by Mari Dietz
Vic tried to keep her eyes from watering. A young woman smiled down at her. “Heck, Glass, you have some ovaries on you. I think Kai fainted when he got branded.”
“Bomrosy, don’t you have some gadgets to get back to?” Kai appeared from behind them as the room cleared.
Bomrosy smiled at him and flipped her long dark braid over her shoulder. Her lips stretched into a wide grin, her white teeth contrasting with her deep umber skin. The smile was so natural and easy on her face. Vic’s uneasiness from being at Nyx melted away. “Weren’t you supposed to be chasing down a swamp monster? Oh, wait.” She tilted her head toward Vic. “A freshie took it out for you.”
Bomrosy punched Kai playfully. She wore black like all the reapers but didn’t have a scythe on her back, which might not matter since it was bedtime for most reapers, and they didn’t need to carry around their relics with them. Vic liked to keep her scythe close since she was paranoid that someone might steal it.
It took a moment for the words to register with her. She glared at Kai; he’d said he wouldn’t tell anyone about her illegal freelancing.
He raised his hands. “Before you get all mad, I wasn’t the only one there, and after the trial, they put two and two together.”
“But I’m not—”
“In trouble? No. I don’t think anyone wants a reaper of your caliber to get her first-generation scythe taken.”
Bomrosy’s lips faltered, but she went back to smiling. Her golden eyes warm. “If you’re ready, I can show you around. Otherwise, he’ll have us standing here all day.” She mock-glared at Kai.
Kai handed back Vic’s bag, and their fingers lightly brushed, making her arm tingle. “If you need anything, let me know.” Kai walked out with the last of the reapers, and Vic found herself missing him.
“Well, blight take me, I think he likes you.” Bomrosy nudged her.
“Huh?” Vic blushed. She barely knew the guy, and there was also that small problem of Nyx reapers removing people’s orbs, which he might be involved in. “He found me. I think he feels responsible for me.”
“Hmm.” Bomrosy patted Scraps. “There’s nothing wrong with just looking.”
She didn’t have time to worry about men, so there was danger in “just looking.”
Vic gulped and followed her out. “How long have you been a reaper?”
“I’m not.” The words were clipped. “I’m the one who fixes your scythe when it gets damaged.” Her tone softened. “If the stone breaks, there isn’t anything I can do, but other than that, I can fix it. However, it is rare to see a first-generation relic.” Her vision grew distant as she glanced at Vic’s scythe.
Something must have happened in the past, but Vic didn’t want to ask since she’d just met her. “What’s the worst case you fixed?”
Bomrosy’s voice grew quiet. “Someone came back with only the stone connected to a gicgauge. I still haven’t fixed it yet, but I’ve seen enough of the inside of a scythe to understand how the stone and tool are connected. I could only learn how to meld a stone and gicgauge together … but I might end up breaking the stone if I tried.”
The stone collected the blight, and the gicgauge stopped the stone from overloading. It was a pain that they could only gather so much blight before they had to empty the gicgauge, but it kept their relic safe.
They went down some stone steps that led into a large room filled with tools and benches. Random bits of wood and metal lay around the room. The pleasant smell of lemons filled the air, along with the sweet musk of straw.
“This is my workshop.” She bounced over to a foreign-looking object. “See this?” She flicked a switch, and a glass bulb turned on. It didn’t look like the lamps or magic flames that Vic was used to.
“What’s this?” Vic held her fingers back from touching it.
“Light … without magic.” Bomrosy flicked the switch up and down, making the light turn off and on.
Vic wanted to touch it. “Wow, the radiant would love you.”
Bomrosy laughed. “I bet. Their leader approached me to help them, but they aren’t my style.” She spaced out again. “B-but it would take a lot of magic-made materials to get to this point.” She gently turned the light off.
Vic had a feeling they stood on the edge of a few uncomfortable subjects for her. So far, she knew not to mention radiant or irreparable scythes. She liked Bomrosy, but she understood what it was like to keep secrets from people you’d just met. Most people didn’t have their lives splashed over the gossip columns.
Other things were strewn about the workshop, and Vic wondered what else she’d created that didn’t need magic. Without magic, the blight would disappear, or so the radiant claimed. Vic guessed it only made sense that without magic, there wouldn’t be corrupted magic. The city was held up by magic. If they lost it, they would sink into the swamp—literally. A fun thought.
“I had to pay an imb to work with me, and we went through so many different models. It takes a while to get the glass into the right shape and thinness of a bulb, but when I get frustrated, I move on to something else. I think they put me down here to make sure my ideas don’t get out.” Her hands fluttered when she talked about a challenge.
Vic felt a sense of warmth around her. “I think this is amazing.”
Bomrosy shifted some bits of metal around the wooden table. “It keeps me busy. Xiona must see some value in it.” She left out the door, and they went back upstairs. “Up ahead is where you can get meals, if you don’t want to make your own food.”
Vic quickly glanced inside the massive hall. Large windows let the sun in, and the walls had deep-colored tapestries. The giant hall felt homey. Mahogany tables stretched the length of the room. The imbs must have spent hours in here connecting the wood together with magic.
She followed Bomrosy past the main entrance. Vic saw a large blackboard, and someone was using a wand to arrange letters. When they got closer, she recognized some names.
Bomrosy pointed to the sign. “This is where you’ll get your assignment for the night. Most often, you’re in the same group every night. You’ll get two nights off a week. Since you’re still healing, I’m sure they won’t make you go out tonight.”
Vic studied the names and spotted Kai’s. “When will I know what group I’m in?”
“Xiona might still be deciding where to place you, or the different commanders will fight over you.”
“Fight over me?”
“It’s always good to have an extra person on the team. You might not have noticed them in the stands, but they all saw you fight with your relic. Just don’t get on Landon’s team.” Bomrosy wrinkled her nose. “He’s talented but a bit of an ass.”
Vic laughed at her expression and took note of all the unfamiliar names on the board. “I thought I didn’t have a choice.”
“You don’t, but it can’t hurt to wish for a good fate.”
It might be silly, but she wished to be on a certain commander’s team.
They walked to the left wing of the structure. “These are where the dorms start. The commanders’ and officers’ dorms are on the first floor. They’re too lazy to go up steps.” Bomrosy trailed her fingers along the stone wall.
They walked up three flights of stairs to a long, narrow hallway.
“And here we are. Will you need a sandbox for your cat? If he’s trained, you can leave him to wander around the dorm. No one will touch your things.”
When they got to the dorm room, Vic noticed a cat-sized hole in the bottom of the door.
Bomrosy laughed. “Never mind. I think Kai already thought of something.”
Vic smiled at his thoughtfulness.
They went into her room. A single bed with fresh white sheets sat in the corner. Through the window, Vic could see the center of the city. In the distance, she heard sounds of the awake city: random shouts and cars going over the stone streets. Off to the side, she opened a door to see that she had her own bathroom with a wide sink. She saw the desk in the
corner and the thick stuffed chair. No leaks or cracks in the ceiling and not her family home. Most founders would have hated the small room, but Vic loved it.
“You can fill the room with what you want, but the basic things are provided. It’s small but clean,” Bomrosy hedged.
Vic placed her bag down and let Scraps explore. She hugged herself. “It’s perfect.” Worries crowded her head about the Order, but the room felt like hers. “And it doesn’t smell like mold.”
“That sounds like a story I’ll want to hear. I’ll let you get settled in, then.”
“Thank you.” She was happy to have a few moments in her new home.
Bomrosy left, and Vic ran her fingers along the stone window frame. It felt nice and cool to the touch. Her neck had finally cooled down and didn’t burn anymore, but when she twisted her neck too sharply, it twinged painfully. Vic took out her comforter and smoothed it over the made bed. In the closet, she found a row of black clothing and spare boots.
“It’s like they knew I was choosing them before I did.”
Only a fool would have turned down the top Order, but most hadn’t seen what she had last night. Everything was in her size, and she hung up her meager belongings next to them. Reaper clothing needed to get replaced often, so it was nice to have all the spares.
She ran her hands through Scraps’s warm fur. He’d already claimed the sunny spot on her bed. She headed downstairs to the dining hall. There were a few reapers eating, but Vic figured this might be a late snack.
Heaps of food sat in serving dishes warmed by magic flames. She grabbed a paper napkin and selected bread stuffed with various vegetables and fish. Though she was hungry, she didn’t want to eat too much. She took her meal back to her room, sat in the chair, and savored the food while feeding bits of cheese to her cat, who’d decided food trumped the sunny spot. Cheese was rare in Verrin. Only a few plots of land were dedicated to animals in the walled city. Most of the space was used to grow food. The sunlight moved across the room until it rested on her in the chair.
Vic placed her head on the chair, making sure her bandaged branded skin didn’t touch the back. She stroked Scraps’s fur. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep in her new room.
“Move a bit for me.”
The voice startled Vic awake. Light glowed softly in her room, and a young woman sat on the bed. Her hair, a golden red much lighter than Vic’s, stayed pinned behind her head. Her face scrunched in concentration as she used her wand on the black sand in her hand. Her pale skin complemented her delicate features. Many said they looked the same, but Vic couldn’t see it. Vic was sharper and hardened, whereas Emilia was delicate and soft. Sea-green eyes glanced up, and her face broke into a wide smile.
“You’re awake!”
Vic jumped up and threw her arms around her. “Em, what are you doing here?”
The smell of sand filled her nose. Vic had missed it.
Emilia, her younger sister, squeezed her back and stated, “You’re far too thin.”
Vic leaned back and grasped her sister’s shoulders. She couldn’t help bouncing on her toes. It felt like ages since she’d seen her sister. “Are you trying to play big sister?”
Emilia hugged her one more time and stepped away. “You need more looking after than I do. I came to bring you to dinner tonight. I think I’m also supposed to make sure you’re dressed or clean or something of that nature.” Her eyes twinkled.
“Oh, father dearest is worried that I won’t show?”
Emilia gripped Vic’s hands. “Please come! GicCorp’s son will be there, and I’m so nervous.”
Vic put her hands to her face and groaned. “Tristan? What in blight is Father thinking having him over when I’m there?”
He knew how she felt about Haven. Nothing like rubbing it in her face that her sister would be taken away. She’d ended that, and now the radiant William had gotten stuck with her. Who would her father set her up with next month?
Emilia returned to the sand she’d left on the nightstand. “I don’t know, but your new prospect will also be there. There will be plenty of awkwardness to go around.” She molded the sand, her brow furrowed in concentration. “I’m sure you can throw a few tantrums.”
“No joke. What are you making now?” After Em had stayed for her duty as a vital, it had been hard for Vic not to feel rejected by her sister. It had taken them a bit to get back to their easy banter. There was still time. Vic held back the words. Nyx Order wasn’t the place to talk her sister into leaving. She looked over Em’s shoulder.
She placed a tail on the figure. “Your cat. I didn’t know you had a cat.”
The black sand turned lighter in Emilia’s hands as she maneuvered her wand. Vic stood back to watch. She took a deep, satisfying breath, enjoying the normalness of seeing her sister work. She’d spent many nights sitting in her sister’s room, watching her create.
The glow of magic filled the sand and formed it to what Emilia wanted. Now resting on her nightstand was a glass version of Scraps.
Emilia stretched her neck and nudged Vic with her shoulder. “Do you like it?”
“Of course.” Vic picked up the figurine. It was cold and smooth. She placed it back on the stand. Vic used to have many of her sister’s glass figures. Her father had mashed them all into one giant glass ball, which he’d then thrown at the door. Vic remembered her sister’s tears as Vic had crunched through the glass and left the house. He hadn’t needed to go that far; he’d punished Em as much as Vic that night. That final burst of anger had killed any hope for their relationship. “Thank you. Em, I’m sor—”
“Don’t.” Emilia’s expression softened, and she looped her arm through Vic’s. “I wish you could stay away. I’m the one who’s keeping you from being free. But soon, you won’t have to worry…”
Because you’ll be gone. Those final words didn’t need to be spoken.
Vic gave her another fierce hug as her throat tightened. “Never think I wanted to leave you. I just couldn’t stay there anymore and support …” She wanted to beg her sister to leave, but she’d tried many times and didn’t want to ruin the moment.
They stepped back, their vision watery with tears.
Emilia’s laughter shook. “On that note, what do you have to wear to dinner?”
Vic crossed her arms and scowled. “Black shirt, black pants.”
Why did she need to put on a show for him?
“Blight, Vic, at least tell me they’re clean?”
This dinner would be a disaster.
8
William
William frowned at his breakfast. The night before had left him with too many questions. After Vic had dropped the line about the reapers, she’d run off and left him to wonder what this could mean for Verrin if they had rogue reapers. Magic would be the city’s downfall if they didn’t stop it. The radiant had higher morals than reapers from what he could see.
“Did your breakfast do something wrong? I’m a bit sad. I thought that look was reserved for me.” Samuel scraped the last of his breakfast off his plate, then snatched a piece of fruit from William’s plate.
He didn’t try to stop him. “I’m not hungry.”
William shoved his plate back, and it slid on the table.
“Ah, more for me.” Samuel helped himself and studied his brother. “Did things not go well with your bride-to-be?”
William frowned. “This whole thing is a mess.”
“Yes, and messes are bad. Very impure.” Samuel snorted and chewed with his mouth open.
William rubbed his forehead. “I’m not in the mood today, Samuel. Can you knock it off for today?”
Maybe he should tell his brother that his beloved magic users were out there making mogs. William swatted his brother’s hand away and forced down a spoonful of his food.
“If you mean being my lovable self, I don’t know if I can help you, Brother. What’s on the agenda today?” Samuel tilted on the edge of the chair, something their mother often yell
ed at them not to do.
William leaned back in his chair, copying his brother for once. His parents had already left for the day, and if the chairs broke, he’d be the one to fix them anyway. “I have to make my brother see the light.”
Samuel did not understand what waited for him. This morning, William had argued with his father that this lesson would be too harsh, but it had been no use. It would only get worse from here on out if Samuel didn’t fall in line. He gripped his spoon tighter. Why did he have to do it? Samuel was his brother, not his son.
“Sounds like a productive day. What sob story is on the list?” Samuel’s chair nearly reached the tipping point.
His parents had thought that by exposing his brother to stories of loss because of magic, he would see what they were trying to accomplish with the radiant life. It had the opposite effect, but their father thought the tactic today might work. William thought it was overly harsh. His brother sometimes convinced people not to get purified. However, today might be different.
He avoided his brother’s gaze. “A person you talked out of purification turned into a mog. Their family wants to get purified, and they also want to speak to you.” William couldn’t help his tone of voice. The burn of anger filled him, and his brother needed to know what he had cost others.
The smile fell from Samuel’s face. “Will, I…”
William clenched his jaw. “You may choose not to follow the radiant path, but you should let others decide for themselves. You’ll come with me today. You’ll face this family. These are the consequences of your actions.”
He pushed back from the table and threw out his food, wasting it. Their mother would complain about it later, but William didn’t care.
Samuel bent his head and nodded. His whispered words traveled to the kitchen. “There has to be a better way than this. You can’t tell me what you turn people into is the answer.”
William ignored him and went into their room to get dressed. The white uniform helped him be the person his father wanted him to be. He could see the good they were doing, but the fact that he was leaving his brother behind hurt him. The white clothes felt like a shield against his old self and a weapon for who he could become.