by T. A. White
They made their way along one of the loose pebbled walkways to a bench shaded by a tree in the corner of the courtyard. Its branches arched overhead, the leaves providing a welcome respite from the unrelenting sun.
“Remind me again why we can’t stay inside like normal people,” Dewdrop complained.
“I spend all day inside attending classes. It doesn’t hurt you to spend a little time outside.”
Tate and Dewdrop collapsed onto the bench, grateful to be out of the direct sun. Night walked over to the tree and used his forelegs tipped with claws to muscle his way into its branches. The leaves barely rustled as he padded along the branch until he reached the crook right over Tate and Dewdrop’s heads. He stretched out, crossing his paws and laying his head down. His tail flicked lazily back and forth.
“A little time, my ass,” Dewdrop muttered. “We had to walk all the way from the Lower to reach this place.”
Tate felt impressed despite herself, and a little bad she’d made them come back outside.
The city of Aurelia was broken into two parts. The lower half cradled the half-crescent harbor of the port. This was where many of the markets were located and was home to those without an excess of wealth, many of them the working class. The area referred to as the Upper perched on top of the massive black cliffs overlooking the Lower city and harbor. It was the seat of the Empire’s government. If you lived up here, it meant you were part of the upper echelons of society.
Aurelia’s Academy, the building where Tate spent a good part of her day, was located in the academic district on the border between the Upper city and the Lower. It would have taken hours of uphill walking to reach her. It was a journey she’d made every day for the last month.
We took the elevator.
Dewdrop glared at the oversized feline above them.
Tate’s lips quirked in a half smile. She felt a lot less bad now. The elevator built into the side of the cliff would have cut their journey down to twenty minutes.
Seeing the look on Tate’s face, Dewdrop snapped, “It was still hot.”
“Uh huh.”
Dewdrop rolled his eyes, acting very much like the little brother Tate sometimes treated him as. He tugged on his ear as he shifted on the bench.
Her eyes narrowed. He was normally a superb liar, able to stare someone in the eye as he lied through his teeth. Over the last few weeks, she’d taken the time to learn some of his tells. She was sure if he concentrated he could make her believe up was down and vice versa, but in unguarded moments he tended to give himself away.
There were only a few reasons she could think of that would make him want to keep something from her.
“You did another job for Ryu, didn’t you?”
His hand dropped and he cursed.
Told you she would figure it out.
Dewdrop tipped his head back and glared at the feline on the tree branch.
That was all the confirmation Tate needed.
“I can’t believe this. Again?”
He spread his hands. “We need the money. We’ve got five mouths to feed.”
He was right. They were running critically short on the money she had accrued from being part of a pirate crew, and Tate couldn’t easily make more locked up in classes everyday learning about important but inedible things.
“Wasn’t it you who said Ryu was a misbegotten son of an ass who couldn’t be trusted not to make everyone else as miserable as he was?”
“That was you.”
Tate paused and frowned. That’s right. She’d said that after he gave her the order that consigned her to death by boredom.
“But Ryu? Couldn’t you find some other way to make money?”
“What? Like pick pocketing?” He shook his head. “That route closed as soon as I left Lucius’s gang. It’s too dangerous to try to work in the Lower city. The Night Lords have carved up every street between themselves. Anyone caught poaching is dealt with decisively. And the Upper city is no safer with the Black Order patrolling every corner.”
“Maybe something a little less illegal. And dangerous,” Tate tacked on to the end. Anything Ryu was involved in was bound to be extremely dangerous. The last time she’d gotten sucked into his machinations she had almost died and was brought to the attention of the empire. Something that she had a feeling would have been better off avoided.
There’s not a lot of options for us. Not many people want to hire a creature like me or a former thief like him.
Night’s eyes were closed as he rested on the branch. To the outside world, he would seem relaxed and napping.
She hadn’t realized he was involved in this too.
“It wasn’t too bad, Tate,” Dewdrop said earnestly. “Neither one of us have a scratch.”
“What did he have you do?”
Dewdrop face was guilty as he gave a half-hearted smile. “We can’t tell you that.”
“Come on,” Tate scoffed.
“That’s always part of the agreement with Ryu. He doesn’t want things spread around.”
“Even with me?”
Especially with you.
What did Ryu have these two involved in that he didn’t want her to know of it? And since when did he think a little thing like confidentiality was going to stop her?
She gave Dewdrop a sidelong look, assessing the likelihood of her getting the information out of him. He gave her innocent eyes as if he didn’t know exactly what she was thinking. Chances were low of her cracking him right this minute. She’d wait. He’d let something slip eventually.
The gravel crunched and Night lifted his head. Tate and Dewdrop turned to look as another student rounded the hedges a few feet from them. The woman paused when she caught sight of the three of them. She had no choice but to pass right next to them.
“Tate.” Not a hair of her light brown hair moved from her sleek chignon as the woman gave a perfunctory nod, her almond shaped brown eyes flicking to the other two and away again. She was one of the few students in the class who seemed a similar age to Tate, appearing only a year or two younger at most.
“Roslyn.”
Roslyn’s lips tightened slightly at the lack of title. She didn’t like the fact that Tate outranked her. As a direct descendant of a Savior, Roslyn was used to being the ranking person at any gathering. She wasn’t quite sure what category Tate fell into. Technically, Tate existed outside the nobility since she was Dragon-Ridden. She supposedly only answered to the emperor himself. In reality, Tate wasn’t born a noble which made her little more than a street beggar in many eyes.
Tate suspected it was Roslyn’s rumored rocky relationship with her family that was really the culprit behind her chilly reception.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in class?” Roslyn asked.
“It was canceled.”
“Yeah, someone destroyed the summoning circle,” Dewdrop quipped.
Tate shot him a glance as he smothered his grin.
Roslyn’s eyes moved between the two of them as she put two and two together.
“You destroyed the circle?” Her forehead furrowed as she peered at Tate with a grudging respect.
Tate shrugged, uncomfortable with her utter failure at summoning the elemental.
“I’ve only seen that happen twice. Both times the summoner tried to call something too big for their ability level or the space allotted.”
Was that what happened?
“It’s rare to break a circle. Usually your call will just terminate before the being can try to cross the bridge. It takes a lot of power to create and maintain the bridge so few people even attempt it.” She gave Tate an assessing gaze. “Those summoners ended up in a coma from the snap back and power drain. How are you feeling?”
Now that Tate thought about it, she had a hellacious headache starting at the base of her neck and she was feeling chilled despite the heat.
“Just a mild headache.”
Roslyn’s nod was slow as if she didn’t quite believe the partial truth. “
You’re lucky if that’s all. I’m surprised Professor Daiske didn’t take you to the healers to be sure.”
“He was too busy ripping Tate a new one,” Dewdrop muttered.
Roslyn’s attention shifted to him. “That is not the action of a teacher. The blame lies with him for not ensuring she knew the limits of the circle.”
“You seem to know a lot about this magic stuff,” Dewdrop observed.
“I should,” Roslyn said crisply. “This is my second time through the course.”
Tate’s jaw dropped. What could be so interesting that she would want to sit through this twice? And how much money would it have taken to secure a seat the second time around?
Tate was all for learning, but she was much more suited for action. Beyond the practical skills like weapons and military strategy, she found it difficult to pay attention to the hours and hours of lectures.
“You decided to go through this voluntarily?” Dewdrop asked, his horror reflecting Tate’s.
Roslyn looked a little uncomfortable by the statement. “My family and I decided there was value in going over the material in case I’d missed something the first time.”
“Sounds like you’re pretty much a master at this,” Tate said, leaning back on one hand.
Night chuffed his agreement, drawing Roslyn’s eyes upward. Interest sparked behind her eyes before a veil slammed down hiding her thoughts.
“There is always more to learn,” Roslyn said, a thread of discomfort weaving through her voice.
Tate decided to drop the subject, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. This was the most Roslyn had spoken to her, or any person in the class, since Tate started attending. Surprisingly, the woman wasn’t as difficult as Tate had assumed given the icy disdain Roslyn normally projected. When she forgot to keep that wall up, Roslyn was actually pretty interesting.
“True enough,” Tate said. “I wish I could just get the basics down though.”
Roslyn gave her a small smile. “It would certainly benefit all defenseless summoning circles.”
Tate snorted as her laugh surprised her. She hadn’t expected Roslyn to make a joke.
“What brings you out here?”
Roslyn’s face shut down. Tate could see she was about to excuse herself.
The doors to the courtyard slammed open and a man in the uniform of the emperor’s guard strode toward Tate and her friends. He wore brown pants and a green shirt with the crest of the emperor embroidered over the left side of his chest.
Roslyn looked both hopeful and terrified as his long strides ate up the distance.
“Tate Fisher?” he asked.
Roslyn’s face fell before she locked her emotions behind a mask of polite interest.
“That’s me,” Tate said from her seat on the bench.
“Lord Ryuji sent me to escort you to his office.”
“Is this about the damage to the circle? Because that wasn’t my fault.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Tate sighed. Of course he wouldn’t. Why give him all the details so he could settle Tate’s piece of mind?
“Don’t suppose this could wait? They’re serving cinnamon rolls at the midday meal. They only make those once a week.”
“I’m afraid not. He said you were to report to him as soon as you received his message.”
Yup, that sounded like him.
She looked at Night and Dewdrop. “You staying or coming?”
Dewdrop looked torn between the promise of warm, buttery roles and watching Tate get chewed out. Again. He always got a perverse joy out of watching it happen.
I doubt they’ll let us get any of the rolls if you’re not here. Night jumped out of the tree, a waterfall of movement.
The guard gave a tightly controlled jump as Night landed next to him.
Dewdrop shrugged in agreement. “It’s always fun watching you get yelled at.”
Tate walked toward the guard. “Guess we’re all going with you.”
He nodded and turned, trusting they would follow.
Roslyn watched them go with a curious expression on her face. Tate was tempted to invite her along as well, but she didn’t want any more of an audience than necessary.
Tate gave her a small wave before following behind the other three.
Chapter Two
Lucky for them, Ryu’s office was only a few blocks away, located in what was loosely referred to as the government district where many of the high-ranking officials had homes and offices. It was also where the military’s leadership had their headquarters, as well as the parliament and ruling bodies for the house of law and the courts.
Tate’s shirt was already beginning to stick to her back as they made their way down the cobblestone sidewalk with the sun beating down on the top of her head. The heat that was just bearable under the shade of the tree was stifling now that she was moving.
Night plodded along beside the guard. Tate couldn’t imagine having all that fur in this heat. Unlike canines, felines couldn’t pant to cool off either. They sweated through their feet. Night’s had to be on fire walking on the sunbaked stone. Dewdrop and Tate at least had shoes.
There weren’t many people out running errands. When it got this hot, most stayed inside unless it was necessary. During summer, Aurelia only really came alive during the early morning hours and after the sun went down at night. Otherwise, most people found a nice cool spot to wait out the heat.
It was something Tate wished she could do right about now. Most of her day was typically spent locked up in the classroom, which had a nice cooling system to keep the worst of the heat away.
The group meandered their way past the financial district and through one of the many city parks, where a horde of children wearing as little clothing as possible ran through one of the fountains.
Tate envied them. The water looked heavenly right now. It would be a splash of refreshment, trailing along her skin leaving blessed relief behind. Alas, she doubted Ryu would be happy if she showed up at his office sopping wet.
Dewdrop and Night were eyeing the fountain with the fervor of parched men in the middle of the desert, so she knew she wasn’t the only one wishing she had nowhere to be for the next few hours.
“He said no delays,” the guard said, noting where their attention had gone.
“It wouldn’t be a delay so much as a detour,” Tate tried.
“Detour, by definition, is a delay,” he returned.
Logic. Bah. Always getting in the way of great ideas.
“This way.” The guard set off down the path again. “We’re almost there.”
“Almost there my ass,” Dewdrop muttered. “We have another ten minutes, and then we have to climb two flights of stairs.”
That’s right, it was their second trip today. Tate was a little surprised that the two had decided to tag along. They could have headed back to Colton’s Place and the apartment the three of them rented. At least there, they could spend the rest of the day lazing around.
A crowd gathered at one end of the park where a man stood on the steps of a small gazebo preaching. His face was passionate and his gestures frenzied.
It was too hot to be that excited about anything. How did he even get that many people out at this time of day? In this heat?
A woman, perspiration dotting her forehead and her hair coiled in a tight bun at the back of her neck, stood in a small group on the edge of the path handing sheets of paper to people passing by. Seeing Tate, she darted over, thrusting a flyer into her hands.
“His words are true and just. Attend one of our speeches to find out how you can help in the fight.”
Tate took the flyer and turned it over. It was a drawing of an animal that walked upright, its fur the brightest sapphire blue and its eyes a startling green. Tate had never seen a creature with its coloring and features. Words were printed under the photo, ‘If we don’t act first, they will.’
Tate turned the flyer to show Dewdrop and Night. Her voice was dry as she
said, “How lovely, another protest against the sleepers.”
The woman looked earnest as she leaned toward Tate, her eyes fanatical. “Not just the sleepers. They’re just the latest plague the Creators have visited upon us. If we truly want to rip out their rot, it’ll take forcing the Kairi and the Silva out of our beautiful city and back to their own lands.”
Night chose that moment to rise onto his back legs, placing a paw on Tate’s arm and moving it so he could see the flyer better. His whiskers pointed forward and he made a chuffing sound in the back of his throat before dropping back to all fours.
The woman gasped, looking horrified that one of the creatures she so abhorred stood right in front of her. She drew back as if Night, and Tate by association, were tainted.
Tate gave her a cutting smile, making sure all of her teeth were on display. It was a trait she’d picked up from Night. Teeth meant aggression and she was feeling aggressive. “I think we’ll pass. Somehow I just don’t think we’re the intended recipients of this message.”
The woman made a gurgling sound before darting back to her little circle of friends, huddling next to them and whispering, as Tate and her friends continued on their walk.
“That’s the third speech this month,” the guard said as they left. “They seem to get more aggressive every time they arrange one of these. The Upper city guards have been complaining about the amount of work it takes to get them to clear out when they’re done.”
Tate had heard rumors that mini protests were popping up all over the city, but they were mostly confined to the Lower where they could set up, preach their word and then disappear before the emperor’s guards tried to have them arrested.
A man exploded out of a pair of hedges camouflaging another path. He slammed into Dewdrop, nearly bowling him over. The stranger snarled and leapt back.
He wasn’t a big man, instead having the lithe form of an athlete. His hair was a mass of wavy brown, and he had the look of the wild on him. As if the touch of civilization only had the slightest hold. His amber eyes glared at them.
Night crouched and padded forward slightly, his ears pressed flat to his head and his whiskers pointed forward. It was the pose he adopted right before he pounced.
