by T. A. White
She tapped one finger against the bed. Why, why, why? That had to be it. No doubt they had what they considered a brilliant plan intended to fool their enemy into showing their hand, but here comes Tate to ruin the plan. When you thought about it, every wrinkle they’d experienced had been because of her. The stolen key, the trip underground, the boy. All because she’d stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.
“If we get you to this ball on time tomorrow, that should be enough to prevent any war, right? Nobody will want to kidnap you afterwards?” she asked. And she would be free. Absolved of all responsibility because she’d fixed things.
The boy studied Tate before smiling faintly and nodding.
Her nod was firm. “That’s what we’ll do then.”
It would get Ryu and the Kairi off her back, along with Jost. The Red Lady and Umi wouldn’t have any interest in her anymore either. It wouldn’t solve the problem with Lucius and his men but she figured she could keep out of sight for a few weeks until their memory faded. She took a shaky breath. This could work. Maybe.
“What’ll we do until then?” Dewdrop asked. “That’s not until tomorrow night.”
Night chimed in, Ryu’s already searched your room. I doubt he’ll come back. If he does, keep quiet and one of us will warn you to get out if he looks like he’s going to try look inside.
“You’re right. This is the safest place we can think of. I’ll set the barrier stones Danny gave me and nobody will be able to get in. We’ll stay here for the time being.” Tate slapped her leg in emphasis. “Now, do any of you have any food?”
Setting the barrier turned out to be easy. She simply had to place one stone on each of the exits, the windowsill and the door. There was an almost audible pop when things snapped into place, and it felt as if a circuit had been completed. Both stones glowed briefly, casting a reddish light on the walls of the room then both sunk into the floor disappearing from sight. Tate touched the floor where one of the stone’s had been. Only a slight discoloration in the wood showed where it had rested. When Tate turned to look at the window, she saw out of the corner of her eye the faintest ripple of reddish air where the barrier would be. Looking directly at the door again, she could see nothing. Guess it was working.
The rest of the night passed quickly. Tempest and Night decided it’d be best to head back to their room for the time being in case Ryu did come back. This way they’d be there to allay any suspicions he might have.
Tate gave the bed to Dewdrop and the boy to sleep in and settled back against the wall with a blanket to stay warm and dozed off and on throughout the night. She didn’t want to risk going too deeply into sleep. Nightmares were all that awaited her there and keeping someone on watch was the smartest thing to do.
Night was just a shadow as he slipped back into the room and crept to Tate’s side. He sat beside her, his shoulder brushing hers as he got settled.
“Where’s Tempest?” she asked keeping her voice down so as not to wake the two sleepers.
Keeping watch.
“Your cubs?”
They’re doing well.
“Good. Good.” Tate rested her head against the wall, waiting for Night to get around to what he came here for.
For a long time, it was just myself. Night began cleaning his claws with his tongue. I had to be concerned with my own survival, and I did things that give me nightmares, but it didn’t matter because it was just what needed to be done. It wasn’t until I had the cubs that I started to realize just exactly what I was. A weapon. Little more than an animal trained to perform on command.
Tate moved restlessly. She didn’t understand what he was getting at.
I don’t want them to be like me, he said, his tail whipping furiously. I don’t want them to become the beast I was. Our appearance may be that of an animal, but our hearts and minds more closely resemble our human cousins. If this war comes, as this boy says it might, they’ll become like I used to be. It’ll be the only way they can survive
Tate didn’t think he would want false platitudes. Fake words of comfort saying that everything would be all right. She listened, really listened instead.
What I’m trying to say is that I’m in this. His eyes reflected the light. Whatever it takes. I’m in this.
A blast shook the floor, the door flying inwards to slam against the wall. The barrier shattered in a rain of red shards as dark figures stormed the room. Dewdrop pushed the boy off the bed towards Tate before turning to jump wildly on one of the intruders. He was tossed easily over the man’s shoulder and into the hall.
Tate screamed his name even as she was on her feet and moving. Night let out a resounding roar before leaping to engage two of the men. Blood sprayed as he lashed out with claws and fangs.
There were plenty more to fight though, as others spilled into the room. Tate pulled her knife and sliced at any unfortunate soul who got close enough. She’d sliced one attacker’s arm to ribbons and managed to trip another one, sending him headfirst out the window.
Tate forced the boy behind her as she fended off the attackers, locking her mind against any worry for Dewdrop. It wasn’t the time to think about anything other than slash, stab, duck, repeat.
Night finished off his opponents with a few exact slashes across vital spots before moving to meet the next ones.
Tate snarled as another attacker ran towards her. She stepped to meet him, letting his striking arm carry him past her before latching on and using his own weight and the turn of her body to flip him over her shoulder. She stomped on his neck before wrenching the arm she held out of its socket. A raw scream escaped the man as he curled around his shoulder. She kicked him in the head to knock him out and then fell forward as another tackled her from behind.
Tate clawed at the arm wrapped around her neck, getting the fingers of one hand between her neck and his arm. It was enough to keep him from choking her out. She rolled with him on her back before pulling a knife from her boot. Her lungs heaved from the lack of air and with her vision fading, Tate plunged the blade into the man’s side until the arm loosened around her neck. She scrambled away before he could grab her again.
Tempest joined the fight with a piercing war cry, his blade flashing silver in the moonlight as he cut through attackers in the doorway. He’d cleared a way over to the boy near the window and ferociously defended him, cutting down any who ventured near.
A man yelled, “We can’t leave without the fulcrum.” His distraction proved his undoing as Night drew his claws across his neck. He died in a gurgle of blood.
There was a momentary lull in the fighting, and Tate felt some hope that they’d beaten off their attackers. When a sword stuck out of Tempest’s chest, there was a moment of shocked pain in his face before he toppled over. Kadien stuck his arm through the window seizing the boy. His eyes met Tate’s for one timeless second and then they were both gone.
“Tempest and the boy,” Tate shouted running for the window.
A round object flew in, rolling to a stop in front of her. There was a heartbeat’s pause before it exploded in a flash of light and a loud boom. The percussion from the blast threw Tate back against her bed and off the other side. Her head hit the floor with a thump. The dark rose up to claim her.
Chapter Seventeen
The bed was harder than usual, Tate thought groggily. She snuggled down, rubbing her cheek against coarse sheets. Her hip ached. So did her shoulder. The cheek resting against the bed throbbed.
She rose to full consciousness gradually. With consciousness came the realization, this was not her bed. She was lying on the floor next to it. So that’s why she hurt in so many places.
Her hearing wasn’t working properly. Neither was her sight, she discovered when she blinked up at the room. It refused to come into focus, and the world around her was muted and dull as if she were under water.
She rolled onto her back and groaned as she tried to sit up. Her body hurt. The muscles, the bones, everything. She didn’t quite make it all
the way up before settling back down onto the floor.
The wood vibrated under her as what seemed to be a stampede ran across it. She slapped at the hands that suddenly grabbed her, hauling her into a seated position with her back against the bed.
She cursed at him, the words not sounding right to her cotton-filled ears. Strong fingers grasped her chin pulling it towards him. He threw one leg across hers, trapping her lower body when she tried to kick. Her hands were seized and held roughly to keep her from hitting.
Slowly, the world was coming into focus as the effects of whatever it was wore off. She blinked at Ryu’s fierce face shoved close to hers. There was still a bright halo around him, but she could make out his eyes and the shape of his features.
Her lips formed the word “Ryu” but she didn’t know if she had spoken it or not.
He shook her slightly, her head rattling on her neck. Her brain felt thick, a weird buzzing sound invading it. Maybe that was her ears. It made it difficult to focus, to concentrate.
“-hap-. O- me, ed.” Ryu’s voice faded in and out.
She lifted her head and concentrated fiercely on his lips, matching the movement to the disjointed sounds. She finally made out the sentence, “Tell me what happened.”
“What happened?” she unwittingly shouted. Ryu grimaced at the volume.
“Attacked.” She modulated her voice slightly, but it was still louder than she intended. “Umi has the boy. Tried to stop her, but she threw something. Hard to see or hear.”
“It’s a thumper,” Ryu shouted back. Tate could just barely make out what he said as her hearing started to return. It still felt like someone had stuffed wax in them, but at least she could communicate again. “Nasty stuff. Very disorienting.”
“I agree.”
Ryu wasn’t the only one in her room. Several Kairi moved among the dead bodies, Blood was splattered all over, and several assessing glances were shot at Tate.
She jerked in Ryu’s arms at a sudden thought. She tried to rise, but Ryu forced her back down. “What about Tempest? Kadien stabbed him.”
Ryu’s face was grim as his eyes held hers. He gave a slight shake of the head.
She settled back down, her body shaking slightly. Dead then. She banged her head against the bed behind her. Ryu pulled her away from it before she could do it again.
“What about the others?” she asked, scowling at him before wrinkling her nose. It and her eyes stung fiercely. “Dewdrop? Night?”
She didn’t wait for an answer and shook him off, intending to see them for herself. Ryu was reluctant to release her, but she batted away his hands and staggered over to Night. She sank to her knees and checked his breathing, sighing with relief to see his chest still moving. His fur was matted with blood, and he had some minor cuts on his legs with a slightly deeper one on his back. Otherwise he was okay.
He was going to be fine. She said a thankful prayer under her breath.
Next she walked through the fallen, hoping Dewdrop wasn’t among them. Blood covered the floor, and there was nowhere she could step that it didn’t squish under foot. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to examine every face, turning over the bodies that lay facedown. She exhaled shakily. Dewdrop wasn’t here, nor was he one of those in the hallway.
“I don’t see Dewdrop,” Tate said softly. “Did you see him on the way up?”
Ryu shook his head no in answer before grabbing Tate’s arm and guiding her to the bed. He sat her down and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. They were cold, and he chaffed them to warm them up a little. His fingers rubbed gently at one of the scrapes there. His hand was gentle as it rose to brush against the bump on her head. She winced at the throb of pain it caused.
“You almost died.” His eyes caught hers and held them with a depth of emotion Tate hadn’t expected to find. It made him seem vulnerable.
“They have the fulcrum now,” one of the Kairi said from behind Ryu.
Ryu’s face closed up, locking all emotion away. It was like a mask had slipped into place. If Tate hadn’t been watching she probably wouldn’t have known those other feelings had ever existed. It was a strangely intimate act.
“Your plan didn’t work,” the one by the door observed.
“Umi has the fulcrum now,” Ryu said stonily. “We need to focus on getting him back before the ceremony is complete.”
The three Kairi seemed to carry on a silent conversation before one said, “Agreed.”
“They’re probably heading for the Red Lady,” Tate offered. “It was her men that helped Umi with the attack.”
They regarded her arrogantly. They made her feel like a child interrupting the adults conversation. She bristled at them and had to fight the urge not to sink in on herself.
Ryu put a hand on her shoulder signaling for her to be quiet. “I need a moment,” he told them.
They inclined their heads before turning as one for the door. None of them glanced at Tempest’s fallen body. To them, he simply didn’t exist
“Hey,” Tate said loudly. She nodded to where Tempest lay broken on the floor. “Shouldn’t you see to your dead?”
“He is a traitor. His affairs are no longer our concern.”
“He died defending your damn fulcrum,” she said stonily. “He may have started down the traitor’s path, but he died a hero redeeming himself.”
“His actions have led to the loss of the fulcrum and the key. He and his companions have brought about the possibility of war. He cannot be forgiven for a single act of contrition.”
“Always with the self righteous rot and none of you has the right to it,” Tate spat in disdain. “How many of you could do what he did, knowing you were considered a traitor?”
The Kairi’s leader’s face became even more implacable. “I do not need lectures from a babe with little understanding of the ways of the world. Come, we have things to accomplish.” He turned and led the others from the room leaving Tate sputtering in rage.
Ryu wrapped his arms around Tate when she struggled to follow them.
“Stop,” Ryu said shaking her. “You’re in enough trouble as it is without upsetting them further.”
Tate struck Ryu in the chest. He didn’t budge.
“This is serious, Tate. You saw how they treated someone from their own race. What do you think they’ll do to you, the person they blame for their loss?” His face was stern as he glared at her. “You never should have taken the fulcrum from the warehouse. Jost is furious, and the Kairi could very well call for your head.”
“Fulcrum, fulcrum,” she mocked, slapping his arms away from her. “That’s all anybody ever refers to him as. He’s a boy, Ryu. It’s like they don’t even see him as a person.”
“They don’t.”
Tate stopped and gave him a stricken look.
“They see him as their base of power, not as a boy.” His eyes were serious. “And you caused them to lose it right as they were about to reclaim it.”
“If I hadn’t interfered, Umi would have had him in the warehouse,” Tate said tiredly. She rubbed her forehead. “Or killed him. She set that place on fire without even knowing where he was.”
“Did you know Umi was planning to attack?” he asked sharply.
Her mouth snapped closed, and she found a point on the wall to study.
The sound of his teeth grinding together was loud in the little room. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you’re so trustworthy,” she said harshly. “All you’ve done since we met is push and manipulate, telling me half truths and maneuvering me into dangerous situations.”
He tightened his lips and his brows furrowed. “If not me then you should have warned Jost once you’d figured out he was part of this. He’s crew.”
“But I’m not.”
A deadly silence built between them, and she refused to meet his eyes.
“Why would you say that?” he asked silkily.
“I heard it. When I was sneaking in, I didn’t know
they were Jost’s men until I overheard them. I’m not crew. He said it himself,” she said flatly.
“Is that what this has been about? Hurt feelings? You did all this because of what Jost said? I thought you were better than that. Not some spoilt little child to lash out when her feelings are hurt.”
“That’s not why,” Tate protested.
“Listen.” He shook her when she tried to wiggle away. “You’ve screwed things up. I don’t care why. All that matters is that you did. This isn’t some game. You don’t get to prove your worth here,” he said harshly. “People have died and will continue to do so. This might mean war. Now, I need to leave and help them if I have any hope of salvaging this.”
“I want to help.”
“No,” he bit out. “You will stay here out of trouble, or I’ll lock your pretty little ass up in chains.”
She glared at him but was forced to nod when it looked like he was going to shake her again. All the shaking was making her feel like a misbehaving child. Worse, she was beginning to think he was right.
She wanted to believe she hadn’t stolen the fulcrum in a moment of petty hurt, that her reasons had been sound. However, there was a small piece of doubt that remained. Facts were the boy was in the very hands she’d tried to save him from. Worse it looked like they’d taken Dewdrop.
“You should take Night,” she said when he reached the door. “He knows the tunnels and the Red Lady better than them.”
He paused with his back to her. For a moment she thought he was going to listen but in the end he left without another word.
She held very still in his absence, afraid that if she moved she’d break. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up to the ceiling. Somehow things had gotten so very mixed up. She rubbed her head tiredly as Night came and brushed against her leg. He gave a sympathetic croon as he rubbed his head against her. She smiled sadly down at him and finally looked over at Tempest’s body.
She took a shaky breath and knelt at his side. She’d always heard that a person could look peaceful in death. She didn’t see it. Tempest’s slack features looked almost unrecognizable to her, death stealing his personality and leaving an empty shell in its place. She reached out to touch his face. His skin was cold and soulless.
