splash, and the water hit his face. “Oh, how gentlemanly of you.”
As he brushed away the water, she forced herself to stand on both feet. She bit the inside of her cheek when the pain hit her. With all the force she could muster, she swung her left leg through the water and smashed it against his legs. The surprise caused him to slip, and losing his footing, he dipped under the water.
Vic took her chance to swim toward the ladder on the side wall. Her numb fingers slipped on the stone, but she scrambled up to the edge and rolled onto the street. The sound of splashing behind her told her he wasn’t far behind.
“Come on, body, move.” Her order fueled her. She pushed herself onto her hands and knees and got her feet under her. Her whole body shook.
She limped away at a sad pace.
The man walking next to her only added insult to injury.
“This is going well,” he said, mirth tainting his voice.
Vic glared at him and continued to limp along the road. Water ran in rivulets down his bare skin. She forced herself to look away. “You lost your shirt.”
“At this rate, I’ll have time to go get it and come back. Twice.”
Hysterical laugher fell out of Vic. She dropped to her knees, not caring that the stone bit through her jeans. The pain returned some feeling to her limbs. She crossed her arms and sat back on the ground, laughing. This was it. With her body frozen and ankle useless, this man could run circles around her.
He stood over her, eyebrows raised. “Sparks, you okay?”
“Just give me a second and I’ll grab my scythe and fight you from my knees.” She gasped with laughter. A puddle of water pooled around her.
He disappeared, and when he came back, she felt something dry on her head. She reached up, and her numb fingers held his shirt. Her eyes met his, and for the first time, she saw they were a deep brown. How odd that they felt kind. She wrapped the dry shirt around her shoulders.
He held out a hand. “Let’s go.”
She ignored it and pushed herself up.
“Do you need me to carry you?”
“No.” Despite her years of training, she couldn’t put up a decent fight. She raised her hand to hit him, and he grasped her wrist, his grip like an iron band.
He turned and tugged on her to follow. “Do I need to tie you up, or are you done?”
She didn’t respond. She’d rather go in for her sentencing on her own two feet. If she continued her pathetic attempts to escape, he would sling her over his shoulder like a gutted goat. She jerked her wrist away and wrapped her arms around her waist. Maybe she’d have another opportunity. It couldn’t be over yet. Her father had taught her that when all was lost, there would always be a chance to escape. Vic bit her cheek and shook her head. What would that coward know? He’d given up already.
“I suppose if you weren’t already injured, you would give me more of a fight.” His warm voice washed over her.
Or she could’ve run. “It doesn’t matter.”
Her boots grew heavier as she walked, the left one now uncomfortably tight.
“How long have you been freelancing?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
What did he care? Did he want to know the person he’d doomed? Living in Verrin without a relic—be it a scythe, wand, or ring—was impossible. Those who lost theirs soon became mogs. Now she would have to crawl back to her family, relicless, and watch her sister leave for Haven. The place where the chosen few, called vitals, purified magic.
He paused and faced her. “Pouting?”
“Why does it matter? We both know what happens next.”
He walked beside her. “Humor me.”
Why did his tone sound like he cared? For a man about to take her to trial, she couldn’t hate him. “For the last six months, I’ve been on my own. I planned to join the trials for the Dei Order next week, but I was hungry.” She wanted to join Nyx, but she didn’t tell him that. Somehow, she thought it would be more embarrassing since a commander from Nyx had caught her breaking the law.
“Dei? You took out a mog solo. Why not Nyx?” He waited for her to limp onto the narrow bridge first.
“’Cause you’re there.” Nyx, the top Order, made the most money and had the most prestige. If she got in, she might convince her sister that being a vital was a stupid tradition and she could leave Glass.
Every generation of founders gave one of their children to Haven, and they became vitals. At Haven, the vitals purified the blighted magic by connecting to an ancient relic and producing magic that the citizens of Verrin used to charge their gicorb and stay safe. The kicker? The vitals could never leave Haven. Once connected to the relic, they would die if they left. They lived in a walled-off area, and no one was allowed in or out. Even those who cared for them stayed inside. No one knew what happened to the vitals behind the walls of Haven, and most were too afraid to ask. If they did ask, they were fed the usual rhetoric about the vitals saving Verrin and the connection to the relic. Nothing specific was ever given.
If a founder chose not to be a vital, the family would be ordered to surrender the vital’s wand and kick them from the home. If Vic joined an Order, her sister she wouldn’t need to disappear to save the world. She could live with Vic. Who cared if there might be a small amount of shame attached? Okay, maybe a large amount of shame.
“Hmm …” He led her to an alley.
Vic paused at the entrance. The alley, though well lit, didn’t lead to the holding cells. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace warm.”
“Not the holding cells?”
He gestured to the well-lit main road. “Do you want to go there?”
“No.”
“Then come on, Sparks.”
“I get it, my hair’s red. You can call me Vic. What should I call you? Numb Nuts?”
He stopped in front of a green wooden door. “Kai is fine, but I think you might be more numb than I am.”
Kai pushed the door open and turned on the lights.
Vic followed him inside the home. Though it was made of stone, the smell of cedar filled the space. The living area contained a well-used plush couch and two cushy sitting chairs. Though their warm tones didn’t match, they somehow looked good together. Different rugs covered the stone floor, making the room cozy. Vic paused in the doorway before she dripped dirty water all over the clean home.
Kai noticed her hesitati
on. “Don’t worry about it. Come in.” He went to another room, and she could hear him shuffling around. He came back with more black clothing. “Take a shower and put these on.”
Why was he treating her so nicely? He must want something, and Vic felt strange trusting someone she’d just met.
“I won’t peek at you. Just get warm. There’s a towel under the sink.”
Accepting the clothing with stiff fingers, she went to the bathroom. There wasn’t much in there, but the smell of cedar grew stronger. A comb lay perfectly in line with a bar of soap on the sink top. She poked the comb to make it crooked, enjoying her petty revenge. She peeled off her wet clothing and harness, and placed her scythe in the bathroom corner close to the shower.
She turned the water as hot as she could handle and stepped under the spray. She kept her weight off her left ankle. Warmth covered her skin as the hot water pelted her. As feeling returned to her limbs, they burned. Vic combed her fingers through her hair, undoing what was left of her braid.
Vic helped herself to the shampoo, and the crisp scent of cedar intensified in the room. What was the point of bringing her here? An ache that wasn’t hunger filled her stomach. Nyx always came down the hardest on trespassers. Kai had to be up to something. She shivered but not from the cold. What did he want? She washed the canal water off her skin. What lengths would she go to to make sure her sister didn’t go to Haven?
She turned off the water. Steam hung in the air, and she swiftly wrapped her naked body in a towel to get all the moisture off her. Now dry, she put on his clothes. Thankfully, the pants had a drawstring to tighten them, and they hung off her boney hips. Due to a lack of food and weeks spent hunting at night, her skin looked translucent.
With a slight tremor, she opened the door. His home wrapped her in heat. Kai stood next to a wooden table behind the sofa. The smell of vegetable stew hit her, and she closed her eyelids. Saliva filled her mouth, and she swallowed.