The Fading Dusk

by Melissa Giorgio

  Something incredibly illegal.

  I shoved it into my pocket with a shiver, but its sleight weight against my thigh was a constant reminder of its chilling presence.

  “Irina… Irina…”

  I whirled around, my curls flying. “Who’s there?”

  “Come, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your dear Bantheir already?” He emerged from the shadows and I ran to him.

  “Bantheir!” I said, clutching his arms. “Where have you been? Everyone is looking for you! They said you killed people!”

  “Killed people?” He laughed at that, and I quickly joined in. The thought of harmless, kind Bantheir committing murder was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard. “My dear Irina, we’ve just finished a magic show.” He gestured to dispersing crowd, to the fake magical artifacts set up on the ground, and to the hat I was clutching, filled to the brim with shiny gold coins. It was our best haul ever, no doubt. “When would I have time to kill someone? In between revealing their cards or telling their fortunes?”

  “You’re right,” I said, feeling silly. “Of course. You could never kill someone.”

  He seized me by the shoulders, gripping tightly. Startled, I almost dropped the hat. Bantheir closed the distance between us, his blue eyes blazing in a way I’d never seen before as his face loomed inches from mine. Whatever he was about to say was important; I swallowed hard and stared at him. “That’s right, my girl. And you must never, ever forget that. I am innocent.” He squeezed tightly. “Do you understand, Irina?”

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away. It was like he had a hold on me, a hold he wouldn’t break until I agreed to everything he was saying. And why shouldn’t I? It was Bantheir. Of course he was innocent! Nodding, I heard myself say, “Yes, Bantheir,” my voice suddenly foggy, as if from faraway. My vision began darkening. Bantheir was saying something else, but his words were too muffled to make out.

  My eyes shot open. The ceiling above me was cracked, the bed below me, hard.

  Prison.

  A dream.

  There was moisture on my cheeks, chilly in the predawn air. Surprised, I quickly wiped the tears away, wondering why I was crying.

  I knew why. The dream had seemed so real—for a moment, I’d allowed myself to believe I was free and Bantheir was all right.

  And innocent.

  The dream was a sign. Somehow, someway, he was asking me to believe in him. And I would. No matter what the captain said, no matter what proof he showed me, I wouldn’t turn my back on Bantheir.

  All of Dusk could condemn him, but I wouldn’t.

  With the memory of the dream that felt all too real, finding sleep again was impossible. Rising, I began pacing the small cell—three strides and a turn, three more strides and another turn. I felt like a caged animal; my heart raced as the bars pressed in on me. I had to get out. I needed to go outside and breathe fresh air and see the sun. I couldn’t take much more of this—

  “Everything all right, Lark?”

  I whirled around to see the captain standing in the middle of the room, watching me. Snarling, I spit out, “Do I look all right?”

  Captain Leonid raised a brow. “No, you don’t.”

  I pulled at my shirt, trying to breathe. It wasn’t enough. There wasn’t enough air, and I was growing dizzy. I was going to pass out!

  The captain must have sensed something was wrong because he unlocked the cell and stepped inside. “What is it? Are you ill?” When he saw I was having trouble breathing, he pulled me outside of the cell and had me sit on one of the benches. “Just take deep breaths, all right?” He went over to one of the small windows and cracked it open. A cold breeze wafted in; it was barely a trickle, but I felt myself calm down. Maybe it was the air, or maybe it was the captain’s no-nonsense attitude. Whatever the case, it was working.

  “I’m going to get you water. Can I trust you not to run away?”

  I sat bent over, massaging my temple with trembling fingers. “And where would I go?”

  “Nowhere too far, that’s for sure,” he muttered, leaving before I could muster the strength to lift my head and glare at him. He returned promptly, a cup of water in hand. I took a few small sips as he stood in front of me, hands behind his back. Despite the early hour, his clothes and hair were immaculate. I felt even filthier as I compared myself to him. Captain Leonid didn’t speak, simply waited for me to collect myself. It took a few minutes, but finally I felt my heart beat slowing down. The walls had stopped closing in as well.

  “I’m sorry,” I finally said.

  “I understand,” was all he said in return. I looked at him in surprise, but Captain Leonid’s expression revealed nothing. He watched, and he waited. Something told me he could spend all day waiting, if he had to.

  I gave a small, bitter laugh. “I highly doubt that. Unless you know what it feels like to be haunted by dreams of someone you care about, someone only you believe in.”

  He shifted his stance slightly. “You were dreaming about Bantheir.”

  I stared at the cup, watching the water react to the trembling of my hands. “It’s the first time since this mess began. And it forced me to think. About a lot of things.” I met his gaze. “I’m worried about him.”

  The captain kept his face perfectly blank. “Why?”

  “You know why.” I jumped to my feet, gritting my teeth together. “Honestly, Captain, don’t you have anyone in your life whom you trust completely, no matter what?”

  “There is someone like that,” he admitted.

  I remembered the smiling soldier with the blue eyes. “Is it Vernen?”

  He blinked. “You met him?”

  “Yes. He was actually quite amused by my… antics.” Cheeks burning, I looked away, toward the window. The sky was gray; I wondered if it would rain. I would give almost anything to stand outside while it rained, letting my skin grow cold as the icy droplets assaulted it.

  “Of course he was,” the captain said dryly. “And to answer your question, yes, he’s the one I trust the most.”

  I set my empty cup down on the bench. “So if he was arrested tomorrow for murder, what would you do?”

  We gazed at one another, his dark eyes glittering. “I’d find out the truth.”

  I sucked in a breath. Of course he would. It’s what anyone would do, honestly. But how could I, when I was trapped in here, indefinitely?

  The captain seemed to know what I was thinking. With a heavy sigh, he sank down on the bench. After a moment’s hesitation, I joined him. “That’s why I want us to work together. So we can discover the truth, together.”

  I studied his profile—the straight nose, the strong jaw, the perfectly styled hair. “Do you really think I can help you?”

  “Lark, I think you’re my most valuable asset in solving this.” He turned, pulling me in with those impossibly dark eyes of his. Both his words and his gaze froze me in place. I worried I would say or do the wrong thing, breaking the spell and showing his belief in me was ill-placed.

  I jerked away, embarrassed. “I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know what you think I can do.”

  “Don’t worry, Lark. I believe in you.”

  I didn’t know how to answer that, and my cheeks were still burning horribly, so I gave him a sort of nod, chewing on my lip and staring at anything that wasn’t the captain’s face.

  No one had ever said such a thing to me before. I didn’t think the captain even realized how much weight his sentence carried. As if there wasn’t enough pressure on me before, now it had multiplied, practically crushing me.

  I didn’t want to disappoint him.

  The thought was startling. A few days ago, I’d wanted to scratch out his eyes, and I was certain he felt the same about me. And now? Now he spoke of working together, as allies.

  Could we? Should we?

  If it would help Bantheir, then yes, I would. At this point, I’d do almost anything.

  “All right,” I said while my heart thumped madly. “I’ll
help you.”

  While his face remained expressionless, there was a gleam in his eyes that told me was pleased, like I’d said the right thing. I hoped I had. Captain Leonid leaned back, the bench creaking. “I know you’re having a rough morning, and I hate to make it even worse but…” He paused to scratch his arm. “I came to tell you Councilor Raynard will be questioning you again today.”

  My stomach clenched painfully. “Oh, no…”

  “I thought you might like a warning, so you could prepare yourself… Maybe that wasn’t the best idea.”

  “No, no, you’re right. It’s just—” I buried my face in my hands. “I don’t know what to do or say, and I’m sure whatever I do come up with will be wrong!” I peered at him through my fingers. “He wants Bantheir’s head on a plate! With mine next to it, as an appetizer!”

  His lips twitched. “No one’s going to eat you, Lark.” When I didn’t smile, the captain sobered. “Eventually, he’ll realize that you’re innocent.”

  “Do you honestly believe that?”

  “I…” He shook his head. “No, but he can’t keep you in here forever. You’ve committed no crime.”

  “Fine, then you tell him that! He’s obviously not going to listen to me!”

  He pressed his lips together, turning them white. “I’ll try. I’m hoping the two of us working together will help change his mind faster.”

  I nodded. “What do I need to do?”

  Standing, he said, “Let’s go back to the room we were in yesterday. You can have some breakfast and then we’ll go over what we’re going to tell him—”

  “Leon!”

  We both looked up, startled, as Vernen raced in, his face troubled.

  “What is it?” Captain Leonid said, his hand instantly going to the sword on his hip. I watched nervously, wondering if I should run back to my cell and shut the door behind me.

  Vernen spoke in a hushed whisper, but I heard every word clearly. “There was another attack, down in the slums.”

  Captain Leonid cursed. “Was it…?”

  Vernen nodded. “It was Bantheir again.”

  THE CAPTAIN GRABBED VERNEN BY the shoulder, pulling him out into the hallway. I followed, hot and cold all over as Vernen’s words sunk in. “Are you certain?” Captain Leonid demanded, speaking low as they paused under a flickering gas lamp. They stood close together, staring so intently at one another that I didn’t think they even realized I was standing behind them.

  “Yes. It was a beggar from the slums. His throat was slit, which is why I was alerted. After I got there, I did a little hunting and one block over, scrawled on the ground, were those same dark marks.”

  The captain cursed again. “Damn you, Bantheir.”

  “No,” I whispered. My dream hovered over me like a blanket of fog; I couldn’t forget what Bantheir had asked of me. “It has to be someone else.”

  Both men startled when they heard me speak. “Lark, what are you doing?” the captain asked with a scowl.

  Vernen glanced at me, then back at Captain Leonid. “Who’s Lark?”

  “You need to go back to your cell,” he said, ignoring his friend’s question. “Now.”

  My hands clenched into fists as I felt my temper rise. I’d thought we were finally making progress, learning how to interact without arguing, but the captain was back to his surly self again. I thought he wanted us to work together, to solve this. Sucking in a deep breath, I blurted out, “Let me go with you.”

  Captain Leonid lifted an eyebrow. “Absolutely not.”

  “But—”

  “Lark, what do you think the councilor will say or do if he finds out you’ve been set free? He’s set to meet you later, remember?”

  “I won’t be free,” I said weakly. “I’ll… come back.” Liar. I grimaced. One step outside, and I’d never come back.

  “Of course you would.” His tone of voice suggested he did not believe me one bit.

  Tears began welling up in my eyes and I turned my face away so he wouldn’t see them. “I just… I just want to help Bantheir.” I looked up now, facing both men. “And I think by seeing the evidence for myself, I’d be able to, I don’t know, figure something out! Maybe find a clue!”

  “Lark.” Captain Leonid spoke my nickname softly, the sympathy clear on his face. “I’m sorry.” Vernen looked at him in surprise, as if he’d never heard the captain apologize before. At least not to prisoners, I imagined. “What you’re saying does make sense, but with Raynard breathing down my neck, it’s impossible. I can’t take you out of the prison.” Captain Leonid shook his head.

  “Besides,” Vernen said, pausing to shudder. “You really don’t want to go to the crime scene right now. Not if you ever want to fall asleep again. Everything’s still fresh, and all that blood—”

  “Vernen,” Captain Leonid snapped as my stomach roiled. “We’re wasting time. Lark, back to your cell. Think about what you’re going to tell Raynard. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  It was clear the conversation was over and arguing with him any further was pointless. I sighed, shoulders slumping as Vernen gave me a sympathetic smile and a pat on the arm before I walked back to my cell. I faced the wall, not watching as they closed the door behind me, turning the key with a resounding click. As they walked away, speaking in fast, hushed whispers, I collapsed on the bed, feeling lost and completely alone.

  I sat on the bed, shivering, the blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders. Time crawled at an agonizingly slow rate as I waited for either the captain or Vernen to return, but the only soldiers I saw were unfamiliar faces. One brought me lunch, which I ignored, letting the soup grow cold as I waited.

  I wished Captain Leonid hadn’t told me about Raynard’s planned visit. He wanted me to prepare myself, but instead I grew more and more nervous with each passing hour. The answers Raynard wanted, I didn’t possess. I’d caught a glimpse of his temper the other night; what would he do to me if the captain didn’t show?

  No, he said he’d be there. He’d be there.

  When Aden showed up, I let out an audible sigh of relief. It had grown dark outside and the gas lamps had been lit. I knew it was only a matter of time before I was escorted to Raynard, and I feared it would be by a less sympathetic soldier. Seeing Aden’s friendly face put me slightly at ease, at least until I saw the deep frown that marred his features.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, jumping to my feet as he unlocked the door.

  He glanced at Coreen, who was curled up in bed, ignoring us. She’d tried to get me to talk earlier, even tried making me blush with sordid tales of her nightlife, but gave up when I refused to answer. Speaking quietly, Aden said, “You know about the new murder?”

  I nodded, dread making my stomach twist painfully.

  “Well, Raynard isn’t exactly pleased. He’s been snapping at everyone since he arrived.”

  “Wonderful,” I muttered. “As if today hasn’t been horrible enough.” Aden winced and I immediately felt guilty. None of this was his fault. If anything, it was the captain’s. He should be the one to placate the councilor, not his soldiers.

  Stepping closer, I put a hand on Aden’s arm. That close to him, I could see the fine blond lashes that framed his deep green eyes. He sucked in a breath, his face reddening slightly. “Irina, it’ll be fine. I’ll be with you the entire time. Even if he orders me to go, I won’t listen. The captain wouldn’t want you to be alone with Raynard.”

  “So he’s not here,” I said, confirming my earlier suspicions. I stared at the open door of the cell, wondering what would happen if I refused to leave. Would Raynard stomp in here and scream at me? Order Aden to open the door so he could beat the answers out of me?

  I faced Aden, who was watching me carefully. He looked nervous, his skin shining brightly with sweat. For some reason, the fact that he was worried made me feel slightly better. I wasn’t alone; I had the support of someone who genuinely cared. Knowing he would be by my side during the questioning made me take a
deep breath, square my shoulders, and head toward the door. “Best not to keep the councilor waiting, Aden.”

  COUNCILOR RAYNARD WAS EXACTLY AS I remembered: big, loud, and angry. He took one look at me and started shouting. Everything I’d felt only moments before disappeared; I was miserable, scared, and with the exception of a trembling Aden standing by my side, utterly alone. I slumped in my chair—we were back in the room Raynard had originally questioned me in, with me sitting in the center as Raynard paced, pointing a fat finger at me—wondering why I’d even bothered trying to come up with things to say to him. It was obvious he wasn’t going to listen. I half-expected him to accuse me of committing today’s murder while still locked up.

  “You’re wasting our time! People are dying, and you sit there with that smirk on your face!”

  I was pretty sure I was looking at him in sheer panic, all wide-eyed and pale, but decided to keep that to myself.

  “You’ve provided us with nothing; I should have you executed right now!” Raynard gestured toward Aden. “You, boy, is your sword sharp?”

  “W-What?” Aden sputtered while I felt as if I were about to faint.

  “Your sword, you stupid boy! If I needed you to behead her right now, would you be able to?”

  Aden turned green and shook his head back and forth, stammering his words. The councilor threw his hands up in the air. “I’m surrounded by morons!”

  “Things are going well, I see,” Captain Leonid declared, sweeping into the room completely drenched. Peeling off his soaked coat, he hung it on the back of a chair and ran a hand through his sodden locks, pushing them off of his forehead. “What have I missed?”

  Raynard’s face turned a dark, angry red—never a good sign. “What have you missed?! How about Bantheir, for starters?! What have you been doing all this while? Lazing around as usual?”

  The captain’s usual mask was in place, but I thought I saw an eyebrow twitch. “Obviously, things haven’t been going exactly as planned—”