The blood drained from Andy’s face. “No.” Della knew she’d created the sculpture. She knew what it meant to Andy. To the world.
She threw herself forward, hoping to stop this, to confront the woman who had once been her ward. To do something.
One of the guards came after her and knocked her down. She hit the edge of the stage hard, and something snapped. Her arm.
She looked up through a haze of pain.
“We are free from our past.” Della held the torch up to the sculpture of Old Earth. “Free from the lies they told us about Earth. Let it burn to the ground!”
Andy heard the roar of the crowd before fading into unconsciousness.
BELYNN SAT down on the simple bed, looking around at the guest room. It was sparsely furnished—the bed, a chair and desk, and some watercolor paintings Ally had done of the Anatovs during a storm.
Her friend was quite talented. They’d met at the Market a couple years earlier and had bonded over their love of the outdoors.
It had been nice to finally set down roots in one place. After the inthworld incident, she’d gone back to Darlith for a while but had wanted more out of her life than tending bar.
Being there—always around alcohol—hadn’t been healthy for her. She’d poured out her flask in Davian’s cave, and she hadn’t touched the stuff since.
Now she had a life and someone to share it with. No one was more surprised about that than her. She’d been a mess and had been sure she could never make things work with anyone long-term.
Destiny constantly surprised her too. Se was six years younger and tackled life with a voraciousness that was both refreshing and energizing.
They’d been together for five years now, and se was always showing Belynn something new. Destiny was open and curious in a way that Belynn had been afraid she would never be again.
Now their new roots here in Darlith—their friends and family—were threatened.
Ally knocked at the doorway. “You okay?” Her brown eyes were narrowed with concern.
“I suppose. I didn’t think something like this… it’s still such a shock.”
Ally came to sit beside her on the bed, taking her hand. “I know. For us too. We didn’t think she would win.” She looked around the small room. “I hope it’s not too cramped.”
“It’s perfect. Thanks so much for letting us stay.”
“Stay as long as you need. But….”
“What?”
Ally bit her lip. “It’s just that it might be safer for you to get out of the city for a while. Sander said he’d be happy to help.”
Belynn stared at her for a moment, trying to decipher if this was a true offer of assistance or one borne of fear. She had to hope it was the former.
“I wish we could,” she said at last. “My mother’s here. I can’t leave while she’s still in the city.”
Ally nodded. “Yeah, I get that. Where is she?”
“Staying in a hotel in the center of town.”
“And where is Destiny?”
Belynn sighed. “Se went to find out more of what’s happening and to help a couple friends.”
“Liminals?”
She nodded. “Destiny—”
Belynn.
Aine?
“Are you okay?” Ally squeezed her hand.
“Yeah. It’s just… it’s the world mind calling.”
“Ah. I’ll leave you two to talk, then.”
Was there a hint of jealousy there? If there was, it was covered up quickly. “Thanks.”
Ally kissed her on the forehead. “Come get me if you need anything.” She closed the door behind her.
Something’s happened to your mother.
Nice to hear from you after all this time… what? What happened?
I don’t know. She was speaking with me, and then she stopped. Aine’s mental voice cracked, just a little.
Belynn forgot sometimes that Aine had been Andy and Shandra once. Her parents, before she and Kiryn had been born. They had diverged over time, but still… it must be strange. Like a piece of yourself had gone missing.
I… I’m sorry, Aine. We’ll find her.
There’s something else. Before I lost her, she told me about a boy. A thief named Thierry.
Belynn snorted. What was mother doing with a thief? Probably one of her charity projects. I’m sure he’ll be okay.
The negation came through strongly. She says he’s a Liminal. Something special, though she didn’t tell me how. You need to find him too.
Belynn shuddered at the thought. She had learned, through years of practice, to put a damper on her ability. To shut out the voices without being half drunk all the time. She’d had a mostly normal life.
She was afraid what might happen if she pulled the cork.
Still, what else could she do? Can’t you reach him?
There was silence in her head.
Aine?
I did. He… he vanished.
Vanished?
Yes. He just… I can’t find him anymore.
Like Mom.
Not exactly. He chose to cut me off, I think. He didn’t trust me.
Ah. He cut you off? She laughed. I didn’t think we could do that.
Belynn could feel Aine’s affirmation through their link. It was as if—
Pain ripped through Belynn’s head like a roaring fire, and she screamed, feeling as if every one of her nerves was burning.
It ended as quickly as it had begun.
Footsteps pattered down the hall.
What was that?
Aine’s voice came back after a long pause. She sounded subdued. They burned it.
Burned what?
The Earth sculpture your mother made. That was Andy’s cry.
Is she okay?
I don’t know.
“Belynn, you okay in there? I heard a scream.” Ally sounded worried.
“Yeah. Just… some bad news.”
“Okay. If you need anything—”
“I’ll let you know.”
The footsteps faded.
You’re warning the other Liminals?
Yes. There are so many.
You’ve been away for a long time. Aine, it’s good to hear from you again. Belynn felt Aine share some of her calming strength.
You too. It’s just… we’re tired.
What?
Never mind. Find your mother. Find Thierry.
Belynn nodded. “I will.”
Chapter Five: Cryptic
DELLA STARED at the woman she’d once thought of as her mother.
Andy lay crumpled on the hard wood of the stage, a mere shell of her former self, her body lit by the burning of Old Earth. Her arm lay at an awkward angle.
Della closed her eyes, a stab of pain reaching her heart. Andy had been good to her, in spite of everything.
She pulled Arnold to her side. “Take her to the medic. Get her arm looked at. Then put her in a comfortable room in the Residence, under guard.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He rarely questioned her. He had been the abused husband of one of the women she’d cleaned for. She had rescued him, recognizing a kindred spirit, and he had transferred his loyalties and submissive tendencies to her. She treated him far better than his wife ever had.
Two guards lifted Andy up and carried her off.
The crowd was enraptured by the flames. Open flame was a rare sight on Forever, especially one so grand.
Black smoke poured into the sky.
For just a moment, she worried about the effect it might have on the world. She’d been brought up with a conservation mind-set, like they all had, but when had there ever been a shortage of anything?
Aine was making new forests, new rivers, vast new plains for them all the time.
Why should we be forced to live our lives like misers, thankful for every little crumb we’re given?
No, it was time for change. She’d made up her mind when she decided to run for mayor, and the smoke was that decision made mani
fest.
Aine would take care of the smoke, just like she took care of everything else.
She turned back to the crowd. “We are destined for something greater than this. This is only the beginning!” She held up her fist in defiance of the old world.
The crowd roared its approval.
Della stepped off the stage, looking for Arnold. “Did you find him?”
“The boy?”
She nodded. “He’s the keystone to this whole plan.”
“Not yet, but we will. Darlith isn’t that big.”
“Do it fast and quietly. I want him under my wing by tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gripped him tightly by the chin and stared into his eyes. “Don’t screw this up.”
His eyes reflected the orange glow from the fire. “I won’t.”
THIERRY MADE his way back to the Warren.
It was a risk. If Roland caught him, he would be handed over to Mr. Leak and his patron. He didn’t want to end up someone’s leashed toy.
Nevertheless, he needed help, and his stomping grounds were the only place he could think to find it.
The voice in his head still bothered him. She had claimed to be the world mind, but everyone knew she was a myth.
It had to be a trick. If he could make others see things, someone else could probably make him hear things. The idea gave him the shivers.
If he was going to find Andy’s daughter, though, he needed more than his own eyes and ears.
As he crossed the bridge, a group of thugs had a man held by his feet over the edge. “Fucking Liminal scum.”
The man screamed as he was dropped off the edge, his voice abruptly cut off by the rushing waters below.
Thierry shuddered.
The Warren was abuzz with activity. Word had it that things were changing in Darlith and that old limits were being erased.
The denizens of the Warren were full of speculation about what that could mean. New land opened up for the taking. Old rules on black-market trade stripped from the books.
Thierry heard pieces of a hundred conversations taking place along the twisted lanes and behind closed doors in the city’s black-market district.
Some of the buildings creaked as he walked past, their second stories leaning ominously over the narrow streets. The familiar smells of humanity there—unwashed skin, garbage, and worse—were second nature to him. He’d lived in the Warren for years and had become accustomed to them.
But just one morning—his breakfast with Andy—had shaken him out of his old life. That and the prospect of being sold like livestock. With Andy, he had a chance for something more, for a better life, if she was telling the truth.
He slipped into a dark space between two buildings and let go of his disguise for a moment. Keeping it going so long was wearing on him.
That’s when he spotted Skate running by.
With a sigh, he made himself disappear from the world again and ran after him.
Skate was on a mission. He was fast, but Thierry was faster.
Thierry caught up with his friend just before the bridge that led to the center of Darlith. He grabbed Skate by the shoulder, and together they tumbled downhill through the glowing grass toward the riverbank.
“Hey!” Skate jumped up and away from him. “Who in fucking Ariadne do you—Thierry?”
Thierry had dropped his guard, showing himself to his friend. “Yeah. Sorry.” He looked around. They were mostly hidden from the view of any passersby by the imposing bulk of the stone bridge. “I had to get you alone.”
The river rushed by just a meter away, filling the air with its burbling.
“Roland says we’re not supposed to talk with you.” Skate was two years younger, just thirteen, which made him closer to twenty in street years. His eyes narrowed. “He says you stole from him.”
“Spit-swear I didn’t.” He spit on his hand and held it out.
Skate stared at it for a minute, then spit on his own hand and shook Thierry’s.
Spit swearing was sacred.
“What happened?”
“He tried to sell me. To some guy named Mr. Leak.” The river’s flow blocked out any sound from the bridge above.
Skate whistled. “For what? Like, to be his boyfriend?”
Thierry shook his head. He’d never told the others what he could do. Only he and Roland had known.
“Then why?”
“I’ll show you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone.”
“Swear.”
Thierry hesitated, then vanished. He could see himself, but Skate couldn’t.
“Holy—”
He reappeared. “Don’t tell anyone. Promise.”
“I swore, didn’t I?” Skate’s eyes were wide.
“Yeah. But hold your hands up and say it. Say ‘I promise.’”
“I promise.” Skate showed his hands. “How in the spin fuck did you do that?”
“It’s just… something I can do. I need your help.”
“Anything.” Skate looked up to him like a big brother.
“Find Tommy and Jack. Not Vinnie. He’d rat me out to Roland. I need to find out where someone named Ally and Sander live.”
“Ally Ansander?”
“No, two names. Ally. Sander. Got it?”
Skate nodded. “Got it.”
“I think they live in the Grid. Meet me at the Black Fountain in an hour.”
“Will do.” He tilted his head. “What is this about?”
“I have to save a friend.”
ANDY’S WORLD was a red blaze of agony.
Someone was carrying her through the streets. She opened her eyes. Two someones. The light of the spindle blurred the faces. They were wearing city guard uniforms.
“Bel….”
“She’s trying to say something.” The voice floated over her, barely penetrating the haze of pain.
“Doesn’t matter. We have our orders.”
The pain radiated from her left arm. Every time they jostled her, waves of it shot up the arm to her shoulder. Her stomach heaved, and she threw up.
“Fuck and Forever. She just barfed on my boots.”
“Be a man. Poor thing has a broken arm, and she’s eighty years old if she’s a day. How would you feel if she were your grandmother?”
They reached a building, and Andy heard a loud knock. She faded out of consciousness.
When she came back, she was lying on a white sheet.
A medic in a white coat hovered over her, checking her arm. “It’s a clean break, from the look of it. I can reset it and give her a splint and a wrap. Does she have anyone to take care of her?”
“It’s covered.”
Andy opened her eyes again to see a medic staring down at her. “I’m going to straighten the bones, ma’am. This is going to hurt. Are you ready?”
Andy nodded. What I wouldn’t give for a bottle of red berry wine just now.
She felt the medic take her arm. She moved it, and Andy’s pain increased tenfold, sending her spiraling down into darkness.
SHANDRA WAS late again.
Over the last few months, she’d become more and more forgetful. She’d be working out among the red berry bushes and would neglect to come in for lunch.
Andy would find her wandering under the apple trees or sitting in the vineyard, staring up at the spindle.
Her bad spells were becoming more frequent.
Andy shook her head. It was hell getting older. She missed the carefree days of her youth, when she’d thought nothing of jumping on her horse and riding into Darlith. Or even Micavery.
She snorted. Like her life had ever been carefree.
She put her head out the door. “Shandra! Lunchtime.” She’d prepared something special—a red berry pie made with a wine compote and fresh berries—cooked with one of the new heating elements Aine had come up with. So much better than burning wood.
There was no answer.
Andy wasn’t particularly wor
ried. This little corner of the world was about as safe a place as they could hope for. In fact, she was annoyed, though she knew it wasn’t Shandra’s fault. Andy didn’t want the pie to get cold.
She pulled on her shoes and stepped out onto the porch, breathing in the fresh air.
A spiderweb swayed in the breeze, its little creator perched in the heart of it. Andy grinned. “Good hunting, Charlotte.”
Many folks hadn’t wanted spiders and the like, but they were a necessary part of the balance in such a small ecosystem. For Andy, they always reminded her of one of her favorite childhood stories.
She made her way down the steps to the damp ground and set off toward the berry patch.
“Shandra, where are you? I made you a surprise!” Andy spent much of her time inside these days, crafting musical instruments for sale to help bolster their income. She was more adapted to it than yard work now anyway, though she still enjoyed her time among the berry vines.
When they had crops to harvest, they hired in some kids from Darlith.
She rounded the edge of the first row of glowing berry bushes, and her heart stopped.
“Shandra!” She ran to where Shandra lay, crumpled on the ground as if she had fallen where she stood. “Shandra, wake up. I made you pie.” It sounded incredibly inane.
Andy felt for her pulse. Her skin was cold, her eyes open and fixed on the spindle.
“Oh God, no, no. Shandra, no.” She lifted Shandra’s body in her arms and pulled her close. “Dammit, Shandra, don’t do this to me. Don’t go.” Andy rocked her back and forth. How stupid it seemed now, to be worried about her pie.
She pulled Shandra to her chest, hugging her tightly. “Wake up, Shandra. Wake up.” She kissed Shandra’s cool cheek and rubbed it against her own. “Don’t leave me, Shandra. Please don’t go.”
If only I came to check on you sooner. If only she had kept Shandra inside that morning. Made up some excuse—something she needed help with.
“Shandra, don’t go. I can’t do this without you.”
ANDY SAT up and looked around.
The berry bushes were gone. She was all alone in an empty place, surrounded by white light.
“You seem to have done okay without me.”
Andy spun around to find Shandra there, leaning against the side of their house, grinning.
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