by D. S. Murphy
Once we stopped, I took the hunting knife and carved a few simple traps, with string and fresh green wood, which I’d leave around our camp overnight.
“You’re pretty handy, for livestock,” Luke said, when I returned with a furry blue rabbit. It was only partially mutid, with large, veiny ears.
“Are you sure you were raised in the compounds? I thought you weren’t allowed outside the fence?”
“She wasn’t so good at following the rules,” Trevor smirked. “You’d think a twelve-foot, electric fence would have been a deterrent.”
“I did what I had to, to feed my family,” I shrugged.
Luke frowned at this.
“But I thought they fed you. I thought that was the whole point.”
“Nobody starved,” I said. “If we couldn’t support ourselves, we’d be given rations or handouts, but it’s a small community. In Algrave, we were raised to be self-reliant and resourceful; productive members of society. We were supposed to earn our keep. When my dad died, we received less rations, and my mom was already working too hard. My siblings were too young to earn. We were in a unique situation.”
“They were lucky to have you,” April said, turning the wild yams we’d been roasting over the fire.
“Plus,” I said, “I guess part of me liked it. Being outside. Alone. Free. Even if it was dangerous.”
Luke nodded.
Finally, something we could agree on.
“Where’d you grow up?” Jazmine asked, turning towards April.
“I’ve never left the city,” she said quietly, sipping from a metal thermos. “In the city, there are fewer animals, and a lot of places to hide in a pinch. Out here,” she gestured. “All this open space, on every side. It’s terrifying.”
“What about you?” Camina asked, flicking a twig at Luke. “I’m not really sure, actually,” he said.
“We were nomadic, until I was about ten, and my parents heard about Havoc. At the time, it was harder to find. Jacob was paranoid, but he made space for us. I scavenged, traded at the markets. When my mom died, my dad took off out East, said he needed to find a guy for a big score, never saw him again. That was when I was thirteen. After that, I spent a lot of time with Beatrice and Frank.”
Beatrice. My throat tightened as I remembered her last moments, just before Nigel killed her. We’d left her body to be ravaged by scavengers. She deserved better.
I felt like I should say something, but I didn’t know what. In a way, we’d both lost the women who raised us.
“I’m... sorry,” I said finally. “It’s my fault, if I hadn’t have gone out—”
“Don’t,” Luke said, clenching his jaw.
“I just mean, I should have been more careful. I got her killed. I got Havoc destroyed. It’s all on me.”
“Yup,” Luke said. “Your elite buddies killed her, and your other elite buddy drank from her mangled corpse after she died,” there was fire in his eyes as he turned back towards me. “She was kind, and brave, and it doesn’t matter because now she’s dead. So make it mean something. Make it count.”
Luke grabbed his pack and stormed off through the trees.
“Guess break time is over,” Penelope said, standing and brushing off her jeans. I nodded, blinking away a tear, as Trevor stomped out the fire. We grabbed our packs and kept hiking, catching up to Luke just before he disappeared around the bend in the road we were following.
On the fourth day we heard the sound of running water and found a small stream. We followed it until the flow of water quickened. Our bottles were nearly empty, so we decided to fill up and boil the liquid once we made camp.
“You guys, check it out!” Jazmine said, stripping off her top before disappearing over the boulders. “Last one in’s a rotten egg.”
Down below, the creek plunged into a waterfall and a deep pool. A thick canopy of limbs kept most of the ash at bay, and the calm, teal water looked like opaque jade, reflecting the dark branches above. Every once in a while, a piece of hot ember would ignite one of the dry leaves, and it would float down slowly until it was consumed by flames.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” April asked.
“Define safe,” Jazmine said, dipping her toe into the water. “Let’s say, somewhere between fighting an elite and the rash that’s forming under my armpits. An acceptable risk.”
“You should keep your clothes on,” Luke said.
“What’s the matter, never seen a girl naked before?” she winked, shrugging off her jeans.
Luke turned away and I could swear he was blushing.
“Let’s give the girls some privacy,” Trevor said. “We’ll scope out the area and get a fire started. We can boil the water and refill our canteens.”
“How far do you think we are from Crollust?” I asked.
“Not far, I think,” Penelope said. “We might even arrive by morning if we push on.”
“And you think we’ll be safe there?” April asked.
Penelope frowned.
“Not for long,” she admitted. “But maybe for a night or two.”
“Enough time to grab some supplies and elixir,” I nodded. “And my neck will be grateful for a pillow, after a few nights on the ground.”
“If we show up like this, it’s going to raise some eyebrows,” Penelope said. “I left when I was seventeen, a chosen. The last time I visited was three years ago, and we were treated like royalty; a huge feast in our honor, banquets and dancing every night. Tobias dressed me up in fancy ball gowns and heavy jewelry, showing me off. I think he was trying to prove to everyone that the chosen were well treated.”
“Interesting,” I said. I vaguely remembered some of the chosen returning to visit, but that was years ago before my father died. Algrave had a long dry spell before my ceremony.
“So,” Penelope continued, “this time I’ll be arriving in rags, escorted by a bunch of traders. I’ll need some kind of cover story. And I wish I had a change of clothes.”
“At least you’ll be semi-clean,” Jazmine said, splashing into the water. She pulled out a small towel and a bar of soap from her bag and lathered up her dark skin. Camina stood on shore, her arms crossed warily, sneaking long glances at Jazmine.
Penelope and I stripped to our underwear and joined her. The water was cool but not freezing. Penelope moaned, ducking her head under the trickle of water and washing the blood out of her hair.
Jazmine smiled at me once her face was clean, and splashed me with water. I splashed back and she laughed, ducking under the water. Then her eyes widened in shock. Her mouth rounded in a silent scream, just before she disappeared under the surface in a cloud of blood.
17
Camina dove into the shallow water before I could even react, hauling Jazmine’s spasming body into the dry soil. I gasped as I saw her mangled leg. It looked like it had been caught in barbed wire.
Penelope’s arm shot into the water, grabbing something pale and transparent from beneath the murky surface and tossing it up onto the rocks.
It was some kind of translucent, mutid fish with rows of needle-sharp teeth, too large for its body.
Foul, green liquid dripped from the puncture wounds in Jazmine’s leg. Penelope stomped on the fish just as Trevor and Luke came running back into the clearing.
“Phantom fish,” Luke said, his eyes widening. “They’re toxoids. Poisonous. Help me bind her leg. Quickly, we can’t let the venom reach her heart!” He tied a cloth around her thigh, turning it with a stick until it cut off the blood flow. Then he held her leg carefully, as April felt below the knee.
“The bone isn’t broken,” she said. “But we need to clear the toxin before it spreads.”
“How?” Trevor asked.
“Suck it out,” Luke said. “Can I—?” He looked at Camina for permission. Jazmine’s dark eyes were fluttering in and out of consciousness. We held her still as Luke lowered his head, forming a vacuum around the bloodied wounds and spit
ting the poison to the side until the blood ran clear.
Then he crawled on his hands and knees and vomited into the bushes. “I’m alright,” he slurred, as Trevor tried to help him up.
“Undo the bandages,” April said. “So she doesn’t lose the leg. I’ll stop the bleeding.”
“She’ll be alright?” Camina asked.
“She—” Luke said. “I don’t know.”
Penelope flashed her fangs, biting into her wrist and dripping a few drops of blood into Jazmine’s mouth.
“Luke too,” I said. He frowned, but tilted his head, without taking his eyes of Penelope, so she could squeeze a drop of blood past his pale green lips. Immediately some of the color was restored to his gaunt cheeks.
But Jazmine wasn’t as lucky. It was several hesitant moments before she gasped, sucking in a deep breath and coughing as her lungs started working again.
Her ashen forehead shone with sweat. Her leg was swollen and blood soaked through the bandages.
“Can you walk?” Camina asked, helping her up. She winced when she put weight on her leg.
“We can’t stay out here,” Trevor said. “The blood will attract predators.”
“Then let’s hurry,” Penelope said. “We’ll be safe if we make it to Crollust.” Camina and Trevor wrapped an arm around Jazmine and together they limped along into the woods. I kept my knives ready, though I knew Penelope would respond to any threats long before I could. With Jazmine injured and the rest of us exhausted, we were dangerously vulnerable.
We moved quickly, leaving a trail of blood behind us until the trees thinned, and the ground turned white and soft. I’d never seen dirt like this before. Millions of tiny white crystals. The air smelled like salt.
We climbed up a sandy bank, covered in thin dry reeds and dark, gnarled trees. I gasped as the horizon leveled out in front of us. It took a moment to process what I was seeing: the smooth, featureless landscape was a great expanse of water, spreading to the ends of the earth. Far, far away, the sky touched the ocean, creating colors brighter than I’d ever seen; a twinge of pink and purple against the deep blue of the churning water.
“It’s incredible,” I breathed. Trevor stood beside me, and the back of his hand touched mine. A thrill ran down my spine as he leaned closer.
“I’m glad you’re here with me,” I whispered. “I’m glad we could share this.”
“Why were we wasting time in that pond when we could have gone swimming here?” Jazmine asked, joking feebly. I held a palm against her forehead, which was still running hot. Her dark eyes seemed too large against her pale skin.
“The ash,” Penelope said, “it poisons the water as well. Some of the sea creatures here are larger than you can imagine. Let’s just say you’d make a tasty treat for them. Besides, there’s no time for swimming. We’re already here.”
She nodded down the coast, and through the hot ash and rolling fog, I could just discern the outline of a massive concrete wall.
“It’s so much bigger than Algrave,” I said.
“We’re farther from the citadel,” Penelope shrugged. “They can’t leave us defenseless.”
We continued forward, crossing the sandy beach cautiously. Outside the main walls of the gates was a small settlement of wooden houses and shacks, and the remains of a morning market that smelled strongly of fish.
The walls surrounded the main town in a U-shape, going nearly to the water’s edge, and then turning into long piers that stretched into the rolling water. A great gate cut into the outer edge, with a portcullis and a narrow bridge over a moat of salt water.
“Halt!” Guards shouted as we approached. “State your business.”
“I’m Penelope Hudson” Penelope said calmly, steeping forward and lifting her hood. “I was on my way to visit my father when I was robbed. These traders rescued me and are here to claim their reward.” She said, giving the lie we’d agreed upon.
I kept my mask up and my arms crossed, holding my fingers beneath my arms, as if they could see my markings through my leather gloves.
We were depending on the fact that Penelope would be recognized, and take the scrutiny off the rest of us.
Shouts carried inside, and the portcullis creaked open. An older gentleman strode out in sandals and some kind of blue and white robe. Luke nearly laughed, but I elbowed him in the ribs. Apparently, fashion was different in Crollust.
“Hello, Father,” Penelope said. “I’m home.”
Penelope’s father was a slight man in expensive clothes that seemed to contradict his weathered state. A necklace of black pearls winked from the deep folds of fabric around his neck. Even the younger guards had tanned skin like old leather.
He studied Penelope for a long moment, with doubt and fear in his eyes, but then his lip trembled and his expression broke. He rushed forward to clasp her in his arms.
“I don’t care how or why,” he murmured, patting her hair. “But I’m happy to see you, Daughter, home at last.”
The guards were tense, with their hands still on their weapons, but with a nod from him they relaxed. He grasped Penelope’s arm tightly and led her through the rows of guards, with us close behind, until we reached the main gates.
Although the tall, crescent shaped wall around Crollust was unique, the heavy iron gridlocked gate reminded me too much of the citadel’s, and I couldn’t help but think of my last few moments with Damien.
“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Luke whispered behind me, eyeing the armed soldiers, in steel and blue armor.
“You got a better one?” Trevor shot back. “Jazmine can barely walk. We need shelter and rest.”
“Forgive me, friends,” Penelope’s father turned back to consider us. “Security has been tight these last few months. We got word of unease in the capital. Between beasts and bandits, we’ve done everything we can to protect our borders. That said, firearms are never allowed in Crollust, so you’ll need to check them at the gate.”
Luke grumbled but removed a pistol from the holster on his hip, then pulled out the shotgun strapped behind his shoulders. He eyed his weapons sadly as a guard swept in and moved them to a secure trunk not far away.
I tucked my dagger tighter against my thigh, hoping they wouldn’t search me too closely. Penelope’s father seemed to spare us from extra scrutiny however, as the guards opened the portcullis and waved us through once we’d given up our visible weapons.
Moments later, we were in the city. I breathed a sigh of relief as we left the guards behind and mingled with the crowds attending the large market in the central square.
“I’m sorry if it’s not the homecoming you expected,” Lord Hudson said. “If I’d had word—”
“It was a sudden trip,” Penelope said quickly. “There has been trouble in the capital, Tobias thought it might be a good time to make a visit.”
“Are things that bad then? There have been rumors,” he eyed Penelope over again, then his eyes flicked towards me.
I wondered how much he’d heard. Penelope’s execution was weeks ago, and the trials were broadcast to every compound. Penelope’s face, though a chosen, would fade... but mine had to be nearly infamous. I tucked my hood up closer around my face. Penelope’s father noticed the gesture and frowned. I was thankful for the jeans and sweater, the loose hood, the shawl that covered my chin and lips.
“You won’t need those here,” he said, gesturing at our masks. Luke and Trevor unstrapped their breathing devices, letting them hang loose around their necks. I left mine in place.
“I promised my companions a hot meal,” Penelope interrupted, distracting him and linking her arm in his like a little girl. “We don’t need anything fancy, though I would kill for some paella or pineapple shrimp.”
“I’m sure your mother will be thrilled to see you,” he said slowly, “but she’ll have a heart attack if she sees you dressed this way. Was the journey from the citadel so arduous that it dropped you on our doorstep l
ooking like a drowned rat?
“Slagpaw,” Penelope said quickly. “We were forced to run, and spend a few days hiding. We jumped in a river to hide our trail.”
“Ah that explains it then. Still, a shower and a change of clothes, then we’ll talk tonight, once you’ve had time to rest from your journey.”
“There’s one more thing,” I said, gesturing towards Jazmine. “One of us is badly injured. We didn’t have enough elixir, we were hoping…”
Lord Hudson frowned, his fingers reaching for his pearls, which he rolled between his fingers.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until our renewal ceremony. The next one is in three days. I know you’ve had special treatment in the citadel, as chosen, but you must remember how things are done here. One drop, one person, once a week. No exceptions.”
Penelope’s family lived in apartments near the top of the wall, with a view of the sea. He was a merchant apparently, but obviously of the upper class or even nobility.
“It almost doesn’t smell like fish up here,” Camina said, cracking open a window to let in a fresh ocean breeze.
Lord Hudson had apologized for not having more space available, but the room was clean and the bed easily big enough for a small family. Vases filled with pink roses settled in the corner, and large paintings of fishing boats and storms in gold frames gave the room a quaint charm.
Jazmine had immediately disappeared into the bathroom and emerged twenty minutes later draped in a pristine white towel.
“Can we stay here forever?” she sighed, flopping down on the large bed.
Luke and April had gone to the market, and came back with fresh bandages and a poultice like the one Beatrice had made for me, but with herbs to clot the blood and stop the bleeding. Jazmine was asleep before April finished tending her wounds, and Luke followed a minute later, sinking into the velvet sofa in the corner.
“My sisters have all married,” Penelope said, coming into the room from a side door, freshly showered. “The closets should still hold some of their old clothes, help yourself. Trousers are uncommon for girls here, so I’d recommend a dress, at least for dinner, or else my mother will ask all the wrong kinds of questions.”