The Madness Project (The Madness Method)

by Bralick, J. Leigh

  The notion of it got my heart aching a bit, and I stopped halfway down the hall. Would I want to give up my name? The kids here all had tags because they didn’t have a mum or dad to give them one, or least, not one they could remember. I’d always been different because I came with a name, and a memory of a home.

  Home.

  My thoughts drifted, taking me back, carrying me through so many memories. Why could I remember it so vividly? It almost didn’t seem fair. I should’ve forgotten by now.

  Maybe I couldn’t really blame Shade, wanting to forget.

  “Hayli?”

  I lifted my head. Somehow I’d got to sitting against the wall with my head in my arms, and Rivano himself knelt in front of me.

  “Something troubling you?” he asked, gently. “Shiver said you needed to see me.”

  I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. “I was just…” I shook my head. Rivano didn’t need to hear some sob story about my past. So instead I said, “It’s Shade. He’s…he’s falling apart, and…”

  Rivano straightened up a bit. “What do you mean, falling apart?”

  “I dan’ na. Dan’ na if it’s because of all the magic, or if he’s got something else gannin’ on inside him, but he…seems like he’s fallen in with a bad lot, and they’re killing him. They’re ganna kill him!”

  I almost shouted that last bit at him, but he didn’t even flinch.

  “Hayli,” he said. “Shade’s got to make it through this on his own. I have a feeling I know what he’s going through, but you can’t save him.”

  “But I can’t just perch up and watch it happen! He’s my friend. And I…and…” I blushed and jerked my gaze away, knotting and unknotting my fingers. “I thought he was ganna kill himself,” I whispered. “And I dan’ think he even realized it. He’s hurting himself and he knows it hurts us and he keeps on doing it! And I should hate him for that but I can’t…I…”

  I choked on the words.

  “You need to carry on, for him,” he said. “Stand by him, but let him find his way.”

  I bowed my head, all the energy just slipping away from me. I’m not sure what I’d expected, but I think I’d hoped he would give some kind of advice—real advice. Tell me what to do, or at least tell me he would take care of it. Maybe I’d hoped it would make Rivano finally break down and see Shade, because I thought half Shade’s problem was that he couldn’t seem to get anywhere in his hunt for whatever person he’d come from Istia to track down.

  “Won’t you talk to him?” I asked. “Please?”

  “It’s not time yet.”

  “It’ll never be grobbing time if he kills himself!” I cried, anger blushing up my cheeks.

  He gave me a patient kind of look and got to his feet. “If he can’t make it through this, then I’m afraid he doesn’t concern me,” he said.

  I gaped at him, stunned speechless. All I could do was stare as he turned and faded down the hall. He couldn’t mean that. I must’ve misunderstood him, somehow. For all the odd things Rivano seemed to be, heartless wasn’t one of them.

  A minute and I realized Shiver had reappeared, lounging against the wall beside me with his arms folded.

  “Not the result you’d hoped for, I take it?”

  “You were listening?” I asked, spitting the words, because I didn’t reckon I was much in the mood to be polite.

  “No secrets in the Clan, Hayli,” he said. “You’re surrounded by Knacks and Rifts and all manner of curious folks who can do all manner of curious things. You can’t keep secrets here. Rule number one.”

  I scowled at my hands. “I really thought he’d help. I dan’ have anyone else to ask.”

  “What about Kantian?”

  I shuddered. Didn’t want to tell him that I thought Kantian was part of Shade’s problem, and that I’d seen too many odd things about the man lately for me to quite trust him. Derrin…I wanted to talk to Derrin, but he’d off and disappeared somehow, and I couldn’t track him down anywhere. He was as bad as Shade.

  “This that new mage you’re talking about?” Shiver asked. “What’s his tag? Shade?”

  “How d’you…oh, never mind,” I said. No secrets. “Yeah, that’s him.”

  “And he’s what, gone a bit barking mad or some such?”

  “Dan’ you talk like that about him!” I cried, cheeks flaming. “He’s not mad. I mean, no more than any of us are. He’s just…he’s so lost. And…Rivano should’ve tried to help him.”

  “Rivano’s no one’s nanny,” Shiver said.

  I shot him a sullen glare. “Dan’ na why I’m talking to you about it, anyhow. I dan’ na aught about you.”

  He didn’t seem impressed. A quick grin flashed over his face. “We’re mages. That makes us brethren.”

  “I dan’ feel particularly brethren to every mage I’ve ever met,” I said. “Some are just awful.” I got to my feet and dusted my hands off on my breeks. “Well. See you around, I suppose.”

  He opened his mouth to say something to that, but suddenly someone hollered my name from back in the west wing, the sound of it echoing through all the hallways. I froze. My heart froze.

  Oh God, please don’t let it be Shade…

  I met Shiver’s gaze, then turned and bolted back toward the Hole. I nearly barreled into Anuk in the long hallway, but he grabbed my arms before I could go toppling over.

  “Stars, Anuk! What’s wrong?”

  “Shade lammed off a little while back.”

  “I know that already,” I said, running to keep up with him as he walked.

  That’s why I’d gone to Rivano, because I was terrified of what Shade might be planning…terrified that he might try to finish what Anuk had stopped last night.

  We escaped out into the enclosure, where some of the skitters were playing in the puddles and the rare winter sunshine.

  “That kid, Tam, from the Bricks?” Anuk said. “Just came saying he saw Branigan with Shade up in Trip’s turf. He thought at first that maybe Shade had gone to him, but then said it didn’t seem to be a friendly meeting. More like Branigan had cornered him, got him defenseless.”

  I caught Bugs standing still, some little distance from us, staring toward the other skitters but not really watching them. Listening in, the little sneak. I tapped a knuckle to my chin, signaling Anuk to keep his voice down. Soon as he saw it, his voice dropped clean away, and he flicked a knowing glance at Bugs.

  “Poor skitter,” I whispered. “He just adores Shade. I dan’ want him knowing what’s happening with him.”

  “I know.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Just wish there wasn’t anything to hide, so.” He turned away, leading me along with him, far out of earshot of the wee ones. “What can we do? If they’ve got him glassed out.…he might want to get out of it but not know how, you know? D’you remember that kid Wick? Same kind of thing happened to him. Got tricked into a dose, could never get himself out of it after, so.”

  I closed my eyes. I could barely remember the kid—I’d only been about eight. But I remembered one thing. He was the last skitter the Hole had buried.

  “Do you think we should try to find him?” I asked, my voice high and shaky. “That man scares me.”

  “Branigan,” he hissed. “I’d send him straight to the Chasm if I could, for what he’s done.”

  “When did Tam come by?”

  “Just before I came looking for you.”

  “Why div’n he stay with Shade and help?” I asked. “He should have tried to stop them!”

  Anuk tipped his head back, sighing heavily. “What good could he have done, Hayli? One kid against Branigan and his toughs? He would’ve got himself killed, so.”

  “What if Branigan wants to kill Shade? Anuk! We’ve got to gan.”

  “I know.” He shook his head and gripped my arm. “Wait here. I’ll just go find Jig and Coins.”

  He strode off toward the Hole. I wandered halfway back on his tail, then stood waiting near the group of skitters. For a few minutes I
watched them, all ruddy-cheeked and damp in the sparkling sunlight, kicking the ball about in some kind of elaborate game they’d just invented. Even the new kid, Whip, seemed to be smiling for the first time I’d seen. Bugs had probably befriended him, because that’s just what Bugs did.

  I frowned.

  “Bugs?” I whispered.

  I scanned the group of kids once, then twice, but Bugs wasn’t among them. My heart gave a lurch and I ran to little Kitty, figuring that if anyone knew where Bugs was, it’d be Kitty. She adored him almost as much as Bugs adored Shade.

  “Kitty,” I said, grabbing her shoulder.

  “Hayli!” she wailed, watching the ball sail past her. “You made me lose!”

  “Listen to me a tick,” I said. “You seen Bugs?”

  She stopped squirming at that and scowled around the enclosure. “He was here just a bit ago! Maybe he went in?”

  Not likely, I thought. Bugs avoided the Hole much as he could, except when there was chow or sleep to be had.

  I released the girl and backed a few steps. Everything inside me seemed to sink straight for the pavement, because I knew, I just knew where Bugs had gone. He’d heard us talking. He’d heard enough and now…

  He’s gone after Shade.

  I didn’t even give myself a chance to think. I didn’t wait for Anuk and the lads. I just turned and threw myself at the wind.

  I skim the rooftops, heading straight for Trip’s turf where Anuk said Shade had been spotted. If I have any luck, I can get there before Bugs and keep him from doing anything reckless.

  He’s just a kid, Hayli whispers. I can hear the terror in her voice. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.

  I can’t think of anything to say to her, so I fix my gaze on the streets below and keep flying. So far I have not seen Bugs, but I don’t know how much of a head start he might have gotten. I don’t even know for certain that he is on the streets at all. The little girl may have been right; Bugs might have gone inside, maybe to try to convince Anuk and the boys to let him come with them.

  That must be what happened. I will do a sweep, and if I don’t see him, I’ll return and search for him at the Hole.

  As I get closer to Trip’s turf, I hear something faint on the air. Voices, maybe. Yes. Raised voices, arguing. I try to catch a swell of wind to speed my way, but my wings can only beat so fast. My heart taps a frenzied beat, and Hayli is screaming in my thoughts to hurry. I try.

  I’m still streets away when my ears first catch the words.

  “What’ve I told you? Too much. He’s useless like this.”

  I hear a thudding sound once, then again.

  “That’s enough,” the voice says. “Breaking his jaw won’t get him to talk.”

  “You can’t kill me.” That is Shade’s voice, slow and broken, but defiant.

  “Shut up! You give me what you promised. No backing out now.”

  “I could…tell people…everything you’ve done.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “What’ve I got to lose?” Shade asks. “You’re nothing to me. I say…you are not human. You must die.”

  His voice slips, his words drifting into nonsense.

  “Put that gun down, Shade. Shade! Put it down!”

  I beat my wings harder, harder than I’ve ever flown before.

  “He’s going to kill all of us,” a new voice says, low and rough. “He’s no use to us anymore. The bits aren’t working.”

  “Fine. I’ve done. Just make it fast.”

  I skim to the top of the roof, screaming, gasping for breath, just in time to see one of the men kick the gun from Shade’s hand. As soon as it clatters away, another lifts his revolver and aims it straight at Shade, straight at his head. Shade doesn’t move, doesn’t fight. He leans against the wall, broken, blood streaming down the side of his face, his eyes glassy and fixed on the sky with something like hope.

  Below me, another voice echoes my scream, shouting one desperate word.

  “SHADE!”

  No, Hayli whispers. No.

  A tiny figure bursts from the shadows, streaking straight for the group of men, Shade’s revolver flashing in his hand. The gunman spins, his finger slips. The air shatters, and the boy jerks back, stumbling, falling to the ground.

  I scream, beating the air, blood like rage pounding in the corners of my vision. I hear the gunman curse, and one of the others grabs his arm and they all take off running.

  Hayli is beating at the walls of my mind, screaming—at me, at Branigan, at Shade, at Bugs. I cannot hold her anger. I cannot fathom her grief. So I drift to the ground, gently, and release her.

  “Bugs!” I shouted, soon as my feet hit the pavement.

  The word caught in my throat, turned me sick with it. I flew across the alley and fell to my knees at the boy’s side.

  “Bugs, please…” I whispered, laying my hand on his back. “Oh, dan’ you dare… Shade! Shade, you’ve gotta help…”

  I twisted around to find Shade, but he lay slumped against the wall, face bloodied and bruised, dazed. And I knew that it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because Bugs lay still and pale, one tiny hand splayed in a puddle by his head. The sun shone off the water, and the wind stirred his hair, but he stared away at nothing with a word frozen on his lips. He didn’t know how the blood flecked across his chin, or pooled on the ground beneath him. He didn’t know. He didn’t know he had saved Shade’s life.

  I choked on my breath and wrapped my arms around him, lifting him from the pavement. I couldn’t bear to look at his sweet face. Couldn’t. I ran my fingers through the wild tufts of his hair, staring away down the street that I could barely see.

  “Why?” I whispered to him, or maybe to God. “Why?”

  I bent over him, my whole body shaking, and pressed my lips to his cold forehead. Footsteps clashed on the pavement, shattering the silence, and then I heard Anuk shouting, the steps breaking into a run. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited.

  Anuk skidded to a stop in front of me. Other footsteps streamed past, heading for Shade.

  “What…” Anuk started.

  I opened my mouth, but for a minute I couldn’t conjure up a voice. I just stared at Anuk and he stared at me, the world around me blurring into shadow. Then all in a rush my grief shifted into rage.

  “Anuk,” I said, my voice rasping a bit. “Take him. And get Shade back to the Hole.”

  “Bugs,” he murmured, his eyes searching mine. “They shot him? They shot…a kid?”

  I carefully moved Bugs into his arms, buttoning the top button of his shirt to keep him warm, because he was always forgetting it and the wind was so, so cold…

  “Just take care of him,” I said.

  “Where are you going?”

  I got to my feet. “Visiting.”

  I turned, and Shifted.

  * * * *

  The crow tracked Branigan’s men to a warehouse, and left me on the front stoop with nothing but muttered complaints at my insanity. She was right, and I knew it. I was a bitty sixteen-year-old girl, and unarmed to boot, but right then, I didn’t care a jot. They’d killed Bugs, and they might as well have killed Shade that first night he met them. They’d destroyed him, and I would never forgive them.

  I slammed open the door and stormed inside, listening to a handful of guns coming ready in the shadows.

  “Branigan!” I shouted. My voice had a shakiness, not from grief but fury, but I knew it would sound the same as fear. I swallowed and clenched my teeth. “I’m talking to you!”

  I peered through the patchy darkness. Crates and machines towered above me, dust motes swam around me in the faint streams of light. I could just make out the figures of the three men clustered near one stack of crates.

  If they figure out that you know they killed Bugs… the crow whispered, but I ignored her and strode straight toward them.

  “What did you do to Shade?” I asked, coming face to face with the man that had to be Branigan.

  The man flicked
a knowing kind of smile at one of his toughs. “What’re you doing here, little girl?” he asked me, staring down his nose at me. “You’re in so far over your head you can’t see which way is up. Get out before we have to deal with you.”

  “Like Bugs?” I hissed. “So, you like to kill children? Or does your man just not know how to handle a gun?”

  “How—”

  “What did you do to Shade?” I shouted, balling my hands in fists. “You could’ve killed him!”

  “Should’ve killed him,” Branigan said. “He’s outlived his usefulness.”

  “Usefulness?” I echoed, watching Branigan turn away.

  One of the toughs, the one who’d killed Bugs, adjusted his grip on his gun. Panic exploded in my thoughts. I had to stop Branigan and keep him talking, or I’d be staring down a gun barrel myself.

  “How was Shade useful?”

  He spun toward me, so sudden-like I couldn’t keep from jumping away. But he followed me that extra step, looming over me with a vicious smile.

  “You would kill him yourself if you knew anything about him,” he said.

  I swallowed. The hairs on my neck prickled. “What’s he done? What d’you mean?”

  “You think he’s one of yours? Friend? Ally?” He snorted. “He’s a traitor. Nothing but a filthy rat. He’d sell out every last one of you for a dose.”

  “You’re a liar!” I shoved him, hard, in the chest, but he barely shuffled a step back. “Shade’s not a stoolie. You dan’ na anything!”

  He chuckled. “You’re Hayli, right? The shape-shifter?”

  All the blood drained from my face.

  “I also know Kantian’s been hiding things,” he went on. “And I know you lot are sheltering Rivano. That information would fetch a pretty price, I’m sure…”

  “What’s Kantian been hiding?” I whispered.

  His eyes glinted at me, and he exchanged another glance with his toughs. “You know there’s something gone wrong there too, don’t you? You’ve already guessed. Shade was supposed to bring us more evidence. He said he had something to tell us. But then he never came, so we had to find him, and that used up a lot of our time. Our time is valuable, you know? So we found him, but then he refused to talk. You know what he was doing? Just trying trick us out of bits, that’s all. He’s nothing but a shell, and the sooner you figure that out, the better it’ll be for you.”