disappearing around a corner. My heartbeat spiked, but when I looked again, there was no one there.
We searched up and down the streets, looking for the white-haired scientist, asking for a man called Meridus Borde. People shook their heads at our description and made blank faces at his name.
“Meridus?” One shopkeeper scratched his chin and stared off at the rainy sky above us. “I seem to recall a fellow by that name. Older man. Last name was Falcon. But I don’t know where he went. He didn’t stay in this area long.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. Who knew how many Meriduses might live in this city?
After hours of fruitless searching, we rested our weary feet in a crowded tavern at the edge of the prison sector, near the Plaza of Horses and Gabe’s makeshift home. Rowdy patrons pushed around us, yelling for songs from the performing minstrel and spilling drinks.
“Don’t worry,” Gabe said, watching my expression as he took a sip of his drink. “Ferris will find something. I’m sure of it.”
I stared at the mug before me. There was still time, but it was rapidly slipping away. Anxiety tightened its cold fingers around my heart and squeezed. I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to look calm.
“Lia.” Gabe covered my hand with his. “We’ll find him.”
I nodded. I thought of Adam and our stormy parting, and part of me burned with rage. Another part of me curled up in misery and wanted comfort.
Irritated at my conflicted feelings, I gulped my drink. The liquid burned going down. I pushed the mug away and dropped my head in my hands. “There just isn’t much time.”
“I’ll ask some of the people here,” Gabe said, and rose from his place.
He crossed the room, tapping on shoulders and whispering in ears. Most of the diners shrugged their shoulders or shook their heads. A few were more belligerent.
“Get off,” one man yelled, swinging his fist at Gabe. “I came here for a little relaxation. Don’t bother me.”
Gabe retreated to our table. He gave me a shaky smile. “Some of these people are less than friendly at the end of the day,” he said.
“So I see.”
Someone dropped into the chair opposite us. A man with dark eyes and darker hair. His skin was chiseled with wrinkles, and they folded around his eyes as he squinted at Gabe.
“You’ve been asking a lot of questions,” he said.
“We’re looking for someone.”
“I see. Well, around here, we don’t like people asking too many questions. It stirs up trouble, and trouble brings soldiers. We don’t like the soldiers. See?”
“We understand,” I said. “We were just going actually.” I stood, and Gabe followed suit.
“Wait,” the man said, leaning forward. “You look familiar.” He clapped a hand on Gabe’s shoulder and pushed him back into his seat. “Why do you look so familiar?”
I froze. Gabe didn’t say anything. We stared at the man, and he stared at us.
“I just can’t place it,” he muttered.
“A lot of people say that,” Gabe said. He looked at me.
I jerked my head toward the door, and he nodded. He bolted from his chair, and we both ran.
“Hey!” the man shouted. He jumped up and started after us, snagging Gabe’s sleeve, and Gabe turned and punched him. The man went down in a clatter of chairs and a string of curses.
We reached the outside and went left, running into the mist. We didn’t stop until we’d put three blocks between the tavern and us.
“Do you think he recognized you?” I asked when I had my breath back.
Gabe shook his head. “No. He’ll forget it tomorrow.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
Gabe didn’t answer that. “Let’s go home. It’s late. We’ll meet Ferris in the morning and see what he’s dug up on your friend Borde.”
~
The next morning, we slipped through the misty streets to Ferris’s door. I knocked with shaking fingers and waited, my stomach a riot of nerves, until the sound of footsteps echoed on the other side of the door. The
We searched up and down the streets, looking for the white-haired scientist, asking for a man called Meridus Borde. People shook their heads at our description and made blank faces at his name.
“Meridus?” One shopkeeper scratched his chin and stared off at the rainy sky above us. “I seem to recall a fellow by that name. Older man. Last name was Falcon. But I don’t know where he went. He didn’t stay in this area long.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. Who knew how many Meriduses might live in this city?
After hours of fruitless searching, we rested our weary feet in a crowded tavern at the edge of the prison sector, near the Plaza of Horses and Gabe’s makeshift home. Rowdy patrons pushed around us, yelling for songs from the performing minstrel and spilling drinks.
“Don’t worry,” Gabe said, watching my expression as he took a sip of his drink. “Ferris will find something. I’m sure of it.”
I stared at the mug before me. There was still time, but it was rapidly slipping away. Anxiety tightened its cold fingers around my heart and squeezed. I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to look calm.
“Lia.” Gabe covered my hand with his. “We’ll find him.”
I nodded. I thought of Adam and our stormy parting, and part of me burned with rage. Another part of me curled up in misery and wanted comfort.
Irritated at my conflicted feelings, I gulped my drink. The liquid burned going down. I pushed the mug away and dropped my head in my hands. “There just isn’t much time.”
“I’ll ask some of the people here,” Gabe said, and rose from his place.
He crossed the room, tapping on shoulders and whispering in ears. Most of the diners shrugged their shoulders or shook their heads. A few were more belligerent.
“Get off,” one man yelled, swinging his fist at Gabe. “I came here for a little relaxation. Don’t bother me.”
Gabe retreated to our table. He gave me a shaky smile. “Some of these people are less than friendly at the end of the day,” he said.
“So I see.”
Someone dropped into the chair opposite us. A man with dark eyes and darker hair. His skin was chiseled with wrinkles, and they folded around his eyes as he squinted at Gabe.
“You’ve been asking a lot of questions,” he said.
“We’re looking for someone.”
“I see. Well, around here, we don’t like people asking too many questions. It stirs up trouble, and trouble brings soldiers. We don’t like the soldiers. See?”
“We understand,” I said. “We were just going actually.” I stood, and Gabe followed suit.
“Wait,” the man said, leaning forward. “You look familiar.” He clapped a hand on Gabe’s shoulder and pushed him back into his seat. “Why do you look so familiar?”
I froze. Gabe didn’t say anything. We stared at the man, and he stared at us.
“I just can’t place it,” he muttered.
“A lot of people say that,” Gabe said. He looked at me.
I jerked my head toward the door, and he nodded. He bolted from his chair, and we both ran.
“Hey!” the man shouted. He jumped up and started after us, snagging Gabe’s sleeve, and Gabe turned and punched him. The man went down in a clatter of chairs and a string of curses.
We reached the outside and went left, running into the mist. We didn’t stop until we’d put three blocks between the tavern and us.
“Do you think he recognized you?” I asked when I had my breath back.
Gabe shook his head. “No. He’ll forget it tomorrow.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
Gabe didn’t answer that. “Let’s go home. It’s late. We’ll meet Ferris in the morning and see what he’s dug up on your friend Borde.”
~
The next morning, we slipped through the misty streets to Ferris’s door. I knocked with shaking fingers and waited, my stomach a riot of nerves, until the sound of footsteps echoed on the other side of the door. The
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