Storm

by Lauren L. Garcia

  “You’re with us, now,” she muttered.

  All trace of threat had fled the little mage. She sagged against Flint, tears streaming down her face as she looked down at the sergeant. “Elan?” she whispered as Milo took her other arm. “Beacon, is he–”

  The sentinel mender shook off the guards who reached for him. “He’s alive,” he said. “But only just. Your magic must have–”

  “You’re all under arrest,” Talon broke in. She signaled to the city guards. Lieutenant Faircloth called a command and the guards pressed forward again. They hauled Beacon off the sergeant, bound him and Rook, and began to push them back to the city. The burnie twins, after a glance at Talon, urged the dark-haired mage to follow. But Halcyon ignored them and twisted around to see Stonewall, who still lay upon the flagstones, flecks of snow falling upon his face and gear. His chest rose and fell – slowly. Something dark and gleaming spread from his side, staining the new snow bright crimson. Talon gestured to the city guards. “Take him back, too.”

  Two guards grabbed him, pulled him upright. He did not object until the crossbow bolt sticking out of his side got caught on one of the guard’s gear, then he cried out in pain. Talon ignored him and turned to the guards who knelt beside the two that Mage Halcyon had laid to waste.

  “They’re dead, serla,” the young guard said, clutching her crossbow.

  No surprise, but Talon ducked her head. “They are on their way to their next lives now,” she said, loud enough for all the remaining guards to hear. “But I promise you: their lives here will be avenged.”

  Twenty

  As far as Eris was concerned, strong winds were only good for flight. A freezing gust tore through her cloak, ripping off her hood, so she pulled the wool fabric tighter to her body and re-covered her short hair. She glanced at Rilla, who walked beside her between the teeming stalls of the Eye, Whitewater City’s marketplace. The blond woman moved with ease, stopping to ostensibly browse a merchant’s furs. They had taken a risk coming here, but Rilla and Brice were convinced that this was the best way to learn about the state of the city and the garrison.

  The furrier, a stout, fourth tier woman with rosy cheeks, stood at the front of her stall, chatting with a pair of customers. “Midwinter’s come and gone, but the dark days are just beginning, you mark my words.”

  The first customer, an older fellow with a lilting southern accent, exhaled deeply. “Consider them marked.”

  The other ran a hand through his graying beard and studied the furrier. “What makes you say that?”

  The furrier glanced around. Eris watched her out of the corner of her eye and pretended to be engrossed with a pelt of blue-gray fox fur, holding it up to her neck and chest. Another wind blew, rippling the furs stacked on crates and tables, and hanging from wooden stands. Other market-goers drew their cloaks and coats tighter, but otherwise ignored the chilling wind.

  Satisfied no one was listening, the furrier dropped her voice to a near-whisper. “Word is, the hemies caught a whole bunch of Sufani, not a day ago.”

  Eris bit her tongue to stifle her gasp. Leal would be heartbroken – and furious. Why would the hemies bother with Sufani?

  The second man made a noise of disbelief and echoed Eris’ thoughts. “What do the sentinels want with those dregs?”

  “The nomads have been harboring those Assembly folks, haven’t they?” the first man replied, a frown in his voice. “No wonder the queen’s after them.”

  “These dregs were sheltering mages,” the furrier said, sounding pleased.

  Eris’ fingers tightened over the fur and she gritted her teeth, lest she exclaim in shock. Sirvat and her other friends, back in the bastion after all they had gone through to escape! And it was Eris’ fault.

  “Did the sentinels know the Sufani had their mages?” the first man asked.

  “No telling,” the furrier replied. “Word is, the sentinels let a whole bunch of the moon-bloods slip off during Heartfire, and haven’t been able to track them down. The garrison commander had all but given up the search.”

  Eris swallowed tightly and set the fox fur down, moving to another: a thick, gray pelt brindled with white, large enough for a cape. Her heart thudded and the urge to fly beat at her brain, but she forced herself to remain calm.

  She risked a glance at Rilla. The other woman’s mouth was pressed into a thin line. She caught Eris’ eye and tilted her head toward the front of the stall, to the corridor between the rows of stalls. Time to leave, already? Eris frowned and gave a tiny shake of her head. This furrier was well-informed and prone to gossip. Why leave now?

  But Rilla brushed past the furs, toward Eris. She said nothing, only gave Eris a determined look, and then kept going. Eris lingered, running her hands over the nearest stack of pelts, but the furrier had stopped talking. The hairs on the back of Eris’ neck prickled, so she slipped off after Rilla. The two women wove through the other market-goers, pausing every so often at a stall to blend in with the other idle shoppers.

  “We spent all morning here,” Eris said as they went. “And we barely heard anything useful until just now. I could have learned much more if I’d infiltrated the city guard barracks.”

  “Aye, but you said you wanted to conserve your strength,” Rilla countered as they reached a stall filled with crates of produce. “Or did I imagine that conversation you and Leal had before we set out?”

  Frowning, Eris squeezed a few drupes, as if checking for ripeness. The small, purple fruits were hard as rocks, no doubt imported from Indigo-By-the-Sea. Rilla was right. By now, Eris had recovered from her Heartfire ordeal, but she was wary of spending her magical strength too much before she had a more solid plan in place. Getting into the city today to gather information was one of the few times in the past several days she had allowed herself to shift.

  “Do you think that the furrier was telling the truth?” Eris asked as they moved past the produce stall.

  Rilla skimmed her fingertips over a table stacked with wood carvings: toys, boxes of all sizes, and trillim game boards. “Could just be rumor, but…” She trailed off. “If the hemies did find mages with Sufani, it’s Leal’s family. I’ll let you be the one to tell her.”

  “If it’s true, it’s going to make our task that much harder.”

  “We’ve come this far,” Rilla replied, shrugging. “And I’ve faced worse odds. We’ll manage.” Despite her confident tone, something in her voice wavered.

  Another shiver crept across Eris’ skin, and she fought back a swell of despair. This entire plan, mission, task, whatever, was foolish. Fly, her good sense urged. Get away from this wretched city. Keep your child safe. Survival is all that matters.

  But in her mind’s eye, she could see the pain and terror in Kali’s face, and the collar around her friend’s neck. Clearly something had happened at Parsa that had changed Kali so radically – that or the sentinel had addled Kali’s wits. In any case, Kali’s judgment could not be trusted. And Drake… Was he still the hemies’ prisoner? Was he even alive?

  Eris squinted at the sky. The cloud cover was dense and pale, but she estimated that it was about midday. “We should get to the fountain. Brice and Ben will be there soon.”

  Rilla nodded. She changed course, ducking through the stalls and around preoccupied shoppers, making a meandering line for the fountain of Llyr, the god of luck and commerce that rested in the center of the Eye. Eris, who had never been to the Whitewater City marketplace, struggled to keep up with Rilla through the bustling crowd. When they had first arrived, Eris had been overwhelmed at the number of people, but by now she felt nothing but contempt for all of them. A young man gave her a winning smile, but Eris ignored him. No doubt he wouldn’t be so flirtatious if he knew the secret inked upon her wrist. No doubt all these dregs would be happy to see this moon-blood buried alive.

  About a quarter of an hour later, Eris and Rilla reached the fountain, where their allies already waited. Ben sat upon the fountain’s edge, rubbing his upper thigh, w
hile Brice paced before him. When she spotted Rilla, a relieved smile came to her face and she bounded over to embrace her wife. “Thank the One! We were starting to think you got lost.”

  Rilla gave her a quick, fierce kiss, and laughed. “If anyone’s going to get lost here, love, it’s you.”

  “That was one time,” Brice chided. She glanced over her shoulder at Ben, and then spoke so only Rilla and Eris could hear. “We’ve been waiting far longer than I reckoned, because someone’s wound is still bothering him.”

  Indeed, the auburn-haired man wore a pained expression as he sat alone by the fountain.

  “The wound he got during your most recent…adventure on the bridge?” Eris asked. “He said it wasn’t that bad.”

  Brice rolled her eyes. “Ben says many things, but I know better. Ea’s tits, I bandaged him myself.”

  “But the wound shouldn’t still be hurting,” Rilla said.

  “Can you help him?” Brice asked Eris.

  Eris looked at Ben again who frowned back, no doubt aware that he was the subject of their conversation. “He doesn’t want my help,” Eris said. “He made that clear when you all returned that evening.”

  Besides, her magic had only ever worked on herself. Eris winced internally; she had promised to try to help Leal, but she feared even “try” would turn out to be an empty promise.

  “He’s an idiot sometimes,” Brice said, nodding. “But–”

  “If he wants help from a filthy moon-blood,” Eris interrupted. “He can sodding well ask. Otherwise, we have work to do.” She turned from the two women and made her way back to Ben so the four of them could speak together. Ben straightened and gave a prim nod, although his gaze upon the other two women was softer.

  “We weren’t recognized,” he said by way of greeting.

  Brice slid beside him onto the fountain’s smooth stone edge. “Aye, all anyone can talk about is whatever’s going on at the bastion.”

  Eris and Rilla exchanged grim looks. “We heard,” Eris replied. “But it doesn’t change anything except the number of people we need to rescue. And…” Her mind raced as an idea sprang to life. “Ytel and the other Sufani are as fierce as Leal. They could aid us once we release them from the garrison.”

  “Fighting from the inside out,” Rilla mused, nodding. “I like it.”

  “I do, too,” Brice said. “But it’s risky.”

  Ben cleared his throat. “Yes, and there’s still the matter of how to get all of these people out of the city.” He gestured in the direction of the gates. “We made it through without trouble, thank the One, but we can’t possibly bring mages and Sufani out with us next time.” He gave Eris a knowing look. “There’s no festival any time soon. Unless the rest of your people have your particular gifts…”

  She lifted her chin. “We’ll find another way.”

  “There is no other way,” Ben replied. “It’s the gates or…” His gaze crept across the Eye, toward the White River. Despite the scramble of the marketplace, Eris could still hear the river’s constant thrum.

  A memory of bobbing boats came to mind and her breath caught. “The river,” she whispered.

  “What was that?” Rilla asked.

  Eris swallowed her excitement and tried to look composed. “Forget the gates. We have the river.”

  “Can you change into a boat?” Ben asked.

  Eris glared at him. “No, but I can steal one. Or help steal one,” she amended. “I’ve never been on a ship, but I’m a fast learner.”

  Ben and Rilla scoffed; Brice toyed with her chin, her expression thoughtful. “It won’t be easy to find a vessel large enough. How many people will need to use it?”

  Eris did a quick mental calculation. “All four of us, Leal, Kali, Drake, Sirvat and the others, and anyone else we pick up…”

  “And Leal’s family,” Rilla said. “Ea’s tits. We’re going to need a sodding barge.”

  “Which will be slow, and difficult to steer upriver,” Brice added with a frown.

  “What other options do we have?” Eris asked.

  No one had an answer. At last, Ben took a deep breath and sat up, although he did not rise. “Brice and I learned something else from our contact. The sentinels have not yet received more hematite.”

  “Seems like the garrison’s fallen on hard times,” Brice added. “One of the sentinel officers was caught trying to escape with part of his squad…and a mage.”

  Dread settled over Eris, as if a flock of buzzards had landed on her shoulders. “Any names or descriptions?”

  “None that we heard,” Brice said. “Why? Think it’s a friend of yours? Or is the whole place jumping ship?”

  “It could be Kali. But I told her when I’d come back for her.”

  “She must’ve taken matters into her own hands,” Rilla replied. “And convinced one of the hemies to join her.”

  I’ve failed her, too. Eris clenched her jaw against the sting in her eyes.

  Ben’s hand stole to his thigh again, rubbing while he considered. “In any case, if the hematite situation is true, we might not face much opposition in the garrison itself. But that doesn’t solve the problem of getting out of the city.”

  “I like the boat idea,” Rilla said. “Even if we have to steal a couple of ‘em, I think the plan could work in our favor, especially when some among us have,” she eyed Eris, “advantages.”

  Ben frowned, but Eris could not stop her smile. “Let’s speak with Adrie and the others before we get too excited.”

  “Right.” Brice rose from the fountain’s edge and nodded to the market. “Rill and I still have to pick up some supplies. Will you two be able to wait here without killing each other?”

  Her voice was honey-sweet, but there was genuine concern in her gaze. A flush of chagrin crept up Eris’ neck as she and Ben exchanged glances; his face mirrored her feelings. “I’ll be on my best behavior,” Ben said to Brice. “You have my word.”

  Brice looked at Eris, who nodded. “Me too. Go on. We’ll wait here.”

  “Unless something happens,” Ben added. “In which case, we’ll meet at our secondary location.”

  The couple slipped back into the crowd, instantly lost in the tumult of the Eye. Another wind whipped Eris’ hood and cloak, and her skin tingled with the promise of flight. A deep inhale brought the clean scent of snow. It had snowed yesterday; no doubt it would again, and soon.

  Ben cleared his throat. Eris tensed, expecting another quip at her expense, but the Assembly fellow only looked uncertain. “How well do you know Drake?”

  Eris blinked at him, taken aback by the question. “Not very. He and Gideon were close before Gid came to the bastion, but I only spent a few hours in Drake’s company.”

  Ben’s gaze flickered toward the bastion. Even from here, Eris could make out the stone walls surrounding the wretched place. “He’s stubborn and reckless, but has a good heart.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “A kind heart.”

  “When we first met,” Eris ventured, “what did Brice mean about no more regrets?”

  Ben looked at his hands, twining in his lap. “Drake did not tell me of his plans to help free your friends. When I found out, I was,” he winced, “less than kind.”

  “Because we didn’t deserve his aid?”

  “In part.” Ben ignored Eris’ glare and looked toward the bastion again. “But I regret my harsh words, and my anger. Drake was only trying to help his people, as I have tried to help mine. He kept his magic a secret from me, you see,” he added with a glance back toward Eris. “Never breathed a word of it. So I was…shocked, to say the least. I reacted poorly.” He sighed, his breath fogging the air. “I regret how I behaved.”

  Aye, now that his mage lover was chained and imprisoned, or worse. Bile rose in Eris’ throat at the thought. “You only wish to free him so you can make amends.”

  “One reason of many.”

  “If it were me, I’d not feel charitable towards the one who abandoned me in my darkest hour.”<
br />
  “Drake isn’t you,” Ben said. “And I don’t care if he forgives me.” He exhaled again and rubbed his thigh. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I simply want to see him free. Whatever happens after that is the One god’s will.”

  The One god’s will. Eris wrinkled her nose and readjusted her cloak, which the wind had pulled akimbo. “I should think Drake has a say in such a thing more than the One.”

  “Perhaps.” Ben shot her a glance. “You do realize that Drake believes in the One god. Not all mages share your conviction – or lack thereof.”

  She hadn’t realized that about Drake, but it wasn’t a surprise. Ben was right; there were mages who believed in the gods. Just not that many. Eris shrugged. “Well, no one’s perfect.”

  To her surprise, the Assembly man chuckled and ducked his head in acknowledgement, though he grimaced and his hand crept to his thigh again. Eris took pains to keep her voice neutral. “How has it healed?”

  “I’m fit for this mission, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  She stood up from the fountain’s edge and gestured to the hubbub around them. “Come on. We shouldn’t linger in one place for too long.”

  Ben hesitated. “We’re fine for now.”

  “You were worried we’d see wanted posters with our faces. We haven’t, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t remember you from your,” she smirked, “various adventures.”

  “You mean foolhardy errands,” he grumbled. “On your behalf, I might add.”

  “On Drake’s as well.”

  Ben’s shoulders sank. “Aye. Drake.”

  Neither spoke. Eris studied the slender, auburn-haired man seated before her. The wound pained him; she could see it in his eyes, in the way he held his body. Memories of Kali trickled back. Kali, too, hated to let others see how often her knee bothered her. Eris had long since grown used to Kali’s preferences, but in her heart of hearts, she wished she could have helped her friend, even a little bit. She wished Kali could have come to Whitewater Bastion for her help, not Sadira’s. The thought of Kali imprisoned made her throat tight and her hands shake with fury, so she forced the images away to regain control of herself. Nothing had changed. She was doing everything in her power to help her friend.