Chapter 27
Chapter twenty-seven
A Growing Darkness
It had been a few days since the Emberlight Council had voted me in, and Elena and I found ourselves with little to do. I was feeling restless. Doing nothing just wasn’t in my nature. Rather than relaxing, it felt claustrophobic, as if a rope were slowly tightening around me.
To keep my mind and body busy, I spent much of my time in the sparring room with Elena, practicing our weapons techniques. I also explored the twisting hallways and chambers, most of which were deserted.
I found a small library of books, maps, and scrolls, some of which covered various Emberborn topics.
It was nothing compared to the clock tower library but far more than I had ever seen anywhere else.
I pored over maps ranging from the entire Velmorrian continent down to the drainage systems of Analon.
One book listed a few of the known Embers; they were so varied that no exhaustive catalog existed.
I recognized Veilsense, Chronothene, Elena’s strength, which was called Stryn, and the shifter power, which was called Marrowbound.
There were many others I had never heard of, including Stillbind—the ability to prevent someone else from moving— and Windspirit—the ability to run very fast.
I borrowed a few of the books and read them at night to calm my storming mind.
Darion stopped by frequently to update us on matters of the Order and the news from topside.
Apparently the Royal Guard had stepped up patrols all across the city and stationed Sentinels throughout every district.
No one was sure why, but I worried it had to do with Elena and me.
Perhaps they’d found out I had Veilsense.
This made me even more anxious about Elena’s imminent departure for the Northlands.
There had also been no communication from the Citadel Clock Tower about my lineage.
Darion suspected it was because of the increased Royal Guard patrols.
Since the day Edric had been unable to find information about my family, the thought had gnawed at me.
For most of my life, I hadn’t thought much about my origins, but now that I knew of our Emberborn heritage, I yearned to learn more.
On the third day after the meeting of the council, I was lying on my bed reading a book from the library when Darion knocked on the door. I smiled as he entered and approached the bed.
He smiled back. “Are you up for an adventure?”
“Dust yes!” I said, practically jumping off the bed. “I feel like a caged beast! Is it dangerous?”
He lifted a mischievous eyebrow. “Would you expect anything less from me?”
“Perfect!” I said, planting a kiss on his cheek, which soon turned into a proper kiss. Before things got too out of hand, I shoved him away playfully. “Let’s go.”
Darion guided me through the halls of the Order and out the entrance. We nodded to the guards as we passed.
When we were out of earshot, Darion turned to me. “I thought it might be good for you to know your way topside. Especially since we destroyed the door we came through on the way in. If there were ever an emergency and you and Elena had to escape, I’d want you to know how.”
“I appreciate that. I’ve been feeling a little unmoored, not knowing how to get out,” I said. “But is that the only thing we’re doing?”
“You mean other than spending time together?” Darion asked.
“Yes, other than that.”
“There might be one other thing.”
“I thought so. Is that the dangerous part?” I asked.
“A bit. Technically, this is your first assignment from the Order.”
“Is this how a person normally receives assignments?”
“Not exactly,” Darion said. “Actually, this is more for me. There’s something I want your take on, and I need your Veilsense.”
“Where are we going? What do you need me to do?”
“Stop asking so many questions,” Darion said with a laugh. “Come along and I’ll show you.”
He guided me through the maze of Underworld tunnels until we reached a ladder.
As we ascended, beams of light streamed through cracks in the wall.
Finally we reached a hatch at the top. Darion opened it, and a burst of sunlight flooded in, blinding me; my eyes had grown accustomed to the sunless Underworld over the last few days.
I blinked several times as we climbed out onto a roof.
The first thing that struck me was the briny sea air of Analon Bay.
Living in it day after day, I had grown nose-blind to that scent, but today it was like being in the middle of a fish market.
The breeze buffeted my hair as I scanned the rooftops of Analon, which stretched out in every direction.
To the north, the Citadel Clock Tower rose proudly above the city, and to the east, ship masts swayed in the ocean breeze.
These things told me roughly where we had emerged.
“Never gets old, does it?” Darion asked, watching me admire the city—the city I both loved and despised.
“Quite a sight,” I said. “So, what is this dangerous assignment?”
“This way.”
We ran along rooftops, occasionally jumping over a narrow alley. We hadn’t gotten far when a shadow crossed over us and the familiar caw of a whisperhawk pierced the sky. Zephyra swooped down and landed on my shoulder.
Hello, little Cas. It has been many days since Zephyra saw you.
My stomach tightened. Being able to hear Zephyra was something I hadn’t mentioned to Darion…
or to anyone. I almost ignored her. But Zephyra hopped impatiently, talons pricking through the fabric of my tunic, and Darion was watching me.
Once again, I was on the brink of doing something I couldn’t take back.
I stroked Zephyra’s cheek. “It’s good to see you, Zephyra. How do you always find me so quickly?”
Darion’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched us.
Zephyra has much better eyes than blind humans. Zephyra hunts from above, seeing little rats scurrying around the city. Cas is little, yes, but not as little as rats. Cas is easy to see.
“Fair enough,” I said with a smile. “Well, I’m sorry I haven’t been up here in a while. Next time I’ll bring you a treat. What would you like?”
Zephyra eats lots, but only disgusting rats. So dirty, and meat is tough. Zephyra would like something sweet.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Thank you, little Cas. Now Zephyra must fly.
She flapped her wings and took to the air.
Darion stared at me, that questioning look still on his face. “You can…hear whisperhawks?”
Heat crept up my neck. “Yeah. I—I haven’t really shared it with anyone.”
Darion smiled, but there was something else there, too. He seemed thoughtful. Curious.
“Cas,” he said quietly, “that’s remarkable.”
“It’s just something I can do.” I shrugged. “Let’s go.”
We ran along rooftops until we approached a notorious district of Analon.
Smokestacks belched out black smoke, and the buildings shifted from the typical eclectic wood to harsh stone.
The acrid smell of burning coal hit my nose, and the harsh sound of metal clanging against metal reverberated up to the rooftops.
This was the Industrial District, home to many of the factories that were the backbone of industry for Analon.
But as with most things in this grand and terrible city, a duality existed. Along with the factories, this district contained the prisons required to house all the slave labor that kept the factories staffed.
“Why did you bring me to this horrible place?” I asked.
“I’m sorry. You’ll see why soon,” Darion said with a frown. “We’re almost there. We’ll need to be very quiet, as this place is crawling with Royal Guards and Sentinels.”
A looming shadow appeared through the smog—the hulking shape of a building with a massive stone facade and only a handful of barred windows. It had been designed to be imposing and unforgiving.
This was the Pyrehold prison.
Darion crouched low to the ground and bade me do the same. “If you look carefully, you’ll see Sentinels surrounding Pyrehold.” Darion pointed off to the left. Sure enough, a Sentinel stood at attention, tucked into a shaded corner of a building.
“It’s not that strange to have a few Sentinels guarding a prison,” Darion said. “But by my count, there are twenty surrounding the building—a building famous for never letting a prisoner escape.”
“They’re trying to keep people out,” I said.
Darion nodded. “I don’t know how your Veilsense works,” Darion said, “but do you feel anything unusual here?”
I paused for a moment to focus on my senses, but the air stank of soot, and the banging machinery rattled in my mind.
“I don’t. When people use their Embers, I can smell it and see it a bit. Maybe there are just too many distractions.”
Darion nodded. “Can you block them out?”
“I can try.” I closed my eyes and imagined pleasant things, like the farm I had always wanted for Elena and me. Gradually, the acrid smell and harsh sounds faded into the background, and a warmth grew in my core.
Slowly at first, then with increasing intensity, a thrumming surrounded me. It wasn’t a sound or a vibration, but something beyond my five senses.
The faintest scent tickled my nose: ozone.
But underneath it was something different.
An astringent sensation burned my nostrils—not exactly citrus, but close, like fruit left too long in the sun.
This was unlike anything I’d ever sensed.
Usually the scent of Embers was sharp and acute, but this had a muted, pervasive quality.
And there was something else. It was dark. Festering. Evil.
My instincts told me to pull back. But I felt like I was on the cusp of understanding what was happening, so I kept exploring with my mind. I could almost feel each of the Sentinels. Maybe if I just pushed a little bit harder…
The darkness grew quite suddenly; it almost felt like it was reaching back out to me, as if it could sense me back.
Panic flooded my mind. I tried to escape, but I was powerless to stop it.
I wanted to open my eyes, but I could barely even feel them.
The darkness wrapped its cold, bleak hands around my body, constricting my lungs like the tentacles of a giant sea monster.
My body convulsed, and a sharp pain seared across my cheek. That was enough to break my trance, and I opened my eyes to see Darion shaking me with a wild look of panic on his pale face.
A sickeningly high-pitched wail resounded off the nearby buildings—the Sentinels’ signal of alert.
“Thank dust you’re okay,” Darion whispered. “We have to run.”
I started out a bit wobbly, as the fog hadn’t fully lifted from my brain, but getting even a few steps away from that dreaded building helped.
Once I had my equilibrium, we moved as fast as stealth would allow, racing along the rooftops.
Gradually the Sentinels’ alarm faded, then stopped altogether.
When we were nearly back at the Underworld entrance, Darion stopped. He rested a gentle hand on my shoulder. “What happened back there?”
I shook my head. “I don’t really know. When I closed my eyes and concentrated, I could smell the Ember, but it was faint and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. And then I felt a darkness. It grew stronger, and then…I don’t know. It seemed to sense me. Then it came after me.”
“Dust! I’m sorry, Cas. If I had known that would happen, I never would have asked—”
“You don’t need to apologize. I knew the risks when I joined the Order. And besides, we learned some things. Things we should report.”
Darion nodded, eyes on the ground.
My heart swelled for this beautiful man.
I’d spent my entire life caring for others, and for the first time, somebody was caring for me.
But underneath that pleasant feeling was an undercurrent of worry.
Part of it was because of what I just experienced.
But another part was because I didn’t know how long I’d get to keep this happiness.
And because now I had something to lose.