by Andra Leigh
The Blooded man was twenty yards ahead, leaping over a wire mesh blockade with ease. Every movement the man made was fluid, like a waterfall that never crashed onto the rocks below. Unlike her own stilted journey through the alleyway. When she saw him disappear to the left, she approached the wire fence and squeezed through a hole that already adorned it, tearing her shirt in a few places when she chose to rip herself free rather than pause to unhook herself from the wire spikes. She didn’t want to waste time and lose him.
However, as she continued to stalk him through the maze of Wrethic’s streets and alleys, she found keeping him in sight was not a problem. Her Blooded man was not in a rush, opting for a quiet and leisurely rhythm to his pace. For someone who had a target branded on his palm and a bag full of stolen medicine, he made being followed far too easy. Even though Eliscity was constantly prepared to duck out of sight, he did not glance behind him once. Clearly he’d been surviving in Rylock, unknown for his status, on pure dumb luck.
It made Eliscity want to smack him in the side of the head, just to teach him a lesson. Then again, being hit with a pulse cannon obviously hadn’t taught him anything.
Her Blooded man was walking down the middle of the streets looking so relaxed she half expected him to start whistling. She stuck to the shadows, head bent, eyes up, skirting around the homeless and the night workers.
She was beginning to wonder how much longer they would be going. Should she set herself a deadline? If her Blooded man didn’t reach his destination soon should she just turn back and let the night swallow him up?
She continued to ask herself this for the next three hours.
Every time she dared herself to halt and turn away she couldn’t bring herself to follow through.
They were approaching the Cityel Border. The last Southern City before the Northern Cities. The Cityel Border was nothing like the Cityel that it connected to. She and Juliette had had a taste of the Cityel, the stretches of desert that threaded itself through Rylock. The Border was far more favourable to life than its counterpart.
Crossing from Wrethic to the Cityel Border wasn’t a simple line. It wasn’t a matter of taking a single step to move from one to the other. The change came slowly, drawing out along a block of stores. All but one of the Southern Cities touched in the same way. Only Hynxt had a wall bordering it in most places. Slowly Wrethic’s ground, laid with rough and broken cobblestones, gave way to hard pack sand floor of the Cityel Border.
Where Wrethic had med-buildings, the Cityel Border had coinhouses.
There were more than she could count, some sitting right next to each other, their barely dressed workers vying for attention over each other, offering to swap coins for their services.
Eliscity was beginning to feel queasy about her Blooded stranger’s reasons for coming into the Cityel Border. But he ignored the cooing women, striding purposefully down a lane with dark store fronts then veering right into a lane lined with shabby homes. He was slowing. She sunk into a crevice between two houses and watched as he edged down the side of a house and into a wooden shed with a gate as a door.
She waited a few minutes, but her Blooded man didn’t reappear. Keeping low she crept forward. Pressing herself against the splintering wood of the shed she heard movement inside.
Warily she peeked over the gate and found herself looking at a long fuzzy nose and mouth.
It was a stable holding one rather worn looking donkey. A donkey who seemed less than pleased at having Eliscity’s face suddenly appear in front of him in the middle of the night.
Eliscity gave the startled animal a pat and got an angry snort for her troubles. Glancing into the dark stables she realised her Blooded man didn’t seem to be in there. He’d vanished. Hesitating at the gate, she wondered if there was a door against the far wall and whether she should continue to try to follow him.
She’d come this far.
Hitching herself up over the gate she dropped into the stables. The wooden structure was large enough to house two horses but was only accommodating the one disgruntled donkey. This didn’t surprise her. To own a donkey in the Southern Cities was a rarity in itself. She ducked the bar separating the two stalls, stepping into the empty one. Moving to the back of the stables she realised there was no exit.
“Hello, Angel.”
In that moment, as Eliscity spun to meet her Blooded man, it all became clear. How could she have been so blind?
He hadn’t kept a slow pace or failed to check if he was being followed because he was careless, but because he knew she was there. He’d seen her wings. She’d seen his insignia. He’d wanted her to follow him. And she’d taken the bait. She really was exceptionally thick.
She’d been too caught up in thinking him stupid to realise she was the one stupid enough to fall for his trap.
He stood in the corner beside the gate, lazily leaning against the wall. She had missed him, hidden on the other side of the donkey, too focused on finding the non-existent exit on the other side of the stalls.
The man pushed himself out of the corner and took a step toward her. An action Eliscity couldn’t help but notice placed him between her and her way out.
“What do you want?” she demanded, trying to make her voice clear and strong.
The man smiled. “What do I want? Think you’ve got that backwards. You’re the one who followed me here. So, Angel, what do you want?”
Eliscity didn’t move a muscle, unsure of what to do. The man seemed to sense she wasn’t going to answer him.
“Oh come on, Angel. You followed me from one city into another. That was plenty of time for you to decide to turn around. But you didn’t. You’re here. Which means you want to be here. So do me a favour and stop looking at me like I’m the enemy. Something tells me we’re the same.” The man held up his right hand, wriggling his fingers and flashing his Blooded insignia at her.
Eliscity pressed her palms into her sides as the man gestured to them.
“May I?” He stepped toward her and reached out his hand.
In that moment the smooth skin of his hand roughened. The insignia vanished. Calluses’ and deep lines etched themselves into this new palm. Yet it looked comfortable and caring. She wanted nothing more than to reach for this warm, inviting hand and never let it go. As quickly as this hand appeared, it disappeared, taking with it the urge to lace her fingers into its fingers.
All that remained was her Blooded stranger’s branded palm, offered to her.
She knew it had been her imagination. A hallucination. Proof she was unhinged – that the torture which had taken her memories had also made her mad.
When she didn’t take the hand offered, her Blooded man reached for her wrists himself. She didn’t fight his grasp as he held her hands in his and turned her palms up, revealing her Born and Blooded insignias.
She heard his sharp intake of breath and looked up to see shock in his eyes. He’d specifically gone searching for them and yet seemed completely stunned to see them.
“That’s new.”
It was barely a whisper, but she caught it.
Frowning, she stared down at her palms half expecting to see something other than the Clinic’s marks.
“Twin brands. I’ve never…” The man’s fiery eyes brushed over her but didn’t lock onto her own eyes. He looked at her like he was amazed she existed. “You really are something, Angel.”
Eliscity yanked her hands from his grasp. “My name is Eliscity, not Angel. So – stop calling me that.” Her name was the only thing she had left of herself, she didn’t like having him take it from her.
His mouth twisted into an amused smirk. “Eliscity.” He said it like he was trialling it out and it didn’t make the cut. “I’m Jinx.”
“Is that your real name?”
He hesitated for a moment, surveying her. “It’s the only name I need.”
She waited for him to elaborate but he didn’t. She was beginning to get frustrated. Had she not saved his life just hours ago
? Did that not warrant something more than an arrogant smile and false name? She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept and she’d just walked from Wrethic to the Cityel Border. With every pump of her heart, her chest hurt. The pain she didn’t understand. The pain she worried meant she was dying, just like Juliette. Rubbing the spot over her heart she tossed him an unimpressed glare.
Rather than react to her glare he watched her hand press to her chest and asked suddenly, “How long have you been out?”
‘You’re getting out of here’.
Eliscity shook her head dispelling the past and thought for a moment. “A few months.”
“That’s why you were at the med-building. You have pain. In your chest, right? And maybe your wrists and back.” He was talking fast.
“How did you –”
“It happens to the Borns when they get out of the Clinic. Basically it means you’re due for another activation.”
A hiss escaped her lips.
“Whoa, I didn’t mean I was going to strap you in and start the lightning. Blood replenishes every four months or so. That’s what’s happening in your body right now. But for the first time since your lineage was activated it’s having to do it without the Clinic shocking your blood. It’s an adjustment period. Your blood isn’t trying to be changed for once, so it’s settling into its new permanent state. Or something like that.” He flipped his hand through the air like he wasn’t sure what he was talking about, before adding, “It’ll pass.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I don’t really… I know someone that does know this stuff. If you come with me, I can take you to him.”
It wasn’t an order or a summons, it was an offer. To prove that she could walk away from him and disappear into the night if she desired, he stepped away from the gate. All that stood between her and escape was a grumpy donkey.
Eliscity’s head spun. Less than six hours ago she had been alone in the Realm. Desperate to keep her head down and not be noticed. Now, she knew without a doubt, she was about to trust her life in the hands of a stranger all because of a small mark he had on his palm.
“What are you?” Eliscity asked finally.
He understood the question, she could see it register on his face.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t there long enough to find out.”
Uncertainty washed over her. How could he not know? Her doctors may have been less than forthcoming on who she was and where she came from, but they had enjoyed telling her what they were doing to her. Like they revelled in the disgust and fear their patients felt when they told them. Was it possible he had escaped the Clinic before they’d gotten that chance? It seemed so unlikely. It had taken Juliette so long to find a way out for them. Too long.
“How did you get out?”
The man named Jinx leaned into the wall. “That’s all part of the story you can find out if you come with me. Or do you have something you need to get back to?”
It sounded like such a silly assumption. She had nothing to return to other than the cockroaches who shared her abandoned room. And, unsurprisingly, she wasn’t particularly attached to them. Although she would be lying if she said she hadn’t named a few of the larger, easily identifiable ones.
He was waiting on her decision still. She realised she’d made up her mind regarding any future question like this when she had pulled him out of the med-building.
“Where are we going?” she asked quietly.
Jinx’s face slowly split into a grin. “Nowhere for tonight. We’ll get a couple of hours sleep before heading out at dawn. I don’t know about you, but I got hit with a pulse cannon today.”
“We’re going to travel in the city during the day?”
Jinx wandered over to the back of the stall. “Not quite. Come on, I slept up here on the way to Wrethic, we’ll be safe.” A ledge was built into the rafters over the back half of the stables to hold the hay. Instead of a ladder, small wooden holds were nailed to the wall for access to the ledge. Jinx scaled it. She followed him up, crawling into the scratchy hay that was piled on the landing. There was enough room for them to both lie comfortably and while the hay stuck into her, it was softer and cleaner than the ratty mattress she had used as a bed for the last few months.
Jinx nudged her shoulder, causing her to jump. He shoved something small and cold into her hand. It was a green vial like the one she had taken from his bag on the roof.
“It’ll help with the pain. I’m assuming you didn’t manage to get any at the med-building.”
“No, some fool set off the bells before I had the chance,” she said pointedly. She heard him laugh lightly as she unstopped the vial and swallowed a mouthful. As the leafy taste slid down her throat she was thankful to find it was the same liquid as the one she’d chosen to take for herself. Not only did that tell her she had chosen correctly, but that he wasn’t attempting to poison her since the previous dose obviously hadn’t killed her.
“What about you?” Jinx asked, buried in the pile of hay to her right. “What are you? Feyfolk, clearly. But which one?”
After a moment’s pause she said, “Fae.”
“Hm. Fae huh. I’m going to call you Sprite.”
“Please don’t”
“Imp?”
“No.”
“Fae-Fae”
“No.”
“… Gremlin?”
“You may call me Eliscity.”
“That’s kind of boring.”
Eliscity rolled her eyes at the dark rafters. She heard him shift and settle into his makeshift bed. She didn’t know whether it was safe to fall asleep next to him or not. The entire situation was making her nervous. Could she really trust him? Unfortunately her body didn’t seem to be having the same debate. Having finally stopped after a hideously long day there was nothing she could do to stop the yawns from coming. Contrary to her concerns, it didn’t take her long to fall into her usual nightmares.
●
“Very funny.”
“I’m not kidding.”
“And I’m not going down there.”
“Well then, it was nice meeting you.”
Eliscity was beginning to fear her face would get stuck in a permanent glare. It had been all she’d done at Jinx since he’d shaken her awake just before dawn. First he hadn’t let her watch the sunrise in peace, insisting that they keep moving. Then he’d started on his next round of nick names, moving from the Fae theme onto her displeased mood. Now he was telling her that she had to climb down into tunnels and travel through them for the next twelve hours.
They were standing at the northern point of the Cityel Border. A wide river flowed to the west, coming from the giant lake that sat on the eastern side of the cities. The river separated the Southern Cities from the Northern Cities, its wide and swift current a worthy opponent to anyone looking to cross. It served as a natural defence against unwanted entrants to the Northern Cities. A defence enforced by the single bridge that arced over the expansive river, patrolled by stern guards. No one crossed without their permission. And they weren’t shy about using their crude boltbows to make a point to the next person thinking about trying their luck.
Jinx had explained this to her just before announcing they would in fact be crossing into the Northern Cities. Which had earned him her deepest scowl yet. Though apparently they wouldn’t be attempting suicide by crossing the bridge. He had led her to the water’s edge where a few early morning workers and waterbearers were already filling up containers to carry back into the dry streets of the Border. There, Jinx had guided her onto a rocky platform on the river’s edge. Tall boulders were clustered on it, their jagged faces reaching up around her head. She’d followed Jinx as he scrambled over the sharp, slippery rocks and squeezed through tight spaces, all the while trying not to slip on the wet stones underfoot as the water rushed against her ankles. Once surrounded by the tall boulders, they had been hidden from any river-goers. There she had shot him a new glare regarding the icy wa
ter which had crept into her boots.
She’d heard the metallic clang as Jinx stepped forward. Reaching into the water around his feet he had pulled up a metal trapdoor covered with draining holes. The current pushing around their feet had rushed to fill the new hole, tumbling its water into the blackness.
This had been the point Jinx had told her to climb down and Eliscity, able to just make out rungs leading the way down, had blanched at the idea.
“The river is the only water source for the Southern Cities. For the Northern too, but the people there aren’t required to transport barrels of water into each area like the waterbearers have to do here,” Jinx explained. “The Northern Cities have a network of underground tunnels that, fed by this river, fills every private water well of the wealthy.”
“And these are the tunnels you want me to climb into now?” she hissed at him, her feet numb in her now completely waterlogged boots.
It wasn’t the thought of the tunnels flooding or the idea of becoming lost in the dark passages that kept her from climbing down into them, but the concept of travelling into the Northern Cities. Remaining unnoticed in the Southern Cities was one thing. But to walk into the cities that housed the people made rich by their sworn allegiance to the Lord Reigner, was something completely beyond her.
“Yes,” he answered simply.
Fighting the urge to clip him in the jaw, she manoeuvred into the hole, gripping tightly at the metal rungs that itched under her skin and muttering about his people skills.
As she descended the ladder the waterfall of river water fell at her back, drenching her through. Gritting her teeth she tried to ignore her dislike for how the day was shaping up to be. It was dark in the chute, the daylight above her a blinding contrast as the river rained on her.
“Better get down before the storm starts, City,” a deep, warm voice whispered in her ear.
Eliscity froze. Her wet, shivering body clinging to the rungs.