“The Prefect is calling for everyone who can use magic? There’s no other requirement?” Lucie asked.
“That’s what the Proclamation said,” Brighten answered.
Lucie nodded, then looked at the ground. “It’s too early to tell what he’s going to do. The Prefect remains in that tower, right?”
“I’ve been askin’ ‘round,” Kris answered. “The Prefect has his meetings up there and makes decisions from up there, but most people like him. Even those from our side of town, because he makes a point of showin’ his face outside of the tower. He ain’t done that since the ships showed up, though. He’s stayed locked up at the top.”
“And no one has seen the two men who went up?”
Kris shook her head.
“The other ships came in. They’re at the docks now,” Brighten volunteered.
“Has anyone gotten off?” William asked.
Brighten shook his head. “Not that I’ve seen. No one has gone on either.”
“That is interesting. You’d think they’d at least be checked out,” Erin said.
“Don’t agree with her, William,” Kris got out before anyone else could talk, and grinned.
William’s face turned red.
Lucie ignored Kris. “The Prefect is under Rendal’s control. I suppose he could have put a necklace on him, but that would be too obvious. He must be using some other method.”
“Like what?” William asked.
“I’m not sure, but Erin is right. They’d be searchin’ those ships if the Prefect ordered them to come to the docks.” Lucie looked at Brighten and Kris. “How close can you two get to that tower?”
Kris grinned. “Depends on whatcha have to offer.”
Brighten shook his head. “No. No, Kris. We ain’t doin’ that again. We’re not goin’ near that tower. I don’t care what they have, and I don’t care what you say. We’re not goin’.”
“He’s a wimp.” Kris grinned, ignoring Brighten’s protests. “We can get all the way to the top of the tower. We did it before on a dare—”
“We almost died!” Brighten shouted.
“But did we?” Kris whipped around to him, still grinning. “Nope. We lived.” She looked back at Lucie. “We can get up there and see what’s goin’ on, but it’s gonna cost ya, lady, and more than the rabbit stew you’re makin’. What can ya offer?”
William stood. “I could offer not to pummel you until you’re nothing but a puddle.”
“Oh, please, fatso.” Kris laughed, taking none of it seriously—as she did her entire life. “You’d have to catch me first. Now, seriously. You want to know what’s happening, you’re gonna have to cough up something. We’ll be able to move ‘round the whole castle and pick up a ton of information.”
Verith spoke from the other side of the shanty. “If you help us and we live, I can guarantee you that you’ll never have to steal bread from the market again. You’ll have enough wealth to live wherever you want in luxury.”
“How can he guarantee that, Kris?” Brighten stressed.
“Because I’m the top general in New Perth, and our Assistant Prefect was kidnapped and is on those ships. If you help us, our Prefect will reward you handsomely.”
Kris’ eyes narrowed as she considered Verith’s offer.
“You know it’s dangerous, Kris. It’s not worth it.”
Kris quit staring and smiled again. “I believe ‘em, and you don’t have to come, Brighten, but you ain’t gonna get none of my gold if you stay here.”
Kris spat on her hand and extended it to Verith. “Shake on it. Make it official.”
The general stared at the dirty hand for a second, then shrugged. “When in Sidnie, I suppose.” He spat on his own hand and shook the girl’s.
“All right, we’ll be back in a couple of days. Try not to get yourselves killed.” Kris turned to Brighten. “Come on, wuss. I don’t want all this gold to myself.”
She grabbed Brighten firmly and yanked him out of the shanty.
Chapter Twelve
“Who told you how to find us?”
Riley stood inside the room—the queen’s room, although Riley wasn’t sure exactly what she was queen of.
“The man outside the door,” Riley answered. “His name is Worth.”
The woman in front of her had long blonde hair and the same color gray eyes as the people Riley had already met. She was pretty, although not beautiful like Erin.
She sat on a couch with her arms spread across the back.
“What did he say to you?” she asked.
The queen was just as serious as the other strangers had been.
“Well...” Riley thought for a second. “Worth speaks a bit differently from other people. He said your people needed big magic. He said that was the only way you’d come out.”
“Big magic? That’s what he called it?” the queen asked.
Riley nodded.
“And you’re the one who made the big magic?”
Again, she nodded.
“What else did he say?” The queen was clearly judging Riley before having even properly introduced herself.
“Not a lot. He calls you underground people.”
The queen nodded. “Sit down.” She gestured toward a chair facing her.
Riley joined the queen.
“My name is Alexandra. Your friend Worth is right. We do look for ‘big magic,’ and it seems you have that. Who are you?”
Riley didn’t sense danger here and started to let her guard down some.
“I’m the Right Hand for New Perth. I serve the Assistant Prefect. I have some questions myself,” Riley answered.
“In due time. First, tell me why you and your friend Worth were looking for us?”
Riley sighed, chuckled, and looked at her feet. “That’s a long story.”
“Give me the short version. There will be time for the long one later.”
Riley nodded. “Basically, people keep telling me I have a lot of magic potential, but I haven’t been able to unlock it. The only time I can do anything with it is when I or someone I love is in real danger of dying. Other than that, it’s locked away from me.”
“I see.” Alexandria nodded. “And your friend Worth…is he from the Badlands?”
“Yes.”
“He’s the one who told you to come to us?” the queen asked.
Riley looked at her. “He said you could train me.”
The queen still showed no emotion. “Now ask your questions.”
“Well, first, how the hell were those raiders up there invisible?”
Riley saw the first hint of a grin at the corner of the queen’s lips. “A little trick is all. It’s a pretty sophisticated piece of technology, but they aren’t actually invisible. They just cloak themselves. Did you see stone packs on their belts?”
Riley nodded.
“Those power the cloaking devices, which basically mimic whatever is around them. It allows them to look like the sand and sky. They hope they run across people traveling like you were. You smelled the burning?”
“It was awful,” Riley answered.
“That’s from the technology. It gives them away to those who know the smell.” Alexandria crossed one leg over the other. “What else?”
“What is this place?” Riley asked.
“They called it a fallout shelter, but it was only for the upper echelon of people. It was supposed to protect them from the technology they created to kill everyone.” Finally, the queen did give an ironic little smile. “I don’t think anyone made it, though, because when we found it, it was empty.”
“And who are you?” Riley finally asked. “Underground people? The Chosen? What’s all of it mean?”
“Ah, we get to the heart of the matter.” Alexandra nodded to the door behind Riley. “Your friend Worth…why is he in the Badlands?”
“Many in his clan are mutants. They were chased out of other cities from what I understand,” Riley answered.
“We were chased ou
t too.” Alexandra had a knowing look in her eyes. “My mother and my father, although for different reasons. They were waiting for a savior, but no one wanted to hear it. They were waiting for someone who would arrive with enough power to move the world forward again.”
“Forward?” Riley’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes. The green stones give us power and we have some bare technology, but nothing like the legends speak of. My parents were ‘futurists,’ but what that really meant was they wanted to go back in time. They wanted to bring real technology to the world again. Combine that with magic, and the potential for humanity would be unlimited.” The woman’s eyes grew distant as she spoke.
“Your parents were chased out of different kingdoms?” Riley felt for the woman.
“Yes. Largely because they truly believed that someone would come who could move us into the future, or rather, into our past.” The queen’s eyes focused again. “That was why your friend Worth thought we would train you. Because if you’re powerful enough, perhaps we’ll think you are that person.”
“Worth’s a tricky bastard.” Riley grinned for a moment, then let it fade. “But I need to be honest with you. I’m no savior. I’m not bringing anyone into the future. I’m trying to save the man I serve and the city I love—that’s it.”
The queen gave a gracious smile. “Do you know how many years we’ve looked for magic like you showed up there?”
“That? All I did was lift some people.” Riley was confused. She’d done more against Rendal.
“The Chosen are very sensitive to magic use. My parents trained us how to be. You only lifted those people, true, but there was an undercurrent of power that none of us have felt before. That was why Thomas went aboveground to see. We weren’t sure what was happening.” The queen stood and walked closer to the door.
Riley turned around and watched.
“My parents never said that the savior would know they were the savior, only that they needed to manifest a certain threshold of magic. If they had it, then they could do what was needed.”
Riley honestly didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t a savior, and she wasn’t going to be that for these people. She needed to know how to use magic so she could go save Mason.
“You have that threshold,” the queen said. “You want to learn how to use your magic. That’s why you’ve come?”
Riley nodded. “Yes.”
“Then we’ll teach you. We’ll make sure that no parts of your power are blocked from you.”
Riley stood. “I need you to understand that I will appreciate you doing that for me, but I won’t serve you. I won’t be a leader here. That’s not what my life is about.”
Alexandra smiled. “I understand you say that now, and that’s fine. We don’t always pick our paths in this world, though. Sometimes they pick us. Let’s see if we can’t get your magic out of you, and then we’ll see about saving the world, okay?”
Riley swallowed. She didn’t know what she was agreeing to, but she knew Mason and New Perth needed her.
But Riley had told the woman the truth. She hadn’t lied.
Riley grinned. “Yeah. Let’s learn some magic.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Watch, Harold. Watch.” Rendal turned to Slidell. “Stand on one leg.”
Slidell dutifully did as he was told.
Rendal started laughing.
“Go on, you try.” Rendal grinned at Harold. “I’ve hypnotized him to listen to you too so that we can both have fun.”
Harold looked at the Prefect, clearly not wanting anything to do with this dazed man.
“Go on,” Rendal urged.
“Tap the top of your head,” Rendal told him.
“No, no. You have to say his name. He’s used to me talking to him, not you.”
Rendal thought this hilarious.
“Slidell,” Harold started, “tap your head.”
The man’s hand moved to his scalp and started lightly patting it while still standing on one leg.
“He’ll do it forever!” Rendal exclaimed. “Well, until the hypnosis wears off.”
“How long is that?”
“Oh, it’s getting stronger, which means it’ll last longer. The more I use it on him, the deeper he goes under.”
“Can he even talk anymore?” Harold asked.
Rendal nodded. “Yes, but it’s more sluggish. That’s one of the problems. His guards aren’t completely happy.”
“But they’re still obeying him?” Harold stared at the Prefect, who was still following both of their commands.
“For now. We may need a more elegant solution sooner or later, but that’s down the road yet.” Rendal turned away from the foolish-looking Prefect. “You’ve been working with the guards, correct? How is the magic school coming?”
“There’s been some unrest in the streets. The people who teach magic aren’t happy with the proclamation,” Harold answered.
Rendal waved his hand as if shooing away the news. “Let them cry to someone else, you know, Harold? We men of substance have more important things to worry about.” He smiled. “I’ve been working on a curriculum while you’ve been busy setting everything up.”
“A curriculum?” Harold asked.
Rendal nodded. He’d actually put a good bit of time into it. Things were looking much, much better than he’d originally thought possible. He was going to have a school to train mages, and all of them would end up doing his bidding. “I’d like the most advanced students in one class, then a second tier, and then a third, you understand?”
“I can do that, sir.”
Harold looked at Mason and Rendal followed his gaze. “How are ya, Mason?” Rendal asked.
“I’d speak, but I’m not dumb, Rendal. You’ll throw me back in one of those cages if I talk too much, so I’ll say whatever you want. How do you want me to be?”
Rendal laughed. “See, Harold? Another form of hypnotism! He’ll do whatever I want, too!”
Rendal was genuinely in good spirits—except for one thing. He turned to Harold, his smile fading. He forgot about Mason. “Riley. Have you heard anything about her? Is she here?”
“No, sir,” Harold responded. “So far there’s been no sightings. We’re still looking, though.”
Riley’s coming here was important. He needed her to see what he was doing, but maybe it was better that she wasn’t here yet. The longer it took her, the more pain the city would suffer.
“Keep your eyes out,” Rendal instructed. “I want to have class this evening. Get the first group ready—the most advanced.”
“Yes, sir. Right away.”
Harold left the room, glancing at the Prefect as he did. The man was still standing on one foot and patting his head.
“Oh, stop, Slidell,” Rendal commanded.
“That’s the best, ain’t it?” Kris asked.
Brighten nodded. About a hundred kids stood in rows inside the town square. Brighten recognized a couple of them, but not a lot. Those kids didn’t mix with the homeless like him.
He only knew the few because they’d become easy marks for him and Kris.
“Why are they lining all them up?” she wondered aloud. “You think that’s part of the school?”
“S’gotta be,” Brighten answered.
Kris looked at him with a grin on her face. “You want to join ‘em?”
“Fuck, no!” Brighten shouted. “Are you outta your damn mind? Can’t neither of us use magic. We’d be caught soon as we got into the classroom. Probably as soon as we try to get in those lines.”
“Wellllll,” Kris drew out the word as she looked toward the group, “that’s partly true. I don’t know any magic, but you got a little bit in you, doncha?”
Brighten shook his head hard. “No.”
“You just gonna sit here and lie to me like that, Brighten? We both know you been known to use a little magic trickery when we’re stealin’ from folks.”
Brighten looked down at his feet. It was nothing. Just su
ggestions his mind made to get a mark to look a little more this way or that.
“And them people back in the shanty,” Kris continued. “As much shit as I give ‘em, they seem decent enough, and they’re right. Something is goin’ on here. Something’s been goin’ on with all those people kidnapped over the years. You’re just gonna slow me down getting to the top of that tower, but you can get into that group and that class.”
“I don’t want to,” Brighten told her.
“Yeah, yeah. You don’t never wanna do nothin’. Don’t even wanna steal, but I make ya do that.” Kris looked at him, taking a step closer. “We need to know what’s goin’ on in there because them people at the shanty need to know.”
Brighten sighed. “You’re gonna end up gettin’ me killed, Kris.”
She laughed. “You been sayin’ that for years. Still alive, aincha? And look, we’re gonna be rich if you just keep listenin’ to me. Go on and get in there.”
A guard walked out from the large building in front of the group of kids.
“This everybody?” he shouted.
Kris shoved him. “Go!”
Brighten shook his head as he rushed forward. He knew if he didn’t follow her directions, he was just asking for an earful later.
He hustled across the open pavilion, leaving his friend behind. He was afraid, but then, he was always afraid. It was just a part of what made Brighten, and he usually didn’t let it stop him, despite his protests.
“You’re late!” the guard shouted.
That’s odd, Brighten thought. The guards usually weren’t super-dicks.
“Very sorry, sir. Won’t happen again.” Brighten drew up behind the last row of kids.
“Make sure it doesn’t!” the guard yelled. “This everybody?”
Brighten looked him over. He didn’t know all the guards, but he didn’t think he’d ever seen this one. Brighten knew the important ones, the ones who could get you locked up for stealin’ a piece of cheese just by lookin’ atcha.
This man wasn’t one of those, but why would they put someone unimportant over this inaugural class?
“My name is Belarus, you snot-nosed brats, and you’ll be listenin’ to me whenever you’re not in class. You understand?”
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