hallway, still in my rabbit-patterned pyjamas. Nell was in the kitchen, and on the table in front of her was the bag of powdered bloodrock I’d taken from Central. The bag was half-open, revealing the transparent glittering dust.
“Someone was killed last night?” I asked. “For real?”
“Skyla called me this morning,” said Nell. “She heard two Alliance guards talking about it.”
“How did they die?” I asked. “Was it when we were there?” When I was in the building? They wouldn’t have seen my face—I’d moved too quickly—and yet I’d run right past a group of them by the gate. And at least one of those guards could have seen me. I looked at the powdered bloodrock and wondered if it was worth formulating a disguise for myself. But there were others who needed it more than I did.
“I don’t know,” said Nell. “No one knows. This person was working late, alone in the office, and someone went in there and killed them. No clue about motives. Not to mention how they got in there in the first place.”
I thought of the Chameleon and shivered. Jeth was the only person who had those devices, I knew that much, and we’d never shown them to anyone else. It was a fairly major thing to be able to use magic-based technology on Earth and have it actually work how it was meant to. Most people didn’t know much more than the three basic principles, which were broadcast on the news daily because the media thought the public needed a constant reminder. In case they started, I don’t know, waving wands and trying to conjure things. The most even a magic-wielder could do was fire a first level power jolt, no more damaging than a static shock. I’d used it to open the window…
What if the killer got in by the gate I left open?
No. I wasn’t going to feel guilty for the death of a stranger. It had nothing to do with us. The last thing I wanted was to get wrapped up in the Alliance’s business. As horrible as the idea of a murder was, it didn’t affect us. We could just go on as normal. We had to.
“That’s bad and everything,” said Alber, “but we don’t need to go back there again anytime soon. As long as we keep our heads down, we should be fine, right?”
“In theory,” said Nell. “But this gives me a bad feeling. Also, I need someone to take this bloodrock to the other shelters.”
“Thought you didn’t want me running any more risks,” I said, but I brightened at the idea of getting to talk to some of the others. People like us, and the few Nell trusted.
“Jeth’s at work,” said Nell. “Take it to the usual places. Save a third of it to give to the Campbell family. They need a bunch of it, ASAP.”
“Wait, what?” I frowned. “You mean, Delta or one of his brothers? But that would mean going back into the Passages.” Valeria’s citizens were allowed to leave their world as they pleased, which was how Delta and I had met, incidentally. He’d sneaked up on me and I’d almost choked him to death. The start of a beautiful friendship.
“Yes…” said Nell, slowly.
“Taking an illegal substance into the Passages right after what happened? Seems a bit…”
“Don’t you pretend to be concerned about safety, Ada Fletcher. You’re just trying to get in my good books.” She knew me too well. “It’s not ideal, I know, but there’s a big group of Karthos rebels coming through next week and it’s going to be a challenge to get them all in without causing suspicion.”
The doorbell rang, making us all jump.
“I’ll get it,” said Alber, while I hurried back to my room to dress in something a little more dignified than rabbit-patterned pyjamas.
It turned out to be Skyla, who’d come to check up on us. She was about a year younger than me. Her thick dark hair was swept in a high ponytail and she wore a smart shirt and trousers which looked odd on her. In the five years she’d helped at the shelter, I’d never pictured her as the type to work in an office as a
“Someone was killed last night?” I asked. “For real?”
“Skyla called me this morning,” said Nell. “She heard two Alliance guards talking about it.”
“How did they die?” I asked. “Was it when we were there?” When I was in the building? They wouldn’t have seen my face—I’d moved too quickly—and yet I’d run right past a group of them by the gate. And at least one of those guards could have seen me. I looked at the powdered bloodrock and wondered if it was worth formulating a disguise for myself. But there were others who needed it more than I did.
“I don’t know,” said Nell. “No one knows. This person was working late, alone in the office, and someone went in there and killed them. No clue about motives. Not to mention how they got in there in the first place.”
I thought of the Chameleon and shivered. Jeth was the only person who had those devices, I knew that much, and we’d never shown them to anyone else. It was a fairly major thing to be able to use magic-based technology on Earth and have it actually work how it was meant to. Most people didn’t know much more than the three basic principles, which were broadcast on the news daily because the media thought the public needed a constant reminder. In case they started, I don’t know, waving wands and trying to conjure things. The most even a magic-wielder could do was fire a first level power jolt, no more damaging than a static shock. I’d used it to open the window…
What if the killer got in by the gate I left open?
No. I wasn’t going to feel guilty for the death of a stranger. It had nothing to do with us. The last thing I wanted was to get wrapped up in the Alliance’s business. As horrible as the idea of a murder was, it didn’t affect us. We could just go on as normal. We had to.
“That’s bad and everything,” said Alber, “but we don’t need to go back there again anytime soon. As long as we keep our heads down, we should be fine, right?”
“In theory,” said Nell. “But this gives me a bad feeling. Also, I need someone to take this bloodrock to the other shelters.”
“Thought you didn’t want me running any more risks,” I said, but I brightened at the idea of getting to talk to some of the others. People like us, and the few Nell trusted.
“Jeth’s at work,” said Nell. “Take it to the usual places. Save a third of it to give to the Campbell family. They need a bunch of it, ASAP.”
“Wait, what?” I frowned. “You mean, Delta or one of his brothers? But that would mean going back into the Passages.” Valeria’s citizens were allowed to leave their world as they pleased, which was how Delta and I had met, incidentally. He’d sneaked up on me and I’d almost choked him to death. The start of a beautiful friendship.
“Yes…” said Nell, slowly.
“Taking an illegal substance into the Passages right after what happened? Seems a bit…”
“Don’t you pretend to be concerned about safety, Ada Fletcher. You’re just trying to get in my good books.” She knew me too well. “It’s not ideal, I know, but there’s a big group of Karthos rebels coming through next week and it’s going to be a challenge to get them all in without causing suspicion.”
The doorbell rang, making us all jump.
“I’ll get it,” said Alber, while I hurried back to my room to dress in something a little more dignified than rabbit-patterned pyjamas.
It turned out to be Skyla, who’d come to check up on us. She was about a year younger than me. Her thick dark hair was swept in a high ponytail and she wore a smart shirt and trousers which looked odd on her. In the five years she’d helped at the shelter, I’d never pictured her as the type to work in an office as a
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