The City on the Edge
Twenty-eight

Malik dropped to his knees when he reached Ronnie and Lorna. Ronnie opened her mouth to speak, to ask about Anya, to berate him for coming back when he could have gotten away safely, but only a dry croak escaped her lips. Malik scooped Lorna up in his arms. She winced and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, clinging to him weakly. Ronnie made to move- every muscle ached but she had to get up. Sebastian tucked a hand under her arm, helping her rise shakily to her feet. Her legs were like water, protesting the weight, and she leaned on Sebastian heavily, smearing tacky blood on his arms.

“Easy,” he muttered in her ear.

She squeezed his hand. That contact alone seemed to put her body in motion, the bond vibrating like a struck chord. It was a sluggish start, but it would have to work. She couldn’t afford inaction.

“Do you have her?” Malik asked, nodding at Ronnie.

“I’ve got her,” Sebastian said.

Ronnie moved to take a step and stumbled, nearly collapsing back to the ground. Sebastian caught her and helped her right herself. Malik frowned but she waved his concerns away.

“I’m fine.” Her words were brittle and Malik didn’t appear convinced. “Really.”

Rifles were going off around them and a bullet whizzed by, narrowly missing Ronnie. She could almost smell the gunpowder as it sailed by and landed harmlessly in the grass.

“We can’t stay here,” Malik urged. “We need to leave. Now.”

The White Guard outnumbered them immensely and the glowing arrows could only do so much in their current situation. Ronnie wasn’t sure who was firing those arrows, but she had an idea. She turned her head to take in the battle. Immediately her eyes landed on a tall man with a build of lean muscles and a shock of red hair that reminded her of Lorna.

Jack.

Which meant the dark haired woman flanking him was his little vampire sidekick. It made sense for them to be here in this fight. Vampires were the only supernatural that could match a shifter for their speed. They made decent defenders and every time a guard tried to advance, Jack and Ren were there to knock them aside in a blur of grey flesh and black cloth.

It quickly dawned on Ronnie what exactly was happening. This was a rescue. Jack and Ren weren’t here to win this fight, only deflect it so everyone could escape. They were shields going against swords and bullets, and though they were fighting admirably, they wouldn’t last forever.

“Okay,” Ronnie huffed, trying to sound stronger than she felt. “Let’s make it quick.”

The archer loosing arrows called them back through the fence. A swarm of guards had broken away from the battle, attempting to bottleneck the opening Malik made and get to the archer on the other side. They fell to the swift arrows fired at them, but there were always more white coats to replace them. Malik slowed his pace and Ronnie could hear the gears in his head spin as he tried to replace an opening that wouldn’t get him killed.

She broke away from Sebastian with a forceful push and plowed into the guards from behind. She knocked into one, taking them down heavily with her weight and digging her claws into the side of their unprotected necks. Sebastian grabbed her to help her back to her feet but she wriggled out of his grasp and moved onto the next guard. A sense of hurt flashed through her but she ignored it and slashed at a passing guard, then another and then another.

She was a bloody mess and she could feel the splatter across her face become sticky and flaky as it dried. Malik had fallen in behind her and shadowed her closely as she made her way to the open fence. He waved his hands, wrapping yellow magic around guards like a settling fog and flung them to the side, not caring where they landed.

Arrows flew past her expertly, burying themselves in the guards that still tried to block their path. Beneath the frustration and anger and pain, a flower of pride bloomed in Ronnie’s chest when she finally made it through the fence. Even against an entire battalion of Sloan’s personal soldiers, a handful of supernaturals were able to evade them and escape. It was incredible what they could accomplish together.

Malik followed Sebastian through the fence. “What about the vampires?”

“They’re fine,” the archer said. “Close the gap. Quickly.”

Malik handed Lorna over to Sebastian and turned to grip the closest iron bar he could get his hands on. It lit up with yellow light and split, duplicating into thick pillars of magic. When he pulled his hands away, the magic faded, leaving new bars in its place. Through the gaps, Ronnie watched Jack and Ren retreat from the fight. The two of them ran at the fence and leaped straight into the air, sailing over the sharp heads with the weightless agility that only vampires possessed.

Ronnie walked over to the archer, who stood at least a head shorter than she did. “This is a convenient rescue, Alukorra.”

The fairy chuckled and pulled her hood back. Her violet curls came to life once they were free, bouncing at her shoulders. “You’re a clever girl, Veronica.”

“You know her?” Malik asked as he took Lorna back from Sebastian.

A rifle went off and a bullet ricoched off the fence. “This isn’t the place to talk,” Alukorra said as her bow burst into bright shimmers like her arrows, like fading stars. “We’ll continue this when we’re not being shot at.”

***

They had traveled quite a distance from the manor before the sounds of the White Guard faded from earshot. Occasionally, a glimpse of white could be seen in the far distance as the guardsmen searched, but they weren’t close. The immediate danger was over and everyone could breathe a little easier as the distance between them and the hidden house of horrors grew.

Varice and the witches that had been locked up in the manor waited for them just outside the perimeter of the manor, deep in the forest. The little vampire had excitedly come to join Ronnie again, thanking her profusely and gawking over the fact that she found a fairy lingering out in the woods, waiting for her opportunity to step in.

The very thought of the fairy just standing around in the forest while she and the others had been in genuine danger infuriated Ronnie, but after the night she’d had, she forced herself to relax just a little and let the pleasant sounds of forest at night comfort her frazzled nerves.

She’d always enjoyed the forest, though she’d never been this far from the Edge and home before. She just wished the exploration hadn’t come on the back of being arrested and tossed in a dungeon.

At least Lorna could walk on her own now. Like Ronnie, she had the remnants of the banshee’s attack trickling from her ears. The blood had crusted and flaked off into her hair, nearly disappearing among the red strands, but Ronnie could still pick them out. Lorna walked beside Malik, who kept a steady hand alight with yellow magic on Anya’s head. His shoulders sagged now that the fight was over and Ronnie sympathized with him, her own body heavy with exhaustion. Magic was draining for witches, no matter how stubborn or strong they were.

Malik tried to limit the usage of magic for the witches who lived at home, but as Lorna had confessed to Ronnie once, it was an itch they had to scratch. They were born with magic in their veins and ignoring it didn’t stop it from pulsing through them, eager to be let out. Using a pinch at a time once in a great while wasn’t enough to send them spiraling to insanity or an early grave, but both Lorna and Malik had used quite a bit in the last few days. With Anya’s condition being so serious, Ronnie suspected that Malik was going to age himself ten years just to keep her alive. Maybe more.

There were healers in the Edge, witches who resigned themselves to the fact that using magic would cause them to age at an accelerated pace and cut their lives short, but they accepted it and chose to live their short lives helping those who needed it. The Hands of Providence, they called themselves.

“The healers will save her, Malik.” Lorna tried to comfort him but the concern on his face seemed permanently etched. Anya was the last piece of his real family. Ronnie could relate. She remember vividly how she felt when she watched her father burn their home to the ground, killing her mother. It was a pain she still felt to this day.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian asked softly. “You feel…sad. Or angry? I’m not entirely sure.”

Ronnie understood exactly what he meant. The duplicity of the emotions she felt confused her too. She had a difficult time distinguishing Sebastian’s feelings from her own, like a piece of him was floating around inside of her and she couldn’t quite grasp it.

“Yeah. I’m just thinking to myself.”

He stepped closer in an attempt at privacy. She indulged herself and inhaled deeply, taking in a lungful of his sweet scent. “Um…what happened back there?” he asked. “At the manor? Something is different now. I can feel it.”

How was she supposed to explain this? She didn’t even fully understand it herself. Imprints and life long bonds were romantic myths among her people. Or, at least, she thought they were. Just lovely stories from old women who found themselves alone in the world and wished for companionship. She couldn’t recall a single individual who had gone through this.

“I think I-” she broke off, uncertain. What if she was wrong?

No, a voice deep inside told her. You know exactly what this is. This is what you never knew you wanted. This is what you need.

“I think I imprinted on you.” Ronnie let the words tumble out. She looked over at Sebastian, who looked confused.

“Imprinted?”

“It’s a, uh, a bond. That ties two people together for the rest of their lives.” She couldn’t keep the uncertain look off her face.

“Oh. That’s a…” Sebastian coughed awkwardly. “That’s a long time.” They walked together in silence for a few minutes, not looking at one another. “Is it always going to feel like this?”

“I don’t know,” Ronnie answered honestly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know much about it. I didn’t think it was real until I met you.”

“I’ve been told that I’m full of surprises.” Sebastian smiled wryly.

Ronnie laughed loudly at that. She felt crazy for laughing after everything that had happened but her night had been crazy, so why not?

Lorna looked over her shoulder and pinned Ronnie with a questioning stare that bordered on angry. Ronnie looked away and stifled the bubbles of laughter that still hummed in her chest. She wasn’t quite ready to confront where she stood with Lorna just yet. She had a nagging feeling that the intuitive witch knew exactly what had happened in the small alcove back at the manor. Lorna wasn’t stupid and she knew Ronnie well enough to know something was up.

“So what happens now?” Sebastian asked.

“I don’t know,” Ronnie’s eyes found Alukorra up ahead, leading the group. “But I’m going to replace out.”

She left Sebastian’s side and moved through the tired witches, pushing past Jack and Ren until she was side by side with Alukorra who, frustratingly, didn’t seem surprised to see her storm up.

“Yes, Veronica? What can I do for you?” Her voice was as calm as still water.

“I wouldn’t mind some answers. How did you know we’d be here?”

“I don’t know what you mean?” Ronnie didn’t buy her innocent tone for a second.

“‘We’ll be seeing you again soon.’ Isn’t that what you said to me before? When I turned down your invitation?” Alukorra clenched her jaw but she didn’t answer. She didn’t even look at Ronnie, which infuriated her more. “You knew that Sloan had figured out Anya’s heist, didn’t you?” Ronnie pressed her. “You knew she’d be taken and you knew we’d go after her.”

Alukorra snapped her burning gaze to Ronnie, violets on fire. “Yes,” she admitted. “I knew exactly what was going to happen. You are hilariously predictable, Veronica. You’re a shifter. I anticipated that your loyalty to your family and your connection to Sebastian would lead you to the manor.” She held up her hands. “And clearly, I was right.”

Outrage burned in her. “Why? Why go through all of this?”

“So that you could experience first hand what we are up against.” Alukorra spoke as if it should have been obvious to Ronnie. “Out in the Edge, it’s easy for you to hide behind buildings and disappear in crowds, but the threat is still there. Sloan is still there, holding his hand over the entire city like one of the gods until he decides he wants to bring it down on us.”

“Us? What could you possibly know about life in the Edge?” Ronnie’s volume was steadily rising but she didn’t care anymore. She felt used and she hated it. “You’re a fairy. You don’t even belong out here. You should be back in the Glowing City where you can grovel every time a human glances your way-”

“Enough!” Alukorra snapped. The marks over her body glowed brilliantly, almost blinding in the night. “You have no idea what has happened to the Glowing City. You don’t know because you don’t care. And you don’t care because you don’t have to. And when you don’t care, this is what happens.” Alukorra pointed to the witches behind her. Ronnie glanced at their dirty haggard faces, at the loss in their eyes. “We are at war, Veronica. I did what I did because we need you to care. We need you.”

“Why?”

Alukorra looked back at Sebastian. “Because we need him.”

Every head turned to Sebastian. Expressions varied from cautious, to surprised, to angry. Heads craned to look at him and he hunched his shoulders slightly, as if it would help him disappear from their pained stares. Ronnie, despite how she felt about Sebastian, couldn’t blame them. Humans had kept them locked in dungeons for who knew how long, experimenting on them and taking from them with no remorse. Sebastian carried the reputation of his people.

Malik stepped forward, Anya hanging limp in his arms, barely concealed anger on his face. “You knew that my sister would be taken?” His green eyes were bright and crackled with lighting bolts of yellow. “You knew what Sloan was doing to witches and you allowed her to be taken to teach Ronnie a lesson?” A stray bolt of furious magic shot out and hit a tree in a burst of blackened bark.

Alukorra didn’t back down from the display. She walked over to him and stood inches away, looking up into his face. “I knew she would be taken, but I did not know the true extent of what Sloan was doing. There were rumors, but no proof. I am ashamed to say that I didn’t think him capable. I shudder to think of the lives he has taken.” She raised a hand and placed her delicate fingers on his arm. “I am truly sorry for what happened to your sister.”

Malik jerked away from her. “Sorry? Sorry isn’t going to keep her alive.” He pushed past her, jamming her with his shoulder. “I’m going to the Hands of Providence. I’m done with this nonsense.”

“Malik!” Lorna called after him but he didn’t look back as the retreated through the trees.

Ronnie didn’t chase after him. Malik was strong and he knew where he was going. He had every right to be angry. Alukorra had used Anya as bait- a lure for Ronnie to chase. If anyone was truly at fault, it was Ronnie for falling right in to Alukorra’s plans, however necessary she claimed them to be.

“What do you need me for?” Sebastian asked.

“That’s not really something I want to discuss out in the open,” Alukorra said. “If you really want to know then you’ll follow me. I’ll answer your questions. I promise.”

Jack came up beside Ronnie and nudged her. “Don’t worry, doll. She doesn’t bite.” He laughed at his own joke and followed after Alukorra. Vampire humor. “We don’t want to linger in this part of the forest for too long anyway. There are slinks here.” He pointed upward. “And they probably smell the blood.”

Ronnie could feel Sebastian’s reluctance and confusion coil through her and mix with her own. It seemed they shared the same caution when it came to Alukorra. It was something they both pushed aside though. Alukorra clearly wasn’t done with them and Ronnie wanted to know why.

Sebastian came up beside her. “Slinks?”

“White demons. They eat bones.” Why couldn’t the trees be full of silks instead?

“Scavengers?”

“Nope. Predators.” Ronnie looked up, eyes searching for a hint of puffy white hair. “They’ll dig right through living flesh if it means bones to eat.”

Sebastian shuddered and stepped closer. “The Edge is full of surprises.”