by Rachel Aaron
At this point, it was no longer a question if she would run. The door was already broken, and there was no way to fix it before Estella and Svena returned. They’d know she’d disobeyed, which meant she was already committed. But there was a world of difference between mere fleeing and a planned escape, and with Estella on a rampage, Katya was going to have to plan this very carefully indeed. Since her enemy was a seer, getting caught was pretty much a foregone conclusion. With that in mind, the challenge wasn’t avoiding her sister, but surviving the confrontation when Estella cornered her.
Fighting her was out of the question. Not even Svena had been able to do that. What Katya really needed in this situation was insurance, something Estella valued more than Katya’s life that she could hold over the seer when things inevitably went bad. She was trying to think of what when her eyes landed on the golden orb of the Kosmolabe, carefully nestled in the cup holder between the front two seats.
A wicked smile spread over Katya’s face. She made no sound, used no magic, but when Estella and Svena finally returned to the car, the Kosmolabe was no longer in it, and their youngest sister was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 5
When the guy at the pizza place said Justin lived in the middle of nowhere, Julius had assumed he was speaking hyperbolically. When he reached the address, though, Julius realized the man had been telling the plain truth.
Apparently, Justin had been living, or at least eating, at the end of the abandoned strip of land that ran between Algonquin’s Reclamation Land and the industrial parks of the DFZ’s southwest. The intersection where the automated cab dropped him was within sight of the border at 8 Mile Road, even farther from the city than Marci’s hoarded cat house had been. There, at least, the neighborhood had still been semi-inhabited. Out here, there was nothing, just overgrown grass, collapsed houses, and magic. Wild, thick, unfriendly magic that hung in the night air like humidity, warding off even the most daring and desperate squatters.
Just climbing out of the cab was enough to make Julius’s hair stand on end. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could smell Justin nearby, he would have climbed right back in. But he’d come out here on a mission, so he ordered the car to wait and set off down the cracked road in search of his brother.
If it wasn’t for the creepy magic, this would have almost been pleasant. The September night air was cool without being cold, and the empty lots were quiet and still. Other than the occasional floodlight on the chain fence that separated Reclamation Land from the rest of the urban wilderness, there were no lights anywhere, but compared to the cave-like dark of the Underground, the night itself was almost bright, especially now that the moon was rising. But even with the quiet and the natural light to help him, it still took Julius almost five minutes before he finally spotted his brother crouching on the toppled steeple of an old church like some kind of post-apocalyptic Batman.
“Were you going to say something eventually?” he called, walking out into the middle of the cracked street.
His brother’s eyes flashed neon-green in the dark, and then he turned away. “Get lost.”
Julius shook his head and started circling the church’s crumbling walls. “How did you even get up there?” Please don’t say flew.
“I jumped. I’m not stupid.”
Considering he was currently sulking in a magic-soaked wilderness on a roof that was in sight of the border of a private domain claimed by a spirit who’d sworn to kill every one of their kind, Julius wasn’t so sure he agreed with that assessment at the moment. But his brother clearly wasn’t coming down any time soon, so he started making his way up, using the rotting window sills and cracks in the brick walls as handholds until, at last, he hauled himself onto the roof.
“Good grief, Justin,” he sighed, looking around at the filthy nest of old soda bottles and discarded pizza boxes. “What are you doing up here?”
“What’s it to you?” his brother sneered, hunching his shoulders. “How’d you find me, anyway? You suck at tracking.”
“But I know your eating habits,” Julius said, nudging a grease-stained, waterlogged breadstick box off the roof’s edge so he could sit down. “And I wanted to make sure you were okay, which you’re clearly not.”
“I don’t recall asking your opinion,” Justin said bitterly. “Didn’t I just tell you to go away?”
Julius ignored him, taking a seat on the opposite side of the roof as he tried to think of the best way to deal with this. Obviously, the first step was to get Justin away from this landfill of a roof. Also, get him a shower, because the dragon was filthy. His t-shirt and jeans were caked with old grime, and there was blood on his boots. His blood or someone else’s, Julius wasn’t sure, but it looked awful. All of him did.
“Justin,” Julius said firmly. “I know why you’re out here.”
His brother snorted. “I doubt that.”
“I saw your sword in grandfather’s skull.”
Justin went very still, and then he turned on his brother with a look of pure poison. “What were you doing in the throne room?”
“Mother made me go to the party for Svena,” Julius explained. “She picked me up earlier this evening and—”
“Bethesda the Heartstriker came to the DFZ to pick you up?”
Julius nodded, unable to tell if his brother was furious or disbelieving or both. Either way, he looked like he was about to explode. “Well,” he growled at last. “Good for you. Guess you’re a real big shot now.”
Julius began to sweat. This was backfiring rapidly. “It’s not like that,” he said quickly. “I was only there because of the Katya life debt thing.”
“Yeah? Well, I wasn’t even invited,” Justin snarled, hands clenching into fists. “Who put his neck on the line to rescue the Three Sisters’ baby in the first place, huh? Me. There wouldn’t even be a life debt if I hadn’t dragoned-up and saved all your hides. But how was I repaid? By getting snatched out of the sky!”
“I know,” Julius said earnestly. “Believe me, no one appreciates what you did that night more than I do. But…”
He faded off, trying desperately to think of the best way to say this, because it was complicated. There was no denying Justin had saved all their lives the night he’d turned into a dragon and blazed through Algonquin’s Underground. On the other hand, though, Julius also didn’t blame Chelsie for doing her job, especially since, given the sirens they’d heard on the way out, she’d probably saved Justin’s life by getting him out. But there was no way to explain that to his brother when Justin was in a rage. He’d probably just accuse Julius of being on Chelsie’s side, or worse, of pitying him.
In the end, there was only one thing Julius could say without any quantifying statements. Fortunately, he also had the feeling it was the one thing his brother needed to hear. “She was wrong to take your sword.”
Justin’s eyes shot up in surprise, and then he looked away. “You have no idea,” he growled, fists tightening. “That Fang is mine.”
“I know,” Julius said quickly. “And I also know you’re eager to get it back, but—”
“You don’t know anything,” his brother snapped. “You’ve never held a Fang of the Heartstriker. Do you think it’s just some normal sword? No. They’re ancient dragon magic, the kind we don’t get anymore. Each one is different, and they don’t let just anyone use them. You have to be chosen, like I was.” He bared his teeth. “That sword picked me! She had no right to take it.”
“That’s what I just said,” Julius reminded him. “Look, I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be, but this isn’t the end of the world.”
“Who said it was?”
Julius gave him a flat look. “You did. Maybe not in so many words, but just look at yourself, Justin. You’re living like a hobo up here.”
Justin turned away with a growl, but Julius just stood up and walked over to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay,” he said quietly. “You’re more than your sword, Just
in. I know you’re angry and hurting right now, but—”
“Is that what you think this is about?” Justin said, smacking Julius’s hand away with a look that was equal parts amused and insulted. “You think I’m out here sulking?”
That was exactly what Julius thought, but apparently he was wrong, because his brother was cracking up.
“Why else would you be all the way out here?” Julius demanded, his face heating as Justin doubled over. “We’re in the middle of nowhere!”
“On the contrary,” Justin said, pointing out into the dark. “I’m right where I want to be.”
Julius frowned and turned, but he still didn’t understand. There was just as much nothing where Justin was pointing as anywhere else out here. Just more of the same overgrown lots, broken streets, caved-in houses, and the endless barrier of the Reclamation Land fence running off into the—
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes,” Justin said, breaking into a sharp-toothed grin as he rose to stand beside his brother. “Reclamation Land, Algonquin’s secret base inside the DFZ. That’s what’s leaking all the crazy magic we’re sitting in out here, but no one knows why. No dragon has ever been past that fence.”
“With good reason!” Julius cried. “You’re talking about Algonquin’s private property. She doesn’t even let in her humans unless they’ve signed so many NDAs they can’t place an order at a restaurant without consulting their contracts.”
“All the more reason to find out what’s inside,” Justin said with a shrug. “No one makes that big a fuss unless they’re hiding something.”
He walked to the edge of the roof, green eyes gleaming as he stared at the floodlit fence in the distance. “I’ve been watching that border for three days now, tracking patrols and getting an idea of their security.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a grubby piece of paper covered in numbers and notes. “I’ve almost got their whole system cracked. Once I know what to expect, I’m going in there to dig out whatever it is Algonquin’s hiding, and when I get it, I’m taking it straight back to Mother.”
He glanced back at Julius, his face flushed with anticipation. “Can you imagine a better prize? Thanks to me, Heartstriker will have information no other dragon in the world has access to. Even if we don’t use it ourselves, there are other clans with interests in the DFZ who’ll pay through the nose for even a hint at Algonquin’s long-term plans. That’s power, Julius, and once I present it to Mother, it won’t matter how much Chelsie gripes. She’ll have to give me my sword back.” He smirked. “What do you think? Brilliant, huh?”
Julius could only stare in amazement. Honestly, it was a much better plan than he’d expected from Justin, who, though an excellently ruthless and aggressive dragon, had never been what you’d call tactical. He was on the nose about their mother’s reaction, too. Bethesda would go absolutely nuts if she got her hands on Algonquin’s secrets. But while Julius was quite impressed with his brother’s plan, there was one vitally important element Justin was overlooking.
“It’s a daring strategy,” he admitted. “But how are you going to do it? Even if you can sneak your way into Reclamation Land, it’s not like Algonquin’s going to let you have a look around and walk back out.”
“You’re assuming she’ll be able to catch me,” Justin said, lifting his chin. “I’m not exactly a soft target. Even if she did manage to corner me, I’m not afraid of Algonquin.”
Julius gaped at his brother in horror. “Are you out of your mind?” he cried. “This isn’t some low-ranking dragon we’re talking about. This is Algonquin, the Lady of the Lakes! Spirits who used to be worshiped as gods come to the DFZ to work for her. And let’s not forget her private army that she uses to kill dragons, or the fact that she keeps a sea monster the size of a cruise ship for a pet. Everyone is afraid of Algonquin!”
“Exactly,” Justin growled. “And that’s the problem. Algonquin comes in, takes a city, declares her hatred for dragonkind, and every clan in the world freaks out, even ours. Why else do you think Chelsie was able to get away with taking my sword? It’s because they’re all scared witless of a stupid lake spirit, even Mother. But I’m different. I’m not afraid, because unlike the rest of you, I actually remember what it means to be a dragon. We’re the top of the pyramid, the biggest monsters on the board. We run from nothing.”
“You should run from this,” Julius cried, frustrated. “This isn’t some chest pounding competition, Justin! You could actually die here.”
“You say that like it’s a reason to quit,” his brother said with a sneer. “But that sort of defeatist attitude is exactly why you’re a failure, Julius.” He turned to glare at the fence again. “I’m actually hoping Algonquin sends her anti-dragon team after me, because then I’ll get to burn them all alive and prove that Chelsie was wrong when she snatched me out of the sky ‘for my safety.’ I’m going to show them all that I don’t need Bethesda’s Shade following me around like a nanny. I don’t need help from anyone, and when this is over, the whole clan will know it.”
He bared his teeth as he finished, but Julius just turned away, defeated. He’d rushed out here to stop his brother from doing something crazy in his despair over the loss of his sword. Now, he was wondering why he’d even thought that was an option. His insane brother wasn’t depressed without his sword. He was more reckless, pig-headed, and Justin-y than ever. Julius had a better chance of stopping a speeding freight train with his hands than of convincing his brother not to charge face-first into Algonquin, but that still didn’t mean he could leave Justin to his fate. No matter how crazy or aggressive he got, Julius owed Justin his life multiple times over, including for the incident last month that had started all of this in the first place. He had to do something, protect his brother somehow, and so, with all sensible paths blocked, Julius did what he always did when Justin needed to be corralled for his own good.
He changed the subject.
“I see you’ve really thought this through,” he said, lowering his eyes in a show of submission. “Unfortunately, we’ve got more immediate problems than Algonquin. Remember how I said I was at that party? Well, it didn’t go as planned. That’s why I came to find you, actually, because just a few hours ago, Estella of the Three Sisters declared war on our clan.”
Justin’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“Well, technically she offered us a mating flight,” Julius explained. “But everyone can see it’s a trap. Mother’s already preparing the others, but since I’m holding the life debt between our clans, and I obviously can’t protect myself against other dragons, she sent me to find you in the hopes you could watch over me.”
That was a whopper of a lie wrapped in several mostly truths, but it was also what Justin most wanted to hear. Julius had learned years ago that nothing got his brother moving like a mission that made him feel singled out and important, and it worked like a charm now. He could actually see Justin fighting to keep the smile off his face while he pretended to think it over.
“I’m not inclined to take a job without my sword,” he said at last. “But you are pretty pathetic when it comes to combat, so I guess I’ll do you a favor and keep you alive.”
A prouder, better dragon would have been insulted by that, but Julius had never been that dragon. His pride was a small, flexible thing, easily pushed aside for better causes, like getting his stupid brother off this roof.
“I’m happy you’ll be watching out for me,” he replied, shaking Justin’s hand. “For now, though, let’s go back to my house. It’s in the DFZ, but it’s pretty defensible, and we can order something that’s not pizza.”
Justin’s eyes lit up at the word defensible, and even more at the mention of food. “Let’s go then,” he said, hopping off the roof like the two-story drop was nothing.
Julius happily climbed down after him. Just getting his brother away from Algonquin’s fence helped assuage any lingering guilt Julius felt about his lie, and who knew? He might actually need Justin’s help before t
his Estella business was over. For now, though, he just wanted to get them both back to the house where, hopefully, Marci would be waiting for them.
That was a happy thought indeed, and Julius hopped the final few feet down to the ground, motioning for Justin to follow him back to the cab.
***
There must have been something in that bag.
Marci opened her eyes with a groan, followed by a self-recriminating curse. The last thing she remembered was getting caught off-guard in the parking deck like an idiot. But though she’d have sworn she’d only been out for a few seconds, it must have been much longer, because she was now in a completely new building, strapped to a metal chair in the center of a dirty cinderblock room with a reinforced door, a single bulb on a string above her head, and a metal drain set into the floor at her feet.
Bile rose in her throat. She’d seen these kinds of movies. Nothing good ever happened when you woke up in a room with a drain. Worse still, her bracelets were gone, as was her bag, the chalk in her jacket pocket, and the backup casting marker she kept inside her left boot. She couldn’t even reach Ghost, though whether that was because she was being blocked or he was just too sound asleep to answer, Marci had no idea.
Well, she thought bitterly, wiggling against her restraints, at least whoever had brought her here was taking her seriously. That was a small comfort after what’d happened with Bethesda, but Marci was still in a real bind. Now that her eyes were adjusting to the glare, she could see that the cinderblock walls of her cell weren’t actually dirty like she’d first assumed. They were written on.
Someone had covered the inside of the cell from floor to ceiling with line after line of spellwork. The painstaking black markings were clearly the work of a Thaumaturge—no Shaman would be so precise—but of a type Marci didn’t recognize. Her best guess was that it was one of the proprietary languages corp mages used to keep people from hacking their spells. Given how much spellwork was going on here, though, whatever this thing did had to be crazy complicated. She was trying to figure out which of the symbols were the variables when the door to her cell cracked open, and a small, middle-aged woman wearing the navy uniform of the Algonquin Corporate Security Forces slipped inside.