Midnight's Blossom

by Corinn Heathers

  I tried to sink into the floor as I nodded. No use in hiding it at this point.

  “I know it's scary,” she crooned into my ear, “but just remember that you won't be alone. Rose will be with you and I will be with you. Shion will also be with us. No matter what happens, we won't let anything happen to you.”

  I shook my head vehemently. “No. I'm not going to jump out of an airship.”

  “We don't have a choice if we want to rescue your mom,” Rose said. “It's the only way we can get out of Naara without having to go through IPSB checkpoints—and they'll sense the dark mana in your body the minute you come close.”

  “You can close your eyes and hold onto me,” Yuka added. “I'll make sure we reach the ground safely. I promise.”

  Trembling like a leaf caught in gale-force winds, I tried to nod and look confident, but I'm certain I failed. Rose and Yuka both brought themselves close to me, kissing each of my cheeks at the same time. It was as if a sort of magic had been worked, one that had nothing at all to do with aether, and I felt the dread lessen just slightly.

  “I—I don't deserve either of you,” I blurted. “Why would you go so far for my sake? Risking your lives like this—”

  “Because we love you,” Rose interrupted.

  “Very much,” Yuka added.

  My cheeks grew warm as both of them broke out into a fit of giggles.

  “H-hey!”

  Rose was the first to recover from the much-needed easing of tension, and a sly smile crossed her face. “Go upstairs, both of you. The room on the north corner is Shion's; it's unlocked. There's a bath ready and waiting for the both of you. Fresh change of clothes, too.”

  An indignant expression crinkled Yuka's features. “Are you trying to tell us that we are not fit to be seen in public?”

  “Smelled, more likely. Sticking to the shadows won't do us much good if they catch a whiff of the two of you slipping past,” Rose quipped, and hastily ducked to avoid a wadded-up tissue thrown by Yuka.

  Chapter 30

  The Viridian Sea

  Rose's snark notwithstanding, I did feel a lot more like myself after a hot soak to wash away the days of sweat and grime. My hair, fortunately, avoided sustaining too much damage as I kept it cut fairly short. A quick rinse and wash, plus a few drops of scented oils had it back to normal.

  Yuka's hair took a bit more doing, but after giving it the same sort of treatment it was back to its usual glossy black shimmer. The two of us wore similar clothing: dark gray pants made from heavy cloth paired with long-sleeved charcoal half-tunics that would help us vanish into the shadows more easily. Both articles were studded with pockets both large and small, and were fitted close to our bodies to lessen the chance of snagging on anything we brushed past.

  I made the observation that they looked like thieves' garments, and Shion confirmed that my suspicions were entirely correct.

  “I look like a second-story artist,” I grumbled.

  Shion plucked at my sleeve. “Better than looking like terrorists, right?”

  “Not that it'll matter. Once we breach the outer wall, the guards aren't going to care what we're dressed like. They'll try to kill us regardless.” Rose offered me a smile that put me a little more at ease. She, too, wore the same sort of clothing designed with concealment in mind. Her white hair was a little obvious, so she secured it into a tight bun and plopped a rather drab, if somewhat rakish-looking, hat upon her head.

  “Well? How do I look?”

  “Like a depressed, poverty-stricken bard,” I said in a deadpan tone.

  Rose laughed.

  The hold of the airship was not especially cold or quiet, but fortunately it was private, as our hosts opted not to disturb us once we were in the air. The four of us sat upon crates that were lashed down tightly to the deck.

  With little else to pass the time, we went over the plan to make absolutely certain we all understood our part in it. Willow Corvus's forces would assault the guardhouse directly, breach the outer defenses and give us an opening with which to slip inside. Her part in the assault hinged greatly on her magic and a stockpile of contraband aetherium to fuel it.

  While the Panopticon stood upon a patch of blighted land, the aetherium would allow Willow and her people to continually cast spells even in the absence of ley lines. The Antilight assault on the exterior of the gates would draw the prison's defenders to that point. Willow would use her magic to raise the corpses from the old catacombs beneath the prison, hitting the guards from behind with undying warriors.

  The psychological impact of facing a force of zombies, signifying the presence of a powerful necromancer, would weaken the defenders' resolve as they fought against rebel fighters equipped with disrupting weapons. The prison's own supply of aetherium would be strained trying to defend against the rebels and Willow's zombie army.

  During the confusion, the four of us would play our role in the attack. We would find Mother and rescue her, then retreat as quickly and stealthily as we could. Willow had no intention of holding the prison, but she would free every last rebel that was held there before retreating into the thick forests surrounding the facility.

  “Just remember,” Shion said to Rose directly, “the fear you feel when facing zombies isn't anything to worry about. You have to push through it, past it. They're on our side, but you'll still feel unnerved.”

  “I feel somewhat singled out,” Rose joked.

  “Singled out?” I echoed.

  Shion nodded. “Neither you nor Master Shimizu—”

  Yuka scowled. “Yukari. I told you I hate that title.”

  “As you wish.” Their lips split into a wide grin, baring rows of perfect white teeth. “Those of us with a dark Aspect will be unaffected by the unsettling aura produced by undead. This is something Rose has to deal with. We can't ward her against it with our magic.”

  I didn't like that, and I was certain my expression reflected that. It was going to be difficult enough to face the Panopticon's defenders without Rose having to worry about necromantic auras distracting her.

  A stray memory occurred to me. Maybe we did have something that could help. “What about that warding amulet you carry?”

  Shion gave me a blank look.

  “The one you set me up to break a spell on,” I clarified. “Do you still have it?”

  “Shit. I'd forgotten about that.” The other mage shook their head in wonderment and reached into their satchel. A moment later, Shion withdrew the light-infused pendant and held it out for Rose to see.

  “That's the emblem of the Celestial Prophecy,” Rose observed, studying the insignia with a marked amount of trepidation.

  “We took it off of one of their spies sent to infiltrate the Cabal.” Shion handed the amulet to Rose. Unlike the rest of us, Rose had no real connection to dark mana, and so the ward's magic woke at her touch. “If you wear it, it'll protect you from most types of dark magic. It should also keep the necromantic aura from reaching your heart.”

  I could see an uncertain look in Shion's eyes, and apparently Rose noticed it, too. She held the ward, but didn't slip it over her head just yet.

  “There's a catch, isn't there?”

  “It doesn't discriminate,” Yuka explained. “The ward will 'protect' you from dark magic. All dark magic, even that which could be beneficial. If you wear the amulet, none of us will be able to use our spells to aid you directly.”

  Rose frowned at that, but I placed a hand on hers and nodded. “I think you should.”

  “But then none of you can—”

  “I know, but it feels… right. Your Aspect is strong, and you can wield other types of mana well enough to make up for the lack.”

  Yuka and Shion were both regarding me curiously, but I ignored them and kept my focus on Rose, who seemed somewhat less reluctant now. After a moment's additional consideration, she nodded and slipped the pendant over her head. The piece of enchanted jewelry came to rest against her collarbone, and I abruptly lost all sense of
her flame. If I hadn't been sitting next to her on the crate, I would have thought she vanished into thin air.

  “Did it work?” Rose's brow furrowed and her nose crinkled. “I don't feel different.”

  I nodded. “It worked. I can't sense your magic any longer.”

  Rose's fingertips ran across the amulet's surface and she shrugged. I offered her a comforting smile, but it quickly turned alarmed as the floor seemed to drop out from under me. My stomach lurched, and for a terrible moment I thought we were falling out of the sky.

  “Relax, little red lily. We're just descending.” Neither Rose nor any of my other companions looked as if anything out of the ordinary had happened. “It means we're coming up on the drop zone. The cargo bay door will open soon, and then we jump.”

  I swallowed hard and tried not to imagine how high off the ground we currently were.

  Shion and Yuka both slipped off the crate they sat upon. I watched as Rose and her old friend spent a few moments checking their gear. When Yuka sidled up next to me and wrapped her arms around me, I nearly sagged to the deck with relief.

  “Door is opening,” a scratchy, metallic voice called over the intercom.

  “I've got you, Lily,” Yuka murmured into my ear. “I won't let you go.”

  There was a loud whirring sound as the airship's cargo door servos began to actuate. A great rush of wind filled the interior of the cargo bay as the hatch lowered, and a klaxon began to blare as it did so. It was far too noisy for further conversation.

  Shion went first. They strode out to the edge of the open hatch and dropped out of the airship with a casual ease that told me this wasn't their first experience with such things. Rose followed suit, stepping out into the sky as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and desperately tried to arrest my out-of-control heartbeat. It was our turn. Yuka released me from the embrace and clasped my hand tightly.

  One step, one more step. One step after another. Yuka guided me to the edge—

  We were falling.

  My heart skipped a beat, and then another. Terror and panic gripped me. My arms and legs flailed uselessly, desperately trying to claw for purchase and I opened my mouth to scream… and found that I couldn't.

  Wonderful warmth and softness forced my eyes open. I couldn't see the airship. I couldn't see the dark sky as we plummeted toward the ground. All I could see were Yuka's eyes gazing into mine, glimmering like twin rubies. All I could smell was her scent, and all I could feel was her embrace as she held me close and kissed me.

  I shut my eyes again and kissed back, urgently. Yuka's lips smothered the fear and the panic. I was dimly aware that we seemed to be falling more slowly, but I didn't or couldn't care. There was only Yuka's kiss. Time lost meaning, and even the banshee shriek of the wind in my ears died away. I was transfixed.

  When she finally pulled away from me, I stared at her in wide-eyed astonishment. We were on the ground, in a small clearing lined with weathered old stones. I could feel the earth beneath my feet, see the tall trees of the forest stretching out around us. My legs collapsed from under me, but strong, tawny arms caught me. I realized that we were all on the ground now. Shion stood some distance away, scanning our surroundings, but Rose was right beside me.

  “See? You made it down in one piece,” she said.

  “H-how did—” I blinked and stared at Yuka as she crowded in next to Rose. “What in the Yawning Hells g-gave you the idea to kiss me as we jumped from a flying airship?!”

  Rose grinned impishly. “Guilty as charged, little red lily.”

  “I wasn't entirely certain it would work, either,” Yuka admitted, biting her lower lip, “but Rose insisted that you were, um, prone to losing yourself within such moments.”

  My cheeks warmed sharply. “You should know that already.”

  “Um, well, there does seem to be a correlation here.” Now it was Yuka's turn to blush, and she adjusted her spectacles anxiously. Her gaze flicking to settle on Rose, who laughed uproariously and slapped the half-fey woman across the shoulders.

  “When we get back to civilization, I'm taking you out for drinks.” Her lascivious expression only deepened Yuka's—and my—blush. “Do some girl-bonding, compare notes, maybe talk about all the cute noises she makes when you lick—”

  I clapped my hands over my mouth in shock. “Rose, please!”

  “Quiet down!” Shion hissed. “The three of you are loud enough to wake the dead—and Willow doesn't need your help!”

  The reminder of where we were and what we were here to do put a very effective damper on the mood. Rose winked at me, but said nothing else, and Yuka did her best to assume a businesslike expression, even if she was still a little flushed.

  “How long will we have to wait?” I asked.

  Shion shrugged.

  “No longer,” a familiar voice said from behind us.

  All four of us turned at once, toward the southern edge of the clearing. As if stepping out of shadow itself, a tall and elegant lady mage with raven-black hair came into the moonlight. I couldn't see anyone else, but the rustling from behind—and the sharp, glimmering sense of refined aetherium—told me the rest of our forces had likewise arrived.

  “Well met, Lily Alcyone.”

  “It's good to see you again, Willow,” I said, smiling at her.

  Willow Corvus looked rather different than the image I held in my mind. She was neither dressed in her beautiful archmage's gown, nor was she disguised as a simple peasant. This time, her torso and limbs were encased in a suit of lightweight half-plate armor that was so heavily enchanted it seemed less like metal and more like an extension of her body. At her left hip rode the hilt and pommel of a finely-crafted arming sword, and at her right hip was a holster containing a long-barreled revolver.

  “Everything is in place?” Shion asked.

  A not-so-distant rumble came from the west. I nearly jumped out of my skin as a series of blasts followed quickly after the first. It was not thunder. I tilted my head toward the sound, toward the direction of the prison.

  The operation was underway.

  “The defenders have already been engaged,” Willow confirmed. “From this clearing I will command the dead to fight at my side. Your route to the east wall should be clear.” She gestured toward a partially-obscured dirt path at the edge of the clearing's west side. “Follow the trail and you'll be able to slip in through the breach.”

  My heart swelled with gratitude as I nodded to the necromancer. Thanks to her and her forces, I would be able to rescue my mother. I understood that we were being used the same way we used them, but the coldly pragmatic nature of our relationship couldn't dampen my mood now.

  Soon, I would be able to see my mother again.

  “Thank you.”

  *

  It didn't take us long to find the breach in the Panopticon's eastern wall. It wasn't large, and it had been intentionally created to look incidental, as if the fire spells launched at the prison's exterior were not so precisely aimed. I peered out from the edge of the forest. Yuka and Rose were beside me; none of us spoke, and none of us needed to.

  Shion had split off a few minutes ago, heading for a small hillock near the northeastern “corner” of the Panopticon's circular outer wall. From there, they would weave spells of shadow into illusory soldiers massing on the prison's northern side. I felt a slight pang of worry, as they were alone, but Rose seemed plenty confident in her friend's abilities.

  “It's clear,” Yuka whispered. Her eyes were half-closed as she focused her magic upon the section of the breached wall. “Let's go.”

  With a swift, sure motion, I drew my dagger from its scabbard at the small of my back. During the planning phases, Rose and Yuka both insisted that I was not to wield Eiri's spirit blade unless there was absolutely no other options. I had to agree; while the relic was incredibly deadly and powerful, it drained my reserves of mana so quickly that I would become a liability shortly after using
it.

  The dagger Mother gave me was a potent weapon in its own right, and I felt comfortable relying upon it and my magic to protect me and to save her. I held my dagger in my left hand, the blade extending from the bottom of my fist in a reverse grip. It was a more defensive style that left my dominant hand free to wield my most potent weapon: my magic.

  Yuka was armed, too—it was the first time I'd ever seen her wield a weapon. At her waist was sheathed an Eastern-style sword of a type I'd never seen until now. It was single-edged, longer than Eiri's spirit blade, with a gently curving blade that swept upward into a stout, chisel-like point perfect for penetrating armor. I frowned at her; she hadn't drawn the sword yet, even though we could be attacked at any moment.

  “Aren't you going to ready your arms?” I asked, puzzled.

  She chuckled and patted the hilt. “It is readied. My sword style centers on the art of unsheathing and attacking all in one motion.”

  “Huh. I never would have guessed you were a swordswoman,” Rose murmured. “You didn't exactly strike me as the type.”

  “I'll take that as a compliment,” Yuka replied graciously. Her eyes sharpened and she motioned toward the breach in the wall. “Enough chit-chat. Let's get moving.”

  Rose went first, followed by me, with Yuka bringing up the rear. The three of us had worked out this order during the planning phase; it made the most sense for Rose to be up front, as she was the biggest and strongest, and her skills in weaponless hand-to-hand combat meant she had to get in close to be effective. When it came to close-quarters combat, I was the least of us, and once inside the prison proper, the magic available to me would be very limited. Without accessible ley lines present to replenish ourselves, we had to be careful.

  The hole in the wall was not very large; it was a tight fit for Rose, but those of us with fey heritage found our small stature useful. After Rose squeezed her way through the breach, I followed, and Yuka slipped through a moment later.