by Kyle Prue
He settled and let it go. He spun around to face her and was struck by the way the light from the window filtered by him and over her. It almost distracted from how sickly she’d been looking recently. “Aren’t you?” he asked.
She sat on his bed. “I don’t want to think about it. I just know one thing and one thing only. The Doctor has hurt too many people. There are too many people caught in his web. Tomorrow he’s going to die.” She shuddered and held her breath for a second. “I can’t imagine a world in which he can keep doing what he’s doing.”
“If Barlow was right and that monster is torturing Rhys, then I’m right there with you,” Darius said. “We’ll finish this tomorrow.”
Anastasia seemed satisfied. She lay across the bed horizontally. Darius could hear her breathing shallowly. “You sure you’re all right?” he asked her. “We could see someone before tomorrow.”
“I’ll feel better when I’m free from the Doctor.” She opened her eyes and quickly amended. “When we’re all free from him.”
Darius sat next to her until he was sure she was asleep. It was hard to tell with the shallow and quick nature of her breathing. He went to his bag and removed A Rough History of Lightborns. Before the first page had been turned Anastasia was awake again. “Trying to read on without me?” she prodded.
Darius rolled his eyes. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep tonight. Might as well educate myself.”
“You’ll be useless without me,” Anastasia teased as she pulled it out of his hands. “Let me go first.”
They shared in their second reading session until well past sun down. Through the pages they trekked until they were out of pages to skim and they reached the blank ones. “Looks like you’re onto your next frontier,” Anastasia said.
“What’s that?” Darius asked.
“Writing,” she said with a mischievous smile.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Darius said.
“Letter by letter.” She went to his bag and retrieved the little reading book that she’d given him. “It’s just like reading but with a few more steps.”
Together she helped him trace the letters over and over in the blank sheets of her former book. Even after she went to sleep, he kept at it, stubbornly trying to convince his muscles to remember good penmanship. He flipped through the tiny book and after a while was writing his own words. His handwriting looked infantile at best. It grew easier but not much. It was clear to him that he’d have to spend endless hours practicing to make any improvement. Anastasia awoke again. “Why’d you let me sleep?” she asked.
“Because you need it. You don’t want to be tired or just a little bit too slow. That’s what happened to Barlow,” Darius murmured as he roughly attempted to sketch a Q in the book.
“Barlow was drinking. I won’t let Victor get the better of me,” Anastasia said. “What are you writing?”
“Just practicing,” Darius said. “I wouldn’t know what to write.”
Anastasia stood up and leaned over to look at his progress. “And I’m not sure anyone would be able to read it,” she giggled.
He’d never heard her giggle before. It sounded unnatural coming from her lips. It made him swell with emotion but, as per usual, he suppressed it. “Write me something,” she said.
He looked up. She was serious. “What if you can’t read it?” he said as he tapped the pen against his chin. It made an unnatural sound against his skin.
“Write it anyway.”
He didn’t answer because he wasn’t sure what he could possibly say to her in writing. He turned to a new page. She gave him a satisfied smirk which almost made it hard to see her as the same girl who giggled earlier. There were many sides to Anastasia, but to Darius it seemed as if she was actively burying many of them. He wrote on and on, even well after she’d fallen back asleep. He saw the slightest bit of light peer over the horizon and he knew it was time to go. Luckily, he’d finished his letter to Anastasia.
He reached out to shake her awake, but his hand only hovered over her shoulder for a moment. Part of him didn’t want to leave the serenity of the room in order to enter the chaotic pits of the Doctor’s domain. He wanted to be the kind of person who could sleep next to someone. Despite his desires, he remembered Rhys and the danger he was surely in. He pushed her gently and her eyes flew open. “It’s time.”
She rubbed her eyes. She appeared to dread what was coming as much as Darius. He helped her up and they went next door to get Bianca. When she awoke she reached for her belt first thing, as if to attack whoever had startled her. The fugitives awoke in fear. Always in fear.
They gathered their weapons and everything useful before leaving the inn and travelling down the abandoned streets. Bianca had asked around and found out where the Library was located. She led the group to the outskirts of town. Darius was surprised by the height of the Abington Library and realized with a more wary eye that it was clearly old and abandoned. The outsides were decaying and the doors eaten by rot.
Darius’s shoulder brushed Anastasia’s shoulder and he found that she was shaking. “I can’t do this,” she said in a hushed tone.
“What do you mean?” Darius asked.
She buried her face in her hands. When she pulled them away it was soaked in tears. “I’ve lied to you,” she said. “Both of you.”
“What are you talking about?” Bianca asked.
“I undersold my involvement with the Doctor. He owns me. He owns all the assassins. I led you to the cliff because I knew you didn’t stand a chance… He… I knew he had traps waiting… I’m the reason that Rhys is…” Anastasia began shuddering.
Darius wanted to be angry, but he was too busy being confused and terrified. “He gives us injections once a month,” Anastasia continued. “Until our bodies become addicted to the chemicals. Then we need it every month or we’ll…” She knew how to finish the sentence but didn’t.
“That’s why you’ve gotten sicker as the weeks have gone on,” Darius realized.
Anastasia stared at them, crumbling under the weight of her own actions. A boy was being tortured in this building, and she’d seen worse done. “You injected yourself back at the Cliff, didn’t you?” Bianca asked with a realization.
Anastasia didn’t move. “He was the only one who could patch me up after Rhys stabbed me that night, but when I went to him to get stitched up he also made me one of his servants.”
“I don’t understand,” Darius said. “Why poison his assassins?”
“It’s so they can never leave him,” Anastasia said. “They can never escape. He’s the only one who knows the recipe for the injection.”
Darius wanted to hate her, but sympathy flooded his veins. “He knew we’d have to get here before the month was over…” Darius said. “He knew you’d die if you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I had no choice. But I didn’t come here to prolong my life, I came to end his.”
“More importantly…” Bianca said. “He’s going to be prepared for us. Anastasia, you should have told us.”
She looked on the verge of collapsing. “I know… I…” She couldn’t find words to continue.
“It’s all right,” Bianca said. “We have two objectives now. We’re here for Rhys and we’re here for the injection.”
Anastasia stared at her gratefully. Darius remembered how complicated their relationship had been. He could see how badly Anastasia wanted Bianca to care for her. “But it also means we should change our plan of attack,” Darius said. “What does he expect?”
“He probably expects Bianca and me to go after Victor. If I remain in his control, I would never kill Victor. It would be suicide. So he will expect me to fake an attack on Victor,” Anastasia said, recovering. It helped her disposition to be planning for battle. “So what if you go after Victor, Darius?”
“He said he’d studied me,” Darius pointed out. “But I think I can take him.”
“Then I’ll go after Rhys
,” Bianca said. “Anastasia can go after the Doctor.”
“Thank you,” Anastasia said.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
OCEAN’S JAW
NEIL VAPROS
Neil’s memory had come together the way one might glue together a broken vase. Sometimes he was only able to pull out microscopic shards from his experiences. Occasionally entire fragments appeared at once. In recent days he’d seen a young boy holding a book bigger than he was and everything associated with his younger brother came rushing back. Rhys was still out there somewhere and needed his protection. One day he saw Hector the snake’s broken neck and a memory of his sister, Victoria, came back to him in a powerful flood that caused tears at dinnertime. Memories of others came slower, one piece at a time. He remembered fighting with Darius after hearing the sound of metal on metal. Despite the pace at which his mind was re-forming, Neil felt that someone important was missing. The largest piece of his mind had yet to come together. And that’s exactly why he had to leave.
“You’re sure about this?” Alex asked dejectedly as he watched Neil pack up his meager possessions from the end table in his room.
“Yeah,” Neil said. “The feeling that I have to be at Misty Hollow soon is only getting stronger. Maybe that’s where I’ll find whatever’s missing.”
“Are you ever going to come back?” Serena asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Neil said. “As soon as I know what’s out there for me, I’ll come back. Maybe we can head out on another voyage.”
Serena giggled. “And we’ll finally get you to swim. For real this time.”
“Exactly,” Neil said.
Alex didn’t seem as okay with it. Clearly he’d been wrestling with something since his mother’s announcement about going after the Empire. Losing Neil was probably just another change in his unpredictable life. “It won’t be the same without you,” Alex said as he shook Neil’s hand. “You’re one of us, Mamba.”
Neil smiled. “It might actually be weird to hear people call me Neil again.”
“Maybe you could be Mamba on the mainland, too,” Serena joked. “Although you’d have to tell everyone you know that you’ve got a new name. You’d have to have some serious dedication.”
The word stuck in Neil’s mind like a splinter. Dedication. He rubbed his forehead. “Something new?” Alex asked.
“Maybe,” Neil said. “That word triggered something.”
“We’ll let you get some sleep, Mamba.” Alex said. “You’ll have to leave early tomorrow in order to get back to the nearest port without capsizing.”
“Comforting,” Neil said.
“What are you worried about?” Serena asked. “You can fly.”
Alex hugged him and walked out of the room backwards. “Don’t forget to say goodbye before you leave tomorrow.”
“I won’t,” Neil said.
Serena lingered for a moment. “Any chance you’ve remembered that ‘someone else’ yet?”
Neil didn’t exactly know how to respond. “Sort of. I think there’s a missing piece. It’s a big part of why I’m headed to Misty Hollow.”
“Right,” she said and took a step toward him. “I just want you to know that there might be more here for you than you think there is.”
Neil stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“You might think that there’s this huge purpose for you out there. I don’t know what you’ll find, but there’s always another option.”
“And what would that be?” he asked.
“I’m a hell of a navigator,” she said. “And I have an entire fleet of ships. If you don’t want to fight in this revolution or you don’t find what you’re looking for, we could go anywhere.”
“I…” he trailed off. “You’re family’s getting involved in a war as well.”
“Maybe it’s not what I want either,” she said.
He wanted to respond but was silenced by her stare. Her turquoise eyes drilled into his and he knew she wasn’t kidding. He opened his mouth to tell her that it wouldn’t happen, but the words wouldn’t come. He really did feel more for her more than he could express, but something was stopping him. “I don’t want you to tell me I deserve better or that I shouldn’t wait around,” she said. “I just want you to tell me that you’ll think about it. It could be a life free of worry. Free of pain. Free of whatever will come of this war.” Without waiting for a response she added, “Just think about it.”
She kissed his cheek and turned without saying goodbye. That was all right though. He’d see her in the morning.
Neil grabbed his rag-tag assembly of things and left his room before the sun could awake the island. It was time for him to go. If Serena and Alex were awake, he’d say goodbye. Otherwise maybe it would be best if he just left. Serena’s offer had shaken his spirit. A life without worry and without pain was all he wanted. Every time he looked at Serena he wanted it more, but there was something out there for him. He knew that.
He walked through the house. When he reached the door to the dining room he realized that farther down the hallway was a room with light pouring out of it. Curious, he crept over and pushed the door ajar. It was a study of sorts, piled high with books and papers. A small desk was tucked into the corner and a large candle was alight on top of it. Someone must have forgotten to put it out before heading to bed. It was a miracle that the house was still standing and not in a burned heap given that it was completely made of polished wood.
He put the candle out with his hand and a small drop of wax dripped onto a paper in prominent view. The paper looked familiar so he picked it up and examined it. It was Earnest Haxon’s letter to the military outpost regarding the location of the Ocean’s Jaw. Something tugged at Neil’s mind. Why would he write a letter to the Empire about the location of the Ocean’s Jaw? It was clear they knew where it was based on their siege. Neil read the letter twice. It was what he’d expected; the Tridenti had betrayed him by sending his brother away and deserved to be punished. Haxon had incredibly neat handwriting. He hadn’t struck Neil as a calligrapher, but sometimes people had hidden talents and Neil didn’t feel like judging. It was always harder to nitpick someone after they had been killed.
Underneath the letter were dozens of documents detailing ship locations and other logistics. This must be Mama Tridenti’s office. She had excellent handwriting as well. He dropped the letter back onto the desk and watched it fall lazily. His eyes widened as it fell next to the other documents.
The handwriting on the letter and on the documents was identical.
“Mamba,” Mama Tridenti said.
Neil wanted to leap out of his skin. He turned slowly. She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I thought you were leaving this morning.”
“I am,” Neil said with his vocal chords quivering. “I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality.”
She smiled but kept him gripped with her iron glare. “I appreciate that.”
He walked past her and bowed slightly. She nodded slightly back to him. Once in the hallway he darted through the dining room and toward the front door. He had to tell Alex and Serena. When he glanced back at the office, she was looking after him. He reached the front door when he heard her footsteps behind him. Instead of running to Alex’s room, he ran out the front door. That’s where she caught him. Mama Tridenti pulled him off his feet and threw him to the ground. “You’re a lot smarter than I’ve given you credit for,” she said standing over him. “That’s changed now. I know how intelligent you are. I know you’re smart enough to realize I can’t let you live, Mamba.”
Neil glared at her. “I don’t understand. Why would you do this? Your daughter almost died during that siege.”
Mama Tridenti put her hands on her knees and brought her face close to Neil’s. “I did it for my children, you insolent child,” she hissed. “And for their children.”
“What good does selling out your ships to the Empire do? What good was blaming Haxon?”
She
stood and shook her head sympathetically. “What kind of life could the Tridenti live if nothing changes? Protect the shore? We compete in a meaningless turf war with the Empire’s navy in the hopes that it will make the lives better for those on the mainland. Their lives will never be safe. Not until the entire Empire is destroyed. I’ve suggested this many times and have always been greeted with the same response. It’s not our place. It’s not what was meant for us. Those are weak cries from infants and they needed incentive.” She paused. “You were such a gift, Mamba.”
“I was a… gift?”
“My children brought you here, and I realized what a perfect opportunity you provided. You were a boy from the Industrial City with no memories or family to speak of. We had every reason not to trust you.”
“So then why did you end up blaming Haxon instead of me?”
She laughed humorously. “He showed disrespect to this island and to me. He tried to kill you for winning a contest against his brother. So he became an unwilling martyr. Because of his sacrifice I now have this family stirred up. For once they’re finally angry. Angry enough to sink the entire Industrial City.”
Neil was conflicted. He hated the idea of Mama Tridenti perverting the purpose of the Tridenti, but also knew that the Empire needed to fall. “You can’t just replace the old Empire with your new one. There needs to be something else. Something for the people. And there are good people in that city. You can’t just destroy the entire thing. Taking that many lives will just force the people to hate Lightborns. You’ll just create more enemies who want to see us extinct.”
She went to the water and dipped her hands. Neil didn’t want to know what she would do with that newfound strength. “My position as matriarch has long been threatened by those who say I am too irrational to lead. They say that I am too angry. I hope you understand the position I am left in.”
“What position?”
