City of Burning Shadows (Apocrypha: The Dying World)

by Barbara J. Webb

  I wanted her too, this strange, brilliant woman. I needed to tell her that. “I’ll stay.”

  She nodded and reached for the drawstring tie at the collar of my over-robe. I put my hand over hers, held it there, looked straight into her eyes. “I’ll stay.”

  She closed her eyes and let out her breath. Her shoulders fell the slightest bit. “Don’t,” she whispered. Opened her eyes to meet mine. “No promises. Not now. Not till this is over.”

  Last night, she’d been the one asking for promises. But last night we hadn’t understood the true nature of our foe, hadn’t realized the enormity of what we were up against. Last night we hadn’t realized how close to hopeless our situation was.

  Seana pushed me back onto the bed, moved her hands to my shoulders to hold me down, and leaned over me. “Be with me, Ash, right here, right now. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.”

  “Too soon.” I pulled her down to me. Took her advice. Right here, right now, I was with Seana. Right here, right now, together.

  #

  Later, we lay together between her cool satin sheets. My head rested on her shoulder. Her fingers traced along my chest. “No matter what happens,” she murmured, “I will never regret this time together.”

  She was already thinking about tomorrow, about the dangers that surrounded us. I was doing my best not to. Especially if I wanted to sleep tonight.

  I should have been sleepy, sore—exhausted. When was the last time I’d had a real night’s sleep? Even before this craziness started, it wasn’t like my nights had been peaceful.

  And yet, I felt better than I had in…what…years? Yes. How was that even possible? I’d been in more fights over the last couple days than I had in my entire life, running terrified through late nights and long days.

  A romantic side of me would have loved to attribute this sudden energy and well-being to the woman stretched out next to me, but I couldn’t honestly convince myself of the magical healing properties of sex. Of course, sex wasn’t the only magic I’d engaged in tonight, was it?

  I closed my eyes, focused my breathing. I couldn’t assume anything. If my suspicions were correct, there should be a way for me to tell. The same way I’d spent my time looking for forgeries and mistakes; the same way I’d discovered Eddis’s attacker and dug us all deeper into this mess. If I could do it with books, with electronic files, surely I could do that same magic on myself.

  In the old days, I never would have tried it. But I was finding caution, at least in this area, a less and less valuable commodity.

  I had no circle here, no preset limitations. Only years of experience with the pattern of this magic. And this was me, my own body, my own self—shouldn’t that make it easier to notice change?

  Except that we are creatures of chaos. Living examples of change. As I sunk into myself and called up the magic, I was struck by instability, confusion, and I understood why no one talked about this. Why no one did this.

  Air coming into my lungs, replaced with the air going out. Blood in constant motion, being created, destroyed. Cells dying. Cells created. Bacteria, microbes—tiny bursts of change all through me, a glittering star-field that dazzled and distracted my awareness.

  Rough movement broke my concentration, snapped me out of my body. Seana sitting up, pulled away to arms reach. “What are you doing?”

  I’d never done magic in front of her. I must have—something strange must have shown. “It’s nothing. I was just trying something, but it didn’t work.”

  “Trying what?” Cold suspicion in her voice.

  I rolled onto my back, scrubbed at my eyes with the heels of my hands. Why couldn’t anything about my life be easy?

  Not that I could blame her. The way things were right now, unexpected behavior out of anyone wasn’t safe to ignore. “Earlier tonight, when I was struggling with the shadow creature, I did…something. With magic. I called it up raw, without controls to keep it safe. It almost destroyed me.”

  I pulled my hands away so I could look at Seana. Her expression hadn’t warmed. “I kept it from killing me by—this is hard to explain—by knowing myself. By holding onto myself. It’s the same thing, sort of, that’s helped me fight off Syed’s hypnosis, or whatever he does. Except this time with a lot more energy. And I think somehow in the process, I may have stumbled across the thing shifters can do.”

  That wasn’t helping. “Not exactly like they can do. But it’s their kind of magic. I rebuilt myself, in a sense. The magic was tearing me apart, and when I forced it to hold me together, when I forced it to conform to me, it put me back together in full working order. At least, I think.”

  I reached out a hand, inviting her back. “All I was doing just now was trying to figure out if that happened. Seeing if I could trace the influence of magic on myself.”

  She lay back down next to me, but her lips still held that tight, disapproving line. “No more magic in bed. It’s disconcerting.”

  That seemed a fair enough rule. “I promise.”

  I felt her relax again. We lay together, quiet and still, and neither of us reached to turn off the light.

  I lifted a hand to her cheek. Midnight against ivory. “I’m sorry. With all that’s happening, I should have thought about what I was doing. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  She mirrored my gesture, her fingertips cool against my skin. “Go to sleep, Ash.”

  To my surprise, I could, and I did.

  #

  Nightmares again, like a curse.

  Back in the dark alley where I’d gone looking to save my fellow priests.

  Back on the street where the gang had attacked Iris and me.

  Back in the warehouse where I’d killed Micah and nearly died.

  In the fluid unreality of the dream, I was in all these places at the same time. A board struck my head. The cold of death ran through me. A bolt of lightning, gunfire, a suffocating spirit trying to claw its way into my lungs—all these things at once.

  And none of them. I was alone in the darkness. A voice from over my shoulder, whispered in my ear, “Do you know who your friends are, Joshua Drake?”

  I woke in a sweat, sheets tangled around me, teeth clenched to hold back a scream. I was alone in Seana’s bed.

  I got up, grabbed a robe from the closet, tried not to think about the fact it had probably belonged to Eddis. Lights were on outside the bedroom, and as I came out and looked down, I saw Seana seated at the kitchen counter, her focus divided between a NetPad and a computer screen that had folded out of the wall.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” I asked, padding barefoot down the stairs to join her. An inane question, but I at least managed to keep my voice from shaking. The effects of the nightmare hadn’t completely faded.

  Seana spoke without looking up. “Our brains don’t need sleep the same way yours do, and our bodies can take rest in smaller doses.”

  A simple enough explanation, and one I’d never heard in all the time we’d been together. “Must be nice.”

  I sat down next to her. Her screens were full of camera feeds, several of which I recognized. The lab where they were working on the rain satellite, the reception room at the top of the lift, an aerial view of the receiving yard below. In that last image, I saw the first hint of dawn softening the harsh glow of the artificial lights. I’d slept almost through till morning. “Is everything all right?” I asked.

  “For now.” She slid her hand down the screen. It went dark. “As long as you’re up, we should talk about retrieving your Fyean.”

  Seana tapped at her NetPad and a list of Jansynian faces appeared. She slid it over to me and I glanced over the names and security clearance listed beside each face. None of it meant anything.

  “This is the team I’ve selected,” Seana said. “Men and women I trust, even above the confidence I have in all the employees of my division. They’re ready to go. I just need to know where to send them.”

  I stared down at the list, confused. “What team? What are you talking abo
ut?”

  “To bring Spark back here. As we discussed last night.”

  My mind was still muddled from the nightmare, but I was pretty sure we hadn’t discussed anything of the sort. “To work together, yes. But this is not what we talked about.”

  “It’s the logical next step. Why divide our resources? If Spark is going to work on our project, it makes sense to have her in our lab.” Seana put her hand on mine. “It’s like you said—it’s in everyone’s best interest to see this happen. You can trust me.”

  I wanted to trust her. More than anything I wanted to. But I had a responsibility to Spark, to Amelia. “It’s not my call. Even if I thought sending a team of your people to get her was a good idea—which it isn’t, by the way—I couldn’t let you do that without talking to Amelia Price.”

  “Of course.” She pulled her hand back, all business. “Then she is the one with whom I need to be having this discussion.”

  “She’s the boss.” I knew Seana would respect that.

  Indeed, the matter seemed resolved when the next thing she asked was, “Breakfast?”

  So tempting to linger here with her, to be domestic and happy and delay facing the world a little longer. But I’d avoided some very important things all night; I couldn’t justify putting them off any longer. One in particular. “I have to go.”

  “Alone? Where are you going?”

  “Not far.” I tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. “Just down to the Web. I need to let them know about Micah.”

  “Let me send an escort with you.”

  I couldn’t accept that offer any more today than I could yesterday. Even if the danger had increased since then. “They wouldn’t be welcome where I’m going.”

  I could see by the hard set of her eyes she didn’t like it. Only a few days back together and I could read the subtle flicker of Seana’s emotions as easily as if she were a shifter. “They’re out there, Ash. Syed. The others.”

  “The sun’s up. I’ll be careful.” And if they did find me, I still had magic. I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  False Hope

  It was a little frustrating that to get to the top part of the Web where Copper had her home I had to ride the lift all the way down to the ground and then climb almost all the way back up to the top. At least it gave me time to think. Time to figure out what I was going to say.

  She was going to blame me. Maybe she was even right. I’d dragged Micah into this without really preparing him for what we were up against. I hadn’t watched him close enough to keep him safe. I didn’t know if Copper would have been able to do anything to help, but I expected she was going to be doubly upset I didn’t let her come along.

  I got high enough I could actually watch the sun rising out in the desert. I leaned on a support cable the size of my torso and watched the golden glow cresting over the shallow dunes that grew out to the east. The lights of the Crescent hadn’t clicked off yet for the morning, so the sun created no shadows within the Web. I closed my eyes and turned my face into its warmth, thankful for another day.

  As I approached Copper’s territory, I could tell something was wrong. No one was out working, or talking, or doing anything at all. A space of five platforms and twice again as many webs and hammocks and tents were empty. No sound came from Copper’s workshop. Which could have been explained by the early hour, but the heavy feeling in my gut made me think more sinister thoughts.

  I crept across the walkway that led to Copper’s platform. Still, I saw no movement. Looking out across the Web, outside this eerie little pocket, the morning activity was frantic. People everywhere trying to finish a last few chores before the morning heat hit the city for real. Nowhere was quiet. Nowhere but here.

  “Copper?”

  Nothing.

  I pushed the door open and immediately smelled it. Her. Spread out on the floor. Face down. I took a cautious step forward.

  “Wait, mister.”

  I jumped, spun around to see a kid, a human kid crouched at the far edge of the platform. She’d snuck up the walkway behind me. “You’re him, aren’t you? The other priest? The one who’s helping Miss Spark?”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice to be steady. I’d turned my back on Copper’s body. It was dark inside Copper’s hut.

  “You should come away from there,” the girl said. “It isn’t safe.”

  “No kidding.” I closed the door behind me and took a few steps towards the girl, who scrambled back. Somehow, I managed a calm tone. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She shook her head. “Not okay. You got near Miss Copper. Now you might’ve caught it.”

  “Caught it? Caught what?”

  Her voice dropped to a whisper I could barely hear from this distance. “It kills without a sign. First Jared, when Miss Copper was last to see him. Then Miss Copper’s dead, and the last one with her was Mr. Micah. Now Mr. Micah hasn’t been back.”

  A pattern. A traceable path of death. Was this what I thought it was? “Who was Jared?”

  “My friend,” the little girl said softly.

  A dead boy. Micah had said something about a dead boy, about Copper being upset. On the day Copper tried to kill me. Patterns in my mind. A narrative starting to form.

  The girl continued to watch me, her body tense like a wild animal ready to bolt. “Mr. Micah isn’t coming back, is he?”

  “No.” It was a harsh truth, but we lived in a harsh world. I bent down, sitting on my heels, as unthreatening as I could manage. “But you can help me help Miss Spark if you can answer my questions.”

  She crept forward a step, biting at her lip. “Mr. Micah said you would protect Miss Spark from the bad men.” She glanced up, at the Crescent over our heads.

  I wished I had half as clear an idea of who the bad men even were anymore. “I need to know when Jared died. And when Copper died. And did you see Copper alive after Mr. Micah left last night?” A harsh world indeed, when I had to ask a child these questions. But right now she was my only witness, and I had to know.

  “Morning before yesterday.” She swallowed. Her hands were clenched into fists. But her eyes were clear. No tears from the children of dying Miroc. “Jared was running messages between Miss Copper and people downtown. Important people.” She gave me a sad little smile. “He was real proud of that. Said he took important messages to the folk as run the city.”

  The city council. Another piece of the puzzle. Another death in the line.

  The girl went on. “He came back that morning after being gone all night. He didn’t look sick or anything. But when he was talking to Miss Copper, he just fell over. Just died. Like that.” She snapped her fingers.

  A chill ran through me. “Was anyone else there with Copper when Jared died?”

  The girl shook her head. “But Miss Copper got whatever he had. She was still up and about last night when Mr. Micah went to talk to her, but it must have hit her after he left. Annie found her dead, just like Jared, without any marks or signs or nothing. Then we all got scared. Scared it might be catching.”

  It was catching all right. Gods. Jared to Copper to Micah. A path of death, clear to see.

  But if this was true—if my suspicions were right—it meant Micah had been possessed by the shadow before he’d joined us last night. Which meant the shadow had been hidden from me, even when I looked for it.

  Even worse, it meant the shadow had been convincing as Micah. I hadn’t noticed anything different about him. Had I? I tried to remember what he’d said, how he’d acted, but I’d been so focused on what we were doing, so shocked by what came after, that the conversation in our office building was a blur.

  Too many questions. Too many misunderstandings. I couldn’t keep on like this. I couldn’t keep fumbling forward acting on half-understood truths while my friends died around me. I had to know once and for all what was going on. I had to learn the truth. And there was only one man who could e
xplain things to me. One man who I was certain knew more about this than I did.

  I stood. The girl flinched back, but didn’t run. “There’s no more danger from Miss Copper,” I said. “She wasn’t sick. The magic that killed her has moved on.”

  “Will it come back?” she asked softly. Still frightened.

  In the world that existed before the Abandon, I might have lied, tried to reassure her with false promises of safety. But if any of us were to find hope in this new world, it would have to be honest hope. And all of us had to learn to live with honest fear. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t think it will want anything more from this place. But just to be safe, stay out of the dark. Stay away from shadows.”

  She nodded, accepting my words without question. She backed away from the walkway as I crossed it, but didn’t go far. As I moved to the ladder that was my closest path down to the ground, she called out, “Mister…?”

  I stopped, one foot on the first rung. “It’s Ash.”

  Timid, hesitant, she asked, “Mister Ash, would you…would you bless me?”

  I hesitated, but only for a second. With a practiced hand, I sketched Kaifail’s doorway in the air and said, “May his eyes watch you from above; may his will guide you safely through dangers; and may his heart know your story and find it worthy of retelling.”

  Seems I was willing to lie after all.

  #

  I went home.

  I could have gone back to Kaifail’s temple, used the same magic as I had last night to track Syed. If my hunch was off, that would be my next step. But I didn’t have Iris with me and downtown wasn’t safe. A quick glance at the news feeds as I’d been getting dressed had offered up nothing but endless chatter about the growing tensions in the city and the more desperate measures the police were taking to keep riots from exploding again.

  The worst that could be waiting in my home was one of the shadows.