in a heap on the corrugated metal walkway.
Please! I don’t even know where to go!
Go south, she said. Across the river. Then follow the birds.
And then the wire was whipping out of my arm. As it retracted, it flailed up and struck my head with a flash, and she glowed so brilliantly that I felt that my eyes must be burning, blinded. Then it was all gone.
Chapter 10
When I came to I was outside, and the sun disc was dipping below the lip of the buildings. I had no recollection of how I’d come to be there. The last thing I remembered was the Renewable, her gift of power, her instructions.
The world was washed in the lavender glow of sunset, the Wall shimmering over and around me. For a tiny, quiet moment I forgot everything and gazed at the violet sky.
Then I heard a siren in the distance, and the moment fled. I got to my feet, staggering at first but growing more steady. I shoved back the sleeve of my tunic and saw delicate silver lines tracing across my skin. As I watched it began to fade. The only mark that remained was a shiny pink dot of a scar below my wrist.
My head throbbed, but I could no longer feel the dreadful slow trickle of blood dripping through my hair. When I lifted my hand to the spot, the hair there crackled and fell away. I thought of the burning glass wire catching me as it whistled away into the dark. She must have cauterized the wound.
I was in a part of the city that I didn’t recognize. The buildings were better preserved here. Tall brick row houses lined each side of the street. Each had a crisp white door, as impassible as stone. I wasn’t going to find anyone here among the richest quarter who would help me, not looking as I did now.
Glancing up the street I saw a cluster of carriage drivers standing around, chatting. They were tossing stones at a manhole cover.
I saw my reflection in the gleaming windows of one of the houses. “They’ll never take me,” I croaked to myself.
Sure enough, the drivers recoiled as I approached. I knew I looked like something from beyond the Wall. I couldn’t blame them for their revulsion. Suddenly a name rose unbidden in my mind. I saw a pair of improbably large ears and red hair.
“Tamren,” I choked. “I need Tamren.”
The smallest of the drivers took off as if all the shadow monsters on the planet were after him, vanishing into one of the buildings. The others retreated back to where their carriages were parked, talking together in urgent whispers and sending me frequent, horrified looks.
The kid was gone for maybe five minutes before he reappeared, dragging a skinny, familiar form behind him. Tamren was chattering away, and for this more than anything I recognized him.
“—and I was just all, you know, you can’t tell me where to piss, mister, and he was like, oh yes I can, you little—oh, holy mother .” He skidded to a halt.
“Hi,” I said, leaning against a fire hydrant. I hoped it looked as though I was merely doing it to be casual, and not that it was necessary to prevent my falling over.
“. . . Miss Lark?” He gaped at me.
“I need you to take me home,” I managed.
The other drivers were all staring at Tamren. He continued to stare at me, but abruptly straightened, aware of their scrutiny. “Of course, miss,” he said, as if I were any well-paying customer. “This way.”
He took my arm. The gesture was gentlemanly, but the way I leaned against him was certainly not ladylike. He said nothing, for once remaining blessedly silent.
“I don’t have anything to pay you with,” I said awkwardly.
“Nah,” he said, unchaining his bike from the rack. “You’re paying me in street cred. The other drivers are too chicken to drive someone looks as bad as you do now. I’ll be king for a month with this story.”
Tamren didn’t speak as we pulled away, his muscles straining as he built up some momentum. It wasn’t until we were out of sight of the other drivers and had crested a slight hill that he slowed to
Please! I don’t even know where to go!
Go south, she said. Across the river. Then follow the birds.
And then the wire was whipping out of my arm. As it retracted, it flailed up and struck my head with a flash, and she glowed so brilliantly that I felt that my eyes must be burning, blinded. Then it was all gone.
Chapter 10
When I came to I was outside, and the sun disc was dipping below the lip of the buildings. I had no recollection of how I’d come to be there. The last thing I remembered was the Renewable, her gift of power, her instructions.
The world was washed in the lavender glow of sunset, the Wall shimmering over and around me. For a tiny, quiet moment I forgot everything and gazed at the violet sky.
Then I heard a siren in the distance, and the moment fled. I got to my feet, staggering at first but growing more steady. I shoved back the sleeve of my tunic and saw delicate silver lines tracing across my skin. As I watched it began to fade. The only mark that remained was a shiny pink dot of a scar below my wrist.
My head throbbed, but I could no longer feel the dreadful slow trickle of blood dripping through my hair. When I lifted my hand to the spot, the hair there crackled and fell away. I thought of the burning glass wire catching me as it whistled away into the dark. She must have cauterized the wound.
I was in a part of the city that I didn’t recognize. The buildings were better preserved here. Tall brick row houses lined each side of the street. Each had a crisp white door, as impassible as stone. I wasn’t going to find anyone here among the richest quarter who would help me, not looking as I did now.
Glancing up the street I saw a cluster of carriage drivers standing around, chatting. They were tossing stones at a manhole cover.
I saw my reflection in the gleaming windows of one of the houses. “They’ll never take me,” I croaked to myself.
Sure enough, the drivers recoiled as I approached. I knew I looked like something from beyond the Wall. I couldn’t blame them for their revulsion. Suddenly a name rose unbidden in my mind. I saw a pair of improbably large ears and red hair.
“Tamren,” I choked. “I need Tamren.”
The smallest of the drivers took off as if all the shadow monsters on the planet were after him, vanishing into one of the buildings. The others retreated back to where their carriages were parked, talking together in urgent whispers and sending me frequent, horrified looks.
The kid was gone for maybe five minutes before he reappeared, dragging a skinny, familiar form behind him. Tamren was chattering away, and for this more than anything I recognized him.
“—and I was just all, you know, you can’t tell me where to piss, mister, and he was like, oh yes I can, you little—oh, holy mother .” He skidded to a halt.
“Hi,” I said, leaning against a fire hydrant. I hoped it looked as though I was merely doing it to be casual, and not that it was necessary to prevent my falling over.
“. . . Miss Lark?” He gaped at me.
“I need you to take me home,” I managed.
The other drivers were all staring at Tamren. He continued to stare at me, but abruptly straightened, aware of their scrutiny. “Of course, miss,” he said, as if I were any well-paying customer. “This way.”
He took my arm. The gesture was gentlemanly, but the way I leaned against him was certainly not ladylike. He said nothing, for once remaining blessedly silent.
“I don’t have anything to pay you with,” I said awkwardly.
“Nah,” he said, unchaining his bike from the rack. “You’re paying me in street cred. The other drivers are too chicken to drive someone looks as bad as you do now. I’ll be king for a month with this story.”
Tamren didn’t speak as we pulled away, his muscles straining as he built up some momentum. It wasn’t until we were out of sight of the other drivers and had crested a slight hill that he slowed to
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