by Anna Bowman
It won’t matter much longer. He reminded himself, blowing dust out of his respirator tubes. If all goes well. That sodding voice of doubt whispering in his ear. It will—it has to! He silenced it.
That was that. He wasn’t going to entertain the possibility of anything going wrong tonight.
Only a faint glow of light remained along the horizons. The sun had given way to the stars. It was time.
“Alright. Time to go,” he announced.
Ivan nodded, slipping the bag of Jank’s charges on his shoulder. He and Will were going to plant them around the city at strategic positions.
“Rayn, stay with me at all times. Will, Ivan—you know what to do.” They nodded. “Stay in contact. If shit goes wrong, let us know immediately.” He breathed out, trying to clear his head completely. “Let’s go.”
Jank’s hand tightened around Zee’s arm as the others started climbing over the skiff. It would have been so much easier if she’d went with the Kree. Sol ruffled her hair and gave her a reassuring smile.
“It’s alright, Zee. Remember what I said? I’ll always come back.” He winked.
Zee’s lip trembled as she stood in the seat, wrapping thin arms around his neck. Jank had to pry her loose.
“Stay safe, Sol.” Tristan didn’t look at all well. His listless gaze fixed on the stars and he seemed, more than ever, resolved. That frightened Solomand more than anything. He knew this may be the last he saw of Tristan—for longer than he cared to admit. He squeezed his friend’s shoulder forcefully.
“You too, Tris.” His words came with difficulty. “Look after him, Jank.” He clapped the engineer on the shoulder.
Sol climbed down the ladder and tugged the necklace out he usually hid under his shirt. He was afraid of losing it in the river tonight. It was a silver chain with a steel cross from the old world—a gift from his father—and a small silver charm. He kissed the cross for luck and hid it in his shirt before running to catch up with the others.
Coyotes howled mournfully in the distance as they ran at a steady pace along the riverbank. Coursing water shimmered with silver ripples of moonlight and stars. As the canyon narrowed, the river deepened, the walls of rock closing to form a tunnel around it.
“Time to go for a swim.”
Sol strapped on his respirator, and the others followed his lead. He stepped into the river, sinking up to his chest. His boots sank into the soft mud at the bottom. The night air was hot, and the water felt good as it soaked through his clothes.
Ivan and Will slid in after him; Rayn was the last to get in the river. She was noticeably reluctant, slinging the Drakon over her shoulder before sliding down the bank into the water. Her feet slipped, and she fell against Sol, digging fingers into his arm with a frantic grip.
“Stay close.” His voice sounded garbled through the respirator.
She nodded, easing further into the river, her fingers not loosening their grasp. Solomand knew she was terrified; Rayn could not swim.
Darkness swallowed them as they waded further into the cavern. Rushing water pulled them forward, drowning out the sounds of the coyotes. There was no turning back now. Sol’s heart pounded. He held Rayn’s hand tighter, fighting against the current to keep her close. Water rose to their necks. A faint golden glow played on the water’s surface as they neared the mouth of the channel: the lights from Corcyra
Chapter 48
Rayn
Anything but water!
Rayn imagined this was how Solomand felt on the bell tower. She regretted how she toyed with him. Water lapped at her chin and mud sucked at her boots, as if the river was trying to claim her with every step she took. Her hand tightened on Sol’s shoulder.
If I can’t remember anything else, why do I have to be so damned sure I can’t swim?
If Solomand noticed the way she latched onto him, he didn’t let on.
Her foot found a hole in the riverbed and water sloshed over her neck, filling her ears. Panic clawed at her throat, and she gasped for air. The respirator gurgled, making a raspy sucking noise as it filtered water out.
I’m fine. I can breathe.
She focused on controlling her breathing. In, out. In, out. Solomand’s hand closed around her hip and tugged her up until her head rose above the water. The water kept rising until she was on her tiptoes, plodding through the mud and tilting her head back.
Sol pulled her toward him until her ear was near his mouth.
“Take a breath.” His voice sounded grainy.
Wait, Sol!
She gulped in a swallow of air just before he pulled her under the water. The gap between the river and cavern ceiling closed and standing on the riverbed was no longer an option.
Flailing with one arm, Rayn was more dragged than anything through the water. The Drakon stuck in her back as she kicked it with the back of her legs, trying to pretend the sucking noise of the respirator didn’t sound like someone gasping for breath. It felt like much longer than it really was. Her right hand brushed along the slimy walls of the tunnel. She held her breath, and then her head broke the surface as Solomand dragged her up. They were out of the watery cavern, anyway; the trial by river had not yet ended.
She blinked the water from her eyes and stared at the glittering mountain of lights that grew closer. There was a shadowy wall around the layers of golden flickers, which swelled brighter, reaching their pinnacle at the central towers. Small white specks flashed in a series of three as they moved across the sky: airships going to and from the dock on the far side of Corcyra.
An engine roared overhead, its lights floating on the river. Sol tensed and jerked her below the surface without warning. The unpleasant sensation of being suffocated set in as water filled her ears once more. It seemed like forever until the airship lights finally vanished, leaving them in a cloak of darkness.
Solomand brought her up with him as he raised just his eyes above the surface. Her eyes followed him as he turned to look for Will and Ivan; they were not far behind, goggles peeking up from the water like submerged frogs. Solomand’s hand tightened on her arm as he swam forward again. Her lungs ached, working harder to pump the warm air through the respirator.
Can’t be much further.
She had to keep reminding herself, suppressing the anxiety.
They stayed in the cover of the river all the way to the stone wall surrounding Corcyra, where the water was diverted into three different canals which flowed under the barrier. Solomand followed the one on the left. A metal grate barred their way. The black bolt was open; an opened lock hung on the grating. Solomand guided Rayn’s hand to the rusted, grimy bars before tugging his respirator off to hang around his neck. He kicked open the grate just enough so they could both squeeze through.
Rayn’s rifle snagged on the barbs of the grating, pulling her back.
“Careful,” Sol whispered, unhooking it.
Rayn jerked off the respirator, breathing in short, hungry gasps.
“You alright?”
Sol’s hand was on her shoulder. The air was warm, but her whole body shivered.
She swallowed back the gasping noises and nodded.
He squeezed her shoulder and motioned her forward with the promise, “Not much further.”
The canal angled, the water depth slowly dropping until it coursed into concrete trenches; irrigation channels for the fields.
Finally! Land!
Rayn scrambled onto the bank, wanting to lay there on the damp grass and catch her breath. Solomand was already pulling her to her feet and they were sprinting across the open fields, weaving back and forth to stay in the shadows. It was dark here, though the glow from the inner-city lights shone ever nearer, just over another wall was a fence of iron and stone which separated the outer edge of the city.
They scaled a shoddy wooden fence around the fields and slid behind a collapsing barn. There was something familiar about this place, something just beyond her reach.
“Where are we?” she panted.
> Sol leaned against the rotting wood wall next to her.
His voice was hard. “The Mud.”
‘The Mud…’
They were running again.
Damnit, Sol! She felt like her past was no more than a torch’s view ahead of her. If we get out of here alive…
She vowed to extract answers from him. He knew things. He just wasn’t telling. His right arm, she noted, was moving freely at his side.
Of course, it would be.
He must have pulled it lose the moment they were out of Tristan’s view. She didn’t notice in the river, but then, how else would he have been able to swim while pulling her with him?
They reached the second wall; flat iron bars jetted up ten feet in the air, locking the inhabitants of The Mud out of the inner city. They followed the barricade until the empty fields turned into a deserted town square—dark and foreboding. Splintered posts were set in the center of broken cobblestones. Rayn stopped, her heart pounding. She’d been here before. This square was once cloaked with an uneasy stillness when a younger version of herself had seen a dark-haired boy being captured and narrowly escape a whipping. They really were memories trying to claw their way back out.
“Rayn!” Sol hissed. “We have to go!”
She had stopped, looking around the empty town in a daze. His hand was on her arm; it felt like he was dragging her away from a part of herself.
“Sol, wait!” She broke free of his grip.
“Rayn!”
He brought his face close to hers. She could see it in his eyes. He understood why she wanted to linger, but it was too dangerous.
“We have to go!”
Damnit.
He was right. She clenched her teeth and reluctantly ran after him. Her boots squished, seeping out water. They kept running along the wall until they were on the other side of the dismal town. The bars here were bent and twisted like they’d been melted. Sol kicked at them until the weakened metal gave way, giving them just enough room to crawl through to the other side.
Rayn blinked back, turning away from the blinding spotlight that greeted them.
“Solomand Black.”
The cold, familiar voice sent a chill up Rayn’s spine. She forced her eyes to open. Minuet stood, shadowed by the lights behind her, and four airmen; their sleek, silvery rifles were aimed at her and Solomand.
Well…shit
Rayn felt confident getting captured straight off couldn’t possibly be part of Solomand’s perfect plan. She fought the urge to snap at him.
We should have stayed back there like I wanted to!
Sol eased his hands in the air, looking nonchalant.
“Fancy meeting you here, Minuet.”
Minuet raised a hand, and the rifles cocked in unison.
“Hold on—let’s talk about this.”
Sol leaned over and elbowed Rayn in the side, widening his eyes at her and waving his hands. Grudgingly, Rayn raised her hands, but she gave him a scathing look, so he’d know she wasn’t happy about it.
“Get their weapons.” Minuet’s tone was icy.
Two of the men shifted their rifles to one hand and roughly jerked Rayn and Solomand’s guns away. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Rayn saw they were wearing rust-colored uniforms and gas masks. It was soldiers from the 201st.
She bit the insides of her mouth, practically snarling.
You won’t have it for long you bastards!
She eyed the Drakon. They already destroyed one rifle. There was no way she was going to allow them to do the same to this one.
When Minuet was satisfied they were disarmed, she had them shoved into the back of a waiting motorcar.
Solomand was crowded against her. The smell of new leather mixed with the earthy scent of river water that permeated their clothes. Minuet sat across from them, a derringer in each hand—one for each of them. The car door clicked shut, and the motor revved as they were driven away.
Minuet’s coolness was gone. There was savage anger in her eyes. Her chest was heaving as she glowered at Solomand.
“Do. You. Have. Any Idea. What you’ve done?” Her tone was caustic. “How could you, Solomand?”
She was totally unhinged. Rayn glanced sideways at Sol. He looked…sorry?
“If you fail to make it out…” Her hands shook as they gripped the deringers, both of them pointed at Sol.
Solomand tugged on his collar. “Luckily we have you. So, everything should go smoothly.” His smile was confident and taunting at the same time.
Minuet’s lips pursed together. If steam could have come from her nose, Rayn was sure it would have at this point.
“Damn you!” She hissed. Then sank back in her seat, her hands dropping to rest on her knees. “I’ve orders to take you both to LeFrost.”
Solomand tensed, though his face remained expressionless. Minuet’s eyes flashed, apparently angered by his lack of reaction.
“You should never have come to Corcyra!”
They rode the rest of the way in silence, and Rayn suddenly noticed something was missing.
Ivan and Will. They must have escaped.
Well, that was some comfort in this rapidly spiraling evening. Maybe they still had a chance.
Chapter 49
Rayn
The car rattled along, making so many twists and turns Rayn was sure they would never be able to find the way out. Except, Solomand probably already knew, like he knew every other damn thing. Was this part of his plan? Minuet looked like she wanted any excuse to shoot him.
“What’s with the gas masks?” Rayn finally had to break the silence. Minuet’s eyes narrowed as they jerked to Rayn. “On your Airmen.” Rayn shifted on the stiff leather.
Sol leaned towards her, pretending to be discreet.
“It’s for intimidation.” His eyes widened in a mock look of fear.
Rayn bit back a smile.
You’re not going to make me laugh here, you idiot.
She cleared her throat and glared at Minuet.
“It doesn’t work. They just look stupid.”
Sol’s shoulders shook as he laughed silently.
“They really do,” he said to Minuet.
Her face reddened.
“Well…I’m glad you two adolescents find this amusing. Mud rat!” The insult was directed at Sol.
He pretended to look injured.
“Such strong language for a lady such as yourself. I’ll refrain from returning a similar one.”
“Why?” Rayn crossed her arms. She could think of a few choice things to say if he couldn’t.
“Because.” The sarcasm was gone from his voice now. “One of the best men I’ve ever known sees something in her. Only God knows what!” His voice lowered. “And, if a man of such high caliber can see such value in Minuet St. Sebastian, the least I can do is try to.”
He reached in his coat pocket and brought out a brown envelope, the same kind Rayn had seen him give her in Blackpool. Crimson wax sealed the water-marked edges.
Minuet’s face was pale as passing lights streamed through the window. Her eyes were misty. She snatched the letter from Sol. It wrinkled as she clutched it in her hand.
“Bastard.” It came out in a choked whisper.
Minuet’s veil of composure had fallen. Rayn felt less inclined to hate her when she saw the terror in her eyes, fear for someone other than herself.
No.
Rayn didn’t want to believe the implication of Sol’s words. She stared at the envelope in her hand, her throat tightening as she wished this ride—this night, was over.
The car rolled to a stop and Minuet tucked the letter down the front of her corset (typical!) before reclaiming her stone-faced appearance.
“You know what’s coming, Solomand Black. I only hope you can survive it long enough.”
Her eyes were void of sympathy.
Solomand gave Minuet a crooked smile, a flicker in his eyes, a hunger for something.
“That’s the difference between yo
u and us, Minuet; we’re in the business of surviving things.” He closes his hand around Rayn’s so hard that her fingers ached. He leaned into her ear. “Be careful—LeFrost doesn’t come off as what he really is,” he whispered.
The car door opened, and light spilled in. They were being shoved down a path to the Governor’s mansion. Black iron bars surrounded the compound. The green lawn was immaculately manicured. Rayn wondered just how much water LeFrost had to steal to keep grass so perfect in the middle of the desert. There was a dome in the center of the flat roof, plus guards with rifles patrolled the many balconies overlooking the grounds.
The sound of pumping blood pounded in her ears, intensifying with every step up the stone path. The manicured governor’s mansion gave the illusion of being inviting. Rayn suspected it was the sort of place people went to and never left—at least in the same state they were when they arrived.
She chewed on her lip, longing for one of her guns. She still had her boots, though. Thank god for that. The daggers concealed in the square toes were going to come in handy before this night was over.
Minuet nodded at one of her men, and he took Solomand roughly by the collar, jerking him toward the back of the mansion. Dread spreading through her, Rayn stiffened. The hard barrel of Minuet’s derringer dug into the small of her back.
“LeFrost wants a word with you.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Just cooperate, and maybe some of us will live past this night.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Rayn swallowed, her throat dry and constricted. Her gaze lingered on Solomand until he disappeared from view with his escort. Wooden steps creaked under their feet as she was marched up to them and into the front doors. A disinterested-looking guard sat in a chair by the hall. They went past him and into a carpeted hallway. The ceilings were vaulted; lavish artwork was illuminated by gas lamps mounted on both sides of the wall, one at every door. The doors were mahogany, intricately carved with a complicated pattern of loops and swirls. The whole place had a sterile smell to it, like new wood and paint.
