whispered.
“I’d answer you,” Kalaes said, “but I need to hold my breath to fit in here.” He inhaled. “Oh, crap.”
***
The vent ended in an alley no wider than a corridor. Elei wiggled out and took stock. It looked like a dead-end.
Zoe, who had been waiting for them outside, turned around and started walking. Hoping she knew what she was doing, Elei waited for Kalaes to emerge puffing and cursing, and followed.
Rex reluctantly subsided a notch as they entered another rundown building, with deep cracks in its walls and the stench of urine slithering in its corners. A whistle sounded from outside, and a girl materialized in the gloom of the entrance hall, dark hair hanging in her eyes, black pants riding low on her hips.
“Zoe?” She gaped at them.
“We need to cross to the docks and that means going through Seagull territory. Can you arrange passage?”
The girl chewed on her lip and nodded. “They’re after you, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. Look, I know you chose to remain neutral. It’s just this once. I’ll owe you.”
“As if I have a choice.” The girl sighed theatrically. “Who denies the queen of the east side?”
“Well, then.” Zoe grinned. “Good, because there’s one more thing. I need your rats to send a message to certain gang leaders. Tell them the plan remains as was and we meet tonight, at the agreed time, at the western water tower.” She rattled off the names of the leaders who’d agreed to help.
All was going according to plan. They’d only have to make sure they were at the meeting point early to explain it to the gang leaders.
Kalaes cleared his throat and Elei wondered if he’d tell her the truth.
“What is it?” Zoe gave him a wary look.
“Don’t tell Mitt,” Kalaes said. His blue eye seemed to glow in the twilight.
“Why not?” Alendra shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “Wasn’t Dain the one we suspected?”
“Yeah, wasn’t I the bad guy?” Dain drawled.
“Trust me,” Kalaes said.
“Kal?” Elei studied the older boy’s face but it was set in grim and tired lines.
“Mitt was flashing,” Kalaes said. “His girls, too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dain muttered.
“Yeah, better not tell Mitt,” Elei agreed. He had no clue what the flashing meant, but Iliathan had been flashing too, apparently, and it didn’t appear to be a good thing.
“You’re both nuts,” Dain huffed, and Zoe made a small harrumphing noise in the back of her throat.
“So...” The dark-haired girl glanced from one to the other, then turned to Zoe. “I won’t tell Mitt. I’ll let the others know. I’ll notify the rats about your passage.”
And that was that. The girl turned and vanished into the darkness.
“Queen of the east side?” Kalaes winked at Zoe. “I think your palace has been overrun, Highness.”
Zoe shook her many braids and winked right back, leading the way deeper into the building. “Where the Queen goes, the palace follows, poosker . If you wish to serve me, I’ll graciously create a position for you. Like undressing me at bedtime, what say you?”
That won a laugh from Kalaes, the first real laugh Elei had heard from him in a while. “I’m speechless.”
“That’d be a first,” Alendra grumbled as they exited into a passage lit with bare bulbs in the walls.
They fell quiet as they trudged through a maze of winding passages that made Elei wonder what the place had been. A storehouse? A room rental?
A whiff of fried fish hit him, along with the tang of salt from the sea. They hurried through a doorway into a dead end crowded with piles of trash and a small food stand. The old woman tending the pan under a sputtering lamp post gave them a blank stare and said nothing as they pulled on their hoods and stalked out toward the brighter lights of the avenue.
“Why the docks?” Elei asked as they crossed between stalling aircars, through the din of honks and hoots and calls from stall-tenders with offers of
“I’d answer you,” Kalaes said, “but I need to hold my breath to fit in here.” He inhaled. “Oh, crap.”
***
The vent ended in an alley no wider than a corridor. Elei wiggled out and took stock. It looked like a dead-end.
Zoe, who had been waiting for them outside, turned around and started walking. Hoping she knew what she was doing, Elei waited for Kalaes to emerge puffing and cursing, and followed.
Rex reluctantly subsided a notch as they entered another rundown building, with deep cracks in its walls and the stench of urine slithering in its corners. A whistle sounded from outside, and a girl materialized in the gloom of the entrance hall, dark hair hanging in her eyes, black pants riding low on her hips.
“Zoe?” She gaped at them.
“We need to cross to the docks and that means going through Seagull territory. Can you arrange passage?”
The girl chewed on her lip and nodded. “They’re after you, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. Look, I know you chose to remain neutral. It’s just this once. I’ll owe you.”
“As if I have a choice.” The girl sighed theatrically. “Who denies the queen of the east side?”
“Well, then.” Zoe grinned. “Good, because there’s one more thing. I need your rats to send a message to certain gang leaders. Tell them the plan remains as was and we meet tonight, at the agreed time, at the western water tower.” She rattled off the names of the leaders who’d agreed to help.
All was going according to plan. They’d only have to make sure they were at the meeting point early to explain it to the gang leaders.
Kalaes cleared his throat and Elei wondered if he’d tell her the truth.
“What is it?” Zoe gave him a wary look.
“Don’t tell Mitt,” Kalaes said. His blue eye seemed to glow in the twilight.
“Why not?” Alendra shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “Wasn’t Dain the one we suspected?”
“Yeah, wasn’t I the bad guy?” Dain drawled.
“Trust me,” Kalaes said.
“Kal?” Elei studied the older boy’s face but it was set in grim and tired lines.
“Mitt was flashing,” Kalaes said. “His girls, too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dain muttered.
“Yeah, better not tell Mitt,” Elei agreed. He had no clue what the flashing meant, but Iliathan had been flashing too, apparently, and it didn’t appear to be a good thing.
“You’re both nuts,” Dain huffed, and Zoe made a small harrumphing noise in the back of her throat.
“So...” The dark-haired girl glanced from one to the other, then turned to Zoe. “I won’t tell Mitt. I’ll let the others know. I’ll notify the rats about your passage.”
And that was that. The girl turned and vanished into the darkness.
“Queen of the east side?” Kalaes winked at Zoe. “I think your palace has been overrun, Highness.”
Zoe shook her many braids and winked right back, leading the way deeper into the building. “Where the Queen goes, the palace follows, poosker . If you wish to serve me, I’ll graciously create a position for you. Like undressing me at bedtime, what say you?”
That won a laugh from Kalaes, the first real laugh Elei had heard from him in a while. “I’m speechless.”
“That’d be a first,” Alendra grumbled as they exited into a passage lit with bare bulbs in the walls.
They fell quiet as they trudged through a maze of winding passages that made Elei wonder what the place had been. A storehouse? A room rental?
A whiff of fried fish hit him, along with the tang of salt from the sea. They hurried through a doorway into a dead end crowded with piles of trash and a small food stand. The old woman tending the pan under a sputtering lamp post gave them a blank stare and said nothing as they pulled on their hoods and stalked out toward the brighter lights of the avenue.
“Why the docks?” Elei asked as they crossed between stalling aircars, through the din of honks and hoots and calls from stall-tenders with offers of
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