by Jasmine Walt
Like redeeming myself mattered, I thought as I drove through late-evening traffic. The truth was, I’d seen that look before, the total devastation when Ms Weston had dropped the bombshell on her. Even through those coloured contact lenses, I’d seen the fear that whatever had happened to her—had been done to her—had made her something other than human.
And God, did I wish I could have said something. But I could just picture her reaction.
There’s a whole Empire tearing itself to pieces out there and you bastards won’t even lift a finger to help. I would do anything to protect my family. If you had a heart, you’d understand that.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, willing the goddamned traffic to move faster, and switched on the radio to drown out my own thoughts.
ADA
Nell was taken in for surgery immediately. With nothing else to do, we sat in the waiting room, numb with shock. Alber barely said a word, and Jeth wasn’t very conversational either. Skyla left shortly after Nell went in, saying she had to get home, but she’d call later.
I took the opportunity to check my bag for damage. Somehow my possessions had survived intact, though the bag was clawed up from the dreyvern attack. But my clothes were okay. I hurried off to find the ladies’, unable to stand another minute sitting there covered in blood. Luckily, the cut on my own arm had stopped bleeding. Shallow wound. But when Jeth spotted it, he told the doctor so I could get it bandaged. Few other people were around, and no one else was in the waiting room. It had that hospital-bleach smell I hated, and every time a nurse passed by, I went tense. I looked out the window instead, but there was nothing to see but a car park and the sinking sun. I was worn ragged, and if not for the worry for Nell, I’d have curled up on a chair and fallen asleep. I started shaking all over, whether with the adrenaline drain or the fact that I hadn’t slept or eaten in over a day, I didn’t know. Or maybe it was shock. Too much had happened at once. I just couldn’t process it. I leaned on Jeth’s shoulder and closed my eyes, and he patted my head absently.
“Hang in there, Ada. Nell’s tough. She’ll be fine.”
Alber swallowed. He sat on the opposite seat with his feet up, the colour leached from his face by the harsh fluorescent lights. “I hope so,” he said.
“Why did that Alliance guy let us go?” Jeth asked no one in particular. “I don’t get it. Is he reporting us?”
I lifted my head from Jeth’s shoulder. “I said I’d go back. Listen—the Alliance thinks I’m important. To them.” I paused. The secret was seconds from slipping out.
“Important?” said Jeth, giving me a sidelong look of confusion. “Because you’re a magic-wielder?”
“It’s… more than that.” I glanced at Alber. “They tested my blood. I’m not—I’m not mageblood. I’m Royal. Someone did something to me back on Enzar. I was only a baby, I don’t remember. But it changed me. Somehow. It’s why I can use magic.” I closed my eyes. “I was going to ask—to ask–”
I swallowed against the lump in my throat.
“Nell,” said Jeth, and put an arm around me.
“Did something to you?” said Alber, fists clenching. “Who hurt you?”
“I’m not hurt,” I said. “It’s just—a shock. I’m related to, to…”
“Not another word.” Alber came over and hugged me, too, creating a weird group hug.
And then out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone enter the room. I glanced up.
Kay stared at the three of us like we were aliens. Under normal circumstances, I’d have laughed. His dark Alliance guard uniform made him look out of place under the bright lights.
“You came?” I said, shifting away from the others. Alber stood, fidgeting awkwardly.
“She’s in surgery,” Jeth said flatly. “None of us are going anywhere until we know she’s okay.”
“That’s fine,” said Kay. “I wanted to talk to Ada.”
“Talk away,” said Jeth, glaring.
Kay didn’t look away from me. “We need to discuss matters which are confidential to the Alliance.”
“Good God, you’re a pretentious dickhead, aren’t you?” said Jeth.
He might as well have spoken to a brick wall. “Ada?”
I sighed, standing up. “Sure, whatever.” Jeth and Alber exchanged surprised glances, but I was too tired to argue.
Outside the waiting room, Kay said, “I sent in my report, but I haven’t heard from Ms Weston yet. She’s not likely to be pleased that I let you go.”
“Oh, what a shame,” I said. “Does anything matter more than your job?”
“If it didn’t, I wouldn’t be here,” Kay said quietly. “Any other guard would have brought you in. But what you said—about Enzar—you’re right. The Alliance needs to do something. Half our council’s offworld at the moment, so I can’t promise it’ll happen quickly, but I’ll do what I can.”
What? How could he change the minds of the council who’d ruled noninterference? I didn’t need to hear this. Not with Nell possibly dying in there.
“You–”
“You don’t have to believe me, like I said,” he interrupted. “Just give me a chance.”
Huh? I shook my head. Playing mind games with Kay effing Walker was not what I needed right now.
“I did have one question, actually,” he said. “When you were attacked, the dreyverns came from the hidden Passage entrance. Has that ever happened before?”
I hesitated. Oh, what did it matter? “Never. It’s on the lower level of the Passages and sometimes there are monsters down there, but none of them have come close to getting out. We’re the only people who know about the door.” I drew a ragged breath. “Guess this is it. All the refugees from twenty-odd worlds use that Passage. I’ve been helping people since I was eight years old.”
“You have?”
I bit my lower lip, but it was too late, like I’d switched on a faucet. The words just wouldn’t stop coming. “Yes. Nell brought me to Earth when I was a baby. I don’t remember it. But she built us a life, all of us. And that’s what I want to do. Help people like she did me. I never wanted any of this to happen.”
There was no point in hiding it from him now. I’d never said so much to another person, let alone a stranger. I’m not your enemy, Ada, he’d said. But the Alliance had destroyed my world, almost got Nell killed, and to add insult to injury, strongly implied she’d been lying to me all my life. I didn’t even know how to deal with that. It was too messed up.
Maybe that was why confessing to him felt like part of the horrible weight on my shoulders had lifted, just a little.
“You know, the Alliance does more than police the Passages,” he said. “We help people too. Offworld.”
“Only if their worlds are approved members,” I said. “I get it. The Alliance isn’t all bad. Look, you can’t expect me to just start trusting you people after what you did to me.”
“I don’t expect that,” said Kay. “It’s your decision. You said you’d speak to us, I’ll hold you to that, but if you were to join…” He paused, like he expected me to interrupt with a hell, no. But I didn’t. Call me crazy, but the part of me still clinging onto sanity was curious to know how this would play out.
Join the Alliance. Like Delta had said. Like, up until the Alliance had caught me, I’d dreamed of. I couldn’t deny it. The Multiverse called to me. It was in my blood—literally, as I knew now. But after how they’d treated me? After accusing me of murder?
“Don’t pile this on me now,” I said. “I can’t think straight. Nell doesn’t trust any of you, but I… I always wondered. I want to go offworld. See the Multiverse.”
Kay looked at me for a second. “Same here.”
“You’ve never been?” I assumed he was in a position of authority, but I guessed not everyone at the Alliance got to go offworld.
“Not yet,” he said. “I’ve only technically been employed there four days. And in that time there have been two murders, a trespasser, two chalder voxes—
including one getting onto Earth—through an unknown Passage, no less.”
Four days? Seriously?
“Damn,” I said.
He smiled crookedly. “I know, right?”
I didn’t even know how to respond to that. It explained some things, but at the same time, all the questions exploding in my head were drowned out by the urgency of Nell’s being near death. I glanced back at the waiting room.
“Do you normally hire criminals?”
His smile faded. “This isn’t exactly a usual situation. Your friends could have done a lot of damage. Who was using magic in Central?”
Crap. “Not Nell,” I said quickly. “She’s not mageblood. My little brother is, but he’s never broken any laws. Neither’s Jeth.” Aside from the trespassing, which seemed trivial by now. “You’re not going to charge us for criminal damage, are you?”
“I’d be more worried about those guards she knocked out pressing charges.”
I winced. “Nell doesn’t do things by halves. But…” The last thing I wanted was to confess our dire financial situation to someone who could probably buy out Nell’s whole business.
Apparently some of my alarm must have shown on my face, because he said, “We’ll worry about that when we come to it.”
Like I could ever not worry about it.
“I don’t understand what was up with those dreyverns,” I said, scrambling around for something unrelated to talk about. “It’s not like them to work with a chalder vox. Someone set them up. Set them to ambush us.”
“You think that?” he said.
“I don’t know what to think. It seemed so… calculated. They were waiting right there, as if they knew we were coming.”
“There was another chalder vox in the Passages the other day,” he said. “That’s how I found the hidden tunnel.”
“You found it?” I said, whatever curiosity I’d felt swiftly evaporating. “Let me guess. You reported it.”
“If I hadn’t then, I’d have to now,” he said calmly. “When any offworld creature escapes onto Earth, there has to be an inquiry. Though the Alliance is knee-deep in inquiries at the moment already.”
“The murders,” I said. “Honestly, it has nothing to do with any of us.”
“I know that,” he said. “The two victims had one thing in common, and I’m the only person who noticed it. They both got hold of a certain file from the archives, containing information on bloodrock.”
“Bloodrock?” I echoed, wondering why he’d told me that—by the expression on his face, I guessed he was wondering the same.
“It’s dangerous and classified for good reason,” said Kay. “But I can’t see why someone would commit murder over it. You said you use it for disguise?”
“Yeah, Nell makes this formula,” I said. “That’s all we use it for, I swear. So why’s bloodrock classified, then? Seeing as you’re supposed to be the expert.”
“Not on that,” he said. “I’ve read the archives, and there’s barely any information. But it mentioned Enzar.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what it means. I’m guessing it’s connected to the murders. Started as paranoia, to be honest—hell, maybe it still is. Too many coincidences.”
“Or it could be a cover-up,” I said.
For an instant, I swore there was an odd gleam at the back of his eyes, but perhaps it was a trick of the light. “For what?”
I shrugged. “Depends who filed the information, I guess, and who stored the stuff at Central. I did look when I took it, but there wasn’t any record. It was just labelled as bloodrock.”
“How did you even know there was bloodrock in the stores at Central?” asked Kay. “We don’t exactly broadcast offworld substances.”
“I—good question. I’ll have to ask Nell, when she wakes up.” I winced at the tremble in my voice. “I think it has something to do with this family we know. The Campbell family. My friend Delta lives with them on Valeria. They know people in the Alliance there.”
“Valeria? You really do have contacts,” he said.
“Yeah, Delta’s family are like mine. I guess he’s probably worried about me, I haven’t called him in a while.”
“Your phone,” he said. “I’ll get it back for you tomorrow, okay? Who locked it? The tech team couldn’t get into it.”
“Jeth.” I jerked my head in the direction of the waiting room. “He’s a genius.”
“Hmm.”
“What now?” I asked. “We’re sticking here till Nell’s okay, but, well, that could be a while.”
“Then I’ll call Simon at US Central,” said Kay. “See if we can make an arrangement.”
“Now?” My heart beat loudly in my ears. He—he couldn’t be serious.
“Might as well.” He pulled out his communicator. Must have got a new one, I thought, wondering for the first time since this mess had started what life was like for Alliance employees outside office hours. He didn’t have to be here, let alone helping me. To think he’d arrested me a few days ago. It was surreal.
“Simon,” he said into the communicator. “How’re you doing, asshole?”
In answer, I heard something along the lines of “you lunatic.”
Despite everything, I stifled a giggle. Who would have guessed that Kay Walker would turn out to be a normal guy?
I went back into the waiting room while he paced outside, talking to Simon, whoever he was. Jeth and Alber both stared at me as I closed the door behind me.
“What in the world were you two chatting about?” asked Jeth.
I shrugged. “Everything, really. Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
“He works for the Alliance,” said Alber. “Nell’s going to be pissed.”
“Yeah…” Speaking of, there was movement outside the door. I stiffened as a nurse entered the waiting room.
“How is she?” Alber asked immediately.
“She’s fine, the surgery went well. She won’t come round from the anaesthetic for a while yet, but she’ll recover. She’s a survivor.”
I let out a breath, lightheaded with relief, and sank into a chair.
“Thank God,” said Jeth.
That still left the obvious question of where we were going next. Jeth had had the presence of mind to retrieve our packed rucksacks from the carnage of the fight, but none of us had a lot of cash. We could either hole up in a hotel for the night, or risk going home. But we might be attacked again. Was anywhere really safe now?
“I’m not leaving,” said Alber, when I brought this up. “I’m staying with Nell.”
“I’m not letting you stay here alone,” said Jeth. “Look, after visiting hours close, we’ll just have to go home. Nell was being paranoid, but the house is pretty secure. You know it is. Ada, you’re really going to the Alliance tomorrow?”
“I guess so,” I said. My chest tightened at the thought. And yet… it might be my chance to make a difference. For real. I might even find out what had really happened to me on Enzar, too.
At that moment, Kay came back into the room, stowing his communicator in the inside pocket of his leather-style jacket. I wouldn’t have minded owning one of those. It was pretty snazzy, not to mention it didn’t have so much as a mark from the fight earlier.
“What was that about?” Jeth asked, eying him with distrust.
“Just made a phone call,” said Kay. “There’s a safe house run by the New York Alliance. You can get there through the Passages. If you know anyone who needs somewhere to stay, I can just ask.”
My mouth fell open. “You’re serious?”
“Of course.”
“Wait, what is going on?” asked Jeth.
“The Alliance branch over in America has a safe house for offworlders seeking shelter,” said Kay. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but here.” And he handed me his communicator. My eyes practically bugged out, and it took a moment to focus on the screen. Contact details. I scrolled through, disbelief building by the secon
d. Photos. Of… people from offworld. Karthos. Zanthar. This place was legit.
“Thought you might have been listening in,” he said. “I can ask Simon to talk to you directly, if you need any more proof.”
“That’s…”
I jumped when his fingers brushed mine as he took the communicator from my hand before I dropped it. I hadn’t even realised my grip was slipping—hell, I was losing my grip on reality.
“You’re kidding,” said Alber, staring at Kay. “He’s tricking you or something.”
“So little faith,” said Kay. “What are you doing now, anyway?” He directed the question at me.
“I don’t know. Staying here, I guess. Nell needs us. Well, she will when she wakes up.”
“That won’t be for a while,” said Jeth. “They might kick us out first.”
“Then I’ll camp out on the floor,” said Alber. “Ada’s with me, right?”
“Um…” Central was miles away from here, and Kay’s watching me didn’t make it any easier to think clearly. “Maybe we should go home. I’ll catch the train to Central in the morning.”
“The house… I don’t know,” said Jeth. “I’m tempted to be over-cautious and go to the Knights’ place or something. They’re still secure.”
“Yeah, but they’re miles away,” I said. “It’d be a pain to get to Central from there.”
“You could always come back to my place,” said Kay, directing this at me.
Wait, what?
He read my expression before I could speak. “It’s the only place I can think of where we can stay under the radar. Someone attacked you, and if you travel across London on your own, it might well happen again. I can drive you there, and I have authorised access to Central any time. We can get this mess sorted as soon as the council check in, before it draws any more attention—I’m pretty sure you don’t want another spectacle. There are enough rumours already.”
I shook my head. Started to speak, then realised I didn’t have a clue what I intended to say.
“No freaking way,” said Alber. “I bet you’re planning to murder her. Well, she can kill you with her bare hands.”
Kay actually laughed. “I don’t doubt that,” he said. “Just a suggestion, that’s all.”