Fall
Chapter 25

Kane

The Golden Gates glittered darkly behind them. Above, the clouds twisted and seemed unsure of themselves.

Bodies and war machines had long been removed, but the air held a charge that made Kane feel on edge, as if an enemy were near.

Flint felt it too. I don’t like this. He pressed closer to Kane, his antlers ready to intervene. The guards behind them drew closer.

Kane shifted his feet, scattering a hardy layer of frost from the grass. “Cooper, I don’t think we should be here.”

Frost? Flint craned his neck to inspect the earth. He sniffed, and sneezed. This is not frost.

“We can leave if you wish,” Poppy said quietly beside him. Her fera gave a nervous bleat. “There is no formal commitment.”

“Actually, there is.” Kane fought a frown. “I’ve been waiting for this meeting.”

Cooper had crouched at the gentle slope below them. He activated his vitrum desk, and pulled out the strain of braided vitrum Kane had seen earlier. With a simple knot, Cooper laid the braid on the grass, and waited.

Kane sat on the rise above the inventor. He worked his thumbs for a few moments. “What next?” What are we doing? Is what he truly wanted to ask, but he had a hunch Cooper would avoid that one.

Cooper whistled a low tune. It was slow at first, then picked up speed with each refrain. The lyric-less song spun around itself like a puppy, tapping a spring of forgotten joy in Kane’s heart, and fighting away the gloom of the season’s change. Poppy hummed alongside him.

As Cooper sighed to catch his breath, the sun broke through the cloud barrier to shine a few scant rays among them.

Kane’s thoughts hitched as the braid shimmered before Cooper. A fuzzy image appeared over the looped vitrum, hovering in static like a trapped butterfly. Kane feared it would dissolve before coming to clarity.

Cooper rubbed his forehead. He deftly reached behind him, and pulled out another braid of vitrum. With the stealth of a fera hunter, he threw the new loop over the old. The image immediately sharpened. Flint took a few steps closer, poking neat divots into the dusted grass.

“What is that?” Poppy whispered.

Kane followed Flint, then knelt next to Cooper. “It’s a person.”

The inventor nodded somberly. “It is, my prince.”

A glass woman was seen running with her panther fera. She was smiling, and the panther leaped joyfully beside her.

“It’s a soldier… Right?” Kane was encouraged by a nod from Cooper. “This area, these remains… were part of her alea, or vitrum weapon.”

“The vitrum remembers who it likes.” Cooper’s shoulders were bowed. “This battlefield is full of memories.”

Kane examined the vitrum dust around him. It stretched far out of sight. “Oh Life.”

Poppy and the other guards crowded around the glass woman, frozen in her happy run.

“You can do this anywhere?” Poppy asked.

“Anywhere vitrum fingerprints can be read.” Cooper took a knife and broke the twin loops.

Kane watched the glass soldier disappear. “So we’ll know who set the jail explosions.”

“That’s what I’m hoping. But I had to show you first.” Cooper pocketed his vitrum disk. “I had to be sure.” He hefted his koala onto his back. “We can go to the jail site now, if you wish.”

Kane hesitated. With such clarity, they would immediately be able to tell who set the explosion that freed the Harpers. There was a possibility it could be someone in their own court.

Flint pawed the vitrum dust. It’s better to know your enemies than to be stabbed in the back. King Asher has already paid a hefty price. Now we have a chance to prevent that.

Kane bobbed his head. “Okay.”

Piper

What do you want to know?

Everything. She wanted to know everything. What fera did her parents have? Did they even have a fera, like Loy? Had they been kind? Were they truly merchants? Was she even from the West?

Reine scanned through these questions in the blink of an eye. No. Stay on task. We can’t trust her information about them, we just need to know where they are.

Right. The last time Lucy had promised her parents, they had not been parents at all.

Piper felt the alea inside her coat; she had hidden it after stuffing her vitrum belt deep within her bag. “Where are my parents?”

“In Kinn.” Lucy fumbled with a button on her shirt, her locks covering her face.

“No,” Finch said. “We checked there.”

Lucy’s head shot up. “You must have not looked hard enough.”

We didn’t look at all, Reine said.

Puzzled, Piper waited for Finch to make his point.

“We were very thorough. Ask any of the authorities and record keepers these past few months.” Finch pulled out a worn paper from his pockets.

Something changed in Lucy’s eyes. She examined her nails as Reef shoved off from her shoulder, and disappeared behind the front desk and display. “You may have not checked everywhere.”

Reine had given Lucy space while Finch talked, but now only Piper’s will held her back from drawing blood. So are you lying, Guardian?

A few seconds later Reef returned with a crimped paper in his talons. Lucy unfolded this paper with pursed lips. “Their last address was Kinn, in a well-populated part. You would have searched it.”

Piper’s attention shifted to Finch, who merely shrugged. “That was how many years ago?”

“That’s all I have to give you.” Lucy splayed her hand on the desk. “Piper, who is this?”

Piper had forgotten the name Finch had told Woodlock, and knew he wouldn’t want her to reveal his real one. “A friend.”

“I’m sorry you can’t replace your parents. But this is all I have,” Lucy repeated. She fell quiet, waiting for their response.

“Who were they?” Piper finally said.

Lucy crossed her arms. “What?”

“I… need their names.” Piper felt rooted to the spot. “And then we’ll leave.”

“How could you thoroughly search Kinn if you didn’t have their names?” Lucy calmly tucked her hair behind her ear. “You’re lying.”

Finch grimaced. “To be fair, you were lying first.”

Lucy glanced to Piper. “You have an interesting choice in friends.”

You have an interesting career choice, Reine growled.

Lucy clicked her heels, thoughtful. “And if I’m not able to give you their names?”

“I’d like to see that paper.” Finch stuffed his hands in his pockets, contradicting his words.

Reef snatched the paper from Lucy, and flapped to his pedestal.

“You’re not going to see anything. I don’t know if it will go to good intentions.”

Piper bit her lip. “Lucy.”

Her former Guardian watched her. “Yes?”

“You took care of me.” Piper brought her alea from the folds of her coat. “Gave me a key to a new life.” She twisted the cube’s sides, and kept her focus on Lucy as it grew in her hand. “Now I need your help again. So I—“ Piper swallowed. “So I can know.”

Lucy’s eyes were saucers. “A knife.”

“Ah.” Piper’s head jerked down to see a clear butterfly knife in her palm. “Yes.”

Where’s the mace? Reine asked.

You think I know? Piper thought.

“Amazing.” Lucy went to reach for the knife, and Piper drew back. Hurt flickered across her face.

Piper exchanged thoughts with Reine. Taking a shallow breath, she offered the butterfly knife to Lucy.

It hovered between them for an agonizing moment, before Lucy gingerly took it between her fingers. She flipped it over her knuckles slowly. “This glass is stunning.”

Should she say it was once a plant?

Finch saw the words on her face, and shook his head.

Lucy returned the knife. “I’m glad you’re enjoying my gift. Maybe… you’ve earned another.”

Reef was suddenly in Piper’s face, flapping his broad wings before her. She closed her eyes to see through Reine, and able to watch the owl shove the paper into her hand and retreat to Lucy’s shoulder.

“Stay safe, fly well. Don’t let your associations precede you.” Lucy slid back behind the counter. “It’s not every day you see an Amur.”

Finch walked by her, and tugged her hood. Piper spun quickly and flicked up her disguise.

I shouldn’t have shown her the alea. Regret filled Piper. She knows who I am.

Reine was still in the shop. She backed out slowly, never showing her tail to Lucy until her paws hit the cobblestone. Then she will know that we are not to be trifled with.

Piper and Finch were already down the next street by the time the leopard caught up to them.

“Okay, we have a lead. Now we can leave.” Finch watched her closely as Piper flattened out the page on a side wall.

Dear Ms. Mink,

Attached you will replace the needed papers. I hope you will replace them sufficient. Piper has a strong opinion of green beans, and will not have them with her meals. A soft light in her room will also be a precaution against nightmares, as she is used to city lights. If you could keep her well acquainted with both exotic and domestic fera, that would be ideal for her eventual choosing.

For any questions, please forward letters to:

56 Jetty St., Seine

Thank you,

Cedric and Grace Glassing