Darkfall

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They must have arrived at the farm right after we’d left. Someone must have told them I was there, one of the aristocrats who’d seen me. A spy in Little ’Crat City with some message birds maybe. They couldn’t have got there so fast otherwise.

“I’ll keep my eyes open. What am I looking for?”

“A girl, short black hair, sixteen or so.” She paused, then reached over and yanked the reward poster off the wall. “Like this, actually. Memorise this face, but do not approach her on your own.”

“She’s really that dangerous?”

“Ask Gemid. She almost killed his whole squad.”

“Of Undy – I mean, Wardens? I thought they were invulnerable.”

“No one’s impervious to everything.” She glared at him and slapped the poster against his chest. “You see this girl, you find us. Clear?”

“Yeah.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Sergeant.”

The guard sank on to his stool the moment the door thunked shut. “I like my sergeant better,” he muttered.

Danello looked over, but his it’s-all-going-to-be-OK smile didn’t make me feel any better. The guards had looked at the poster. As soon as they looked at me again, they’d recognise me.

I had no pain to use unless we hurt ourselves. Even if we did, they might see me before they came close enough for me to shift it. And if one of them got away and told the others…

Hurry, Aylin, hurry.

* * *

Dusk turned to dark. Nervous murmurs and the occasional scream drifted in through the window. The Undying were probably questioning everyone in the town. Folks had seen me in the coffeehouse and when we’d gone to see Soek. If they told the Undying about a dark-haired girl who’d been arrested…

“I can probably handle the soldier if I catch him by surprise,” Danello whispered. “Can you take out the guard?”

“Maybe. Definitely if he stabs me.”

“Are you allowed to play cards?” the guard asked the soldier. “Or will your sergeant disapprove?”

“You got coin?”

“Enough.”

“Deal then.”

On the third hand of cards, the door flew open. The soldier was on his feet in seconds, his sword out. Aylin jumped and squealed, her surprise faked. The guard nearly fell out of his chair.

“I saw her!” Aylin cried, flapping a hand out the door. She was dressed as nice as a merchant. Where had she got the clothes? “The Shifter, she’s out by the blacksmith’s, doing something to the forge, I think.”

The soldier looked her over – her black hair, her fancy dress. I doubted she’d have his attention if she looked like she normally did. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, she looks like that poster they’re showing everyone.”

“Did you see anyone with her?”

“Maybe a man and another girl. Come on, I’ll show you.”

“No, stay here.” The soldier turned to the guard. “You, too.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

The soldier raced out. Aylin glanced out the door, concern wrinkling her brow for a moment, then it was gone. She heaved a sigh and dropped both hands on to the back of one of the chairs.

“You really saw the Shifter?” the guard asked.

She nodded fast. “I did! Nearly scared me to death. It was the flames that made me look over there. Blue, can you believe it?” She gripped the chair back.

The guard made a face. “Blue?”

“Blue as the sky. Look…” She tipped her head towards the window next to her. “You can see them from here.”

The guard went to the window. Aylin lifted the chair and smashed it down over his head. He groaned and slumped to the floor.

“Hurry, we don’t have much time,” Aylin said, stepping over the unconscious guard. “It won’t take that soldier long to figure out there’s no one by the blacksmith’s.”

“Do they even have a blacksmith?” I said.

“I have no idea, but I figured farmers have horses, and horses need shoes, right?” She pulled out some lock picks and knelt by the cell door.

“When did you learn to pick locks?”

“Quenji taught me.”

The lock snicked open.

“You’re both geniuses.” I slipped to the guard’s side and placed a hand on his arm.

Aylin pushed her hair back. “I didn’t hurt him much, did I?”

“He’s fine. He’ll have a headache and some bruising, but it’ll heal on its own. Where are the others? Is Lanelle still here?”

She rolled her eyes. “Barely. They’re at the docks. Quenji got us a boat.”

“What about Soek?”

“He’s in a building full of soldiers. I don’t think we can help him.”

“We can’t just leave him here.”

Danello put a hand on my arm. “Nya, she’s right. We have to warn Geveg. We can’t lose any more time. If we stop the Duke, we save everyone.” He picked up the guard’s sword and cracked open the door. “No soldiers, but there’s a lot of people out there. They look pretty angry.”

“The Undying hurt someone,” Aylin said, “an older woman. People are complaining.”

The familiar dread came back. Undying didn’t care for those who complained.

“Keep Nya between us,” said Danello, slipping out. “Less chance of her being spotted that way.”

We stayed close to the buildings and out of the yellow circles of the streetlamps. The marsh folks were gathered in front of the traveller’s house, yelling and shaking their fists.

A woman cried out, and the crowd parted not far ahead. Soldiers emerged, their eyes scanning faces as they passed. Behind the soldiers, an Undying. Danello and Aylin closed tighter around me.

“Everyone line up over there,” the Undying said, pointing against the side of the market building.

“We don’t have to listen to you,” one man shouted.

The Undying drew his sword and marched towards him. The man held his ground, but apprehension flickered across his face.

“You’ll move, now,” the Undying said.

“I’ll move when someone who isn’t eating from the Duke’s table asks me.”

The Undying backhanded him, sending him flying into the crowd. People screamed, some shouted, others charged the Undying. He braced himself but toppled under the surge of bodies.