by Nina Walker
I froze. I hadn’t done it since breaking free of New Colony years ago. I wasn’t even sure I could do it now, but even if I could, I didn’t want to! “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Do you want to die in here or what?” he snapped. I couldn’t see him, but I could imagine his face as his frustration grew. “We don’t have to tell anyone about your red. But if you want out of here and if you want to go find your friends, you’re going to have to get over it and do what needs to be done.”
“Fine,” I snapped back, partly knowing he was right, the bigger part of me hoping I could prove him wrong. I wouldn’t use red unless I absolutely had to. If red even worked!
“Let’s get you outside and then we’ll use invisibility to travel together to wherever you want to go.”
“We have a Resistance safe house not far from here,” I said. “Get me there and I can do the rest.”
“Let’s go.”
“What about Christopher and Jessa?” I asked. He was silent for a long moment and my stomach flipped. “We have to help them, too,” I pleaded, worried about what the silence might mean.
“I know,” he said, “and I wanted to, but unfortunately my father insisted they joined him at the exhibition. They left earlier tonight.”
“What?” I sputtered. How did he think now was a good time for me to go then?
As if reading my mind, he answered, “I’ll try to get them out later, I promise. But for right now, this is the best chance I have at helping you. Even Faulk is gone. Most of the officers and alchemists have left as well. It’s now or never, Sasha.”
I almost corrected him. It’s Frankie. But I just nodded and walked to the door, steeling myself but ready to do this.
“There’s only one guard outside right now, with security being what it is at the moment. I’m going to open the door,” he said, “and I want you to take him out. It should be easy; considering he’s asleep at the job. I had no problem lifting the keys off him five minutes ago.”
I huffed. Idiots. If I were running this place, I’d have the alchemists guarding the cells, not morons. Faulk was going to be so angry. She just might lose her job over this. But still, only one guard? Something about that didn’t seem right.
Lucas placed a hand on my back and I nearly jumped. “Here, I have more,” he said, opening my hand and dropping a gemstone necklace in my palm. It had all the colors I would need. I quickly strung it around my neck. “I’m ready.”
He swung the door wide with a bang, and the guard jumped up, blinking the sleep from his long face. I recognized him as the one who’d spit at me.
“How’d you do that?” he asked gruffly.
I didn’t answer and I certainly didn’t give him a chance to make the first move. I attacked. I’d been training in combat for practically as long as I could remember. It kicked in without a second thought. I charged him and brought him to the ground, then punched him right in the nose. The shifting crack of bone made me smirk but didn’t slow me down. I continued the pay back for all those times he’d stood idly by while someone did the same thing to me.
He didn’t even get a chance to retaliate as the yellow alchemy flowed through me. The magic was a sensation akin to coming home, so familiar and calming, the magic sweeping through me like warm water. I smiled, administered one perfect blow to the guard, and sprightly stepped over his slumped-over body.
“Remind me not to piss you off,” Lucas’s voice whispered, and I laughed. The guard would have a terrible headache and some intense bruising, but he’d live.
“Where to?” I asked.
The next several minutes we navigated our way through the dark palace, our footsteps soft. As we came near the entrance of the prison, I jumped into action and quickly took out the two guards. Up the stairs, we slowed at the first corner. There was always someone awake in a building like this, so we had to tread lightly, especially near the kitchens and laundry. The low rumble of nightshift worker’s conversation, clang of dishes, and hum of machines did little to calm my pounding heart.
“This way,” Lucas whispered and, “right” “now, left” were my only indication of where to go. At one point I had to jump back into a dark alcove as a few palace guests passed, and a minute later, a guard on patrol. But it wasn’t long until Lucas and I were on the main level next to the gardens, a door unlocked and waiting.
No red alchemy needed, thank you very much.
We broke out into the cold night, the snow falling in heavy flakes. The cold immediately seized me but I didn’t mind. I grinned and reached out to let a snowflake melt on my fingertip. The frigid air smelled like freedom.
“Over here.” Lucas grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side of the palace where the gardens grew thick in the summer. Now it was all sharp angles, the trees devoid of life. He pried open a gardening bin where he’d stashed some boots and a huge black coat. The area was quiet and still, as was his voice. “Get these on and then I need to make you invisible, too.”
He didn’t have to ask twice.
“Do you have enough energy for that?” I asked. He’d struggled with the helicopter and no way was I making out with him to keep him awake. Any misguided feelings I’d had for the prince were long gone. Where’s Jessa when we need her?
“I’ve been practicing and I can go up to three hours by myself. With you invisible, too? I think I can half it. I hope that’s enough time to get you to the safe house and to get me back to my room before I have to be up for my flight.”
It was jarring not to be able to see his expression, not to be able to see him at all. I could feel his presence, hear his steady breath, and even smell his clean scent. But not to be able to see him left me feeling a tad skittish.
“That’s enough time.” I nodded, trying to relax. I hoped I wasn’t about to make a huge mistake. Trusting Lucas could be the last thing I do. Maybe I could take him out and go on my own, but that was also a huge risk. “It’s actually pretty close.”
“Of course it is,” he mumbled, then reached out to take my hand. “I really hope my father doesn’t figure that out one day.”
“You’re telling me,” I replied, distracted. My body, with its gray prison clothes and now, black puffy coat, was turning into nothing but air. As I faded, the panic began to rise. I shook my head. Unbelievable! I really need to practice white.
“Is this why you insisted we wait to do this outside, just to be certain nobody saw me go invisible?”
“Yes,” he said. “Now, let’s go.” His cold hand squeezed mine, and together we ran headfirst into the storm.
Sharp guilt twisted in my chest as we trudged through the wet snow. Bringing Lucas to the safe house was never part of the deal I’d made with the Resistance. Especially after he’d abandoned the cause. And even more so after he’d turned on Jessa and ruined our plans. The streetlights cast disapproving shadows across the city streets, a stark contrast to the darkened alleyways. I’d considered ditching him in more than a few of those alleys. But the closer we got to the address, the more I realized I couldn’t do that to Lucas. He’d helped me and was still helping me. The urban skyline gave way to the first of many neighborhoods, and it was too late to change my mind. We’d arrived.
I approached the yellow door, centered on the redbrick house, two square windows on either side. The layout reminded me of a smile. It was a small craftsman, in keeping with the neighborhood, old, but well kept. I longed for “what might have been” as I looked at it, but shook the thought away. The Resistance would rise up again.
Right now? It’s time to focus so that it has a chance to happen.
The elderly woman who lived there was named Sally. Jasmine had recruited her and her late husband. I’d had her address imprinted on my brain for a few years, hoping I’d never have to use it. Knowing, realistically, I would.
A prickle of doubt peaked the closer we got to the quaint home. What if this was a trap? What if I’d told Faulk about this place already, sometime during that interrogation with Jessa?
We continued up the short drive, the night silent as a dream. Our feet crunching against the snow, our breathing heavy, as the emotions continued to rage.
The porch light flicked on, illuminating the falling snow. We froze.
“Motion sensors,” Lucas whispered.
I inwardly cursed and bit my lip. The wind had started to pick up, and my jacket was quickly losing its warmth. I shivered, no longer enchanted by the snowfall. I peered around. There still wasn’t a soul out on the streets, just as there hadn’t been the entire journey over. Our long tracks that were left in the snow had quickly been swept away by the storm.
“Come on.” I tugged him up the steps. I knocked three slow knocks then two quick ones on the yellow door.
We hunched together, still invisible. I felt Lucas’s energy begin to fade. No surprise as to why he’d slowed his pace significantly in the last few minutes, his footsteps lagging, his body leaning on mine. He needed to get back and get some rest. Morning would be here before we knew it and there couldn’t be an ounce of suspicion against him.
The old woman opened the door, squinting into the night. Her bathrobe wrapped around her, pink and fuzzy, large circular glasses sat atop her nose giving her an owlish stare. Wrinkles lined every inch of her pale face in deep lines of age.
“Are you Sally?” I asked.
She startled, her mouth popping open. “Who’s there?”
“Are you Sally?” I repeated, louder this time.
Her eyes grew wide, and she nodded, taking off her glasses and putting them back on again, blinking several times. “Yes, I’m Sally.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m a friend of Jasmine’s. I’m with the Resistance.”
She began to turn her head from side to side, peering out into the darkness, obviously trying to locate the source of my voice.
“I’m going back now,” Lucas whispered in my ear. Before I had a chance to react, he released my hand. Immediately, my body returned to visibility. Sally yelped.
“Are my eyes playing tricks on me?” she asked shakily. “I didn’t see you there.”
I decided not to explain.
“Can I come in?” I asked, eager to get off the street as quickly as possible. I lifted my arm to shield the porch light from my face and tucked my head down.
“Of course, dear,” she cooed. “You’re a friend of Jasmine’s? Poor thing, I heard what happened to her. Such a shame. Just tragic. Come in, come in.”
I stepped into the warmth of her home and shut the door behind me. Her front room was small and cozy with matching red furniture and the remnants of a fire in the hearth. The whole place smelled faintly of sugar and butter, like she baked regularly. All of these clues, and the proximity to the palace, pegged her as a wealthy woman. She was old now, but either she, or her late husband, must have been assigned high-level jobs before hitting mandatory retirement age. She shuffled ahead, her slippers cupping her tiny feet, as she led me into her kitchen.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
I didn’t hesitate. What would be the point? “Sasha, or Frankie, I guess.”
“You guess?” She chuckled. “Well, Sasha Frankie, let’s go get you something to eat. I think you’ll be pleased with the company. You’re not my only visitor tonight.”
The kitchen was filled with white cabinets, a white and black tiled floor with a square oak dining table right in the center. My heart slammed in my chest as my eyes settled on the man sitting there, his body taking up the space with his familiar height. He looked up with black sparkling eyes and stood with a smile spread across his face. The chair tipped backward as a moment later his towering frame enveloped me into a tight hug.
Suddenly, the world, tipped off its axis, righted itself.
“Tristan,” I breathed, the oxygen about all squeezed out of me. “What are you doing here?” Tears prickled.
He stepped back and looked me over, up and down several times. He then peeled off my heavy, now dripping, coat and ran his steady hands along my rib cage. My body purred against his touch. “Are you okay?” he asked, his smile thinning into a grim line. “What did they do to you?”
“The wounds have all been healed,” I replied, “if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I’m so sorry.” He choked on the words. “I never should have left you there.”
“It’s okay.” I glanced away, not wanting to go into the details of how they’d tortured me. “I’m okay.”
“Did they hurt you?”
I guffawed at the question. “What do you think?”
When our eyes met, his were brimming with hatred. “I’ll kill them.”
The silence spread between us. Sally cleared her throat. “I’ll just go hang this up.” She peeled the coat from his hands and waddled from the room.
We sat at the table, the wooden chair catching my weary body. Letting out a tired sigh, I frowned at Tristan. Excitement made way for confusion. “What are you doing here?” I asked the question again.
“I came back for you,” he said, leaning close to slide a warm hand down my arm. “I just got here a few hours ago, actually. I was going to find a way to get you out of there.”
I shook my head, staring at him in disbelief. “You wouldn’t have been able to.”
“I had to try.” He shrugged. “You’d have done the same.”
He was right. I would have. I leaned my head against his shoulder for a minute, breathing him in. His arm flexed as he nudged me closer.
“Thank God, you’re okay.” His breath burned against my temple. “How did you get out?”
I sighed, sitting back up. “Lucas helped me.”
He squinted at me, shook his head, and ran his hand through his hair, as he thought it over. I caught the scent of a fresh shower and it took everything in me not to climb into his lap and melt into him right there. “I honestly didn’t think he was still on our side.”
“Guess so,” I replied. “Though, I do wonder if he has help that he didn’t tell me about. He got me out of there pretty seamlessly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe there’s still Resistance at the palace. Maybe they followed him, helped him get me out somehow? I don’t know, sounds stupid when I say it out loud.”
“There is still Resistance at the palace,” Tristan interjected.
“Who?” I wracked my brain. Jasmine had been my contact, but surely there were others.
“I only know one personally, a trainee when I was in Royal Officer school.”
I shrugged. I’d never met anyone like that through Jasmine.
My limbs still shook from the mix of adrenaline and cold. That funny sensation of being light-headed was creeping in. I closed my eyes, pushing it away. “Lucas was the reason we failed before,” I said. “He’s the reason the King knew we were coming. Jessa told him about the plans and he told his father. She’s furious with him, and I guess he thinks helping her family out will make things better between them.”
“Fat chance.” Tristan whistled.
I laughed, but didn’t say more. I didn’t want to get into it. Lucas was in deep and he had to find his own way out. But that was his problem. I had my own to contend with, starting with the obvious.
“So what’s the plan?” I asked. “How do we get out of here? Actually, first, explain how you ended up here?”
“Don’t get mad.” Tristan raised his hands and leaned back in the chair. He’d been holding my freezing hands in his warm, rough palms, and the release of them left mine aching. “When we got back to the camp we evacuated immediately. Mastin led the group out and I chose to travel back here on foot.”
I gaped at him, lips parting and shame flashing through me. “You traveled by foot in the winter? Through the shadow lands? How?”
A journey like that was absolutely crazy. What had he been thinking? He could have been killed. Should have been killed. The shadow lands were a barren wasteland, not to mention, everyone in New Colony was on the lookout because
of the war.
He only shrugged. “I packed plenty of food and water and I know how to take care of myself. The shadow lands were a little tricky but I managed to make it out all right.”
I ground down on my teeth, breathing in slowly. “You could have died.” Saying it aloud only caused the fear inside to grow. He should have never taken that risk.
“And you could have died in that prison,” he replied as he squeezed my hands. “I will never leave you behind again. I’m always going to look out for you.” He added, “Don’t you know that about me by now?”
My heart leapt in my chest. It was true. Starting when I was only a gangly preteen kid, he’d gotten out of New Colony with Hank, and at the last minute, he’d risked everything to bring me along. He didn’t even know me then, and yet he’d recognized the torment I carried with me. He’d saved me.
I let the image of him trekking through the shadow lands to sink in. The cold bitter air, the barren landscape, the snowstorms. It had to have been a couple of weeks since that night we’d been separated. He must be far more exhausted than I was after completing something so reckless.
“Let’s get some rest,” I said, “then we’ll figure out how to get out of here.”
“I have to make contact with Mastin,” he said. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a pocket on the front. He rummaged around it to pull out an industrial-looking slatebook. He held it up. Military grade. And not ours. “I have a secure line to communicate with him. He said he could help us out of New Colony once we’re ready. We even have a location picked out.”
Wow, my boys had planned all this just for me? I grinned, glad that I hadn’t been forgotten.
“Where are we going?” I asked, thinking of camp. My heart still ached to know it was long gone now. I could never go back.
“West America,” he said. “We have asylum. It’s too dangerous for us here.”
“He’s right.” Sally waddled back into the room. “You two are welcome to stay with me but there will be a kingdom-wide search for you soon enough.” She pointed at me, her eyes alight with mischief. “You broke out of that palace, Missy, and that makes you a fugitive.”
