Andy stood her ground. “This is where I am supposed to be.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Shandra told me.”
“Who’s Shandra?” Thierry was casing the room.
Andy winked at him. “I’m afraid you won’t find much.”
Belynn sighed. “Mom, Shandra’s been dead for three years now.”
Andy snorted. “I know that. I’m not daft.” Shandra’s presence, her message—it was all too hard to explain. Besides, she was afraid that if she examined it too closely, she would stop believing it herself.
“Mom, we don’t have time for your….”
“Insanity?”
“I was going to say ‘flights of fancy.’ But insanity works too—”
A door slammed downstairs.
“Fuck and Forever.” Belynn ground her teeth. “Della’s back.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, Mom. It’s really not. We could try to slip past her and her guards—”
A shout went up in the hallway.
Andy smiled sadly. “I think they just saw your handiwork.”
Belynn took her hand. “Come on. If you won’t leave the building, at least let us hide you until we figure out what to do next.”
Andy nodded. “That I can do.”
Thierry took her other hand and led them out of the room, right past the newcomer who was kneeling next to Lor, checking his pulse.
DELLA HAD just sat down at the kitchen table when a shout came from upstairs.
Lizbeth entered the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. “You wanted some embrew?”
Della scowled. “Didn’t you hear that noise?”
“What noise?”
“The shout upstairs. Please go check it out.” She was dealing with a staff full of idiots. Galen, where the hell are you?
One of the guards—David?—burst into the kitchen. “Your… houseguest. She’s gone.”
Della was on her feet in an instant. “What about… what’s the man’s name who was guarding the door?”
“Lor? He’s all right. Someone hit him over the head.” The man frowned. “Almost like he didn’t see them coming.”
“Fuck and Forever, he’s here.” Her little street urchin.
“Who?” The guard stared at her blankly.
“The boy. The one who can make himself invisible. Search the house. Bolt the doors!”
The guard stared at her “But if he’s invisible—”
“Just go!” He was within her grasp. What was his name? Terry?
It didn’t matter. Once she had him in her grasp, she could tempt him. Get him on her side. She knew what allure wealth and the promise of a good meal had for the downtrodden. She’d been one of them.
And with what he could do….
He must have come for Andy. That explained what she was doing here in Darlith. Word traveled fast and far.
Things in this world had to change. Forever and its homonormals were being replaced by the Liminals. She was the only one who could stop it. Sooner or later they would take over and subjugate everyone else to their own will. It was how these things worked. It was what she would have done, given half the chance.
She knew it from personal experience, and Davian the Betrayer had shown it to be so.
She would find the boy.
Then she would tear down that damnable sculpture once again.
THE CROWDS gathered to watch Destiny as the captain led ser down the street from the guard station to Della’s residence. There were hushed whispers, and as se passed through the square, fingers pointed at ser and then at the resurrected sculpture.
Two of the guard were using a wide metal tree saw to try to cut the thing down but were only succeeding in sending up sparks as the teeth failed to bite into the hard wood.
A little girl broke free of the crowd and ran up to ser. “Are you the magician?”
Destiny laughed, pulling the captain to a halt to respond to the little girl. “Something like that.” Se knelt and looked the girl in the face, giving her a big smile. “We’re both just people, aren’t we?”
The girl laughed. “I guess so.”
A woman, probably the little girl’s mother, came after her and snatched her up, pulling her away from Destiny. She shot Destiny a dirty look.
“Come on, before someone in the crowd gets angry and does something unfortunate.” The captain took ser by the arm and hustled ser along.
Destiny glanced back in time to see the girl wave at ser. Se wished ser hands were free to wave back.
They turned down Main Street, away from the square, and the crowds thinned a bit.
Another figure detached itself from the crowd. It was Skate. “Are you the magician?”
Destiny looked at Galen. “He seems harmless.”
Galen nodded. “Just make it quick.”
“Yes, I am.” Se knelt, and Skate threw his arms around ser.
“They’re still inside,” he whispered in ser ear.
“I’m just like you,” se said out loud.
He looked at ser funny and then up at the captain, and comprehension flooded his face. “I want to be just like you too.” Then he ran off, vanishing into the crowd.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with.” The captain led Destiny up to the front of the Residence, an imposing, dark two-story structure. He spoke with the guard on duty, and the man nodded, opening one of the doors to let them in. Then it was locked behind them.
Something had them on high alert. Se hoped they hadn’t caught Belynn and Thierry.
Della appeared at a doorway at the back of the entry hall. She reached out her arms toward Galen. “Thank Mother Ana you’re here.”
“Della.” Even Destiny thought that sounded cold.
The mayor frowned. “Galen? What’s wrong?” She looked tired, haggard.
“We can discuss it later. I brought the prisoner. This is Destiny, the Liminal person who caused the disruption in the square.”
Della’s gaze turned to ser. “I don’t know you.”
Destiny grinned. “Probably not. We don’t run in the same circles. I don’t associate with tyrants and liars.”
Della slapped ser hard on ser bruised cheek.
Destiny yelped but took a deep breath and composed serself. “Is that all you’ve got?”
Della raised her hand again, but Galen stepped between them. “Della, that’s enough.”
“What do you mean, that’s enough?” Her eyes narrowed. “What is it, Captain Hart? Do you have a soft spot for Liminals? For them?” Her voice dropped. “Are you one too?”
Destiny laughed. “That’s rich, coming from you, Della, seeing as you’re a Liminal.”
Della hissed. “I was. I was a Liminal. But Lilith burned the ability right out of me.” She backed away. “You and your kind—you’re dangerous. You hurt people, and one of these days you’ll kill us all.”
Destiny stared at her blankly for a moment and then laughed.
“What?”
Della hated being laughed at. That much was clear, especially when she had no idea of the cause.
“Humankind did a good enough job with mass extermination without Liminals. Nazi Germany? The Congo? Moon Base Alpha?”
“Lies.”
“Yes, it’s easier to make up your own history, isn’t it?”
Della looked ready to slap Destiny again, but a look from Galen stilled her. “It doesn’t matter. Things are changing.”
Destiny shivered. Se didn’t like the sound of that.
Della turned her attention to Galen. “Someone broke in to free Andy. The guards are searching for her now. Can you help?”
Galen nodded. “Of course. Don’t hurt ser.”
“I won’t. This one is safe with me. For now.”
Destiny scowled. Se did not like this woman. Not one bit.
Della snapped her fingers. “Get my dresser and my stylist in here now.”
ANDY HUDDLED in the corner of the empty storeroom with Belynn and Thierry.
Della’s guar
ds were conducting a careful room-by-room search. She could hear them in the next room over, rummaging through the room from top to bottom.
They will find us.
She wasn’t worried for herself, but she wished she hadn’t sent Thierry after Belynn and Destiny. Now they were caught up in this mess too, and there was nothing she could do about it.
The storeroom was dark, but suddenly there was an intense flash of light in front of her.
She pushed past Belynn and Thierry, losing touch with the boy’s hand.
“Mom!” Belynn hissed. “Get back here. They’ll see you!”
Andy ignored her. The wisp of light floated before her, whispering her name. “Shandra?”
“What is she looking at?” Thierry sounded bewildered.
“I don’t know. Mom, are you okay?”
It’s time.
The light flickered out.
Andy closed her eyes. In that moment, she knew what to do and what would happen next.
She was ready. She should have been frightened. She was old, past her youthful prime. But now….
She turned to her daughter. “Do you still have the cross from your grandfather?”
Belynn nodded, pulling it out from under her shirt.
Andy touched it, cradling it in her hand. “Your great-grandmother and grandfather believed that there was more to the universe than just what we can see.”
Belynn nodded. “I know.”
“I don’t know if they were right. But they also believed that we all got a certain amount of time on this mortal coil.” Andy smiled. She’d always loved that phrase of her grandfather’s.
“What are you saying?”
“Just remember, when the time comes. I am ready.” She kissed Belynn’s forehead.
“Mom… what do you mean?”
The door burst open, and two of the guards came through. “Found them,” one said. “Go tell the mayor.”
“It’s all going to be okay. I’m where I am meant to be.” Andy hugged the two of them.
“Come along. The mayor wants to see you.”
It was Lor—his head was wrapped in a bandage. “There you are. Are you okay?”
She stared at his head. “I should be asking you the same.”
He laughed. “I’ll be all right.” Then his smile slipped away. “I’m afraid I have to ask you to come with me. All of you.”
Andy nodded. “We’ll come peacefully.”
She turned to follow him out the door, feeling Belynn’s worried gaze on her back.
Shandra, I’m ready. Whatever may come.
MORNING LIGHT was overtaking them as Dax brought the delivery balloon down into Darlith.
Kiryn looked out over the city, taking it all in.
The city had grown so much over the last twenty years, spreading out and up the curve of the world until it covered almost a third of it. Standing at one side of it, he could now see the other as Forever wrapped up and around itself.
The tangled passageways of the Warren were still exactly the same, a rat’s nest of poorly built shanties and twisting trails, though there was a burned-out patch near the middle. Something bad had happened there.
In the heart of the city, in the square, something was decidedly different.
Kiryn tapped on Dax’s shoulder to get his attention. “Wasn’t that smaller before?” He pointed at the world sculpture.
Dax came around to look. “Yeah, no way was it that big. I thought Della burned it down?”
“That’s what Aine said.” And yet there it was, larger than before, and darker, maybe? “My mother made the original. Did I ever tell you?”
Dax laughed. “Only about a thousand times.” His hands gave the “thousand” a little extra emphasis.
“She wanted to bring people together. But these days we’re more divided than ever.”
“Maybe so.” Dax let out a bit more of the hot air from the envelope, lowering the balloon down onto the staging area next to the old train station in the heart of Darlith.
Kiryn sighed. They’d gone away from Micavery in part to escape the stifling environment of the city, and yet here they were again.
Nevertheless, he had to come. Andy and Belynn needed him.
Light rushed past, and the Earth sculpture lit up like the sun.
Kiryn stared up at the sculpture, wondering what it meant. “I need to—”
“Go! I’ll get this squared away and then come find you.” He pecked Kiryn on the lips. “Your family needs you.”
“Love you.”
“You too.” He hugged Dax and then slipped out of the basket.
Aine, where?
Here. She dropped the location in his head.
Without a second’s hesitation, he was off to find Andy. And Belynn.
Chapter Twelve: Tree of Life
LOR TOOK Andy’s good arm, treating her like a dignitary instead of a prisoner. “This way, please.” He led them out into the hallway and back toward the stairs. “I’m sorry you’re going through this,” Lor said softly.
Andy patted his arm. “It’s all right. I’m supposed to be here.”
He nodded, giving her a sideways grin. “So you said.”
As they reached the stairs, the skylight above—more glass—lit up, and the light of the spindle bathed the stairwell in its golden glow.
Andy took it as a good omen.
She made her way downstairs, feeling light-headed. She hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Whoever said old people didn’t need as much sleep as the young was a lying spin-cursed asshole.
She grinned. Grandma Glory would have washed her mouth out for using such language.
Belynn had shared her crazy plan. In normal times, Andy would have dismissed it out of hand.
But Shandra had said Andy belonged here, that there was a reason for her to be in this place, at this time.
Maybe Shandra was a ghost, just a figment of Andy’s imagination—a result of too little sleep and too much stress. And yet….
“This way.” Lor guided her across the entryway and toward a pair of double doors at the end of the hall.
Not the dining room, then.
There were two guards stationed at the door. One opened it and stepped aside to let her and her companions through.
DELLA SAT in the largest chair in the Residence reception hall as if it were a throne—a high-backed, heavy wooden piece of furniture that looked like it had been carved of world wood.
Somehow she’d found time to get dressed and have her hair and makeup done. She looked every regal inch the empress.
Captain Hart stood at her right, and a very uncomfortable-looking Destiny sat in a smaller chair off to the other side, with a nasty bruise on ser face.
Belynn rushed toward her but was pulled back by one of the guards. Belynn snarled at him. “Are you okay, Des?” she asked ser.
Destiny nodded. “Not too worse for the wear. I’ll live.”
Belynn’s anger was building. Once she had been afraid of Della. Of what she represented and what Lilith had done to her with Della’s help.
No more.
She shoved the guard aside and ran to Destiny, then knelt in front of ser. “I’m so sorry I let them do this to you.” She touched Destiny’s cheek.
“Not your fault.” I’ll be okay. She lost all her abilities.
Belynn nodded. “Okay.”
One of the guards tried to pull her back.
“Leave her be.” Della stood, staring down at the two of them. “It’s sweet, really, to see such love still in the world. You and se are lucky.”
Belynn frowned.
“We’re here, Della. The ones you wanted.” Andy pulled Thierry out from behind her. “What do you want with us?”
“This is the little thief?” Della knelt in front of Thierry, putting her hand under his chin. “He’s cute. He’s going to steal hearts when he gets older.”
Thierry growled at her.
It was adorable. Belynn grinned in spite of herself.
Thierry put his fists on his hips. “I won’t do anything for you.”
“Oh, I think you will.” She snapped her fingers, and the doors opened again. A servant came in carrying a plate of roasted beef, which gave off such a wonderful aroma that even Belynn found her mouth watering.
Another followed with a tray full of golden suns, and then a third servant brought only herself, but she was stunning—dressed in a diaphanous dress that showed all the right places.
“With me, you can have everything. All the food you want. Riches. Women… or even men, if you prefer.” Della stood and stared at her nails, affecting nonchalance. “It doesn’t really matter to me.”
Thierry looked at the woman and the money and then fixed his gaze on the food. His gaze rested the longest on the plate of roast beef.
He was silent for a long moment, and Belynn felt like the world hung in the balance.
Even Della dropped her hands to her sides, staring at the boy and waiting for his response. “Well?”
“Did you kill Roland?”
“What?” Della’s brow creased. “Who’s Roland?”
“He was good to me. Mostly. He took me in when I was all alone and gave me a home and food, and even money, sometimes.”
“I have no idea what happened to him.”
Another man came out of the shadows behind the throne chair. “It… it was an accident, ma’am. One of the guards was roughing him up. Trying to find out where this boy was. They knocked over a luthiel lantern, and the wood of the shanty house caught fire….”
“You idiot.” Della said it softly, but there was steel in her voice.
“I am so sorry, ma’am—”
“Get out, Arnold. I don’t ever want to see you again.” She pointed to the doors.
“Ma’am, I can explain—”
“Get out!” This time her anger was unmistakable.
He ran toward the doors, and one of the guards opened them and let him go, then slammed them behind him.
Della knelt in front of Thierry. “I can give you everything that Roland gave you. Security. Family. Safety. I can be like Roland for you.” She pushed back his hair behind his ear. “I’ve always wanted to have a son. Together we can show the world how things could be. That everything is ours for the taking. Put the world mind in her place, to serve us. We can have anything we want—everything you ever dreamed of. We can do all that, you and me. What do you say?”
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