2
Jade wove through the crowd like the needle in the midst of a perfect stitch. This was her territory. High foot traffic, all sorts mixing about with full pockets or purses and too many distractions to keep proper track of which rings they wore that day. She was at her leisure here, where it was clear her commander was not.
“We need to take our time,” Jade leaned close to Dian’s broad shoulder. “Proceed slowly while searching between the vendors and behind the stalls. Unfortunately, the easiest way to do that and not be obvious is to hold hands.”
Dian stopped dead, staring at her with a mixture of fear and annoyance. “This isn’t a game, we have a real—”
Jade rolled her eyes, though she was no keener to be cozying up to him than he seemed to be, not when things were hovering perilously close to feelings and urges she did not want just now. “Yes, I know, and if we hold hands people will think we’re a couple, probably still courting, and that we’d be more likely to be strolling about the market with no real aim or purpose. I’m not tickled about holding hands either, Brown-eyes. Now man up and hold my damn hand.”
She stuck her arm out and waited. Dian looked away, shoulders sagging, and took her hand. His skin was warm, not sweaty, and smooth and it stalled her for half a second before she was herself again. Her fingers twined with his, hoping to sell the couple look, and she leaned into his side. It had nothing to do with getting close enough for a whiff of winter and safety.
“See, you didn’t burst into flames,” She commented with a wry smile. Though he was still stiff as a board, the muscles beneath her hand were taught with strain. She looked up at his chin, his eyes were straight ahead, intently focused. Somehow she suspected they were not focused on what they should be and that was probably her fault. She eased back a step and let him breathe. “Relax, we’re in love, remember?” His eyes darted to her, lethal and ready with a million denials, but she rushed on, “Joke. I just mean that you don’t have to be so tense, just focus on the mission, Soldier. I promise I’ll try and behave.” She gave him a two-fingered salute.
He sighed, but some of the stiffness eased from him. The look on his face was entirely too familiar, the face of waning patience. She had always been proud of that face, enjoying the teasing and ribbing entirely too much for anyone else’s comfort, but it didn’t sit well now. Instead, she forced her thoughts to the mission at hand. As if she were actually trying to do her job.
A fleet of children scurried past, urchins, the smallest and slowest trailing behind. He made a fairly convincing show of dropping something in the street as he darted to keep up with his gang. A knowing grin tugged at her lips, but Dian bent to pick up the fallen trinket. A toy. A dented, rusted tin soldier in need of a trash bin. Jade stopped him just as his fingers were about to brush over the lure.
“Whoa, there. What’re you doing?”
“I was going to return that child’s—”
She laughed into her hand. “That’s a lure, genius. Whatever you do, don’t touch it.” She made a show of stepping over the toy and pulled him with her. She left it there, maybe some other idiot would fall for it.
“A lure? A lure for what?”
“They drop it so that dunces like you will touch it. It’s a surprisingly simple enchantment, requires very little Glint, any novice corsair could whip up several hundred toys or coins or whatever. Anyway, contact with it siphons off memories. Only recent ones, and not very many, but you’d be surprised what you can learn. Hotel rooms, how much money you’re currently carrying, banking codes, names, birthdays.” She nudged him playfully. “Best not to trust anyone shorter than me.”
His pace slowed as he glanced back at the lure in the road, then at the scattering of children watching it from different vantage points around the market. His gaze finally returned to her, launching a flight of butterflies. This close she noticed all the layers of color in his eyes and those butterflies spun and dipped enough to make her breath catch. When he spoke again, it was low and gentle. As if he knew the answer before asking, “How did you learn about lures?”
“I’ve used it. There’s always those older kids out there, who’ve lived a bit and know a few things, that take in the younger ones and dole them out to profitable areas. Liam and me were very good at ‘help, he’s choking.’”
Dian raised an eyebrow and she elaborated.
“One of us pretends to be choking and while the adults scramble to help, the other dips into their pockets. If you can make money without enchantments, that was better, because enchantments aren’t nearly as accessible in Harrowind.”
He was quiet then, not probing any further. Good, because she was oversharing. Talking to him was too easy. He listened like what she said was important. Like she mattered. It was rare for a nobody from nowhere to get that kind of treatment. What was worse, she was feeling the stirrings of an emotion she hated more than any other, one that was starting to simmer deep in her gut whenever he met her eyes. Guilt. She’d been lying since she met him, why did it have to bother her now?
They worked through the market square over the next few hours. Dian was guiding their steps in a way, she suspected, to be strategic. Jade would stop occasionally and feign interest in a knick-knack. She truly did try and do her job as instructed, but then she’d seen the textile merchant and all of that military nonsense went right out the window.
The merchant was selling some of the finest cloth she had ever held. Her fingers caressed each yard of the greens, blues, golds, and purples. Some silky, some matte. There were fine textures and textures more rough and earthy. Her vision swam with possibilities. She’d never had new fabric to work with before. She brought a swatch to her cheek and sighed. ‘Meria, but she could make love on that emerald green silk.
“We’ve gone exactly once since they’ve renovated and reopened, and you know I love the theater,” an elderly woman was complaining loudly to her wife near the stall. They were looking at a flyer stapled to a post, their voices carried in the light breeze.
The wife sighed, “Fine. I promise we’ll go to the show tonight. I don’t recognize this title. Is it any good?”
“It’s one of my favorites, for Founder’s sake, Valerie, you’d think you’d remember my favorite play,” The woman huffed.
Valerie rolled her eyes, “Dear, your favorite anything changes yearly. It’s hard to keep track of the current phase.”
“Excuse me,” Dian’s voice suddenly broke their conversation and Jade left the fine-as-sex silk to join him. “What theater?”
The women’s demeanor changed, less informal now that a random intimidating stranger had barged into their private conversation. “Eh? The...Faraday Star Theater?”
He took another looming step toward them, his height towering, his manners severe, his posture rigid. The couple hooked their arms together. Jade slapped her forehead.
“This theater has recently reopened?” He asked, heedless of their distress. “How long ago was this?” ‘Meria, he was blowing this. He had all the charm of a rock.
“Sir, I don’t really—”
Jade swooped in and took his arm with both hands, hugging his side. “Darling, there you are. What are you doing to these poor women?”
The couple visibly eased. Her presence humanized him. And while he was overbearing, Jade was adorable and pleasant. He opened his mouth to continue his interrogation, but Jade pinched him.
“You’ll have to excuse my boyfriend—oops,” She giggled into her hand, “I mean, fiancé.”
The couple’s eyes glittered, their posture immediately shifting to relaxed and welcoming. “Oh, how lovely. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, it’s still so new, I can’t believe he finally asked me. It was so spur of the moment,” She gazed up at him fondly, bringing her hand up to stroke his neck with her finger, “One minute he’s staring into my soul and the next he’s breathless and asking me to marry him.”
“That’s so precious,” Valerie wiped at her eyes and took her w
ife’s hand, “I remember when Maya proposed, by the Founder, we were young.”
“That’s so sweet,” Jade replied, “You see, he was only asking after the theater because we wanted to do something special to celebrate tonight. You say this theater just opened? Last time we were in town there was no theater.”
“Oh, goodness, then you must have been away quite a while. They opened up a year or two ago, in the spring, I think it was, but the Faraday has been bringing in the crowds ever since.”
“Crowds? That must mean their shows are very good,” Jade continued, “It’ll be so nice to snuggle up and watch a show. I wonder if I should grab a wrap from our hotel…”
“Oh, I would, “Valerie commented, “If I recall the Harwick’s went on and on about the chill. They must use a lot of enchantments to run their productions nowadays.”
Jade felt Dian tense, but she squeezed his arm to keep him grounded. “Darling, how does a night at the theater sound?” She raised her brows, daring him to find fault with her performance. He was staring back without much disdain or venom, but maybe a touch of genuine awe was in there somewhere. Had she managed to impress him?
“That sounds fine,” He answered mechanically.
“Wonderful, my heart,” she cooed. She looked up with amusement, expecting annoyance, but the deep brown of his eyes conveyed something much more serious. He was gazing at her. ‘Meria help her, but her knees went a bit weak and she fell into his side. Shit.
She tore her gaze from his, pushing his arm away and breaking all contact and the world returned to clarity. “This is very exciting,” She said, trying to stay in character, “Thank you for all your help.”
Oh, no no no. Scolding herself was pointless. It was already happening. Jade was flirty and precocious by nature, but genuine attraction and affection had always been difficult for her. There was no trail of ex-lovers, sex just didn’t feel good or right until she had a chance to warm to the individual. Jade was furious, fuming—seething that it would be happening now. After not even a full week. With him.
“Thank you both for the lovely chat, maybe we’ll see you at the show tonight,” Jade winked at Valerie’s wife and she returned with a smile. They parted ways, heading in the direction of the Faraday Theater as pointed out by Maya. Except, Jade wasn’t quite focused on her steps.
The chaotic energy of the market was a distance roar in her ears as they walked. She had let go of his arm as soon as possible, walking with her head in her own thoughts. She tried a glance at his profile and bang, a jolt straight to her core. Lust. Fan-fucking-tastic. It had been a fun game at first, because yes he was very attractive, but it was never supposed to be more than that.
What was worse, she couldn’t figure exactly what about him had gotten to her, certainly not his personality. Or...had her body turned all his annoying qualities into endearments? Gross.
The Faraday Theater was in sight and neither had spoken another word. She supposed they would actually have to go to a show if they wanted to investigate inside, but she was hoping he’d take the lead and do the rest of the talking for a while. She was in the throes of misery.
His feet stopped suddenly, jolting her. Jade was slower to realize, but she noticed the shift in the air, a sudden unnatural quiet. The hairs on her arms and neck stood on end, some inner voice shrieking warning. Then screaming started. Jade’s instinct was to run away from screams, but Dian took off toward them without a word. What a dumb thing to do. She should just let him go.
An explosion ripped through the air, vibrating the soles of her boots, and then she was running after him. Damn that man.
What had been a quiet, sunny day was now pandemonium. Bodies everywhere, rushing here or there. A cloud of dust billowed from near the theater, fogging her view. Screams became white noise, like static, muddling her senses as she tried to find Dian in the rush of people. She found him on the ground, dust coating his hair and face.
Jade hauled him to his feet and away from the source of the commotion, but he brushed her hands away. He still moved toward the danger, or rather, toward people who were also downed by the force of the explosion. Jade huffed and went to help him lift civilians to their feet.
As the dust cloud settled Jade could see the gaping maw that had swallowed the street. At least half a mile of the block in front of the Faraday was gone, and from the darkness figures started to emerge. Jade swallowed the bad taste in her mouth as she continued to help move people to...well there was no safety anymore, but cover, at least. More and more bodies lined the edge of the destruction and out of the corner of her eye she noted the air crackling and sizzling around them, bursts of green and gold light. For what it was worth, their hunch had been right. The Faraday Theater was definitely the Free Chanter hideout. Though, now it was clear to literally everyone else, too.
“Dian,” Jade forced herself into his path, blocking him from action, her hands found his face and held it steady, “We have to go.”
He seemed to hear her, the distance leaving his gaze as he took in her words. “We have to help—”
“We can’t,” She said firmly. She hadn’t let go of his face, his skin hot under her hands. Her fingertips found a trail of blood near his ear. His or someone else’s was unclear. “We can’t fight this now. Not two of us, not like this. We have to get our team out.”
He closed his eyes, mouth taught and brow creased with struggle.
“Hey,” She shook him gently, “Hey. Our team is out there. We need to get them together and get out. We’re not equipped to fight this. It was a scouting mission, remember? Well, we have the intel so now we regroup and wait for orders.” At least, she assumed that was how it was supposed to go.
She began to pick up on the incoming communications from the rest of their unit, the radio on her belt barely carrying above the noise. Mostly questions of “what was that?”
He opened his eyes and set his hands over hers, pushing her away. “Okay. We leave.” He turned on the radio to transmit to the rest of the team. “We’re aborting the mission. Everyone meet at rendezvous Alpha.”
The rest of the dust had settled and Jade could see the waves of Chanters reach the first line of civilians. And attack. No mercy or hesitation, just cries and blood. Gold light ignited in bursts amidst the chaos. A body fell at her feet and she looked directly into its open eyes, gazing into infinity.
“Holy shit,” Jade covered her mouth, turning away. Death was one thing, but corpses were real. She had vowed to never look into the eyes of the dead again and so much for that fucking promise as she shut hers tight to shake away the image. There was no shaking away the swirling pit in her chest. She needed to get Dian and move.
Dian’s jaw was clenched tight, his eyes deadly. “This way,” he took her hand, but their path was blocked by a Free Chanter. Jade’s revolver was buried in her satchel, but she played by street rules. Fight to win. While the man prepared his enchantment she rushed him and aimed for his nose, her follow through carried her fist up and hopefully broke something.
Blood streamed from his nose as gold light fizzled from his hands. He dipped fast to pick something up from the ground. Jade was trying to search her bag blindly, not taking her eyes off the threat. He picked up a rock, not even a very big one, and the light moved from his hand. He gave the rock a small toss and it exploded. She fell with a crack against the ground, softened by swathes of fine cloth from the destroyed vender. Her hands tangled in emerald silk torn and trampled to shreds.
The Chanter must have thought her dead, because he turned his back on her. But she found the revolver. She aimed, still prone on the ground, right between the shoulder blades. She fired. Two bullets into his back. Blood spat from his chest as he fell forward, to the feet of the older couple from the market. His blood flecked their cheeks and clothes, but they nodded to her a wordless thanks. Jade stood and tried to locate Dian.
He was behind her, pulling a blade from a man’s chest. He turned to look at her, then past her as he raised his arm
and let the blade extend until she heard a squelch behind her ear. The blade retracted and a body thudded to the ground beside her. Jade nodded and they moved on.
More and more Chanters were filling the space, attacking everyone in their path. They were nearly overwhelmed. Jade held the revolver at Dian’s shoulder, shooting a clear path. She chose paralyzing rounds instead of lethal simply because it was impossible to know who was who. Bodies were rushing everywhere. Chanters weren’t just fighting, but destroying buildings and vehicles. A symphony of explosions and the various clatter of debris over the rush of screams and cries. There were several more explosions as they fought their way out of the town. Then Dian hit the dirt hard.
Jade slid on her knees to his side, checking for blood that wasn’t sticky and half-dried.
He rolled around, teeth clenched, clutching his right leg. “Where were you hit?” She said, screaming over the chaos, “Where? What?”
He shook his head. “Damn it. Fuck!”
The language shocked her, but only because it was coming from him. It must be serious. She glanced around, then back at him. “Can you walk?”
His eyes were livid as he looked up at her. “Doubtful.”
She held out a hand and stood. He took it, letting her hoist him up, cringing until he was upright. He leaned heavily on her, unable to put any weight on his right leg. They managed for several blocks before catching up with the rest of the unit. Jade handed Dian off to Amir.
She found Liam, and seeing him safe was the only thing she needed to keep her scattered thoughts in order. Now, to focus on the next problem. They were concealed in a building for the time being, but they needed a way out of Meraton.
“Sona, where’s Gandry?” Dian asked, his voice distant as Jade searched through the windows for a solution.
“Didn’t make it, sir. I’m...sorry. I’m so sorry.” She had blood on her hands, her shirt was covered, and her voice cracked with emotion.
Catalyst (The Second Cycle Book 1) Page 19
