He kisses the top of my head. “That’s the problem with people. They’re unpredictable. Especially when they’re hurting. Your sister has some deep wounds. They may not ever fully heal.”
“I wish I knew a spell that could just . . . fix her. I miss my partner. I miss how things used to be between us.”
I can’t see his face, but I can feel him smiling over me. “You were indeed a formidable team, as my many broken-down machines can attest.”
I laugh in spite of myself, but quickly sober again. I want my sister back, but I have no idea how to help her. All I can do is keep trying.
CHAPTER 32
THE NEXT FEW DAYS PASS IN A BLUR OF raids and rumors. Vivienne reports back that many are talking about the Alchemist Alliance, wondering what it is and what it means. Our stunt definitely seems to have worked in our favor. She’s been strategically dropping hints about the Alliance and its purpose, piquing interest in many Technocrats.
Remy and I are on our way to another storehouse to ensure as few weapons as possible stay in the hands of the Technocrats, with Vivienne again joining us to run interference. Not only has Remy not objected to her presence, but he almost seems happy she’s with us. He speaks to her more than to me.
The evening is drenched with rain, making the going slow and shield spells impractical. Luckily there are always fewer spying eyes out and about in a downpour like this. Remy leads the way—he knows where most of these are from his time undercover in the palace guard. We’ve done this a few times and have a routine. Vivienne keeps watch out front, distracts anyone if necessary, while Remy and I take as many weapons as we can carry. Since it’s raining, we won’t be able to take as much as usual—we’ll have to conceal them under our cloaks instead of a shield spell—but we still have three sets of hands.
Tonight’s storehouse is a simple one-story building only a short walk from the eastern gate.
“The guard won’t be changing for several hours, so it’s unlikely we’ll be interrupted,” Remy says.
Vivienne takes her place, while I break the lock with my magic. Remy and I slip inside the dark room, leaving the door slightly ajar. I cast a light and send it floating toward the ceiling. The place is filled top to bottom with swords, maces, staves, and even a few of those bombs we saw at one of the first storehouses we raided. I waste no time getting to work, but Remy pauses.
“Something’s off,” he says.
I frown, glancing around. “What do you mean?” To me, this storehouse looks the same as the others we’ve raided.
He shakes his head. “I’m not sure. Just . . . something doesn’t feel right.”
I quickly cast an amplification spell, but no unusual noises reach our ears. “Anything more specific than a gut feeling?”
“No. Sorry.” He shrugs, but anxiety clouds his face.
I consider for a moment. All we have to go on is Remy’s feeling, which could easily be nothing more than that. As far as we can see and hear, we’re alone, and no guards or spidermechs lay in wait. Besides, we’re already here; it would be a shame to waste the opportunity.
“Well, let’s hurry and get out of here as soon as possible.”
We gather as many weapons as we can manage between us and a pile for Vivienne in half our usual time. Remy gives the signal and she joins us, slipping through the doorway and shaking the rain off her cloak.
The door slams shut behind her, startling us all.
I move to open it, but the door doesn’t budge.
“What just happened?” Vivienne asks, a quiver in her voice.
The storehouse trembles. Then the walls begin to move, closing in on us at an alarming rate.
If we don’t do something, we’ll be crushed or impaled by the weapons sweeping toward us.
“Aissa!” Remy cries. “Make it stop!”
My head whirls. “Get ready to run. Technos could be waiting for us outside.”
I summon my magic with an incantation, sending it up and out into the walls. “Explosi!”
The first of the swords scratch against my arms as the walls burst apart. The ceiling rains down on us, a brick knocking me in the head before I can duck out of the way. My head throbs, and the world swims in front of me, but I don’t lose consciousness. One of the others grabs my hand and yanks me out of the wreckage of the collapsing building.
“Run,” Remy hisses in my ear. We sprint headlong down the street through the rain, abandoning the weapons we came for. I hear a grunt behind me. When I whirl around, Remy limps with a metal arrow sticking out of his calf. Another is lodged in one shoulder.
“Don’t stop!” he yells. But Vivienne ignores him. She runs back to him, supporting him with her own shoulder.
“Get to the tunnel,” I say. “I’ll hold them off.”
More metal arrows rain down on us. I’m still a little disoriented, but I’m fairly certain of the direction to cast my attack spell in. I wish I’d brought Owen too. His dual casting ability would really come in handy right now. I prevent the first few arrows from hitting me, then quickly glance behind to ensure Remy and Vivienne are getting away. They disappear down the alley that leads to our escape route. But before I have the chance to feel relief, a sharp pain bites into my arm.
An arrow has gone clean through my wrist.
Dizziness threatens me again as blood slides over my fingers. Bile rises in my throat. I look away and manage to keep it down as pain ratchets through my arm.
I have to focus and figure out where they’re shooting these arrows from.
I deflect the bolts as best I can, all the while retreating down the street. Finally, I spy a glint of metallic movement on a rooftop opposite where the storehouse stood.
I send a new spell spinning through the wind and rain toward the Technocrat on the rooftop. “Somnis.”
Finally the arrows stop. It must’ve only been one guard, probably posted there by Darian. He had to be close to activate the machine and lock us in. We must have really gotten the royals’ attention when we stole from their treasury.
The adrenaline begins to drain from my body, leaving only the shooting pain behind. Another arrow is embedded in my shoulder, but the pain in my wrist is particularly brutal. It ratchets all the way to my elbow like a white-hot flame. I grit my teeth. There’s no way I could cast a handspell right now.
My head swims. I can’t seem to breathe normally. The sick feeling in my stomach rises higher, but it’s not just from the pain this time.
Poison. Those arrows were dipped in poison.
Poor Aro. He must be so worried, feeling everything I do.
But I refuse to let this be the way we end.
Part of me wants to pass out here in the street, but the pain keeps me alert. I move as quickly as I can, all too aware I’m leaving a trail of blood behind me, until I get to the escape tunnel. I’m just beginning to wonder how I’m going to get down when Vivienne climbs up the ladder.
“Let me help you,” she says. I take her offer gratefully.
When we reach the floor, I hum the spell to put the lid back on the tunnel. It’s much harder than usual. The arrows are weakening me in more ways than one. Remy begins to object. “Don’t start,” I say. “She just saw me blow up a machine. If she hasn’t figured it out yet, she will soon enough.”
Vivienne snorts. “That you can use magic on the machines? Yeah, that’s not a secret anymore. But you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thank you,” I say, then stumble to my knees, landing next to Remy. Sweat beads on his forehead and he bleeds from several places, but Vivienne has bandaged him as best she can with pieces of cloth.
Vivienne hovers over us. “Can you heal yourselves?”
I try the healing incantation over my wrist. It manages to slow the bleeding but leaves me gasping for breath. If it were just a wound, I could do it. But with poison in the mix too . . .
Real fear prickles over me, turning my body cold. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this frail in my life.
&nbs
p; My vision begins to blur. “We’re too weak. The arrows were poisoned.”
“Then you’re getting up and moving. Now,” she orders. Vivienne pulls me to my feet and leans me against the wall, then does the same for Remy. We both lean on her, making a very awkward and slow trek through the tunnels.
I’m not so sure we’re going to make it. Without another Magi to remove the poison, we’re done for.
Halfway to our hideout, I hear a familiar cry. The world before my eyes is blurry, but the bright red hue of my sister’s hair is unmistakable. A strong arm wraps around my waist and helps me the rest of the way.
My sister’s healing spell moves around me as we walk, forcing out the poison, then healing my wounds. I choke back a cry and grit my teeth when her magic pulls the arrow from my back. But soon, that is healed over too.
We enter our hideout to find Aro standing near the door, a bit dazed and staring at his hands.
“You’re all right,” he says, pulling me into a tight embrace as Owen and Vivienne help Remy to his room. He looks much better than he did a few minutes ago.
But Zandria faces me, her anger pulling me away from Aro. “What were you thinking?” she cries. “We had plenty of weapons. I told you it was dangerous to keep pulling the same trick over and over again.” She throws her hands up. “You and Remy could’ve been killed!”
Her words are a slap in the face, but it still doesn’t escape my notice that she didn’t mention Vivienne.
“You’re right,” I say. “Darian must’ve guessed where we’d strike next. Remy . . . he sensed something was off, but I decided to go ahead with the raid anyway.”
“It was foolish,” she says. “We need to diversify our strategy.”
“I can help with that,” Vivienne says. “I have lots of ideas of places we can raid to make the royals nervous.” She grins wickedly.
“So can I,” Aro says.
“We’ll work on revamping our strategy in the morning,” I say. “Now I think we all need some sleep. It’s been a long night.”
Zandria’s fists are still balled at her side, but she gradually uncurls her fingers. “Fine. I’m going to go check on Remy,” she says.
“He’s much better now,” Vivienne calls after her, but Zandria ignores her. She shrugs. “See you in the morning, Aissa.”
As she leaves for the room we’ve designated for guests, I turn to Aro. I screwed up tonight, and I can’t afford to do that. Aro can see the tension building within me as we enter our room.
“Aissa, it’s all right. Everyone makes mistakes,” Aro says, pulling me closer. I yank my arm away.
“But I don’t. I can’t,” I say. I’m too angry with myself to let him comfort me now.
Aro frowns. “We all know the stakes are very high. Beating yourself up over it isn’t going to help.”
“I made the call on what to raid tonight; I’m responsible.” I pace the tiny room. “I’ve wanted Zandria to lead with me, but her heart just doesn’t seem to be in it.”
Aro stops me by placing his hands on my shoulders. He leans down to press his lips to my cheek. It’s not until that moment that I realize I’m crying. Then suddenly, I can’t seem to stop. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me down with him onto the pillows. Then he kisses away every last tear until I finally fall asleep.
CHAPTER 33
TONIGHT ZANDRIA AND REMY ARE RESCUING another Magi from the dungeons, while Owen and I are returning from another raid. This time, at Vivienne’s suggestion, we raided a mining shop and stole as much havani as possible. I’ve sealed it up in a metal box to carry because even just holding the stuff in its glass containers nauseates me.
My sister is still angry at me. And this time, rightly so. If normal arrows struck us, we could’ve healed our wounds with a healing spell. But the poison . . . that was Darian’s idea, I’m certain of it. He knows our weaknesses. I’ve been so focused on needing to do something that I wasn’t willing to hear Zandria’s warning in time. I need to remember that my own ideas are not the only ones that may have merit, and I’ve been discounting hers for weeks, writing her off as too broken to think clearly. If I want things back the way they once were, I need to start treating her as a real partner again.
We’re halfway back to the alley with the tunnel entrance, our spoils in our packs, when something halts me in my tracks. I signal to Owen to hold, narrowing my eyes at the darkness. It’s been raining for the last few days and everything is soaked. The rain picked up a few minutes ago, hurtling to the ground, and through it something down the street caught my eye.
It almost looked like the figure of a person, outlined by the pouring rain.
“What do you see?” Owen whispers, staring at the darkness over my shoulder.
“I’m not sure yet,” I say.
Moments later, I blink, and suddenly a person walks onto the street. They must’ve realized the rain would give them away under a shield spell. In weather like this, a silencing spell is much more useful.
The big question is, who is this mysterious Magi? They wear a heavy cloak with the hood pulled up over their head, so we can’t see their face. My heart leaps into my throat. The Magi we’ve rescued have all agreed to either help with our missions and raids or remain in hiding until they’re called on. It’s unlikely one of them would be taking a stroll through the city on a rainy evening. Could it be Darian, out doing something nefarious? Or someone else?
Owen whispers, “That’s another Magi. No one else could’ve just appeared on the street like that.”
“Yes, and we’re going to follow them. If more Magi are here in the city, we need to know.” Maybe it’s simply a passing Magi, and we can recruit them to join the Alchemist Alliance. We can use all the help we can get.
The figure walks casually, like they know where they’re headed. We keep a good distance behind, but still close enough that we can see the path they take. My curiosity rises with every step. Could there be another group of Magi hiding in Palinor like we are? Maybe they fled the destruction of the Chambers. Or were they posted here and didn’t know what else to do once their home base was obliterated? Since we’ve never been explicitly told who else was stationed here in Palinor—and there must have been others besides us and the baker’s family—that seems more and more possible.
Excitement worms its way through me in just the way I shouldn’t let it. The figure may turn out to be Darian after all. Though it would be useful to know more about his movements and machinations. I can tell Owen is brimming over with curiosity too, but he’s remained quiet. We’ve warned him about Darian; he understands the stakes and the risks we take returning to the city.
He also understands how necessary it is.
Magic fizzes in my blood, adrenaline sending it into overdrive. I know this city like the back of my hand. I own these streets. The stranger won’t be able to lose me, even if it becomes clear I’m following them.
The figure finally stops at a small house in the north section of town, not far from where the miner’s shop and a few other tradespeople of lower rank reside. They approach the back door, glancing back as they pass a lit window that bathes the drenched traveler in warm, buttery light for just a moment. My breath catches when I recognize the man’s face.
Isaiah Gaville.
So he’s finally returned to Palinor. That means the clock is now ticking on our mission for the Alchemist Alliance. It will be nearly impossible to build bridges between the Magi and Technocrats when all Isaiah wants to do is burn the world down.
The Anvil will crush me before I let him do that.
When we reach our hideout, I immediately call for my sister and Remy. Owen is hard at my heels, confused by why I feel this news is so urgent to deliver.
He has never met the Magi leader. He doesn’t have a full understanding of what Isaiah wants to do. For all that Owen is as a good fighter and excellent spellcaster, he’s sorely lacking in practical experience. But he will be able to view this development more objectively than I, my si
ster, and Remy can.
“What’s wrong, Aissa?” Zandria comes out of the sparring room with Remy and Vivienne.
“Isaiah’s in Palinor,” I say.
Remy’s expression goes through several stages. Surprise to happiness to dismay. “Did you speak to him?”
I scoff. “Of course not. We didn’t exactly part under good terms.” I glance at Aro as he ventures into the hall as well. “He has no doubt realized who freed one of his prisoners.”
Zandria frowns. “We should speak with him together. We’re safer in numbers.”
“And Aro and Vivienne need to stay here. Safely away from him.” I know our leader wouldn’t hesitate to make an example of us—and especially them—if he felt it necessary. I’m not risking my life or Aro’s life on that.
“Agreed,” Remy says, glancing at Vivienne. The look he gives her makes me wonder fleetingly if he might actually be concerned for her safety. She was pivotal in saving our lives the other night during the botched raid, and he’s clearly been warming up to her.
“If we leave now, we might be able to intercept him while he’s still in the city,” I say. “The rest of the Magi must be hidden somewhere in the woods, and no more than a day’s travel away.”
Zandria grabs her pack and the rune-carved short sword she got from the Sanctuary’s royal tomb. She shrugs. “Just in case I need it,” she says. My own short sword is already strapped to my leg. Remy shakes his head.
“I know we’re at odds with him right now, but he’s still my father. He won’t attack us,” he says.
Zandria and I exchange a significant look. “We’re not convinced of that.”
Remy doesn’t answer and instead heads out of the base.
I turn to Aro. “Stay here, and even if you hear someone at the door, do not open it. We have the key. No one else will.”
“Be safe,” he says, pulling me to him and kissing me softly. Warmth fills me from head to toe as I lean into him.
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