by K. Gorman
But it made for a good mental image.
She snorted. “Yeah, no shit, right?”
As she turned her gaze to look back out on the street, Chris caught her eye. He had moved closer while she looked away, leaning over his mug on the table. The café’s light sliced into his eyes—a deep, dark brown, like hers.
She swallowed, feeling a small amount of guilt return to her chest. This was supposed to have been a date.
I can’t believe he skipped an entire day of school. Hell, I can’t believe I skipped an entire day of school.
Although, technically, it hadn’t been an entire day yet. It was only eleven o’clock.
But she did not intend to return to school today.
She thought of the last time she’d skipped. Of eyes like hot ash looking into her mind. The Phoenix had slipped into her veins like a summer sun, its cry thrumming through her spirit.
She’d have to face that, someday.
But not today.
Idly, she scratched an itch on the back of her palm—it had started tingling about a minute ago—and watched the leaves shift at the bottom of her mug. “Yeah, I should. I will.”
“Good.”
She rubbed the itch hard, then left it alone.
But, a second later, Robin was pointing at the back of her hand. “Hey, what’s that?”
The mug blocked her from seeing it completely, but she could guess what Robin had spotted.
“It’s a transfer mark. Aiden, the Fire Mage, put it there yesterday so I could practice.”
“You got to do magic?” Robin tilted her head. “Is that why it’s glowing?”
Glowing?
She jerked her hand back—sure enough, a solid blue was showing through the ink. As she stared at it, realizing what it meant, she felt the Water Element click into place.
“Hello, Mieshka.”
Tea sloshed in their cups as she snapped around. Roger leaned against the café’s dark, varnished door frame, the lights adding many depths and angles to the shadows he carried. His arms crossed over his chest, pulling his jacket tight around the shoulders. A slight glint entered his eyes as he met hers.
Recovering from the shock, she started picking up the cues of his approach—the tingling, the itching, that creepy feeling on the back of her neck.
“Fancy meeting you down here,” she stammered.
“Hate to break up your engagement, but there is a certain matter that concerns you.”
She tried not to look too deeply into his usage of ‘concern.’ Robin and Chris were quiet. The table tilted as he leaned farther onto it.
“What matter?”
Roger’s eyes flicked to Chris and Robin and back again.
“The Water Mage went missing last night. By the look of her room, she fought with someone who wielded Fire. Her crystal has been taken.”
“Only two are powering the shield?”
Roger gave her an odd look. “One. The Earth Mage was taken last week.”
Her grip tightened on the chair. Taken? Why hadn’t Aiden told her that?
A distant yell distracted her. As she listened, others joined it. Something made a loud bang.
“What the fuck was that?” Robin asked.
“It would seem people are out for blood. They know you’re down here.”
Mieshka swallowed. More bangs accompanied the yells, like someone hitting something with a large stick. They were coming closer.
“I would suggest leaving through the mall. It is easy to lose oneself there, especially when it is dark. Plus, it would get you closer to Aiden. Enforcement is short on manpower at the moment, but I will attempt to deflect them.”
Mieshka stared at him. Slowly, she stood. Behind her, she heard Chris and Robin do the same.
“Thanks.”
She and Chris left exact change on the table. As they walked away, Mieshka felt the Water link grow weaker and weaker. When they turned the corner, it disappeared completely.
Chapter 16
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Robin said. “Is this real?”
Mieshka’s sneakers slapped against the sidewalk as she glanced back. The mob was behind them, out of sight, but their shouts rang ahead of them, echoing off the otherwise quiet streets of the Underground—with most everyone at work aboveground, the place was nearly empty, and what signs of people she did see did not appear to be very helpful to them. Either people were on upper floors with only their lights and shadows visible, or they were occupied with their own work and not noticing them go by.
Which was probably for the best. Roger had told them to go for the mall. If they went somewhere else, perhaps they’d thwart his attempts at deflection.
A sharp bang sounded, temporarily stalling the shouts.
Mieshka shuddered. Either they were getting louder, or they were getting closer. A shiver of anxiety rippled through her shoulders. The street curved slowly around. After a block, Chris pulled them down a dark alley, its black brick walls looming on either side.
“We can’t let them get ahead of us,” he said, leading the way.
A tinge of old, acidic cigarette smoke tainted the air as they walked. Her shoes scuffed on the stained concrete.
She cast him a sidelong look. “Do people really think Aiden and Sophia are enemies? I mean, I really didn’t get that vibe when I was with him. She even called him.”
“It might not be that,” Chris said. “I mean, think about it—Sophia was basically the government down here. What would happen in Ryarne if the government disappeared?”
Robin snorted. “Mass looting. Murder. Chaos. All the anarchists would come out of the woodwork and have a party. Hell, them and anyone who wanted to join them.”
“Exactly,” he said.
“Wait, shhh, hang on a second.” Mieshka stopped, cocking her head. The shouting stopped. Had Roger intercepted them?
Hopefully.
But she didn’t trust the silence—and neither, apparently, did Chris. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her forward and continued on.
“They’ve probably blocked the exits.” He dropped her hand after a few steps. “If Roger said to head to the mall, they haven’t gotten there yet.”
“Can we trust him?” She tripped as a beer bottle spun away from her toe, chipping against brick. “I mean, should we go to the mall?”
An intersecting alley flashed light on his face as he glanced back to them. His expression was grim.
“Probably. This is his main territory, and the mall leads to a branching of a whole bunch of tunnels. We can lose ourselves in them—besides, we’re close. See?”
He pointed ahead to the alley’s end, where a streetlight illuminated a large crack on a roadway. Across the street, the stone walls of a church stretched into the rafters. She recognized the spire that stabbed into the gloom.
“Hallelujah,” she said.
A gunshot cracked through the air. She jerked, tripping into an electronic bike. Its alarm went off, whistling to the mob.
“Fuck,” Robin said.
Chris dragged her forward. Without a word, they ran. Air rushed into her face as their feet pounded the pavement, her backpack jangling lightly on her back. She was glad she’d left her textbooks at school.
By the time they hit the mall, two months of a pizza diet had caught up to her. She swung around the plywood doors, clutching a stitch in her side. Chris and Robin were in better shape. Then again, he walked up twenty-seven stories every day.
“They’ll be expecting us here. We can’t stay.”
“If I can make it to Mo’s…” she started.
“Mo’s is good. Nobody’s dumb enough to attack him.”
Another gunshot. Mieshka’s head rang. It sounded like they were getting closer. Chris looked at the lights.
“Meese, put your hood up,” Robin said.
She twisted her head around. “What?”
“We’re about the same height. Tuck your hair in and put the hood up.”
“What, so they can shoot you
instead? Jesus fuck.”
Robin was already tucking her hair back, but Mieshka caught her eyeroll as they continued on.
“That’s what friends are for. Just do it.”
Chris stopped up short at the next intersection. His face was serious as he followed the wires with his eyes. “We need to split up.”
“What the fuck?” she asked. “Why?”
“I can kill the lights. Darkness will slow them. You get a head start while I kill the breaker.”
Alone? In the dark? She shivered. By the sounds outside, the mob wasn’t far. Chris pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and threw it to her. She caught it. Barely.
“How do you know how to kill the lights?”
“Used to be quite a vandal.” He backed away toward where the wires led. “They’re close. You need to go now. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
With that, he disappeared. She and Robin stared after him.
“Are you insane?” Robin asked his retreating back.
A gunshot jerked her against the wall again. She cowered into it, gripping the flashlight hard. This was not what she had meant by ‘facing her fears.’
Pushing herself away from the wall, she planted her feet into the concrete. Pretend it’s a starter’s gun, she thought. Pretend this is just a track meet. In an abandoned, underground mall.
She shivered. How long until it went dark?
“He is insane,” Robin said. “Absolutely insane.”
A second shot sounded, and they both flinched this time.
“You go first—like, run. I’ll hang around and see if I can lead them away.”
“What, you want me to leave you behind now?” Mieshka’s eyes widened. “And you think he’s insane? This isn’t a game, Robin—those guns are real.”
“Gee, I hadn’t fucking noticed.” Robin twisted back around, caught sight of Mieshka, and lunged forward to jam her hood over her head. “And for fuck’s sake, keep your hair hidden. You’re like the only redhead down here.”
“Shit, fine.” Mieshka scooped her hair back and re-adjusted the hood. “What are you going to do?”
“Scream and run like a little girl, probably. But you run first. Chris said there were tunnels around here, right? I’ll find one of those and go down it.”
“You’re going to get fucking lost. And possibly shot.”
“Yeah, yeah, you can buy me a coffee later. I’m sure I’ll stumble my way out at some point. Send a search party if I don’t.”
When Mieshka didn’t move, Robin gave her a shove. “Go. Get on with it.”
She hesitated. “Are you serious?”
Robin gave her another shove, harder this time. “Yes. Seriously. Go.”
This time, she moved, taking a few steps away. With one last glance back, her wide-eyed expression turning into a frown, she watched Robin give her one last shooing motion, then turned away.
Christ, she thought as she broke into a run. How did this get so fucked up?
Chapter 17
Mieshka’s track and field training returned. She stretched her legs out and immediately regretted her choice of tight jeans. Her breath, which had started out panicked and harsh, smoothed into her old, habitual rhythm. As did her legs, pants permitting. She found her pace. The echoes faded. The world and all its shadows drifted by, surreal with the dust and bones of another age. The trail of light stretched straight ahead of her, each bulb marking a distance. It had been a long time since she had raced.
The path split into two, one diverging to run along the right side of the mall while she followed the left. The chasm opened between them with a Plexiglas fence topped with a piped aluminum guardrail protecting her from the edge. The top of a dead escalator came into view. It gave her an idea.
What if she went below?
She clicked on the flashlight Chris had given her and swung its beam into the gap, squinting as the floor below came into view. The remains of a small dinosaur exhibit stretched up, gaunt and dusty, advertising a museum that no longer existed. Around it, a maze of shopping stalls she’d have to stumble her way around.
Okay, nope. Right now, it was best to stay on the clear path while she had it. At least, while it was still lit.
Behind her, more shots cracked through the old air. Their echoes knocked into her spine. She ran on. Had they reached the mall? Was Robin okay? A glance back told her nothing.
Her breaths raced along with her, shoes pounding against the linoleum. She imagined the mob chasing along behind her. They made her wish she had magic even more. She did not want to be alone in the dark with them. In lieu of either option, she put distance between them.
Her lungs burned. Her legs felt like lead. She was not an athlete anymore.
Then, with a clunk, the lights went out.
When the light died, it took her breath with it. The dark became a physical presence. Shocks of blue burned in her vision.
She skidded in the dust, a knee briefly locking in place. Christ, she was out of shape. She skipped a few steps and clicked on the flashlight.
Ancient displays hung limp in the windows, materializing strobe-like in her bouncing beam. She tried to keep it pointed ahead of her. Her breaths wheezed in her ear, growing more and more ragged. Her hair stuck to her open mouth. Her burning thighs grew clumsy, sluggish, and slow.
It was eerily quiet.
She looked over her shoulder—a quick, wild look. She didn’t trust that dark. She couldn’t see anything, but her pursuers… these people lived here. This was their playground. She and Robin were outsiders.
What the hell were they doing down here? They didn’t belong here. Then again, she didn’t even belong in the normal city, either. Hell, her magic—whatever it was—didn’t even fit the normal definition of magic. She had no Element. No role. Not like Aiden, not like Roger.
She was an outsider from all angles.
Her toe stubbed into the linoleum. Hard. She yelped as she fell. Her chest slammed into the floor, knocking the wind out of her. Her knees stung, and her wrist rang with pain. She gritted her teeth against a whimper that threatened to escape, curling into her legs and watching the flashlight spin away.
It rolled under the guardrail and tipped up. Its beam illuminated the grimy Plexiglas for a second as it slipped over the edge. Then, there was a heavy clunk.
The light vanished.
Great.
Clinging to her burning knees, she let that whimper go. She rested her head against the floor, choking on her breath.
Maybe she should just let them catch her. She wasn’t going to reach Mo’s. In these tunnels, without light, she couldn’t beat them there.
The floor felt cool against her cheek. The pain subsided into a hot throb. Her knuckle felt numb from where she’d knocked it.
What would her mother have had to say about this?
Her laugh hurt. No way would her mom have been in this position. Tears slid from her eyes, but they weren’t the usual ones. These were for the pain. They didn’t choke like grief did.
Which was a good thing, since her breath still hadn’t caught up.
If we get out of this, I promise to run every damn day.
‘If.’ Her jaw tensed. She knew what her mother would have said to that. Same thing her father had told her last night.
She couldn’t let the fear win.
Slowly, an idea formed. She felt stupid for not thinking of it earlier.
She didn’t have to reach Mo’s. Her cell phone was in her pocket. This wasn’t the nineties. Modern, Mage-influenced reception could bite through anything. Including a buried city.
All she had to do was get within range of the surface.
Distant shouts roused her. First, she’d have to deal with her pursuit. She sat up with a wince, taking stock. She wasn’t badly hurt. Her skin burned, but linoleum was easier to fall on than concrete. Gingerly, she wobbled to her feet.
Arms outstretched, she limped forward until her fingers bumped into the Plexiglas guardrail. She followed
it to one of the silent escalators.
The first few flashlights bobbed into view, the distance turning them into pinpricks. Her heart jumped, but she forced herself to look. She couldn’t see Robin—where the hell had she gone?—but gauged the newcomers to be about two hundred meters away. By the swing of their lights, she guessed they were walking.
She eased herself down the escalator, her hand trembling on the vinyl railing, toes feeling each step. Halfway down, the echoes caught up to her.
The shouting had stopped, which worried her. These voices spoke quietly to each other, indistinct in their echoes. She kept going, forcing each step down into the dark. At the bottom, she turned to follow the bulk of the escalator back.
When that ended, she held her breath and struck out. She angled toward where she thought the stores would be, listening. The voices were clearer now. They came closer with each step. Debris skittered away from her foot, hitting something just ahead of her. She reached a hand out.
Her fingertips bumped into smooth concrete as the first flashlight swept over the scene. The edge of the upper floor was silhouetted against it, giving her hiding spot a hefty overhang. Two pairs of footsteps walked above her.
“Did you hear something?”
There’d been more people after her—of that, she was sure—so perhaps both Roger’s deflection and whatever decoy thing Robin had done had thinned the herd enough that she only had the two after her.
That would be nice. So long as Chris and Robin weren’t getting hurt.
She followed their footsteps on the ceiling, suddenly glad for the darkness.
“She can’t have gone far.”
“True.” The flashlight swept across the floor above, briefly illuminating a sagging banner on the railings. Two men walked into her view, trailing the guardrail. She slunk back, putting the pillar between them. Where were the rest?
“Yeah, but you heard them talking. She has magic.”
“Magic does not help her find her way.”
Mieshka started as Roger walked out of the dark. The two men jumped. Blue light glowed on the back of her hand. Through the pain of her fall, she hadn’t even noticed the tingling in her skin. She jammed the glowing mark into her pocket.