by Sadie Moss
Then I pivoted and bolted toward the front door.
My heavy footfalls sent up clouds of dust as I heard someone shout behind me. Just as I reached the door, a body slammed into me, strong arms wrapping around me in a bear hug.
I kicked back, aiming a stomp at Corin’s insole, but he shifted his weight to avoid my strike. His thick, muscled arms tightened around me, and I could feel his breath on my ear.
“Lana, don’t run. No one here wants to hurt you, but we can’t let you go. Not until you talk to Christine.”
My body knew this position, remembered perfectly the feel of his arms around me, and against my will, my muscles relaxed.
“How could you do this, Corin?” I whispered. “I know I hurt you, but why—?”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. We’re just taking you to see Christine. I promise.” His voice was rough in my ear, but this was the first time since he walked into Akio’s bedroom that he talked to me like a real person.
“Where is she, then? This place is fucking abandoned.”
“The entrance is hidden. We have to be careful. The Representatives have been getting more aggressive lately, trying to find us and stamp us out.”
I could feel his heart thudding against my back. Could he feel mine jumping like a jackrabbit?
“Corin, how did—?”
“If you two are quite done,” Akio called from the back of the house. “I thought we were in a hurry.”
As if realizing what he was doing, Corin dropped his arms quickly and stepped back. “We should get moving.”
My body immediately missed his warmth, but I straightened my spine, turning slowly to face the others. Fenris and Jae watched us from either side of a doorway at the back of the space, their faces illuminated by the soft ball of light that hovered over Jae’s outstretched hand. Akio was halfway down the stairs leading to the basement, wearing an impatient expression.
Without looking at me, Corin grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the basement door. I didn’t resist.
As we entered the dark basement, a musty, decayed smell assaulted my nose, making me sneeze. Something in the corner caught my eye. A section of the wall shimmered in the glow of Jae’s light, wavering like a ripple on the surface of a pond.
A portal.
So this wasn’t the Resistance headquarters, just a way to get to them.
As if reading my thoughts, Jae explained. “There are a handful of portals leading to the Resistance spaced throughout the Outskirts. I move the portals every few weeks to keep the Representatives from being able to trace our movements. If Resistance members returned to the same place too often, it would be easier for the government to track them and find our base.”
That made sense. And I could see now why they valued having a few of the Gifted on their side. Something like this wouldn’t be possible if the Resistance was comprised entirely of Blighted people. As much as I hated magic users, magic itself could be incredibly useful.
“I haven’t attuned the portal to you, so you’ll have to step through with me. Later, I can key you in so you’ll be able to come and go as you please,” Jae added.
“Assuming Christine decides she’ll be useful,” Akio muttered before stepping through the portal. I was tempted to give him a little help by kicking his ass as he passed through. Dick.
Fenris stepped through next, followed by Corin, who almost turned his head to glance back at me but arrested the movement.
Jae held out his free hand, palm up, and looked at me. I swallowed. I almost would’ve preferred he grabbed my arm like Corin had. Taking his offered hand felt strangely intimate.
His long fingers closed around mine, his skin smooth and cool.
Like a king escorting his queen down a promenade, he walked beside me into the portal. We passed through the shimmering section of the dirty basement wall… into another dark and musty space.
Not a big improvement, as far as I was concerned.
“This is it?” I asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
Fenris chuckled, his eyes gleaming in the light of Jae’s orb. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, killer. Come on.”
The space we were in turned out to be an abandoned tunnel. We followed it for several minutes, making a few twists and turns as we passed other faintly glowing portals. I took careful note of our path in case I had to retrace my steps in a hurry. Finally, Jae snuffed his glowing magic orb as the tunnel opened up into a wider room. Two Blighted men sat at a folding table, playing a game of cards by lantern light. At the sight of us, they abandoned the game and scrambled to their feet, standing at attention.
Corin nodded to them. “As you were.”
“Yes, sir.” The older of the two men, who had a thick beard and a wicked scar over his left eye, stared suspiciously at me. “She one of the Gifted?”
How the hell did he know that? Was I radiating power like all Gifted did? I couldn’t feel it coming from myself, but I’d been around enough magic users to know they were impossible to miss.
“Yes,” Jae said. “Christine wants to meet her. She may be able to help us.”
I noticed he didn’t mention the other reason this Christine woman wanted to meet me—the fact that I’d attacked one of their members.
The man tugged his beard as he considered Jae’s words for a moment. Then he stepped aside. “Keep a close eye on her, sir. She’s awfully powerful; I can tell that from here,” he muttered, loud enough for us all to hear.
“Thank you, Abel.” Jae’s voice was cool.
The other guard pulled the door open for us, and we stepped through into what looked like an abandoned factory. Large metal cylinders loomed around us, and sharp beams of sunlight cut through the gloom from high, partially boarded-up windows.
People crossed through the space, on their way to do who-knew-what, but every one of them stopped to stare at us.
Or more specifically, at me.
Shit. If this was what being Gifted was like, I hated it already. My flame red hair made me stand out in any crowd, but that was easily solved by a cap. I’d made my living by being able to blend in, to become unremarkable and invisible. But somehow I doubted there was a hat that would disguise the magic inside me.
The four men spaced themselves out around me, two in front and two behind, like an honor guard. For once, I didn’t mind their closeness. The looks I was getting from the people here weren’t openly hostile, but they weren’t warm. Suspicion tinged the face of every person who met my gaze.
Fenris grabbed the arm of a young boy passing by. “Hey, Trev, go get Christine, will you? Tell her to meet us in the war room.”
The boy’s eyes widened, and he shot a glance at me before scampering away.
“Friendly place,” I muttered.
“You’ll get used to it,” Jae said softly. “The stares. Once they know they can trust you, it won’t be so bad.”
We passed through a giant warehouse that had been transformed into a barracks, with hundreds of cots and blankets laid out in orderly rows, before entering another section of the factory. This one had an office area one level above, overlooking the main floor. Probably the old foreman’s office. We tromped up the rusty metal steps single file. The walls of the office had once been floor-to-ceiling glass, but all the panes except one were broken now. Pieces of cloth were tacked across the openings, undulating lightly in the drafts of air slipping into the factory. The dirty glass of the single remaining window revealed a woman inside the office, leaning against a broad wooden table.
Jae rapped one knuckle on the door and opened it without waiting for a response.
The office had been mostly gutted, leaving a large open space. The only piece of furniture to speak of was the table, which was surrounded by several solid-looking chairs. Maps of the city covered the walls, marks and designations on them I didn’t know how to interpret. A lantern burned on the desk, shedding warm, dim light over the room.
The woman, Christine, stood as
we entered. She wore a pair of faded black cargo pants and a beat-up tan tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a no-nonsense ponytail, and her eyes, framed by small wrinkles, were hard as glass.
“Christine, this is Lana Crow.” Corin stepped aside to give the woman a clear view of me.
“Why isn’t she restrained?”
My hackles went up at her brusque greeting, but I tried to keep my annoyance in check.
“We don’t think she’s a threat, Christine,” Jae said quietly.
“You don’t? From the report I received, it sounds like that’s exactly what she is. Just because we haven’t been able to find the connection doesn’t mean she isn’t working for the Representatives.”
“She’s Gifted, but up until today, she didn’t know that. She has no allegiance to them.”
Christine cocked an eyebrow at Jae, walking toward us. “The Blighted can be untrustworthy too; don’t forget that.” She rested her hand casually on the hilt of the long, curved knife at her side as she stared at me. “Regardless of where she came from, she could still be a threat.”
“She,” I snapped, my emotions flaring, “doesn’t like being talked about like she’s not here. And she doesn’t plan on hurting anyone in this building.”
Except maybe you.
The older woman’s face hardened. “You broke into the home of one of my best operatives and tried to kill him. That’s what I know about you right now. So don’t ask me to trust you. The Representatives are getting smarter and smarter. They’ve finally realized we’re a true threat, and I wouldn’t put it past them to try to insert a sleeper agent in our ranks.”
I bit my lip. I already didn’t like this woman, but I couldn’t argue with what she was saying.
“Then I don’t know what you want from me,” I said stiffly. “I can’t prove I’m trustworthy. And I can’t deny I tried to assassinate Akio. So if you’re going to kill me, just do it already.”
“No!”
The word was harsh and sudden, and I looked over at Jae, surprised at the outburst from the usually calm mage. He seemed as surprised as the rest of us were and quickly gathered himself, the neutral expression settling back over his face. “I’m sorry, Christine, but I can’t allow that. I gave her my word she’d be safe. Her attempt on Akio’s life failed, and she’s offered us her help.”
“Woah, wait!” I threw up a hand. “I haven’t offered my help yet. I agreed to meet with Christine, which I have. But so far, I honestly don’t feel much inclined to help her with anything.”
“You have no choice. I can’t offer you leniency for your attack on Akio without some reassurance from you that you’re on our side,” she shot back.
My shoulders tensed. “I didn’t even know there was a side until today! I hate the Gifted as much as anybody, but I don’t like being forced to pledge allegiance to anyone or anything.”
“This is a war, Ms. Crow. We have to make difficult decisions in the name of our cause. The only way to make absolutely certain you never attack one of my people again is to kill you. But if, as Jae says, you’re one of the Gifted, maybe there’s reason to keep you alive.”
My throat tightened. This was too disgustingly similar to a conversation I’d had with the Gifted man, Edgar, years ago, when he forced me to leave my home in Wyoming to work for him. I’d spent years as his lackey, and even after he died, the mark he made on my life had remained. I’d never been able to go back to Wyoming, despite wanting to more than anything. Not as the person I’d become.
“I won’t trade my freedom for my life,” I said thickly. “You can kill me if you want, but you don’t get to own me.”
Turning on my heel, I strode quickly from the room, bracing myself for the attack that was sure to follow.
Chapter 9
No attack came.
I cleared the door in one piece, and my heart leapt as I dashed down the stairs. But it was too much to hope that Christine would let me leave here alive, despite the promises the men had made to keep me safe.
Sure enough, as I hit the bottom step, footsteps rang behind me. I darted across the abandoned factory floor, following a large assembly line belt, but before I got far, a hand grabbed my elbow. I yanked free and turned around, ready to fight for my life if I had to.
Warm brown eyes met mine as Fenris held his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Woah! Take it easy, killer.”
“I won’t stay here, Fenris!” I bit out. “She can’t blackmail me into it!”
“I know, I know.” He ran a hand through his dark, scruffy hair. “I’m sorry about that. Christine’s tough, but she’s had to deal with a lot. She’s been burned too many times to trust people easily. And the circumstances of your arrival don’t look great. Trying to kill Akio and all.”
My shoulders sagged. “I almost didn’t take the job. I hate assassinations. But I talked myself into it, thinking I was doing the world a favor—one less Touched man left to keep everyone else down. But what if…” I leaned against the cool metal side of the assembly line conveyor next to me, avoiding his gaze as I gave voice to the worry gnawing at me. “What if there were more like Akio? What if I was working against the Resistance without even knowing it?”
Fenris’s expression softened as he stepped closer. “Then make up for it by helping us now.” I started to open my mouth, but he overrode me. “Not because of what Christine said. Fuck her.”
“Oh, really?” My eyebrows rose, and he grinned devilishly.
“Yeah. Don’t tell her I said that though. She already thinks I’m insubordinate as it is. But really, fuck her. Don’t join the Resistance because of her. Don’t join because of me. Join us because you have a chance to make a difference here. I can’t imagine what it’s like to find out you’re Gifted and never knew it. Must be a total mind fuck. But don’t you see how that makes you the best ally the Resistance could ever have? You have all the power of the Gifted with none of the bigotry. You weren’t raised in their world, so you can understand the Blighted.”
A pigeon flew from the rafters, startling me. I watched it glide through the hazy light and disappear through a broken window before turning my attention back to Fenris. “What about Jae?”
“Eh, he’s a special case. It took me a long time to trust him, but he’s never let me down. He’s talking to Christine right now. He’ll set her straight. We need you, and I think she knows it. She’s just not always great at asking for things instead of demanding them. Jae will make sure she understands how important you are. Even Akio told her he wouldn’t let her harm you.”
I snorted, pushing away from the conveyor belt. “Akio? Are you serious? The first thing I remember him saying when I woke up was ‘can we kill her?’ I find it a little hard to believe he’d do anything but dance on my grave if Christine decided to off me.”
“Akio’s all bark and no bite. And he’s sensitive, like a delicate flower,” Fenris added, pulling a laugh from me.
He beamed at my response and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. At five foot seven, I was no frail little thing, but Fenris had a good four inches on me, and I fit perfectly under his arm. He smelled of pine and citrus, a scent so intoxicating that for a moment I disobeyed all my old instincts and habits and slipped an arm around his waist, my other hand coming to rest on his stomach.
His muscles rippled under my touch, and I stepped back suddenly, coming to my senses. My usual policy when a guy I barely knew tried to touch me was “dick punch first, ask questions later.” Why were all my usual defenses completely obliterated around these men?
“I do want to help,” I admitted, clearing my throat. “If I’d known the Resistance existed, I’d have banged down the door ages ago offering to volunteer.”
“See?” Fenris’s deep voice was playful. “Everything happens for a reason. Come on. Let’s go talk to Christine. I’m sure Akio’s got her wrapped around his little finger by now. She can claim to be immune to his incubus wiles, but we all see right through that. Not that he’d ever use his true char
m on her.”
I suppressed a shiver. I hoped Fenris was right that the demon was lobbying to let me live. I’d heard about incubus and succubus charms, and how difficult it was to resist when they turned the full force of their allure on you. There was sexual attraction, yes, but out of that attraction came a desire to do anything it took to please them. And it worked without regard to gender or sexual orientation. A powerful incubus could charm anyone.
Feeling a bit like a petulant child who’d stormed off in a huff, I followed Fenris back toward Christine’s office—or the “war room” as I’d heard him call it earlier.
When we walked in, Christine was sitting at the table, listening intently as Akio leaned toward her, speaking in low tones. She had a somewhat dazed, happy look on her face, and I wondered if Akio was really just using his “wiles” or if he’d boosted them a bit with some of his incubus charm.
When she saw me come in, the Resistance leader’s gaze snapped back into focus, the hard look returning to her face. Akio stood back, his dark, inscrutable eyes settling on mine. The way he was looking at me now, I found it hard to believe he’d been advocating for Christine to let me live.
“Ms. Crow,” Christine said, rising from behind the table. She leaned forward, her hands braced on the thick wood. Her knuckles were scarred and calloused, and I thought of what Fenris said about her having been through a lot. She looked about forty-five, maybe fifty, so she would’ve been my age now when the Great Death hit. I’d been so young when it happened I didn’t remember the chaos and violence that erupted afterward, but I was sure they’d left permanent scars on her body and psyche.
“I’ve been told that my treatment of you may have been too harsh. As Jae and Akio have both pointed out, having another powerful mage on our side would be a huge asset. I admit they’re right.” She hesitated, as if she had to force the next words out. “I will not compel you to join our ranks, but rather ask you to. If you choose not to join us, there will be no punishment—although we will require a blood oath that you will no longer target any of our members, no matter the price put on their heads.”