ashen city (Black Tiger Series Book 2)

by Sara Baysinger

  Because the sky is on fire. It’s red and orange and crimson and plum and the buildings of Louisville are black against the sunrise. It’s beautiful and breathtaking and it makes me question everything about my sorry existence and the bigger Power that’s out there—the Power that created the earth and the sky and the sunrise.

  It makes me feel insignificant, and the feeling is so humbling and relieving all at once.

  “See?” Elijah asks. “I told you, you would love it.”

  The sun slowly emerges from the dark horizon, a searing flame against the black fringes of Ky, like a beacon of hope to the darkness surrounding its people. My people.

  And I suddenly have that overwhelming feeling Thomas Merton spoke of. The realization that I loved all these people…shining like the sun.

  The coral sunrise reflects off the surface of the Ohio River, and a few clouds wisp in the sky above, and the air is brisk but so refreshing compared to the dank caverns.

  Dawn. I almost forgot what dawn looks like. I’ve been so preoccupied with Aurora and Titus and leading a country that I don’t want to lead that I forgot to enjoy the little things.

  “I should take time to watch the sunrise more often,” I say, staring at the flaming sky in wonder.

  “Yeah,” Elijah says. “Everyone should watch the sunrise at least once a day.”

  I look at him, then burst out laughing. Because Elijah has become this serious young man of late, and it’s so good to see my humorous little brother again. Wrapping my arm around his neck, I pull him into an annoyingly affectionate embrace.

  “Aw,” I say. “My little flying squirrel is back.”

  “Ew. No. Stop calling me that!”

  I grin and give him a noogie. “So good to see your smiles again, baby brother.”

  “Hey!” He jerks away from me, quickly smooths out his ruffled hair. “Seriously. Don’t make me regret bringing you up here.” But his eyes are smiling and he’s laughing, and it feels so good to forget about the problems that constantly hound us, if even for a few hours. And I decide I really wouldn’t mind at all if we just brought a few sleeping bags and stayed up in this building. At least until everything blows over with Ky.

  But eventually the sun creeps into the sky, and the wonder of a sunrise is gone, and it’s back to normal life and blue skies.

  “Elijah,” I say. “Have you…have you ever wondered about…God?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. But, I mean, you saw that sunrise. I think it’s proof enough that there’s something bigger out there at work. Something that set all that in motion. Some kind of energy that has the power to create so much beauty in the world. It could be God, I guess.”

  I nod. “Dad always gets so angry at any mention of God. I mean, he seriously thinks that if there is a God, he left us. And he’s sort of pissed about that.”

  “Dad’s pissed about a lot of stuff.”

  I wonder how Dad’s bitterness hasn’t rubbed off on Elijah. Dad wants to step out against the government, but his motives are fueled by pure anger. Elijah’s motives are fueled by concern for the people. So what’s my motivation? I had a dream. God—at least I think it was God—told me to prepare the way for a better life for the people. So am I just doing this out of blind submission? Just so I don’t cross the river and live with regret the rest of my life?

  Because being a hero is more than just doing the right thing because you can. It about doing what’s right for the good of the people out of love.

  And I do, I really do love all the people of Ky. I’m not really sure why I wanted to leave them behind, because right now, staring at the ashen city from the top of this abandoned building, I want more than anything to free my people.

  ***

  My stomach growls in anticipation for food when we return to the caverns. We step into the darkness, and it takes a while for my eyes to readjust, but we finally arrive at the fire. James Mcallister is already awake, sitting by the fire with Jonah, Richa, Levi, Ash, and—I almost choke—Aurora.

  What’s she doing out here? Jonah’s been serving her food in her tent like a common slave. But here she is, royalty among the commoners. Unfortunately, the only place to sit down is right beside her. I sink down on the log, stretch my fingers out toward the fire to warm them from the outside cold.

  “Good morning,” she says, as though we were best friends. “Where have you two been?”

  I look at her, and I can’t even pretend not to be shocked. I lift a mocking brow and point at myself. “I’m sorry,” I say. “Are you talking to me, princess?”

  “Never mind.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m sorry I asked.”

  “No, it’s just…I’m honored. So honored that Princess Aurora, next in line to take the throne, is speaking to a common orchardist.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  She’s already shutting down, her shoulder becoming a bit more rigid, her emotions more cut off, and I’m torn between feeling sorry for her or shoving the dagger in a little deeper.

  I choose to do neither and look at the fire instead.

  “Lookie, lookie what Digory got us!” Isaac walks up with a bag in hand, Digory trotting behind him. “Coffee!”

  Cheers rise all around as the people crowd around Digory and Isaac. Across the circle, Levi’s eyes get almost larger than his giant glasses. “Holy. Crawford. Why is he JUST NOW unpacking that? I’ve been having caffeine withdrawals all week!”

  They boil a pot of water, then Kate, who finally decided to wake up at the mention of coffee, passes me and Aurora each a mug.

  “What is it, again?” Aurora asks, staring at the black liquid.

  I look at her in shock. “Coffee.”

  She arches a brow.

  “You’ve never heard of coffee?” I dare to ask. I grew up in the orchard, and even I’ve at least heard of it.

  But she shakes her head.

  “Hang on,” I say. “You mean to say that in all the years you’ve been hidden—wherever Titus kept you, he never introduced you to coffee? I mean, I’ve hardly had it, but I lived out in the orchard. But you lived in Frankfort right? Didn’t you?” Or maybe she didn’t.

  She stares at me, cautious.

  “I’m not trying to drag information out of you,” I say. “I’m just surprised. Titus is the ruler of Ky. He’s rich and has access to whatever he wants. But he never introduced you to coffee? You, his sister?”

  She releases a breath. “You just—you don’t get it.” She carefully sets the mug down on the ground and stalks away.

  “Way to go, Ember,” Kate snaps. “She finally makes an appearance, and her own sister sends her back to her little hole.”

  Guilt eases into me, and I sip my coffee. It’s pretty gross, really. Bitter. Black. It tasted better in Frankfort, laced with milk, sugar, and—if Rain was delivering—peppermint. But this stuff is disgusting. I swallow it anyway. Because I like the warmth. I like the community coffee brings. And I just basically told Aurora how wonderful it was and insinuated her uncultured tastes for never having tasted it, so I had better drink every last drop.

  “So…is nobody drinking this?” Levi asks, pointing at Aurora’s coffee, sitting on the ground. “No? Okay. I’m drinking it. That is, unless you want it. No? Okay. Thanks. Bye.”

  I roll my eyes and hunch forward. As if the Resurgence wasn’t disappointed in me enough already. I let them down by not being a willing leader. I brought Aurora here, giving them a bigger target on their back. Now they decide they could actually maybe use her, and I piss her off.

  Ugh. Get it together, Ember.

  A whistle sounds down the cave. A tune. One of the tunes I was supposed to memorize, but now I don’t remember its meaning. Judging by the terrified looks on everyone’s faces, I don’t think it’s good. Because panic. This is what panic looks like. Everyone’s leaping to their feet, dropping their coffee, their breakfast, as if that little bit of food isn’t what’s going to keep them alive. It’s like they think that if they stay here, t
hey will die anyway.

  And my heartbeat spikes.

  The whistle sounds again, louder this time. Whoever is whistling is coming toward us, and coming fast.

  “What’s happening?” I ask Dad.

  He looks at me, and the look in his eyes makes the fear curl around my spine one vertebrae at a time until I’m stiff with terror.

  “Titus,” he says. “He found us.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Oh no.

  No, no, no, no, no.

  This was not supposed to happen. The first thing I do is race to Aurora’s tent, shove past Mcallister, and burst through the tent flaps. I grip both her shoulders. She’s the only one in this camp who doesn’t look terrified. Not only that, she’s actually smiling. Smiling!

  “WHAT DID YOU DO?” I scream. “Did you tell him?” I scan her body for a phoneband we might have missed, but see nothing. Maybe there is a tracking device in her, like Levi suspected. Maybe bringing her here was a trap set up by Mrs. Turner all along. “What did you say to Titus?”

  “Nothing.” Her voice is cool and collected compared to mine. A ghost of a smile appears on her lips, and she says, “I told you he would come for me. I told you he would shake heaven and earth to find me.” She tilts her head to one side and her smile broadens. “You’re going to die. And I’m not going to do anything to stop it. I bet you really wish you’d returned me back to Frankfort when I told you to now, don’t you?”

  I’ve never wanted to choke anyone more than I want to choke her now. I lunge forward, wrap both hands around her neck, pummel her to the ground, but stronger hands grip my shoulders and yank me back.

  “Not now, Ember.” Walker’s voice. Uncle Jonah, always interfering with his nieces’ arguments. “We have to hide. And we’ll need Aurora for leverage.”

  He grabs Aurora’s arm, and I follow them out of the tent where Mcallister is waiting. We race down the corridor, deeper into the massive caverns. I follow the lanterns of the others. I don’t know where we’re going. I forgot my way around, and forgot the emergency procedures. Everything is so incredibly dark down here. They open a busted door in the wall, and we’re all clamoring in a tiny hallway only large enough for a single file.

  It’s suddenly getting hard to breathe. Because this hallway is narrow. And I’m in the back of the line behind Jonah and Aurora. I follow the dim light of the lamps down one turn, then another, then another. If Defenders enter the door behind me, we’re sitting ducks. Finally, we arrive at a larger room with old tables and chairs and I can almost breathe.

  “Quiet,” Jonah says as we crouch under one of the tables. He places his hand over Aurora’s mouth while he scans the crowd. “Lamps out and everyone QUIET.”

  The last bit of light vanishes and a hush falls over the room. The silence is as deafening as the darkness. And then I feel it. The ground just barely trembling with the marching of Defenders. There has to be hundreds of them to make the ground shake this much. Maybe even thousands. Marching, marching, marching, but no gunshots. I guess they’re afraid the cavern will collapse on top of them if they shoot. They’re probably right.

  My heart beats faster and faster as the marching gets closer, and I’m sure we’re going to die. We’re going to die tonight when the Defenders find us. They’ll just open fire into this tiny little room, and it’ll be a bloodbath. Dad, Elijah, Jonah, and I and everyone in the Resurgence will be dead.

  We should have crossed the bridge.

  But then the marching stops. And then complete silence. No one makes a single sound. I hardly allow myself to breathe as I tune my ears to the sounds going on in the rest of the caverns. And then I hear footsteps. Coming down the hall. Straight toward us. And they’re running. Fast. And then a light appears through the tunnel, and I’m squeezing my trembling hands into fists to stop the shaking, and I’m breathing too hard, and my heart’s pounding, pounding, pounding until I’m pretty sure it’s just going to pound right out of my ribcage and I’ll die of a heart attack instead of a gunshot, and I decide maybe that will be a better way to go anyway—

  A Defender steps into the doorway, and my heart stops completely. He holds a lamp in hand, and I squint, trying to get a closer look. Those features. So familiar. It’s almost like I’m looking at…Rain.

  Rain!

  Rain is standing at the doorway. And my heart remembers how to beat. He’s dressed as the Captain of Defenders, wearing a box-like hat, and his red uniform buttoned up to his chin. I hardly recognize him without his vest and newsboy cap on.

  Julius appears at his heels, and now my heart melts. I might be more relieved to see Julius than Rain.

  Rain holds the lamp up, scans the room, his breaths coming fast and hard.

  “False alarm,” he breathes. He swallows hard and he keeps scanning the room until his eyes find mine, and a small smile forms on his lips. “Everything’s fine. I brought the Defenders here, but they’re still under direct compulsion of Titus to kill you guys so—so don’t make a sound and don’t make a move and—” he looks at Aurora beside me. “And I need you to compel them to be on our side.”

  Wait, what?

  “No way,” Aurora says.

  I almost forgot Aurora has that kind of power, too. Alpha Blood. Aurora and I are the only ones in this cavern with Alpha Blood.

  “I can do it,” I say.

  He keeps his gaze locked on Aurora’s. “No. I want her to do it.”

  “Absolutely not,” she says, too confidently.

  Rain saunters toward her, grabs her shirt, yanks her to her feet, and shoves her against the wall so hard that she releases a small whimper.

  “Rain!” Mcallister shouts. And I don’t know why, but I would almost think I see a hint of pity in Mcallister’s black eyes. “Just let Ember do it!”

  “Nope. She’s gotta do it.” Rain glares at Aurora. “You will tell them to be on our side,” he says. “Or I will smash your head through the wall.”

  She stares at him, then her lips curve up into an arrogant smile and she laughs. “Jonah Walker won’t let you kill me.”

  Rain looks at Jonah, who gives a firm shake of his head.

  Rain presses his lips together, looks like he’s about to utter a string of curse words, then turns back to Aurora. “Fine then. I’ll just rip your fingernails out. One. By. One. And then I’ll rip your toenails out. One. By. One. Next, your fingers—”

  “Such empty threats,” Aurora says. I can almost see the laughter in her eyes in the dim light of the lantern. She has my eyes. Always smiling. I only now realize how incredibly annoying they are. “You can do anything you want, Rain Turner. But you’ll not break me.”

  Rain slams her against the wall again, so hard I can hear the breath being knocked out of her. Jonah and Mcallister shout at him to stop, but Rain pins her against the wall with his hips, grabs her hand, pulls a pocket knife from his pocket, sets the blade right beneath her fingernail. She winces, gives out small cry, and I realize he’s already begun removing the nail.

  “Rain, stop!” Jonah leaps to his feet.

  But blood is already dripping down her finger, and she screams in pain, and he shoves his elbow into her mouth to silence her and keeps cutting. And more blood, and I have to look away, but just before I do I see he’s already carved her entire fingernail out. He removes his elbow.

  “Are you ready to comply?” he asks, his voice calm and even slightly musical. “Or shall I begin carving out the next fingernail?”

  She’s crying. Her body is shaking with tears. But when she doesn’t respond, he pins her hand against the wall again, presses the knife into another finger and—

  “Fine!” she screams. “I’ll do it.”

  Rain removes the knife, snaps it closed, slips it into his pocket, and yanks her from the wall. Then he pulls a gun out of its holster and holds it to her head.

  “Great,” he says simply. “Let’s get going, shall we?”

  Tears are streaming down her cheeks, and she’s visibly trembling, but sh
e holds her chin up, pride etched on every inch of her features. Rain could break her resolve, but I don’t think any form of torture in the world could shatter her pride.

  We wait in the shadows until Rain gives us the clear to go back out. I hope he knows how strong Aurora is. How she could unexpectedly overpower someone in seconds. But then I remember how he trained with soldiers growing up, which makes him eligible for being in command of an entire fleet of Defenders. All Patricians receive the best education, and that education includes training in mortal combat and weaponry.

  Seconds bleed into minutes, and a good half hour creeps past by the time Rain returns, Aurora’s arm in his tight grip. She’s not crying now. She just looks angry. So incredibly resentful. Her entire hand is smeared in her blood, the blood smeared across her shirt.

  Rain looks at Jonah and grins. “It’s done. Safe to come out now.”

  The relief rippling through the group is almost palpable.

  Rain shoves Aurora toward Mcallister. “I would suggest you tie her up and keep her under guard. If she slips she could easily compel the Defenders to turn on us again.”

  Mcallister gently takes her arm, and I don’t think his grip is strong enough, but she doesn’t seem to be resisting. Why would she? She’s smarter than that. Mcallister used to be a Captain of Defenders and has more muscle than anyone here. No, she’ll wait until the most opportune moment, like when she and I are alone talking about Mom again. Which will never happen. For as long as I live, I don’t really care to have another one-on-one conversation with my twin.

  “How many Defenders did you bring?” Jonah asks Rain.

  “Five hundred.”

  A collective gasp.

  “You do realize we don’t have any of the antitoxin left, yes?”

  “That’s why I had Aurora compel them.”

  “How are we going to feed all these Defenders, Rain?” Jonah says. “We can hardly feed our meager community.”

  “Oh. Yes. Something I forgot to tell you.” He grins at the rest of us, locks his arms behind his back. “I brought one truck loaded with food and about a dozen other trucks filled with farm animals and Defenders.”