by Silver, Anna
“Ya’ll come on in before you spook the cows! You know you ain’t supposed to be playing out here after dark. Not with the men around. They’ve got things to do and you’ll get in their way. Come on!” the twins’ mother called out.
London shot Tora a worried look and the Seer reflected it. That must be whose feet they could hear moving through the darkness.
Crow pocketed his gifts and turned to give them a quick nod before he started back toward the house where his mother was waiting. Kayla pushed one of the barn doors just enough for them to slip inside with their containers of water. She led them behind a wall of baled hay. “Stay here,” she whispered and darted back out to join her brother.
London waited a few minutes before she said to Tora, “There’s no way in hell I’m staying here. We need to go.”
“London,” Tora said, “we don’t know what’s out there. Just wait a minute. That woman was talking about some men hanging around like it wasn’t a normal thing.”
“I know,” London agreed. “All the more reason to get going.”
“Be patient,” Tora urged her. “Give it a few more minutes.”
London sighed. “Okay. I’m going to scout around for anything we can use in here.”
“I’m coming with you,” Tora said. “I don’t want to sit back here in the dark alone.”
“Fine. But be quiet. I don’t want whoever’s still out there to know we’re hiding in the barn.”
Together they crawled out from behind the wall of hay and followed the perimeter of the barn, past stalls both empty and occupied, peering in the dim light for anything that might be of use. Since burying her scrapped knife in Clark’s neck, London had no weapons on her. She didn’t want to go out into the dark unarmed where strange men could be lurking.
They reached the front of the barn with no luck. Two large doors like the ones they’d come in at the opposite end were drawn together but they sagged on their tracks and left a small crack where the night air poured through. Mosquitos buzzed about and London scratched absently at her neck where she could feel the lumps already forming.
A deep voice outside caught her attention. She gestured to Tora to stay silent and move closer.
“Those kids creep me out.”
“The twins?” asked another voice, also deep and masculine.
“Yeah. You think they have a license for both of them?”
“Don’t know, don’t care,” said the other voice. “Those aren’t the kids we’re here for.”
Tora scooted right up behind London as they listened. Her breath made warm targets on the side of London’s face. London peered through the crack with one eye. She could just make out the profiles of two black-suited men, large guns hanging over their shoulders. Tycoon regiments.
“Yeah, but I thought twins were extinct,” said the first one again. “Or illegal or something.”
“Mack, get over it already. This isn’t the city. It’s Ag. All kinds of weird crap goes down in Ag. Too much fresh air.” The second guy was busy fidgeting with something small and shiny in one hand.
“You get a signal yet?” Mack asked his partner.
“No. It’s bound to come through any minute.”
“Still don’t get why we’re out here. I thought they took a bunch in outside Bayou City?”
Tora stiffened at this and tugged on London’s sleeve, but London ignored her. They were talking about Eric and the other dreamers.
“I already explained this,” the second one said, sounding frustrated. “The girl says they weren’t among them. She thinks they’re heading back this way.”
The girl ? That could only be one person in London’s mind: Avery. But how could she know they were crossing back west through the Ag District?
Mack sighed. “I know, I know—the girl. I’m so sick of her. What makes her so sure we’ll catch them? How does she know they’re even out there? For all we know, she could be making all this up.”
The second guy laughed. “There’s at least two of us at nearly every house in this district. If they’re here, we’ll catch ‘em. As for the girl, I don’t ask questions. She’s their pet project and I don’t want to get on their bad side.”
Mack lit up a cigarette. London hadn’t smelled city-issue smoke in months. She rubbed distractedly at an arm where she could feel her scars network beneath the fabric. So Avery was the Tycoon’s new pet? Figures. And she was now out of her cage, helping the Tycoons hunt the Otherborn and the other dreamers down.
“Well, if she’s their new pet, then he’s hers.” Mack smirked.
London’s chest tightened and she drew in her breath. He? There was a he? Was it possible? Could they mean Rye? But Rye would never be Avery’s pet. He hated Avery for betraying them. Even if he was still alive, he would never help the Tycoons. London was certain of that. They had to be talking about someone else. But who?
The other guy grinned, but before he could reply a blue light came from the device in his hand.
“What’d I tell ya? Any minute.” He pressed a button and a small screen flashed into life in the night air before them. On it, a man’s dour face hovered.
“You boys got anything?” the dour man asked from the screen.
“No sir,” Mack said, all serious now. He’d dropped his cigarette at his foot where he carefully ground it out with the heel of his boot.
“Keep alert. She’s certain they’re moving that way,” the dour man responded.
“Three of them, right? Two guys and a girl?” the first guy asked the man on the screen.
“No—hold on. I’ll let him tell you. Pay attention, I don’t want him to have to go over this again,” the man on the screen said with a frown. His face shifted to one side and then vanished before another face appeared.
Both the men went very rigid as their new contact addressed them from the screen. “There are four: two males and two females. The first male is a purebred Asian—Korean. He wears a distinguishing mark on one wrist. Three black bars. The second male is much larger with light hair. There is a blond, Caucasian female. An Outroader. And the last one, a taller female. Dark hair, dark eyes.”
London was so completely frozen, so transfixed by what she saw on the little screen, that she registered every detail about this new contact, even the slight hesitation he made before describing her, as though a tiny part of him hated to do it. She couldn’t blink, couldn’t turn away as he finished.
“That last one, she’s the most dangerous. It’s been confirmed that she killed an Outroader scout at the last encampment we raided. Don’t underestimate her,” he said.
“We won’t,” Mack assured him.
The screen flashed off and the first guy pocketed the device. “You heard him. I told you there were four. You’re such an idiot.”
Mack shrugged. “I coulda sworn she said three. Forget it. Let’s go inside and get the wife to put a fresh kettle on. The fugitives won’t be making an appearance in the next ten minutes and we won’t have to answer another signal until dawn at least.”
Both men shuffled off toward the farm house, but London couldn’t pull herself away from the crack at the door, from the spot, in midair, where only seconds ago a screen had blinked images of light and color in the vacant night and she’d heard herself described as dangerous.
But it wasn’t the description of her that had her reeling. It was the person who’d done the describing.
“London,” Tora whispered from beside her. “We need to go while they’re inside.”
London sat back, dazed and crestfallen, and stared at Tora.
“London,” Tora tried again. “Come on.”
But Tora’s voice echoed without meaning in her ears, because nothing could replace the sound of the voice coming from the screen. The voice that called her dangerous. His voice.
And nothing would ever erase the sight of him from her eyes as he calmly said: That last one, she’s the most dangerous…Don’t underestimate her.
It was a face London knew all
too well. A face that caused her weary heart to skip, then shatter.
London blinked at Tora and stammered. “It was…it was Rye.”
Chapter 7
* * *
The Lesson
ZEN TOOK ONE look at London and the smile vanished from his face. The angles of his jaw and cheekbones seemed to harden. He knew something was wrong.
What could possibly have given it away? Maybe it was the swollen red rings around her bleary eyes. Or the constant sniffling. Or the way she avoided eye contact with everyone. Maybe it was the way Tora sat her container down gingerly then hovered about London like a worried mother hen. Maybe it was the look of absolute pity on Tora’s face.
London dropped her carboy at Zen’s feet, careful not to spill any. Probably it was the fact that she now wore the same pale, haunted expression he had only days ago.
Kim emerged from around the truck. “Sweet. What took you guys so long?”
Tora shot him a warning look.
“What’d I say?” He grabbed a carboy of water.
“Just don’t ask,” Tora told him.
“Don’t ask what?” Kim was a slow learner.
“Anything. Not yet,” Tora said.
Kim stared past Tora to London. He took in her huddled posture and tear-stained face. London could practically see the dots connecting in his mind. “London? What’s going on?”
Tora grabbed the carboy from him. “I told you not to ask.”
Zen grabbed both of London’s wrists in his large, warm hands. His eyes were full of concern. “Did someone hurt you?”
London snatched her arms away. “No,” she said, when what she wanted to say was, yes, in the worst way possible.
Zen’s gray eyes probed softly, searching for some answer. It was visible that something had gone horribly wrong, but London wasn’t ready to say it. She wasn’t sure she could. She felt like telling them would somehow make it more real than it already was.
Tora was pouring fresh water hastily into the truck’s tank. “Come on. We have to get out of here. They’ve got regiments staying at every house in the district. We have to move on without stopping until Ag is well behind us.”
Zen and Kim both turned from studying London to eyeing Tora. London was relieved to have a break from their scrutiny.
“What do you mean? Why would they have regiments here?” Zen asked.
“For us. Duh.” Tora threw the empty container in back of the truck and motioned for one of the boys to load the second one, still half full.
Zen looked back at London. “How would they know?”
London squirmed under his gaze. “How do you think?” she said at last.
“Aghhh, that bitch!” Kim shouted. “How the hell is she doing it?”
Tora ripped the keys out of his pocket and handed them to him. “Drop it, Kim. You have to drive. London isn’t in the mood.”
Kim hopped in front and Zen held open the back door while London climbed inside. She really didn’t want to be stuck back there with him, but she also didn’t want to be alone. When he started to follow her, she wasn’t going to say anything, but Tora appeared in the open doorway and stopped him.
“Nice try. You’re up front with Kim. London and I need to work on some things.”
Zen gave her a puzzled look but complied.
London breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it wasn’t over. She would have to face him eventually. Tell them both what she’d seen: Rye, betraying them. Maybe then Zen would finally open up and let his own secrets about Rye out. How could she have been so wrong? Rye had been her best friend for years. He’d given his own life to save her from the dogs outside New Eden. London just couldn’t reconcile the boy she knew and loved with the one she’d seen on that screen.
Tora closed and latched the doors behind them. She gave London an assessing look and tucked her sharp bob behind both ears. “I know the timing sucks, but you and I have some things to work on.”
“You said that already,” London pointed out. It’s what she’d just told Zen to get him to move up front. London looked up and saw Kim’s dark eyes watching them in the rearview. She could tell by Zen’s posture that he was straining to listen.
Tora frowned. “You have to stop evading your destiny. Pretty soon, they’re going to have us backed in a corner, and if someone hasn’t learned how to pull the Astral through to help us in this world, we’re not going to get away.”
“Why me?” London asked with a sniffle. She rubbed at her nose with a hand. She was suddenly exhausted and Astral work was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.
“You know why.” Tora gazed at her intently. “You’re the strongest. Or Si’dah is, anyway.”
“Avery’s stronger,” London said matter-of-factly. Avery had been able to reveal her Astral form in this world, and to manifest as a Luna Moth guiding them to New Eden. Now, she was using the Astral to track them somehow. She had to be.
“No, she’s not. The only difference between Avery and you is that she accepted what she was a long time ago. And you’re still fighting it.”
London let out a sigh. Tora wasn’t going to back down on this. Hantu told her she would need Tora’s help to learn how to draw on the Astral even when she was awake. She thought of the large guns they’d just seen hanging casually from the shoulders of the regiments and shivered. Tora and Hantu were right. It was time for her to stop resisting and start pushing back. Rye had broken her heart, but she wasn’t going to let him or Avery do any more damage.
London wiped at her face, pushed back the newly relaxed waves of her hair and straightened her shoulders. She took a deep breath and looked into Tora’s green eyes. “Teach me. I’m ready.”
“IT’S NOT WORKING,” London said, lifting one eyelid to glare at Tora.
The Seer buried her face in her hands. “London, you have got to try to stay with me. Just relax.”
London shrugged her shoulders a few times and shook her head. She worked her jaw for a moment and laid her hands in her lap, ready to start again. “Okay.”
“Close your eyes,” Tora commanded. “Both of them.”
They’d been at this for nearly an hour, as Kim guided the truck stealthily through the most abandoned roads they could find in the Ag District. By now, they all wished they’d circled wide around Ag altogether, but it was too late. Avery was a step ahead of them and the Tycoons had regiments at the ready all over the place. Their best bet for getting out of Ag unharmed was to avoid the cleanly paved roads and wind their way through the gravel paths and dirt lanes that criss-crossed the crop fields. So far, they hadn’t seen anyone, but it was still dark. If they weren’t out of the district come morning, they could run into any number of Ag workers. And there was a good chance they’d run up against a barricade or regiment truck in the road. London needed to get this if she was going to be any help.
London did as Tora told her. She closed her eyes and began the deep breathing exercises Tora was leading her into.
“In…one…two…three,” Tora said rhythmically. “Out…one…two…three.”
London let her eyes soften. She let the beat of her heart slow to match the swell of her lungs with every breath. Just like before. But every time she tried to let her mind go, all she saw was Rye’s face on that screen. Don’t underestimate her.
“I can’t,” she whined, opening her eyes.
Tora threw her hands up. “You’re not trying.”
“I am!” London fumed. She was so frustrated she could spit. “Every time I close my fucking eyes, I see his face!”
“Whose face?” Zen asked, turning around.
“Nothing. No one,” Tora piped up. “London has to concentrate. We’ll talk later.”
Zen ran a fist through his hair, obviously frustrated, too. London tried not to notice. She needed to put him and Rye out of her mind if she was going to do this.
“I don’t get this,” London told Tora. “No one is standing over your shoulder telling you to breathe when you get a v
ision. Why are we doing all this?”
“Because at first it doesn’t come easy. You have to relax enough to find the space inside yourself where anything can be. When you dream, it happens naturally but when you’re awake, you have to practice overcoming those obstacles and learn to shift your consciousness from this world to that one. Once you’ve done that a few times, it will come easier and easier and you can drop into that relaxed state any time you need to. Sometimes it will just come over you. But right now, you don’t even know what you’re looking for. What you’re asking is like asking why you can’t go straight to being best friends with someone you’ve never even met.”
London scowled at Tora.
“Sorry,” Tora offered. “Bad analogy. Just trust me and try to relax. When—when his face comes up, don’t resist. Let it be…and then push past it.”
“If you’re so great at this, why don’t you do it?” London snapped.
Tora pinched the bridge of her nose. “Because I only know how to look into the Astral for answers, that’s where I see the visions. I can’t affect it like you can.” Tora looked at her and fatigue was etched into the fine lines framing her face. “I think being Otherborn is what makes that possible in the rest of you.”
“Okay, fine. Let’s go again,” London agreed, but she wasn’t at all convinced Tora actually knew what she was doing.
“Just…think about the song. The one you wrote with Rye.” Tora’s face brightened a little as she hit on this notion.
“Not helping…” London bristled. By now, even Tora knew the story about their song, Pauly’s warning, and then his death.
“Don’t think about him, think about what it felt like to do something New—to create. Something in you relaxed. And something else in you opened up, and just like that, something New came through.”
London tried to slip back to that place in her memory, a space of sheer joy like she’d never known before, of limitlessness. Really, it had been more like the song wrote itself. Like they just heard it, picked it out of the swarm of sounds and melodies that ever had and ever would exist. When it was done, it was hard to believe it was New at all. It had come so easily. How could that be wrong? Be criminal?